"What's there to discuss? This kind of extremely evil criminal must be executed immediately!"
Almost before Fleet Admiral Sengoku had finished speaking, Admiral Sakaski's voice cut through the conference room with characteristic bluntness. His volcanic temperament brooked no compromise when it came to absolute justice.
During the previous operations against the God Slayer, both Aokiji and Kizaru had taken action, and both had failed to achieve their objectives. Among the three Admirals, only Akainu remained unused in the field. While he maintained professional silence about this fact, his conviction burned with molten certainty, if he had been deployed from the beginning, the God Slayer would have been reduced to ash long ago.
There would have been no opportunity for escape, no chance for the humiliating failures that had plagued their previous efforts.
"You're suggesting we deploy forces to the North Blue immediately?" Sengoku asked with deliberate neutrality, his expression revealing nothing of his own tactical calculations.
"No."
Chief of Staff Tsuru's calm voice carried the weight of strategic wisdom accumulated over decades of marine service. The elderly woman held her teacup with both hands, studying the amber liquid as if it contained answers to questions that troubled them all.
"If the Marine acts rashly now, we'll only succeed in alerting our quarry," she continued with analytical precision. "Given that our previous two attempts to capture the God Slayer ended in failure, this individual clearly possesses both the confidence and capability to evade our forces. Setting aside the initial Sabaody Archipelago incident, consider the chaos and complications that our East Blue operation inflicted upon that entire region, consequences we're still dealing with today."
Tsuru paused to take a measured sip of her tea before delivering her most damning assessment.
"Successive failures have already raised questions about the Marine's competence and effectiveness. If we create another massive operation and still fail to apprehend him..." She allowed the implications to hang in the air like smoke from a funeral pyre.
The assembled officers shifted uncomfortably as the weight of her analysis settled over them like a shroud. Everyone in the room understood the political realities that governed their organization, public confidence was as crucial as tactical capability.
"What exactly is his ability?" Vice Admiral Ghost Spider broke the tense silence with practical concerns. "According to our intelligence reports, he appears capable of flight... but if he can only carry himself, that doesn't explain how he escaped our pursuit with his crew intact. During the Sabaody incident, he and that accomplice Dom vanished after sinking beneath the waves..."
His weathered features creased with frustration as he grappled with the tactical puzzle their opponent represented.
"There's also this rumored 'divine power,'" Vice Admiral Flying Squirrel added, his tone carrying the skepticism of someone who had witnessed too many impossible things to dismiss any possibility entirely. "Intelligence suggests he can somehow transform other people physically, making them stronger, as if they've evolved from ordinary humans into an entirely different species. They're not invulnerable, but conventional weapons including bullets can only inflict limited damage, and they seem capable of rapid self-healing."
Flying Squirrel paused to organize his thoughts before continuing with growing concern. "Looking back at all our encounters, there's never been a Devil Fruit with these kinds of capabilities documented anywhere in our records. Combined with apparent space-travel abilities that also don't match any known Devil Fruit classifications... is it possible we're dealing with some kind of advanced scientific enhancement rather than supernatural powers?"
"The biggest mystery surrounding him remains the source of these methods," Ghost Spider resumed his analysis. "Before the Celestial Dragon assassination, he was nothing more than a slave and plaything of the World Nobles. According to his background investigation, even during his time as royalty, he was just another dissolute prince with no documented special abilities or unusual capabilities."
"Speaking of which," another Vice Admiral interjected, "didn't intelligence indicate he fought Doflamingo somewhere in the North Blue? If they've actually engaged in combat, why not interrogate Joker directly? He should have firsthand knowledge of the God Slayer's capabilities."
The suggestion triggered a visible darkening of Sengoku's expression, storm clouds gathering across his weathered features. "We did question Doflamingo extensively, but the information he provided mirrors what we already knew, nothing particularly revealing or useful."
"Doflamingo is certainly concealing crucial details," Tsuru observed with the insight that came from years of studying the Heavenly Demon's psychological patterns. "However, he hasn't technically violated his cooperation agreements with the World Government. At least superficially, he's shared everything he's obligated to share and fulfilled his basic duties as a Shichibukai."
She closed her eyes and set down her teacup with deliberate precision before continuing her strategic assessment.
"The Hell Pirates appear to be positioning for a return to the Grand Line. The God Slayer is meticulous in his planning, every action from their initial departure to their current rise has been carefully calculated. So we simply need to wait for him to come to us."
"If we deploy forces now, he'll most likely vanish again into whatever dimensional pocket allows him to evade our pursuit. I've noticed that the World News Agency has probably known about the God Slayer's identity for some time, yet they've published no reports connecting the Hell Pirates to the Celestial Dragon assassination. I'm not sure what Morgans is thinking, but it's possible he's actively protecting them."
"We're not going to act?" Akainu's displeasure was evident in every line of his rigid posture.
"That's correct, we will not deploy forces to the North Blue," Tsuru emphasized with quiet authority. "If we refrain from breaking this particular window dressing, he remains just another pirate captain commanding the Hell Pirates. Even if he continues generating chaos throughout the North Blue, the overall impact remains relatively contained."
"Compared to launching another potentially catastrophic operation, strategic patience represents our safer option. Between those two approaches, I personally prefer the one that minimizes our losses."
Tsuru's gaze swept across the assembled officers before she delivered her most significant insight.
"Moreover, given the unique nature of his abilities, I believe World Government agents have already begun taking action without requiring our direct involvement."
She looked down at the still surface of her tea as if reading tea leaves that revealed uncomfortable truths.
"This 'divine power' that can enhance others... if properly harnessed, the implications are staggering. Someone could theoretically create entire armies capable of shifting maritime power balances, or elevate individuals who are already phenomenally strong into something approaching legendary status."
"If we don't move, and Morgans doesn't sensationalize the story, we maintain the best possible situation under current circumstances. But once open warfare begins, the news will spread like wildfire throughout the world. Everyone will learn about this divine power, and combined with his identity as the God Slayer... I'm concerned that even the Four Emperors who previously showed no interest in recruiting him will be unable to resist such temptation."
Her voice grew more somber as she contemplated the broader implications. "Our Marine has finally stabilized the current maritime situation after years of careful management. I believe covert agents are better suited for this particular type of operation than our conventional forces."
"Chief of Staff Tsuru," Vice Admiral Doberman's voice carried sharp surprise, "are you suggesting the World Government intends to harness the God Slayer's power rather than eliminate him?"
"Precisely," Vice Admiral Onigumo replied with the innocent smile that made his most brutal observations particularly unsettling. "If we can successfully capture the God Slayer, we could stage a public execution or find a suitable body double to impersonate him during the ceremony. Meanwhile, in private, we could control the real individual through various methods."
He took a thoughtful draw on his cigar before delivering his assessment with cheerful pragmatism. "With his abilities properly channeled, the World Government's internal combat capabilities would improve dramatically. Perhaps our Marine might even benefit from such arrangements."
Onigumo's warm demeanor made his next words particularly chilling. "For those people, as long as the potential value is sufficiently large, certain historical grievances can be set aside and forgotten."
The conference room fell into uncomfortable silence as every officer processed what had been left unsaid. The "those people" Onigumo referenced could only mean the ultimate decision-makers who ruled from the shadows, the Five Elders who governed on behalf of the Celestial Dragons.
This entire world was, at its core, a business transaction.
"But can government agents actually capture him?" Sengoku interlaced his fingers and studied Tsuru with analytical interest.
"Initially, we're only talking about reconnaissance, investigating his abilities and their limitations," Tsuru clarified with strategic patience. "Every power has boundaries. How does the enhancement process work? What are the magnitude and duration of improvements? Are there specific requirements for individuals who can receive these upgrades? These represent the crucial intelligence gaps we need to fill."
"However, before preparations for our next major confrontation are complete, it's unlikely that agents can establish direct contact with the God Slayer. The optimal approach is indirect pressure through his associates and allies."
Tsuru's analytical mind worked through the psychological profile they'd assembled over months of careful observation.
"Based on his behavioral patterns and strategic sophistication, if he simply wanted to avoid us and live peacefully, there would be no need for such dramatic displays. He could remain hidden in the North Blue indefinitely, living very comfortably since we've already lost track of his location."
"Instead, he's forming a pirate crew and actively recruiting partners. He's not afraid of being discovered by us, in fact, he's counting on it. This person possesses deep understanding of current maritime politics and has calculated that we don't dare act precipitously."
Her expression grew more grave as she continued her assessment. "His tactical intelligence is genuinely terrifying. I suspect that even if we did deploy forces, he's already prepared countermeasures for that contingency. He has no intention of concealing his ultimate objective, which is clearly to return to the Grand Line. All his current preparations are positioning for an inevitable battle with us in the near future, a confrontation that neither he nor our Marine can avoid."
"Therefore, we need only focus our energies on that climactic engagement. The outcome will determine whether we succeed or fail in our primary mission."
Tsuru allowed herself a slight smile that carried no warmth.
"Him? Victory?" Akainu's snort carried volcanic contempt for such possibilities.
"There are many definitions of victory and defeat," Tsuru replied with quiet authority that silenced even the Admiral's objections. "For both our organizations, even if the Hell Pirates are completely destroyed, as long as he returns to the Grand Line and survives our assault, the losers will be us."
"This would represent our third consecutive failure. Whether you acknowledge it or not, the forces and personnel we'll mobilize for this battle will far exceed our previous two attempts, and the public attention and political consequences will be unprecedented."
"If he escapes again, I don't need to elaborate on what that means for the Marine's reputation and effectiveness. Moreover, if my analysis is correct, he'll deliberately expose his true identity to the world before returning to the Grand Line, attracting the attention of every major power and placing us under unimaginable pressure."
The weight of her prediction settled over the room like a death sentence.
Tsuru slowly rose from her seat, noting that her tea had grown cold during their extended discussion. She fixed Akainu with a steady gaze that held decades of hard-won wisdom.
"Some people inspire fear not through their strength, but through their intelligence."
With that observation, the elderly woman departed under the watchful eyes of every officer present, leaving behind implications that would haunt their strategic planning for months to come.
Just before disappearing through the conference room's doors, her final words echoed back to them with quiet finality:
"Arrange a meeting between me and Doflamingo."