Red Line, Mariejois
"What?!!! All three Marine Admirals are ambushing at Naval Headquarters? And now there's a new Marine Admiral? Is he stronger than the original three Admirals?"
The bald, sword-wielding old star was stunned as he listened to the CP0 report. So many agents had been tracking the movements of the Admirals, yet under these circumstances, they allowed the enemy to outmaneuver them?
Damn it!
The long-haired, bearded elder narrowed his eyes, his voice cold. "Bastards! It seems we've been tricked by Marine! They've concentrated their superior combat power, waiting to ambush us!"
The blonde old star stood up from the sofa, his face grim. "If that's the case, Shanks' position will be much better now. What Marine doesn't realize is that we've stationed powerful reinforcements on both sides. Since their main combat strength is at Naval Headquarters, Finn must be eliminated with a fatal blow!"
The round-headed old star nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Finn is the true disruptor of Marine. Without him, Marine wouldn't dare to rebel against the World Government!"
"Yes," murmured the bald old star. "Shanks must make a decisive move this time. If he can kill Finn, he'll accomplish a great feat."
The Five Elders had been deliberating on the situation since the Marine mutiny. The conclusion was clear: Sengoku had placed all his hopes on Finn.
Simply put, Sengoku believed that Finn could lead Marine away from the World Government's control, making them an independent force. Without Finn, the morale of the entire Marine would crumble.
At that moment, another intelligence officer rushed in, panic written across his face.
Upon seeing the Five Elders, the officer immediately knelt. "Masters, a battle report from Garrett Island!"
"Just tell us, is Finn dead or not?" the bald-headed old star barked impatiently.
The officer hesitated, then spoke cautiously. "Er... not dead."
"Not dead??" The Five Elders exchanged looks of disbelief. A Four Emperors pirate group, plus Bullet and five CPO agents, couldn't kill one Marine commander?
"How is that possible?" the blonde elder growled, his eyes narrowing. "With so many powerful forces there, Finn managed to escape? Is he some kind of slippery eel?!"
The intelligence officer hesitated, clearly struggling to explain.
"What is it?" the bald old star demanded, his tone sharp.
"Reporting to the Five Elders," the officer stammered. "Finn didn't escape... He didn't die either."
The room fell silent. The Five Elders were in shock.
"Didn't escape?" The bald old star's voice rose in disbelief. "Then what happened? Did he get captured alive?"
The intelligence officer flinched at the elder's tone, clearly terrified of revealing the truth.
The Five Elders grew impatient. The round-headed elder snapped, "Speak clearly! Don't mumble like an idiot! Speak, or I'll have you demoted to a slave!"
The intelligence officer went pale. His mind raced as he tried to find the right words. He had feared this exact moment. But seeing the elder's furious expression, he quickly blurted, "The battle at Garrett Island... It was a complete victory for the Marines!"
The hall fell completely silent.
After a tense pause, the bald-headed elder growled, his fist clenching. "What are you saying? A victory? Against the Red Hair Pirates, Bullet, and five CPO agents? Are you lying about this?!"
"And why hasn't Shanks contacted me?!" the blonde elder added, his voice sharp with frustration. "And no message from CPO Plath either?"
The intelligence officer was now terrified beyond measure, his voice trembling. "Because... because... the Red Hair Pirates and the CPO agents... were all wiped out!"
"What?!" The bald old star, his sword in hand, flung the officer to the ground in a violent outburst. "How dare you lie to me! Get out! Demote this fool to a slave and send him to work under the escalator!"
"Please, masters! I'm just reporting the truth!" the officer screamed, his voice breaking as he begged for mercy.
Two guards immediately entered, dragging the hysterical officer away.
"Have CPO Plath contact the agents on Garrett Island at once! None of them can have escaped!" the bald old star ordered another intelligence officer.
"Yes, Master!" the officer replied, hurrying off to carry out the command.
Just then, a CP0 agent wearing a sunflower mask entered the room.
"There's no need," the agent said calmly. "The reports from Garrett Island have already been confirmed."
"What's the news?" the bald-headed elder demanded, his brow furrowing.
"It's true," the sunflower-masked CP0 agent replied. "The Red Hair Pirates and the CPO agents... they've all been annihilated."
The Five Elders stared at him, disbelief flooding their minds.
"Not a single one survived?" the round-headed elder asked, his voice filled with shock. "This can't be real."
"We don't know all the details yet," the sunflower-masked CP0 agent explained. "We're still waiting for more reports from the Marines. But none of the agents sent to Garrett Island have responded."
The Five Elders exchanged grim looks, the gravity of the situation sinking in.
"This Finn... we've underestimated him," the bald old star muttered through clenched teeth.
"So, what now?" the sunflower-masked CP0 agent asked.
The bald old star paused, his mind racing. "There's nothing for it. I'll have to consult with Mr. Im."