"Contract?"
One of the Five Elders spoke thoughtfully. "What kind of contract?"
He still remembered the message Zephyr had passed along—that Raijin once told him, "What binds us is never force, but contract." It seemed this was the basis of their cooperation.
"The injuries I take, even death itself, will all be shifted onto people within the World Government's domain. Of course, if it's shifted onto death row inmates I don't care. But to you, ordinary civilians and those inmates aren't that different, right?" Makima said calmly.
"Why should we believe you?" The Elder holding a sword said coldly. "Just because of your words?"
"I don't see this as empty talk. You should have already seen the Nine Tails' actions. And after this, more and more demons will challenge your authority. Believe me, working with us won't bring you any harm."
Makima slowly walked to a chair, sat down, crossed her legs, and leaned slightly forward. She looked at the five who ruled the World Government and gave a light laugh.
"So, what is your choice?"
The Five Elders exchanged looks again. One of them asked, "After signing this contract, what will you do?"
"The World Government has three main institutions—Marine Headquarters, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby. In name, we can also follow the World Government's orders, and become the fourth institution: the Black Order."
The Five Elders picked up the hidden meaning in her words. As long as the deal was right, the Black Order could be directed not only against demons, but also for other missions the World Government wanted.
They also now understood why Makima insisted on cooperation. She needed a supply of death row inmates or other expendable lives to carry the damage she took in battle.
But for them, this deal wasn't really a loss. Makima gained near-immortality and access to the World Government's resources, while they gained powerful fighting strength. And like she said, since the great yokai had already declared war on the World Government, fighting them was only a matter of time.
"Who is Zero?"
In truth, the Five Elders had already decided to accept her offer. After all, Makima hadn't asked for much, and the contract only cost some prisoners or civilians—lives they didn't care about.
But before agreeing, they asked this question, the one Zephyr never got to ask Golden Lion.
"One of the Eight Demon Lords. I don't know exactly which one. But I'm certain his true body is still in hell. He used a special method to slip into this world, created the Nine-Tailed Fox, and pushed Toguro to get the Shikon Jewel."
Makima's voice grew serious. "His goal is likely to free himself from hell. From that perspective, all eight Demon Lords are suspects. Once the Black Order is founded, we'll investigate this matter."
After she spoke, the Five Elders gave each other a small nod. Finally, the one facing her directly said, "Then if you can help with this last matter, let's hope for smooth cooperation."
He pushed a document across the table.
"To smooth cooperation…"
Makima stood, took the paper, and smiled lightly.
.........
In another room of Pangaea Castle, Sengoku and Raijin waited.
They chatted casually. Sengoku never asked to see the face under Raijin's blue mask—unlike Zephyr, he didn't pry into such things.
After a while, the doors of the Room of Authority opened.
Sengoku let out a breath. "Looks like we won't be enemies, for now."
He had been watching Raijin to make sure that if the talks inside failed, this powerful fighter wouldn't cause destruction inside Pangaea Castle.
If that happened, the World Government would be a laughingstock. The castle had stood as their symbol for eight hundred years without anyone ever damaging it.
"Maybe we'll even be coworkers, Sengoku." Raijin chuckled under his mask, just as the doors opened again and Makima walked in.
Both Sengoku and Raijin stood to look at her. Makima greeted Sengoku with a friendly tone. "As Raijin said, from now on we're colleagues. The Black Order won't succeed without help from Marine Headquarters."
"Black… Order?" Sengoku blinked.
"The Five Elders will release a statement soon. You'll see then. For now, I need to choose a place for the headquarters of the World Government's fourth institution."
"Until we meet again."
Makima and Raijin left Pangaea Castle. Sengoku paused, then returned to the Room of Authority.
"The Black Order will be formed within three months. It will be the World Government's fourth institution, but also the first that the Government cannot fully control. Sengoku, you should understand what we mean."
One of the Five Elders spoke seriously. "To get the Black Order running quickly, we'll need support from Marine Headquarters."
In plain words, they wanted Marines to be placed inside the Black Order. Sengoku understood the hint. He nodded. "I'll report this to Fleet Admiral Kong. But working with a woman like her…"
"That's not for you to worry about." Another Elder cut him off sharply. "Do your duty, Sengoku. As a soldier, you have no right to question the Government's decisions."
"…Understood." Sengoku was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I'll return for now."
"Yes. Marine Headquarters must always have an Admiral present. Once you're back, tell Kong to deal with Golden Lion. Focus on your duties as Marines."
Sengoku nodded and left. Once outside, he let out a quiet sigh. Based on his understanding of the Five Elders—or rather, the World Government—they normally wouldn't allow an unstable group like the Black Order to exist.
Especially since the group was asking for equal status. Would the Celestial Dragons really accept anyone standing on the same level as them?
But at least for now, the other side had given the World Government a surface-level explanation. Officially, it was still under the World Government's banner.
"Tell CP to get ready. Once the Black Order is formed, make sure over half of its members are Marines or CP agents. Then investigate right away—find out how many demon hunters they really have, how strong they are, how much of what they say is true, and what their real goal is. If things really are as they claim, that's fine…"
"But if they show any sign of betrayal, destroy them immediately!"
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