Marie Geoise, the Holy Land.
"Has that Silver-haired guy left?"
In the bright, spacious hall, it was empty except for a long sofa and two single sofas.
Five old men of varying appearances sat on the sofas.
In front of the sofas was a long coffee table, with five steaming cups of tea on it.
A maid in a server's uniform, holding a teapot, refilled the last cup before straightening up, bowing to the five old men, and leaving the room.
Outside the coffee table knelt a tall man wearing a mask.
Hearing the voice, the man looked up, not daring to meet the eyes of the questioner. He could only lower his gaze and reply, "He has left. Those who cleaned up the body of Saint Charlos saw the 'Windmill' leave the Sabaody Archipelago and disappear on the sea."
"They should be heading to Fish-Man Island."
The Windmill was the name the World Government gave to the Freedom, as they had no way of knowing its real name and simply assigned one for reporting purposes.
"Fish-Man Island?"
As if a thought struck him, the Gorosei, dressed in a dark blue suit with long, straight white hair and a long beard, put down his teacup and turned his head to CP0. "If I recall correctly, there's a Poneglyph on Fish-Man Island, isn't there?"
"Yes!" CP0 nodded and replied, "There is one. We checked it a few years ago, but since no one understands the writing, we don't know what it says."
Just then, the Gorosei in the black suit, with curly white hair, a bushy white beard, a flat-brimmed hat, and a scar on his left cheek, spoke up, leaning on his cane. "If I remember correctly, the sole survivor of Ohara, the Devil Child, Nico Robin, is on the Silver-haired captain's ship, isn't she?"
He frowned at this and said gravely, "With that woman on board, it would be easy for the Silver-haired captain to know what is written on the Poneglyph."
His words caused everyone in the room to fall into thought.
"Forget it, if he knows, he knows! They won't get far anyway."
Shaking his head, the curly-haired Gorosei put down his cane, placed it between his legs, picked up his teacup from the coffee table, and took a gentle sip. He then turned to CP0 and said indifferently, "Alright, you may go. Keep a close watch on the movements of the Silver-haired crew. I want to know which island they will stop at first when they reach the New World."
"Yes, Gorosei-sama." CP0 lowered his head, prostrating himself on the ground, then took a few steps back before rising to his feet and turning to leave the room.
After CP0 had left the room and closed the door, the Gorosei finally relaxed.
The Gorosei in the deep red suit, without a tie, with golden hair and a golden beard, and a scar on his chest, spoke with a fierce glint in his eyes, "The World Government has suffered a great humiliation this time. Not only has a Celestial Dragon died, but even Garp and Kizaru couldn't do anything to the Silver-haired crew."
Even though they knew it already, the Navy couldn't do anything to the Silver-haired crew.
When they received the news of the Celestial Dragon's death, they hadn't dispatched any strong fighters, only a few CP agents to handle the situation.
However, they had never felt so stifled by a pirate before, and a fire burned within them.
"Alright, let him be arrogant for now." The Gorosei in the white robes, bald, wearing glasses.
The only one among the Gorosei not wearing a suit or a beard.
Holding a samurai sword, he appeared to be a swordsman, and spoke calmly, "It's difficult to make a move in the Paradise, and even more so on the Sabaody Archipelago. But once they reach the New World, we won't have so many reservations."
As he said this, a terrifying killing intent surged from him, so strong that it even generated red arcs of electricity out of thin air.
It was clear that the Gorosei were no ordinary individuals. The other old men were completely unaffected by the killing intent and aura emanating from the bald Gorosei.
The killing intent on the bald Gorosei's body came and went quickly. If it weren't for the residual cruelty and coldness in his eyes, one might have mistaken him for an ordinary person.
He held his sword, leaned against the single sofa, and said cruelly, "Once in the New World, no matter which island they go to, they and that island will disappear from history."
It wasn't that they couldn't wait, but that Lord Im couldn't wait.
For so long, they had delayed sending the coordinates for a true strike to Lord Im. One reason was that the Silver-haired crew was too terrifying, and the people they dispatched dared not approach. Another was that in the first half of the Grand Line, they truly couldn't act rashly.
Sabaody Archipelago was even less of a place to act.
It was too close to the Holy Land, and after all, it was the Celestial Dragons' playground. Erasing Sabaody Archipelago would significantly reduce the Celestial Dragons' entertainment, and they would be the ones bothered in the end.
"Fortunately, Morgans was smart this time." The Gorosei in the deep green suit, balding, with a mustache resembling chopsticks, and a birthmark on his forehead, picked up the newspaper spread on the coffee table and stared at the contents.
Following his gaze, the newspaper displayed the news of Kouta killing a Celestial Dragon on Sabaody Archipelago.
Further down was the battle between Kouta and Garp, and the battle between Kizaru and Kuina.
Due to limited space, the battle between Kuina and Ace, initially captured by Firebird and a front-page news story, did not appear in the news.
However, what satisfied the Gorosei was clearly not these, but that the battle between Kouta and Garp in the news concluded in a draw.
This was different from the news they received from the Navy.
They had once thought that this incident might cause the Navy and the World Government to lose face to the point of falling into an abyss, but they never expected the news to salvage some of their reputation.
While it was still embarrassing, as a Celestial Dragon had died and they were powerless against the Silver-haired crew.
If they had to endure the public outcry of Garp's defeat, it would be even more humiliating.
After all, Garp was not just any Vice Admiral; he was the Navy's pride, a Naval Hero, and a figurehead of their rule over the world.
Countless people admired and respected him.
This was also why, despite knowing that Garp's son was a leader of the Revolutionary Army, they didn't do anything to Garp.
On one hand, Garp was indeed powerful, and they needed his combat strength.
They needed him to help the World Government stabilize the world's order.
On the other hand, there was Garp's title as a hero. This title was not only a great honor but also the faith of countless Marines.
Without this title, even if the World Government did nothing to Garp, they would not allow him to hold a position of power.
For such a figure to be defeated, especially by a pirate, one could only imagine the storm it would stir among pirates.
Fortunately, Morgans of the World Economy News, finally had a moment of clarity and did not report it too poorly.
This was good. Let the Silver-haired crew be arrogant for a few more days, and then he would disappear forever.
With this thought, they completely relaxed.
With Lord Im taking action, they had no worries that the Silver-haired crew would survive this time.