Three days later.
Mary Geoise.
Inside a magnificent reception room.
Five white-haired and white-bearded old men, some sitting and some standing, all remained silent. The atmosphere in the hall became extremely quiet for a moment.
These five people were the holders of the highest power in the World Government, the Gorosei!
A sheet of today's latest information lay on the table, just delivered by a news carrier bird.
"That man named Roger... has returned!"
The long-haired old man, Marcus Mars, broke the silence first.
"Mm..."
Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro nodded with a slightly furrowed brow: "A man who was clearly executed publicly by the Marines years ago suddenly came back to life. Truly troublesome!"
Topman Warcury, the man in a black suit with a curved mustache, snorted coldly: "If we could kill him once, we can kill him a second time. Pirate King... Tch! Truly an unpleasant title!"
"That's not the problem!"
The blond-haired old man in a dark red suit, Shepherd Ju Peter, tapped the newspaper on the table and shook his head: "Roger himself is nothing. In the Gold List rankings, three of us rank higher than him. What's most troublesome is his prestige in the eyes of pirates!"
"Years ago, his speech on the execution platform shook the entire world and started the Pirate Era. Now he's come back to life, for pirates, he is a belief!"
Shepherd Ju Peter took a breath and continued: "Belief is a power that can make people feel fear!"
Jaygarcia Saturn sneered: "Simple enough, just cut down their belief! Send that man who doesn't know his place back to hell. I wouldn't mind taking action myself..."
His hand on the sword sheath moved slightly, his eyes radiating a bloodthirsty gleam: "It's been a long time since I've fought. That man should be able to give me a satisfying battle!"
"Don't be rash, Saturn!"
Shepherd Ju Peter furrowed his brow: "The current situation isn't that simple. The pirates have now gathered to destroy the World Government and Marines. This is a disaster, but also an opportunity."
Shepherd Ju Peter's eyes flashed coldly, he said with a heavy voice: "An opportunity to conduct a large-scale purge!"
"Correct!"
Topman Warcury nodded in agreement: "Originally the pirates from the Four Seas were scattered throughout the world, and in the Grand Line there are what are called Yonko. The Marines and World Government, though they have strength, can't be everywhere at once to exterminate them all. As long as there are remnants, they will never be completely gone!"
"A small spark can burn a prairie, and now because they've gathered together, this is a very good rare opportunity! The World Government and Marines have Vegapunk's research results as support. We can take advantage of this opportunity to sweep them clean and unify the entire pirate world!"
Shepherd Ju Peter smiled cunningly: "This has been the World Government's long-held desire for years. Moreover, the appearance of this mysterious Gold List has also shown us a broader stage. Although Lord Imu was seriously injured this time, she continues to monitor the changing situation. Unifying the pirate world is just the beginning, our target is the entire Three Worlds!"
The other four nodded in agreement.
"Lord Imu's injury..."
Topman Warcury looked somewhat worried.
"That Gold List is truly terrifying. With Lord Imu's strength, she was seriously injured in just one encounter. If not for that, if Lord Imu could be ranked and receive rewards, her power would surely rise to an even higher level!"
"At that time, unifying the pirate world or even invading other worlds wouldn't take much effort!"
Jaygarcia Saturn snorted: "Because Roger was able to come back to life thanks to the Gold List's reward, his own strength hasn't increased much. Whereas Lord Imu still exists in this world; the treasure she obtained will surely be able to increase her strength drastically!"
Speaking to this point, the Gorosei felt somewhat regretful. Regarding the Gold List's rewards, all five had truly experienced them. Thanks to those mysterious treasures, the strength of all five had surged. Reaching their level, it was actually very difficult to advance further, yet the Gold List did it easily.
Toward this suddenly appearing Gold List, they felt both admiration and fear. For ambitious fighters like them, the unknown always made them uneasy. That mysterious golden scroll above the sky, before its secret was truly revealed, was like the Sword of Damocles hanging above their heads, not knowing when it would fall.
"I heard Kizaru met the first-ranked on the Gold List, and even lost one of his arms!"
Topman Warcury changed the subject.
"With Borsalino's strength, being able to escape after meeting the first rank is already pretty good!"
Jaygarcia Saturn shook his head: "I heard that person didn't even take action. Only the pet beside him attacked casually and nearly took his life. Existence at that level truly makes one's heart uneasy!"
Suddenly, the conference room became dark. A shadow appeared behind the five of them without being noticed, so majestic that its face couldn't be seen.
"How is the situation on the pirates' side now?"
The Gorosei startled in shock and simultaneously turned, then bowed on their knees: "Lord Imu!"
Jaygarcia Saturn answered: "According to the latest reports, the Yonko have almost finished gathering and are heading toward the Holy Land. They're estimated to arrive in three days. Regarding the Revolutionary Army, the situation is very strange; they remain silent, we don't know what they mean."
"Oh?"
The majestic figure murmured softly: "With Dragon's character, he couldn't possibly pass up this opportunity. Is there someone on our side who leaked information?"
Topman Warcury said: "We've also thought of that. Currently the soldiers who received Artificial Devil Fruit modifications are being strictly monitored so leaking is impossible. The research base is also impossible. What's most possible is the Shichibukai side; they remain an unstable factor."
The majestic figure was silent for a moment before saying: "That group doesn't need to be worried about. As long as those annoying pirates are dealt with, this world will belong to us Celestial Dragons. Revolutionary Army? Hmph, just a group of jumping clowns!"
"Lord Imu is absolutely right!"
All five bowed their heads in agreement.
"Although this time we're in an advantageous position, we mustn't be careless. No one knows what trump cards they still have. That annoying group is crazy and brutal; their final resistance before dying will be very troublesome. As much as possible preserve our high-level combat forces. As for ordinary Marines..."
Her words weren't finished, but the Gorosei understood her meaning. Don't hesitate to sacrifice the lives of ordinary soldiers. Artificial Devil Fruits could be produced again. For people at their level, human lives were like worthless grass.