"Akainu, when you return, deliver a message to the Five Elders for me," Lin Xuan's calm yet commanding voice echoed through the skies, resonating across tens of miles.
He was sending a message to the Five Elders themselves.
Everyone froze at once. The air seemed to tighten as the gravity of his words sank in. They could all sense it—what Lin Xuan was about to say would be monumental, perhaps even a declaration of open war against the World Government itself.
And then, under the watchful eyes of all, Lin Xuan's expression remained as serene as ever as he continued, "Tell the Five Elders this—our Ninja Guild will soon establish a new World Government. If they have any objections… they can settle them at the World Summit."
Boom!
His words struck like thunder. Every mind went blank as shock exploded across the battlefield.
The Ninja Guild… was going to create a new World Government!
The very thought was beyond imagination. Even those who knew of Lin Xuan's audacity were stunned—none had expected he would dare to make such a declaration.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
It wasn't until a long moment later that the first person found her voice—Boa Hancock. Her eyes blazed with adoration as she looked up at Lin Xuan, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Ahhh! As expected of the man I love! How magnificent!"
Her impassioned cry snapped everyone around her out of their stupor.
And then, the entire Amazon Lily erupted in chaos.
"Did I hear that right?"
"Did Lord Lin just say he's founding a new World Government?!"
"No way, that has to be a joke!"
"No, I heard it too! That means the Ninja Guild is declaring war on the World Government!"
"Lord Lin is incredible! No wonder the Snake Princess loves him!"
The whole island boiled over with excitement. The cries and cheers were so loud that they carried beyond the shores, all the way to the naval fleet stationed nearby.
By the time the marines recovered from the echo of Lin Xuan's voice, the man himself had vanished from sight.
But his words still rang endlessly in their minds.
This… was going to shake the entire world.
Even seasoned officers like Dalmatian, Doberman, and Onigumo felt their scalps go numb. They scrambled to grab their Den Den Mushi and contact the command ship.
"Admiral Aokiji, what are your orders?"
"Yeah, Admiral! Do we withdraw? Or stand by?"
"We can't just leave like this!"
"That bastard Lin Xuan—we should fight him!"
"Fight? Even the Five Elders couldn't touch him. You want to die for nothing?"
"Enough!"
Aokiji's voice cut sharply through the chaos. He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Hold your positions. Don't move until I contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
The line went quiet immediately.
Moments later, Aokiji opened a secure line to Marineford and calmly reported everything that had happened.
When Sengoku heard that Lin Xuan had appeared and ordered a retreat, he sighed in relief. "You did the right thing, Aokiji. No need for meaningless sacrifice. I'll take the responsibility for this—my time as Fleet Admiral is almost up anyway."
Normally, such words might have moved Aokiji, but right now, there was no time for sentiment.
"Fleet Admiral," he said gravely, "I'm not done. After he told us to withdraw, Lin Xuan sent a message for the Five Elders."
At once, Sengoku's tone hardened. "What did he say?"
Aokiji inhaled deeply. "He said the Ninja Guild will soon form a new World Government. If the Five Elders have any objections, they can settle it at the World Summit."
The Den Den Mushi's eyes bulged, its mouth gaping wide in disbelief as Sengoku's voice burst out in shock.
"What?! What did you just say?!"
The Fleet Admiral himself was shaken to the core.
A new World Government… Such arrogance! Such madness!
After several moments of stunned silence, Sengoku finally slammed a fist onto his desk, shouting in frustration, "That man is insane! How can he even say something like that?!"
But even as he raged, Aokiji had already regained his composure.
"Fleet Admiral," he said quietly, "what are your orders now? Do we pull back, or hold our ground?"
Sengoku fell silent again, deep in thought.
After a long pause, his voice came low and heavy: "Stay where you are for now. I'll contact Commander-in-Chief Kong personally."
Even he dared not make this decision alone.
But when Kong received the report, his reaction was no calmer. For a long while, he sat in stunned silence before finally giving the same answer—he would have to bring this directly to the Five Elders.
And so, within the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the Five Elders' council chamber erupted into chaos.
Their shouts and curses filled the marble hall until finally, faced with the gravity of the situation, they too dared not decide. They could only request an audience… with Im.
Sitting high upon the empty throne, Im listened in silence to their trembling report.
After a long, chilling pause, the figure spoke in an icy tone.
"Have the navy withdraw… for now."
"What?" The Five Elders looked up, stunned.
Im's expression didn't waver. "If he seeks war, then let there be war. When the World Summit begins… we shall erase him completely."
The temperature in the chamber plummeted as a murderous aura flooded the room.
The Five Elders stiffened, then bowed deeply in unison.
"Yes, Lord Im!"
----------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 40 chapters in advance on my Patreon: [email protected]//allbluestories