Holy Land, Mary Geoise — deep within Pangaea Castle.
Inside the Hall of Authority, opulence and majesty coexisted in oppressive harmony.Ancient murals lined the walls, their silent gazes fixed upon the center of the chamber.
There, a specially modified projection Den Den Mushi was casting the final moments from Sakaparche Island onto the polished marble floor.
On the image, a massive, charred crater still bled thin wisps of bluish smoke.The vitrified ground reflected an eerie, distorted sheen.
Gern Reginald Sigmar, dragging his shattered body, finally collapsed beside Kuzan.
And then—that exhausted yet unmistakably clear line echoed from the recording:
"Looks like… today my 'vibration'… pressed just a little harder than your 'freezing,' Kuzan."
Those words seemed to pierce through space itself, lingering faintly in the vast hall where even a falling pin would have been audible—before the image slowly faded to black.
The projection Den Den Mushi let out a tired chirp and closed its eyes.
Silence followed.A deeper, heavier silence.
On three sofas arranged in a loose arc, the Five Elders—the highest authority of the world—stood or sat in different postures.Yet every one of their faces was shrouded in an unyielding gravity.
Moments earlier, some of them may still have harbored faint anticipation for this "performance" they had orchestrated,watching the internal attrition of the Marines with cold detachment.
But now—
Those emotions had been entirely replaced by something far more profound.
After all, this was the first time the Five Elders had witnessed Gern Reginald Sigmar in actual combat.
"Hah…"Topman Warcury Saint, dressed in a dark suit, white curls framing his stern face, was the first to break the silence. His fingers tapped crisply against the armrest.
"What a… slaughter between monsters.Kuzan's strength already stands at the very summit of the sea, and yet…"
"…And yet the power of Heavenquake was able to tear through and suppress the ultimate form of freezing."Marcus Mars Saint continued calmly, habitually stroking his long beard.
"Especially that final strike—converting vibration into extreme heat.Heh. That Devil Fruit is far more dangerous than our initial evaluation suggested."
"It was merely a qualitative shift in energy expression."Jaygarcia Saturn Saint's low voice followed, carrying an inhuman composure.
As a scientist, he saw more clearly than the others.
"Deriving thermal effects from high-frequency vibration is not impossible.But to fuse both characteristics and unleash them at a level capable of overwhelming Kuzan's defenses…"
He paused briefly.
"That is not simply the Devil Fruit's power.It is the terrifying aptitude and talent of the user driving it.After all, there are very few on the sea capable of exercising such absolute control over a Logia."
"Talent? Hmph!"Shepherd Ju Peter Saint snorted, his tone laced with undisguised wariness.
"That's precisely what makes this troublesome!A man with such power who shows no reverence for the descendants of the gods—who openly humiliates them, who pays lip service to the World Government while defying its orders behind our backs!"
His gaze sharpened.
"Allowing him to continue wielding this level of strength is itself a risk of losing control.We initiated this 'contest of generals' to see whether Kuzan could suppress him—or at least for both sides to cripple each other."
He paused, eyes sweeping across the other four.
"But now… should we still proceed according to the original plan?Or ride the momentum and promote him to Admiral? Once he gains greater authority and freedom…"
The sentence remained unfinished.Its meaning did not need to be spoken.
A Gern who surpassed even a near-Admiral like Kuzan—and remained uncontrollable—was not a future they welcomed.
"This matter does indeed require careful deliberation."Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro Saint adjusted his glasses, the light behind the lenses flickering.
"Promotion or not affects the balance of the Marines—and the World Government as a whole.Gern Reginald Sigmar's combat power is a double-edged sword.Used properly, it becomes an impregnable shield against pirates. Used improperly…"
He shook his head.
Just as the atmosphere grew heavier—as though the scales of judgment were beginning to tilt—
Saturn Saint spoke again, his tone as steady as ever.
"Regarding Gern's promotion and subsequent arrangements, perhaps there is no need to rush to a conclusion.Before you arrived, I received a communication request from Sengoku."
"Sengoku?"Warcury Saint frowned. "Was it about Gern?"
"Yes," Saturn replied slowly."According to him, before stepping down, Kong issued a decision—one that Sengoku found deeply shocking and difficult to accept.That decision directly concerns Gern Reginald Sigmar."
"Kong?"Mars Saint's eyes flickered with confusion."What was that old man trying to stir up right before retirement?"
"The details," Saturn said, sweeping his gaze across the room,"Sengoku insists on presenting in person. He claims this concerns the future stability of the Marine structure and must be discussed face-to-face with all five of us."
He paused meaningfully.
"After all, in a few months, the Marines will officially fall under his command."
"Power…"Ju Peter Saint scoffed, a note of cynical insight in his voice.
"Once anyone gets a firm grip on it, they're never eager to share it—especially not with an uncontrollable subordinate.Seems even the 'Strategist' Sengoku can't fully tolerate the 'legacy' Kong left behind."
The hall fell silent once more.
The Five Elders exchanged glances, unspoken messages passing between them.
At last, Warcury Saint made the call.
"Very well. Then we shall hear what Sengoku has to say.Perhaps he can offer us… a new approach to handling Heavenquake."
He turned his gaze back to the now-dark projection Den Den Mushi, as though the ravaged island still lingered in view.
"Send word. Arrange for Sengoku to come to Mary Geoise as soon as possible.Until we have heard the Marines' 'internal opinion,' all decisions regarding Gern Reginald Sigmar are to be suspended."
The words had barely settled—
When a soft knock sounded at the side door.
After permission was granted, a CP0 operative clad in white, face concealed behind a mask, entered soundlessly.He moved swiftly to Saturn Saint's side, whispered a few words, and presented a thin report.
Saturn Saint's expression—calm as an ancient well—stiffened almost imperceptibly upon hearing a certain phrase.
He dismissed the CP0 agent with a wave, his eyes dropping to the key terms on the report.
"Ohara.""Poneglyphs.""Breakthrough progress in research on the Void Century."
In that instant, the heavy atmosphere centered on Gern changed completely.
Something deeper.Colder.More absolute.
An inviolable authority spread from the five figures like a suffocating frost.
Compared to the taboo embodied by the Void Century,even the world-shattering power Gern had displayed—
suddenly became a matter that could, for now, be relegated to a secondary concern.
"Ohara…"Nusjuro Saint's lenses flashed with a frigid glint, his voice dropping to something terrifyingly low.
"So those scholars still refuse to behave."
"It seems there are matters more urgent than internal Marine power distribution."Mars Saint's tone turned utterly cold, all prior hesitation swept aside.
"An absolute prohibition upheld for eight hundred years cannot be challenged."
Warcury Saint's eyes now held no calculation of military value—only pure, merciless resolve.
"Anyone who dares pry into that history must be completely eradicated."
Ju Peter Saint and Saturn Saint said nothing.They didn't need to.
Their gazes alone made their stance unmistakably clear.
Gern Reginald Sigmar was a significant problem.
But Ohara—
touched the very foundation of the World Government's existence.
And that made it the highest-priority matter of all.