Facing such a catastrophic event, the Rear Admiral, a mere small soldier, naturally had no authority to dictate actions. He hastily asked for guidance before the Gorosei could hang up.
The Elder of the Five Elders, Saint Mars, felt his chest tighten. He had never expected the Revolutionary Army to exploit this chaos.
There was no room for hesitation; the remaining personnel were far too weak to resist the Revolutionary Army. Even his own survival was uncertain, let alone maintaining control over the World Government. Despair gripped Saint Mars.
"First, remain calm. Select the highest-ranking officer among you to take full command," Saint Mars instructed urgently. "The guy from Impel-down is a good choice. Follow his orders and resist the Revolutionary Army together."
The Marine elites around him exchanged uneasy glances. How could they be expected to save World Headquarters when they barely had the strength to save themselves?
And didn't Ashveil already make it clear—a single minute of phone calls cost one hundred million Berries!
Kong, sensing the chaos, nudged Saint Mars, silently reminding him that the pressing matter of ransom remained unresolved. As long as they survived and returned to World Headquarters, the Revolutionary Army's interference could be managed later.
Saint Mars snapped back to the pressing issue.
"The most important task is to secure every possible way to redeem us. Gather a substantial ransom immediately. Do you understand?" he barked.
But just then, a piercing scream echoed through the comms. As the Rear Admiral reported, the Revolutionary Army had charged. An arrow imbued with Armament Haki struck him squarely in the neck, and he collapsed unconscious.
"Wait! Finish my orders first, finish my orders!" Saint Mars shouted, panic edging his voice.
The surrounding Marine officers looked on in helpless disbelief. No one had expected such a sudden, violent disruption. The ransom might be lost, entirely seized by the Revolutionary Army.
Ashveil watched from a distance, his expression one of mild amusement. The Revolutionary Army's move was unexpected, but irrelevant to him. He had his own business to attend to.
"Hey, forget about the ransom for now. One minute of phone calls costs one hundred million Berries. You've used five minutes, so that's five hundred million Berries," Ashveil said, stepping forward and holding out his palm.
Sweat poured from Saint Mars's forehead. Never had he been forced to pay such a sum directly, like an imperial decree written in real-time.
"I… I'm sorry, Thorne Ashveil. I have no money on hand… but I will repay you double, I swear!" Saint Mars stammered, desperation evident.
Ashveil's golden gaze pierced him.
"Repay me? Your World Headquarters is collapsing. What capital do you have to repay me? I want it now. If you can't pay, you can go join Shiryu underground," Ashveil said, smiling faintly, the threat unmistakable.
Saint Mars's mind raced. He, a revered member of the Gorosei, was now scrambling to produce 500 million Berries like a frightened bureaucrat.
He cast a pleading glance at the Marine officers around him. As fellow captives, they were under no obligation to aid him. Without their cooperation, the ransom could not be assembled.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku felt a surge of dark amusement. To think the Gorosei, who had reprimanded him countless times, would now be begging for help—it was an unexpected turn of fate.
"We should gather the funds for the Elder first," Kong suggested. "The Revolutionary Army's attack can be managed later. Let's pay the 'phone bill' first, then handle the rest."
Saint Mars shot Kong an appreciative glance. If he survived this, he vowed to report Kong to Imu herself, advocating for Kong to become one of the new Gorosei.
With combined effort, the ransom was secured, and Saint Mars's life was spared.
World Government personnel, unable to generate the Berries quickly, remained under Ashveil's control. Remarkably, these former powerhouses were repurposed as Ashveil's laborers, working to construct a sprawling laboratory on a secluded island. Observers would be stunned to witness such formidable figures hauling bricks and cutting earth.
Meanwhile, chaos reigned at World Headquarters. The Revolutionary Army, led by Dragon, had launched a full-scale assault.
A woman waved a flag, her motion igniting fiery determination in her soldiers, while a man, crow-like in demeanor, dominated the skies with terrifying aerial combat skills, easily suppressing remaining World Government forces.
Even an enormous, bulky man caused the ground to quake beneath him, leaving groups of personnel unable to stand, let alone fight.