New World, Marine G-15 Branch
In addition to its headquarters at Marineford, the Marine organization boasts over a hundred branches scattered across the world. These are generally designated as Marine Branch XX in the Four Seas, while those in the Grand Line bear the designation Marine G-X. The G-15 branch, in particular, is located near the Edd War sea area, the site of the recent battle involving Edie and the Marines.
Thanks to Aokiji's ability to freeze the sea, over five thousand defeated Marines managed to reach the safety of the G-15 base. Vice Admiral Haishizi, the commander of this branch, quickly ushered Garp and the other senior officers into the base, his face etched with concern.
"Vice Admiral Garp, Aokiji, Kizaru, Chaton... what happened? The news said you were defeated, and Fleet Admiral Kong fell in battle. Is it true?" Haishizi asked anxiously as he served them hot tea.
"We were ambushed," Aokiji said, his voice heavy. "Edie has a terrifying ability that can make ten of our warships vanish with a mere snap of his fingers."
Haishizi's mind reeled at the implications. Losing their warships at sea had left them vulnerable to the ambush. He glanced at Garp, whose expression was unusually grave.
"The Earthly Branches are far more powerful than we anticipated," Garp began, his voice a mix of frustration and sorrow. "They aren't Lunarians, but clones infused with Lunarian genes."
He then described the harrowing battle: Zishu, a young clone of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, wielding power nearly equal to Roger himself; Wuma, a clone of Whitebeard Edward Newgate, possessing the same devastating Tremor Fruit ability; Weiyang, a clone of Marine Admiral Sengoku, whose strength rivaled that of Sengoku in his prime; and Chenlong, not as strong as the others but still comparable to the Emperor Kaido. And finally, Edie, who had grievously injured Fleet Admiral Kong with a single strike. Had it not been for Kong's Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, he would have been incapacitated on the spot.
"In the end, Kong chose to sacrifice himself to allow us to escape," Garp concluded, his voice trembling with anger and sorrow.
Vice Admiral Haishizi was utterly stunned. Just four Earthly Branches, plus Edie, had obliterated their Buster Call fleet. If there had been more Earthly Branches present, it could have been a complete massacre.
"It was only five days between the Buster Call and the ambush. Edie must not have had time to mobilize all the Earthly Branches. If he had, it would have been disastrous!" Haishizi said, his voice tinged with fear.
Among the remaining eight Earthly Branches, the Marines only knew of one called [Shenhou], and the potential threat posed by the unknown entities was deeply troubling.
"Damn it!" Chaton cursed, his fist slamming against the wall as he looked out toward Beehive Island. "I'm so useless. Gion is dead... How am I supposed to face Vice Admiral Tsuru?"
Chief Tsuru had a close bond with Momousagi. Although there was a significant age gap—Vice Admiral Tsuru was 59, while Momousagi was only 25—Tsuru had always treated Gion like a little sister.
"Not necessarily dead," Kizaru interjected calmly. "Edie didn't show any killing intent at the time. The red energy ball didn't hit her in the end."
Chaton's eyes widened with a glimmer of hope. "Really? Gion isn't dead?" he said hurriedly. "We have to find a way to rescue her! Or negotiate her release!"
The desperation in his voice was palpable. If Gion was alive, she was likely in captivity, and the thought of her enduring torture was unbearable.
"Ahem..." Haishizi coughed awkwardly, sensing the need to steer the conversation. "Regarding Vice Admiral Momousagi, let's not act rashly. The most important thing right now is to report the situation to the Five Elders and let them make the decision."
Garp nodded, his face hardening. He strode over to a side table, picked up the phone, and dialed the Five Elders' contact number, his fingers gripping the receiver with barely restrained fury.
Holy Land Mariejois
While it was around 2 a.m. on Beehive Island, the clock in the Pangaea Castle read 8 or 9 p.m. In the opulent Hall of Power, the Five Elders sat around a grand table, their expressions twisted with rage as they stared at the latest edition of the news.
"That damn Morgans! The news reached him faster than it did us!" one of them seethed. The defeat of the Buster Call fleet had spread across the world like wildfire, and by the time they learned of it, the story was already out of their control.
"That fool Kong! I was planning to promote him to Commander-in-Chief in a few years, but now..." another elder grumbled. "Forget dying, he left us with this mess!"
"I should never have agreed to it," a third elder chimed in, his tone venomous. "I should have sent Sengoku instead. His combat prowess is superior!" They shamelessly slandered the dead Kong without a hint of remorse.
The death of the Fleet Admiral was not just a loss of a powerful subordinate but a severe blow to the authority of the World Government, which the Five Elders guarded above all else. For the Marines, losing their leader in battle was unprecedented and dangerous for the government's image.
Suddenly, the phone rang, piercing the heavy silence. Saint Saturn answered, and Garp's voice came through.
"...That's the situation. To save us and ensure the news reached you, Kong chose to sacrifice himself," Garp reported, his tone cold but steady.
The Five Elders' eyes widened in disbelief as they absorbed the implications of Garp's words. For a moment, the room was filled with a stunned silence. Then, four of them turned their gaze towards Saint Saturn, the Elder known as the God of Scientific Defense and a renowned scientist in his own right.
"Impossible! How could clones reach that level of strength?" Saint Saturn erupted, standing up from his seat, his voice shaking with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Garp, are you making this up to shirk responsibility?"
Garp's voice hardened with barely restrained fury. "Saint Saturn, you are delusional!"
"Impossible... absolutely impossible..." Saint Saturn muttered, sinking back into his chair, his face pale. For him, this revelation was even more shocking than the defeat of the Marine forces. As a scientist, he knew the insurmountable difficulties involved in creating clones with the strength of Admirals and Emperors. It should have been impossible!
The World Government had been conducting research on human cloning for years. The proposal for the Seven Warlords of the Sea had been a precursor to creating a group of perfectly loyal and powerful warriors once the technology matured. The code name for this project had already been decided: "Seraphims."
But now, someone was telling him that scientist Edie had perfected the technology to the point of creating beings with the strength of Emperor-level combatants? The implications were staggering!
"How did he solve the problem of longevity?" Saturn mused aloud, his mind racing. "How did he suppress the various 'cloning diseases' caused by the collapse of bloodline factors? And how did he manage to fuse the Lunarian bloodline so perfectly, enabling them to inherit their prototypes' special abilities?"
He needed to know. The curiosity was maddening, gnawing at him like a ravenous beast. Saint Saturn wanted nothing more than to storm Beehive Island, kill Edie, and seize his research institute. He could imagine poring over the man's research, discovering the secrets behind these miraculous breakthroughs.
The desire to understand burned within him, consuming his thoughts. How had Edie done it? What was he hiding in that hive of his? The answers were tantalizingly close, and Saint Saturn's scientific curiosity and professional envy were overwhelming.
"Calm down, Saturn," one of the other Elders said in a deep, authoritative voice.
Saint Saturn exhaled slowly, steadying himself. "Huh… I lost my composure." He took a deep breath, regaining his calm, though inside, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disdain for his colleagues. These idiots have no understanding of the intricacies of this technology, he thought. It's like trying to explain advanced calculus to a bunch of monkeys.
With a serene expression masking his contempt, he spoke up. "This man is a genius scientist, the likes of which are seen maybe once in a thousand years! The problems that even Vegapunk couldn't solve yet, he's managed to overcome with stunning precision and quality." He paused, his eyes gleaming with something like admiration. "It's a shame for someone like him to be our bitter enemy."
On the other end of the line, Garp could hardly believe his ears. The Five Elders, who had initiated the Buster Call and gotten Kong killed, were now talking about Edie with a kind of respect, even awe. His grip tightened around the receiver, his anger barely contained. You were the ones who started this war, and now you're acting like this?
The bald Elder, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "What are you suggesting?"
Saint Saturn nodded, his voice calm and measured. "If we look back, the conflict with him started only because we sent CP7 after him. It escalated from there." He shook his head, reflecting on the incident. The initial reason for dispatching CP7 was Edie's sudden appearance in Water 7, and the Elders' hypersensitivity to any potential connections to the ancient weapon, Pluton. But, in hindsight, it seemed overblown.
"That could have been overlooked," Saint Saturn continued, brushing aside the gravity of the situation. "And as for what happened in the Sabaody Archipelago, where Edie and his group killed those three Celestial Dragons—well, they were just expendable pigs anyway. Insignificant, really." The other Elders nodded in agreement, showing a chilling disregard for the lives of the so-called nobility. After all, as long as Edie wasn't meddling with the [Void Century] or [Nika], anything else was forgivable. That was their only true bottom line.
"At worst, the twelve Earthly Branches under his command, with the exception of Shenhou, are all clones with the highest levels of power in these seas," Saint Saturn continued. "Their strength surpasses even that of the Rocks Pirates, and they're fiercely loyal to him."
He glanced around at the others, gauging their reactions. "At this point, continuing to fight is not in our best interest. We should send someone to negotiate, offer him rewards, and bring him to our side."
The others were silent, considering his words. The Buster Call, in retrospect, had only been a test. The true depth of Edie's strength would require the World Government's hidden powers, like the [Knights of God] or even the dreaded [Uranus], to properly deal with the Earthly Branches. And involving those forces would require Imu's approval—something they were reluctant to do.
"Winning Edie over could mitigate the impact of this defeat," another Elder murmured thoughtfully.
"But if we want to recruit him, it won't be cheap," Saint Saturn added, a sly smile crossing his lips. "Promise him the status of a Celestial Dragon and gift him 20 billion Beli as a sign of good faith." He sneered. "Try to get our hands on his technology first, and then we'll think about the rest."
The Elders conversed among themselves, finally arriving at a consensus. They would try to mend their relationship with Edie and win him over to their side.
Garp, on the other end of the line, was seething with barely contained rage. He was less angry at Edie than he was at the Five Elders. To them, the lives of Marines meant nothing. They were ready to turn their backs on everything the moment they smelled profit or power.
Does Kong's death mean nothing to them? Garp thought bitterly. Why the hell am I still working for these people?
Beehive Island, Underground Research Institute, Control Room.
[Your Scientific Research Reputation has improved...]
[Scientific Research Reputation]: 100% → 0%
[Number of remaining simulations]: 0 → 1
Edie's large hands caressed Momousagi's slender waist, his touch lingering before slowly drifting downward, his movements deliberate and teasing. Momousagi, caught off guard, placed her slender arms defensively across her chest, her jade-like hands weakly pushing against his chest. She was flustered, caught between resistance and the strange warmth that enveloped her as Edie's advances gradually broke through her defenses.
Just then, a system prompt flashed before Edie's eyes, interrupting the moment. He reluctantly released her, turning his attention to the notification. His lips curved into a satisfied smile as he saw the message.
Finally, the bar is full again, he thought, feeling a sense of accomplishment. It had become increasingly difficult to raise his reputation, and it had taken a significant amount of effort to stir up enough commotion to achieve this.
"Hah… hah…" Momousagi panted softly, struggling to catch her breath. That long kiss had left her breathless, almost suffocating her. She looked at Edie with a mixture of resentment and confusion. How could he be so skilled yet still pretend to be innocent?
Damn it, I've been fooled!
Her face flushed with indignation. I'm not clean anymore!
"You're cheating!" she accused angrily.
"Cheating? How so?" Edie chuckled, putting the system prompt aside. "Didn't you enjoy it just now?" He leaned closer, a playful glint in his eyes. "Want to go again?"
"I-I'm not coming back! I'm going to sleep!" Momousagi stammered, retreating hurriedly. She had indeed felt a moment of pleasure, lost in the heat of the moment, but she would never admit that. She stopped at the door, hesitating, before turning back with a pout.
"It's not fair! This is your territory. It's too easy for you to catch me!" She bit her lip, then added, "At least… tell me who's in your room? You tricked me!"
"Want to know?" Edie raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he pointed to his mouth.
Momousagi blushed, feeling both embarrassed and indignant. Well, he's already kissed me once, so what's one more? She reasoned with herself, then quickly darted forward, pressing her lips against his for a brief moment. She pulled back just as swiftly when Edie reached out to grab her.
"There! Now, will you tell me?" she asked, a hint of triumph in her voice. She knew this man wanted to trick her into getting closer so he could capture her again.
Edie laughed. "It was me all along. I used [Observation Haki Invisibility] on myself. You were like a little white rabbit, completely clueless and easily fooled."
Momousagi's eyes widened in shock. "...You...!" She bit her lip, feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
Next time, I'll be more careful. She thought, her resolve hardening as she quickly turned and fled the room. If she stayed any longer, she feared she might actually give in to him.
Edie watched her retreating figure with an amused smile. Dating has to be taken step by step. He mused. After a few more visits, she would get used to it.
As for Momousagi's determination to win, Edie knew that was impossible. As long as he didn't want her to, she wouldn't even find the true cloning laboratory. The real secret was hidden in a completely sealed, doorless space, transformed by his Island Fruit ability. The underground floor was merely a decoy, a simple maze that would keep her wandering for hours without finding anything of significance.
"Now, back to work," Edie muttered to himself. "The extraction of Garp's bloodline factor isn't complete yet."
He slipped the Island Fruit ring onto his finger. Activating it, the ground beneath him turned into a soft, mud-like substance, slowly swallowing him up.
With a faint smile lingering on his lips, Edie vanished completely from the control room, leaving no trace behind.