"What did you say?! Lost?! The entire fleet was annihilated?!"
In the Chamber of Authority in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the incredulous roar of Saint Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Law, exploded like thunder. If the news of Zephyr's defeat had been shocking, the news of the Buster Call's complete and utter failure was something else entirely. It was a soul-deep, pure absurdity.
That was a Buster Call. It was the ultimate instrument of the World Government's power, a force used to crush any and all resistance. To ensure a foolproof mission, they had dispatched more than double the standard number of ships—a force even larger than the one that had captured the legendary pirate Douglas Bullet. And now, this sniveling coward was telling him that this invincible, nation-destroying fleet had not only lost, but had been wiped out?
"Y-yes, sir," Spandine's voice trembled uncontrollably from the other end of the Den Den Mushi, like a man who had just stared death in the face and survived.
"What about Kizaru?!" Saint Warcury demanded. "Did Borsalino not even make a move?!"
"He…" Spandine glanced at Admiral Kizaru, who was drenched and sitting in a state of shock while a military doctor treated his injuries. His expression twisted. "Admiral Borsalino… he… he is currently recovering."
That was the truth of it. Shortly after the terrifying giant ape had departed, Spandine had dared to pilot a small boat back to the hellish battlefield to salvage survivors. His motives were not born from a pang of conscience, but from a desperate need to find living witnesses who could share the blame for this catastrophic failure. By some miracle, he had found the unconscious Admiral drifting among the debris and drowned bodies of his fleet. Now, Spandine and his handful of crippled, defeated soldiers were fleeing the terrifying sea as fast as their small boat would carry them. The mere memory of the towering ape and the crimson beams of light that tore warships apart was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.
I hope I never, ever encounter that monster again! he prayed.
On the other end of the line, Saint Warcury was silent for a long time, listening to Spandine's incoherent, fear-filled report.
"…You will return at once." With that, he cut the connection and slowly sank back into his seat, his gaze sweeping over his equally silent and stunned colleagues. "What are your thoughts on this matter?"
The other members of the Five Elders did not speak, each silently processing the impossible news.
Finally, Saint Marcus Mars, the Warrior God of the Environment, spoke, his long white mustache twitching. "This boy, 'Strange Tail' Takero… has fully come into his power. I fear conventional military force will no longer pose any threat to him."
"But he is colluding with the Devil Child, Nico Robin, to research the Void Century! Are we simply to let that stand?!" demanded Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, the Warrior God of Agriculture.
"Spandine's report mentioned that Takero transformed into a giant, white-furred monster," said Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, the Warrior God of Finance, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He offered a startling theory. "Could it be… the Mink Tribe's Sulong form? Or perhaps…" His voice dropped. "…Is it the legendary 'Sun God'… Nika?"
They all knew the legends. In his awakened form, the warrior Nika was also cloaked in white.
However, the idea was swiftly rejected by Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, the Warrior God of Scientific Defense. "Impossible," his voice was cold and resolute. "Nika is the 'Warrior of Liberation,' a figure who brings joy and laughter. According to all our intelligence, this Takero brings only fear and destruction."
Silence fell once more. Their discussion yielded no results. The boy's existence was like an illogical glitch in the world, something completely beyond their comprehension. Ultimately, their conversation returned to the most pressing question: What was to be done about him?
"To continue acting against him is too great a risk, and the chances of success are slim," Saint Marcus Mars analyzed calmly. "Our immediate priority must be to stabilize the situation."
After a heated debate, the five supreme rulers of the world reached a conclusion that was as frustrating as it was necessary.
"For the time being… we cannot afford to provoke that monster again," Saint Saturn said, his voice laced with unwillingness. "Furthermore, given his connection to Nico Robin and his unfathomable power… this matter must be reported to Lord Imu at once. The final decision will be Lord Imu's."
He looked at his colleagues. "The Pacifista project must be accelerated. We desperately need a powerful, and absolutely loyal, force that can contend with him. And this incident must be completely suppressed! We cannot let the world know that a Buster Call ended in a devastating defeat! If that news gets out, the World Government's authority will crumble, and the seas will spiral into chaos."
Immediately, a series of conspiracies to block the news and manipulate public opinion began to form in the Chamber of Authority. But while they were still desperately trying to devise a cover-up… the truth had already arrived elsewhere.
"Hahahahaha! This is incredible! This is a miracle!!!"
At the headquarters of the World Economic Journal, "Big News" Morgans looked at the crystal-clear photographs that had just been developed, so excited that his feathers were trembling. His reporters, his "eyes" on the front lines, had captured it all. The photos depicted scenes from a mythological epic, images that would shatter the world's perception of reality.
One showed the black-haired youth, suspended in the air, single-handedly stopping a full-power attack from the legendary 'Black Arm' Zephyr—a figure looking down on the world like a god.
Another showed a hundred-meter-tall giant ape, roaring amidst a sea of fire as it tore Marine warships apart as if they were toys—a terrifying demon descending upon the world.
"Photographs! Video footage! This is undeniable proof!" Morgans roared, holding the photos high for all his employees to see. "This time, let's see how those old fools in the World Government try to stop me! My orders! Clear all the pages, effective immediately! I want the largest font! The most shocking headline! We're issuing an unprecedented extra edition!!!"
He already had the headline for tomorrow, a headline that would make the entire world boil over.
The "God" and "Demon" of the New Era—'Strange Tail' Takero! Black Arm Defeated! Buster Call Annihilated!
"Caw caw caw… Hahaha!" Morgans' laughter echoed through the building.
"O, Sea! You will tremble! You will cheer!"
"Because a true 'King,' one who can command the winds and the clouds, has finally… been born!!!"
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