At that moment, in the forest of Amazon Lily, a sudden tornado formed.It spun violently, tearing up the ground inch by inch while gravel and dust swirled into the sky.
"Looks like I've gotten stronger, huh?"
Watching the tornado from afar, Hiyori's eyes sparkled with excitement — that storm was her own power unleashed.
"Strong ability, sure... but someone's still an idiot,"
Hancock sneered, not missing the chance to provoke Hiyori.
"Hmph!"
Hiyori snorted coldly in response.
Despite their rivalry, over the past two days their relationship had grown unexpectedly close — a strange sisterhood formed through constant training and clashing tempers.
"Did our husband just leave?"
That day marked a breakthrough for Hiyori — she had finally managed to conjure a true tornado, a sign that she had taken another step in mastering her Devil Fruit powers.
The first person she wanted to tell was Elior, but he had already left Amazon Lily.
"An hour ago..."
Remembering his departure, Hancock's expression dimmed with disappointment. Elior had gone to Mary Geoise, intending to infiltrate the Holy Land itself.
Both women couldn't help but worry.
Before leaving, Elior had instructed Hiyori to remain on Amazon Lily and continue training with Hancock. Still, the absence weighed heavily on them.
Three hours later, Elior arrived at the passage leading to the top of the Red Line.
His speed was thanks to a massive octopus — he stood atop its head as it surged through the sea, carrying him swiftly toward the towering cliff.
Not a single drop of water clung to his clothes.
The moment he reached the passage, Stussy was already waiting. Their meeting was secret. Elior pulled on a white cloak that covered him from the neck down, followed by a mask and hat — the standard uniform of CP0.
No one would imagine that the man disguised as a government agent was actually Elior, one of the Yonko.
He completely suppressed his overwhelming Haki, concealing his presence.
Thus, without anyone realizing it, Elior entered Mary Geoise.
But Elior's goal was not the Government itself.
His purpose was clear:to find the eternal Log Pose that pointed to God Valley.
If possible, he intended to take it quietly.
For Elior, reaching God Valley was just as important as reaching Raftel itself.
If the ancient weapon Uranus truly rested there, he would not hesitate to claim it.
Mary Geoise was vast and magnificent. Its towering white structures gleamed beneath the sun, solemn and divine.
Security was as tight as legend described. From a single glance, Elior could see hundreds of guards patrolling each street.
He knew, however, that these were only the surface defenses. If something truly happened here, the real monsters would appear.
"Stussy" Elior asked quietly, "what is this mysterious weapon the World Government guards here in Mary Geoise?"
"I don't know," she replied. "Even after over forty years of service to the Government, I've never been granted any data about it. But I can confirm one thing — it exists."
Though she looked young and elegant, Stussy was already over sixty years old.
"What about the Gorosei? Their strength, abilities, age — what do you know?"
Elior's tone was calm but intent.
"The Gorosei are all powerful combatants" Stussy explained. "They're not ordinary Celestial Dragons. Among the Dragons, there are elite nobles who enjoy absolute privilege and can even wield the highest authority — those are the ones chosen as Elders. The Gorosei are selected from among these elite elders."
"As for their powers," she continued, "I don't know the exact details, but from what I've learned: one is a master swordsman, another a martial artist, and the remaining three are Devil Fruit users. Their overall power is said to rival that of Marine Admirals, though age may have dulled them somewhat."
"Three of them are over a hundred years old, but none older than one hundred and twenty. The other two are in their nineties."
"Not older than one hundred and twenty?"
Elior was surprised — he had imagined the Gorosei to be figures from eight hundred years ago.
"Are you sure this is true?"
"It's true," Stussy confirmed without hesitation.
Elior trusted her completely. She was bound to him by loyalty — there was no reason for her to lie.
Still, her report surprised him. The Gorosei were not ancient relics, but men who had merely lived long, powerful lives.
His lingering fear of them faded.
Yet Stussy's words raised another question: if there were "elite" Celestial Dragons with Admiral-level strength, were there more beyond the Gorosei?
The hidden power of the Celestial Dragons was even deeper than Elior had imagined.
"So... only Imu is truly ancient, then?"
"Yes" Stussy said. "Imu is... a being from eight hundred years ago — a mystery that no one outside the Holy Land fully understands."
Elior's eyes narrowed. That much, at least, matched his expectations.
He continued to question her.
"Have you ever been to God Valley?"
"Once," Stussy replied. "I was ordered to guard the Celestial Dragons there many years ago. But I wasn't allowed beyond the ancient forest surrounding the island. Only Celestial Dragons themselves can enter its inner sanctum."
According to her, God Valley was an island located in an extremely dangerous part of the New World — more perilous than the Calm Belt itself. Without the special eternal Log Pose, reaching it would be impossible.
At Elior's command, Stussy revealed the location of the facility where the eternal Log Pose might be kept.
As they walked toward it, Elior noticed a large, high-tech structure rising from the heart of Mariejoa.
"This is Dr. Vegapunk's laboratory" Stussy explained.
"Vegapunk?" Elior murmured, eyes narrowing in interest.