Mary Geoise, Five Elders' Council Chamber.
A Video Transponder Snail was broadcasting live footage from Egghead Island.
York's voice also came through a nearby Den Den Mushi.
"See? Vegapunk is taking that person somewhere else now."
The Five Elders frowned as they observed the blurry figure in the footage.
Though York had activated the Video Transponder Snail immediately, she'd still been a step too late.
However... the audio had come through clearly from the start...
"They just mentioned the Mother Flame? What exactly is that?" Jaygarcia Saturn Saint, the Warrior God of Science and Defense, asked with a furrowed brow.
"If you don't let us know what we stand to gain from you... why should we cooperate?"
"Tch, you old foxes are as cunning as ever!" York's voice was low, but with the help of the amplified audio from the auxiliary Den Den Mushi, it remained crystal clear.
"Fine, fine, I'll give it to you! You must remember sending a Lunarian to Vegapunk for research, right?"
"The Lunarian Race?"
Just that name made all the Five Elders straighten in their seats.
In the outside world, merely providing information about a Lunarian could earn a reward of 100 million Berries!
And this bounty had remained active across the seas for over a century.
All because of their precious trait... those inextinguishable flames.
"What... are you implying?"
"Truly won't act without incentive... Vegapunk conducted extensive research on that Lunarian man and discovered that the flames on his back could potentially be used as an energy source." York's words gradually sped up.
"After thoroughly studying its properties, he successfully developed the Mother Flame using Egghead's Fusion Furnace... It's an energy source capable of providing free, shared energy for the entire world."
Energy!
Derived from Lunarian flames, enough to power the entire world for free!?
The Five Elders exchanged glances...
Others might not understand, but as the Five Elders, as Imu's most loyal old hounds, they knew exactly what this... represented!
It meant that by obtaining the Mother Flame and the Fusion Furnace that created it...
They could once again control the world's most powerful weapon...
Uranus!
The reason Lunarians had dwindled until none could be found anywhere across the seas was precisely because the flames on their backs...
Could be used to activate and power Uranus.
In other words...
The Lunarians were Uranus's mobile, living ammunition.
This was why Lunarians were so valuable.
And now York was telling them...No need to waste time searching anymore.
It can be achieved simply through the Fusion Furnace created by Vegapunk!
"What do you want? As long as you hand over the Mother Flame to us, we can fulfill any wish of yours." Saturn frowned slightly before continuing,
"You heard right—any wish."
"My, my, how quickly you change your tune! But I already guessed you'd want this thing—desperately enough to chase after the Lunarian Race like madmen across the seas..."
York's voice was languid, yet tinged with unmistakable smugness.
Though she bore the burden of carrying the desires—eating, drinking, sleeping—of the other five satellites... she was still Vegapunk.
Selfish and greedy as she was, she was still Vegapunk.
She... was too clever.
"Name your terms."
"Make me a Celestial Dragon..." York's voice replied without hesitation after a brief pause, "...and ensure that all satellites, including Vegapunk himself, disappear. I will be the only Vegapunk!"
"The first condition is no issue. Once the Mother Flame is verified as functional, you will become a Celestial Dragon—one of the most exalted among them."
After exchanging glances with the other Elders, Saturn nodded and continued.
"But making you the sole Vegapunk... that we cannot allow. Vegapunk is far too valuable. We must keep all of them in Mary Geoise."
"Oh? Is that so?" York's voice gradually darkened. "You should know that the current Mother Flame is a single-use consumable... And Vegapunk, frustrated by research setbacks, has begun studying the Ancient Energy of the ancient civilization to aid his work. So... they've been researching the Poneglyphs and the Void Century."
Her words rang clearly in the ears of the Five Elders.
They... hesitated.
The Void Century was the absolute taboo of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government—a wound that must never be touched.
And someone as brilliant as Vegapunk could easily uncover the truth from it...
"Oh, and that man who visited Vegapunk today... It seems he altered the flames of the Lunarian Race. If I'm not mistaken, the flames on his body could also serve as an energy source... The reason Vegapunk took him to study the Mother Flame was likely because he saw him as a major breakthrough."
"...Deal!"
That final statement tipped the scales in York's favor completely.
Every condition struck precisely at the Elders' vulnerabilities.
Especially the last one...
A potential alternative to the Lunarian flames...
In other words—a third energy source capable of powering Uranus.
"York, do you know that man's identity?" Saturn asked one final, crucial question. "This is extremely important."
"Not at all. Vegapunk may be brilliant, but he isn't omniscient... Well, I'm hanging up now. Any longer, and suspicions might arise."
"Fine. Do your best to stall Vegapunk and that visitor... We'll dispatch forces to Egghead immediately to take full control."
The Den Den Mushi disconnected.
The Five Elders exhaled deeply.
"This matter... must be reported to Imu-sama.""Send someone out first... Imu-sama surely wants to obtain the Mother Flame and that peculiar man as soon as possible."
"Then who should we send? The Marines?"
"No, the Marines would never agree to this... Contact Golden Lion." Nusjuro Saint made the final decision.
"It's time he repaid his debt to us."
...
"Hmph, do they really think I'm a fool?" York hung up the Den Den Mushi with a cold laugh.
"What if they back out after learning this so-called 'peculiar man' is actually Michael?"
"York? What were you saying just now?" Atlas blinked her large, moe eyes curiously, "I didn't catch that."
"Oh, I was just talking in my sleep."