"Lords, we had no way to counter it," Steel Bone Kong blurted. "That brat Rakuya can summon Sea Kings. Our warships were torn to pieces out at sea. Most of our men died to those beasts. And that wasn't all. He raised tsunamis. Walls of water hundreds of meters high kept crashing down one after another. We simply couldn't cope."
At that, several of the Five Elders drew a sharp breath. Only the bald elder with the brush mustache stayed grim and silent. He had seen it with his own eyes.
"Are you making up excuses to dodge punishment?" the curly-haired elder sneered. He knew the Marines' reputation all too well. Righteous words on the surface, and things best left unsaid beneath. Better than pirates, perhaps, but not by much.
Kong flushed with anger. His voice rose despite himself. "My lords, there are plenty of survivors. If you doubt me, take any one of them and ask. I, Steel Bone Kong, stand here and swear every word I said is fact."
The curly-haired elder snorted, unimpressed.
As the tension thickened, the bald, mustached elder finally spoke. "I can attest to this. What Kong described is true."
He might despise Kong at the moment, but he knew this was no time to settle personal scores.
"You are serious?" The scar-faced elder stared, stunned.
They all knew Rakuya did not wield a Devil Fruit. So how could he command forces of nature like that?
"Enough. What's done is done," the long-bearded elder said with a weary rub at his brow. "Arguing changes nothing. We need clear heads to decide what comes next."
A beat passed.
"Thinking on it now, if it truly was Rakuya, he might well control Sea Kings," the scar-faced elder muttered once he'd cooled.
"Oh? And why do you think so?" the bald elder asked.
"He can call forth four colossal beasts with a flick of his hand. What is steering a few Sea Kings by comparison? When the four of us fought him, we had to strain for every exchange and never found an edge. Imagine what his true limits are."
Silence fell over the cramped room.
Yes. With power like that, swaying Sea Kings would be child's play.
The quiet did not last.
"My lords, did Rakuya really come to the Holy Land?" Kong asked. He already had nine-tenths of the answer, but he needed to hear it from the Five Elders themselves. "Is he truly that strong? Even with all of you striking together, he slipped your grasp?"
The elders gave no reply. Only silence.
"Then… did you capture him alive? Is he injured and locked away in Impel Down?"
Kong still clung to a sliver of hope.
"He escaped," the scar-faced elder said flatly.
Kong did not hear the choice of word. The elders understood the truth among themselves, but none of them was foolish enough to recount every humiliating detail now.
"Damn it. He destroyed the Holy Land and butchered my men, and he just walks away?" Kong's roar scraped raw. Rage twisted his face, muscles twitching, a mask of barely checked fury.
"My lords, give the order. I swear I will bring that bastard back in chains."
The Five Elders traded glances but held their tongues.
"My lords."
Kong mistook their silence for doubt in his ability. He drew breath to plead his case, but the long-bearded elder cut him off.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, by the supreme authority of the World Government, I hereby order…"
He paused, choosing his words.
Kong's heart leapt. The solemn tone felt like a banner of trust draping his shoulders.
"All Marines are forbidden to provoke Rakuya."
The final words cracked like a whip. The elder's voice climbed with a warning edge. Anyone who defied this order would find no mercy.
"This is a dead order. It will be carried out without exception," the bald elder added.
What? How could this be?
Kong's face drained, then flushed. He had not misheard. The order was even harsher than the safety directive he himself had issued before setting sail.
Did the Five Elders not see what would happen if this command spread?
His eyes reddened. "My lords, please reconsider."
"Enough." The scar-faced elder's gaze went cold. "Kong, if you do not wish to be Fleet Admiral, then step down. If you will not carry out the Five Elders' orders, your tenure ends here."
Kong's breath caught. Strength flowed out of him as if through a cut vein.
The long-bearded elder stepped in to smooth the edges. "Fleet Admiral Kong, that will do. Execute the order, without further complaint. And send crews to clear the ruins. Mary Geoise must be rebuilt within five days."
He rose without another glance at Kong and strode out. The other elders followed, leaving the Fleet Admiral standing alone beneath the weight of a command the whole world would feel.
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