"One Piece:The True Codex"Chapter 361: The Five Elders
Baron Tamago's appearance and behavior resembled those of a gentleman rather than a pirate. Similarly, Aramis, due to his childhood education, often unconsciously displayed refined manners despite being a pirate. This habit made him less popular among ordinary pirates compared to someone like Edmond, but it created a sense of familiarity with Baron Tamago.
It was hard to imagine that representatives of two pirate groups—both headaches for the World Government and the Marines—were sitting together like aristocrats, sipping afternoon tea and calmly discussing a political marriage that would inevitably draw the world's attention.
On one side was the rising star of the pirate world, whose exploits had dominated recent headlines: the "Lionheart King," the "Sea Emperor," the "Pirate King," William Stolt Morgan, whose initial bounty had shockingly reached one billion Beli.
On the other side was Charlotte Galette, the 18th daughter of Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors.
Both parties were fully aware that this union had nothing to do with love—after all, the two had never even met. This marriage was purely about mutual interests.
William needed the protection of a powerful force in case his negotiations with the Marines and World Government fell apart. In the current world, only a few factions, such as the Four Emperors, could ensure the safety of William and his crew against the threats posed by the World Government and Marines.
On the other hand, Big Mom sought to acquire the technology William possessed for traversing the Calm Belt safely. Additionally, they valued William's strategic acumen, which had allowed him to establish a stronghold in the East Blue, the weakest of the seas. His ability to achieve successive victories against legendary figures from both the pirate and Marine worlds demonstrated his exceptional talent.
Whether it was shipbuilding technology or William's personal capabilities, having him on Big Mom's side would undoubtedly strengthen the Big Mom Pirates significantly.
Representing Big Mom's interests, Baron Tamago proposed that William's side hand over the Calm Belt navigation technology as a gesture of goodwill. However, Aramis repeatedly declined the request with various excuses, insisting that William himself would have to make the decision.
Baron Tamago had already spent considerable time in the East Blue. When he heard Aramis once again deflect with the same excuse while sipping his tea, he finally lost his patience.
"I hope your side can give me a definitive answer soon," Baron Tamago said, his tone polite but firm. "I need to know that I'm not wasting my time. Your captain has yet to show himself or express any opinion on this marriage."
"Rest assured," Aramis replied with a smile, "I believe good news will come very soon."
…
Aramis's prediction wasn't wrong. There was indeed good news from the Grand Line, though whether it was "good" depended on perspective. It was certainly favorable for William's crew, but perhaps not so much for Big Mom's side.
William and his crew had successfully reached the Sabaody Archipelago without encountering any significant obstacles. The search for a coating craftsman went smoothly as well. Every year, countless ships attempted to cross the Red Line illegally to reach the New World, making the coating industry a well-established gray market. While skilled coating craftsmen weren't exactly everywhere, they weren't too difficult to find either.
This was William's first time witnessing the coating process for a ship. His curiosity, combined with concerns about potential mishaps, kept him near the Starlight for the entire three days the craftsman worked on the ship. The rest of the crew naturally stayed with him, setting up tents on an open area near the dock.
The only crew member who frequently ventured out was Selkirk, who went to gather information and occasionally brought back newspapers for William.
"The news of Moria's death has made it to the papers," Selkirk said one day upon his return.
William took the newspaper and quickly scanned through it. It turned out that some zombies who had escaped from Thriller Bark had caused significant disturbances elsewhere. These grotesque creatures, far more terrifying than ordinary pirates in the eyes of the public, had drawn attention due to their conspicuous appearances. Some of the slower, dumber zombies had fled in the opposite direction from William, ending up near Marineford, where they were promptly captured by the Marines. Interrogating the zombies had revealed the news of Moria's death.
"The Marines will probably figure out that we're heading for the Sabaody Archipelago soon," William said to Selkirk after skimming through the newspaper.
It wasn't hard to deduce. Many zombies had witnessed William's abilities during the attack on Thriller Bark. The distinctive white steam he emitted had become his signature. If the Marines could extract information about Moria's death from the zombies, they could likely learn about the attacker as well.
Given that Sengoku, the current Fleet Admiral, was renowned for his intelligence and strategic thinking, William believed it wouldn't take him long to deduce William's intentions. After all, William's options were fairly limited given the current circumstances.
"Should we leave as soon as possible, then?" Selkirk asked nervously.
William exhaled deeply. "I just hope Dampier isn't running into trouble right now."
William's concerns were unnecessary. Though Dampier was operating alone, his progress was smoother than William's crew's journey, largely because of his audacity.
Dampier had gone straight to Water 7 and approached Iceburg, the shipwright and owner of the city's shipyard, who had become a local celebrity. After revealing his identity, Dampier successfully persuaded Iceburg to hide him aboard a batch of new ships bound for the Sabaody Archipelago. From there, Dampier blended in with the crowd of people preparing to cross the Red Line.
Despite the inherent dangers of his journey, Dampier managed to reach Holy Land Mariejois without incident. However, even with his cunning, it was impossible for him to meet the Five Elders without drawing any attention.
Reaching this point was already a testament to Dampier's capabilities and leverage. At the gates of Mariejois, he boldly identified himself to the guards and declared his intention to meet the Five Elders. Unsurprisingly, he was quickly surrounded by armed personnel and thrown into the dungeons of Mariejois.
By the time William's ship arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago and completed its coating three days later, Dampier had already been imprisoned in Mariejois. It was only after William's crew was ready to set sail that Dampier was brought out of the dungeons to face the highest authorities of the World Government—the Five Elders.
These five figures, whose words and commands could stir waves across the entire world, rarely appeared in public. Their identities and information were meticulously concealed by layers of governmental and espionage organizations. The world knew little about them, and their achievements and backgrounds were entirely unknown.
For the World Government and the Five Elders, there was no obligation to disclose anything to the public. As the ruling class, they decided how to govern and who governed, without needing to justify themselves to the people under their rule.
As a result, most civilians didn't even know the Five Elders existed. Figures like Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the three Marine Admirals, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and even the Four Emperors were far more famous in the eyes of the public.
Even Dampier, despite his extensive knowledge, knew very little about the Five Elders. However, unlike the ignorant masses, he wasn't awed into silence by their mystique and authority.
The first thing Dampier said upon meeting the Five Elders was to ask whether the Four Emperors had sent someone to contact William.
(End of Chapter)
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