The shaggy-bearded Five Elder Stars felt an uncontrollable sense of horror at that moment.
He instinctively turned his head, staring toward the direction outside of Mariejois.
As one of the highest authorities in the World Government and a representative of the Celestial Dragons' supreme power, the Five Elders knew more about the world's secrets than anyone else.
And that was precisely why, at this moment, their fear was greater than anyone else's.
The attack just unleashed by Uranus—one of the three legendary Ancient Weapons—was supposed to be absolute, capable of obliterating any kingdom or force from existence within moments. Its unparalleled destructive power had maintained the World Government's dominance over the seas for centuries.
In their eyes, such "divine punishment" was infallible.
For over 800 years, any kingdom or faction that dared to oppose the World Government had been erased, wiped from history, and reduced to whispers in ancient records. Even the world itself had forgotten their existence.
But now...
The reaction of Lord Im, the one sitting upon the Void Throne, told a story that shook them to their core.
Could it be?
Could the "sinner" have survived Uranus's wrath?
The shaggy-bearded elder felt his throat tighten. He wasn't alone—his four counterparts stood frozen, their faces pale. Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads and fell silently onto the grand carpets of Pangaea Castle.
For centuries, the World Government's "divine punishment" had been unstoppable. Could this be its first failure?
In their hearts, they knew the truth.
This man, this "sinner," was no ordinary threat.
The Rocks Pirates had once shaken the world, and yet their actions paled in comparison.
Here, a single man—a lone figure from North Blue—had decimated the World Government's forces again and again.
First, the pacifist fleet was destroyed without effort.
Then, two Marine Admirals—each among the strongest in the world—had failed to subdue him, one losing his life while the other barely escaped with grave injuries.
Even Kong, the Generalissimo of the World Government's forces, had fallen in battle.
And now, the World Government's trump card, Uranus, had seemingly failed as well.
This was not just a threat—it was a calamity.
The shaggy-bearded elder clenched his fists, his mind racing.
This failure could not be allowed to reach the outside world.
If news of this defeat spread, the World Government's centuries-long image of absolute power would crumble.
In a desperate bid to contain the fallout, the elder barked orders to block all communication and suppress the flow of information in the first half of the Grand Line.
But just as he clung to this fragile hope, a communication Den Den Mushi interrupted his thoughts with grim news.
The World Economic News had already received word of the chaos.
The infamous Morgan, king of the news industry and one of the Five Giants of the Underworld, had escaped the watchful eyes of the CPO agents tasked with suppressing the story.
Worse still, Morgan was preparing to broadcast the World Government's first defeat in centuries to the entire world.
The Five Elders exchanged horrified glances.
This was a catastrophe.
If Morgan succeeded in spreading the news, the reputation of the World Government and the Marines would be shattered.
And that wasn't all.
In the New World, factions would rise in rebellion, inspired by the lone warrior who had defied the might of the World Government.
Far away, in an undisclosed location in the New World, Morgan was preparing to do exactly that.
As a businessman with a keen nose for opportunity, Morgan knew the risks of defying the World Government. But the potential profits outweighed the dangers.
News of the World Government's defeat, coupled with the death of Kong, would ignite the entire world. It was the kind of story that could sell millions of newspapers, far more than ever before.
Seizing the opportunity, Morgan had already moved his base of operations, ensuring his safety before launching his attack.
The headlines were already forming in his mind:
"World Government Defeated for the First Time in Centuries!"
"The Fall of Kong—A New Era Dawns!"
"The Man Who Stood Alone Against the World!"
This was more than just news; it was history being written.
And the lone warrior responsible for this upheaval—this man from North Blue—was no mere rebel or pirate.
In Morgans' eyes, he was a force of nature.
A taboo.
The harbinger of a new age.
And the world was about to know his name.