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"So… our objective has been exposed?" Whitebeard asked with a slight frown, his brow furrowing.
"That's right," Ayr responded calmly.
"Then should we report this to Captain Rocks?"
"No matter what, Rocks made his decision. He intends to take us to the Valley of the Gods," Ayr said lightly, without hesitation.
Although Rocks still possesses terrifying strength—enough to dominate the entire sea—his power has already reached its peak. There's little room left for growth.
Meanwhile, Ayr, Whitebeard, Kaido, Linlin, and the others are still rising, their strength increasing steadily with each battle.
If time drags on and their growth continues, the balance will shift. Even Rocks won't be able to suppress this ship full of ambitious monsters.
Rocks knows this well. That's why, while he still has the advantage of raw power and control, he must act.
Even if Ayr informs Rocks that the World Government has already laid an ambush in the Valley of the Gods… even if there's a high possibility they've secured Uranus, the ancient weapon…
Rocks will still gamble everything.
He's betting on a final battle at the Valley of the Gods—believing he can defeat the Marines, crush the World Government, and seize Uranus to claim global domination.
Because for Rocks, this battle is his last and only shot.
"…That does make sense," Whitebeard nodded.
---
The Next Day – Marine Headquarters, Marineford
The mood was grim. A high-level Marine meeting was underway in the Supreme Conference Room of Marine Headquarters.
Originally, this emergency meeting was to be held in the Holy Land Mariejois. But after the devastating battle waged there, the Reverie chamber and many surrounding areas were destroyed.
As a result, Fleet Admiral Brownie decided the conference would take place at Marineford instead.
---
Inside the conference room:
Seated at the central position was Fleet Admiral Brownie, with the three Marine Admirals—Kong, Zhenwu, and Black Bat—flanking him.
Also present were Vice Admirals Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru (Crane).
"The World Government has confirmed," Brownie said with a stern face. "The five top officers of the Rocks Pirates—Ayr, Edward Newgate, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido—have launched a full-scale assault on the Holy Land Mariejois."
"What? They attacked Mariejois?!" gasped one of the senior officers.
To target the Holy Land, where the Celestial Dragons reside and where Imu-sama and the Five Elders operate in secret—it's an act of insanity. Mariejois is protected by some of the most fearsome powers in the world, possibly even Imu himself.
"That's more dangerous than attacking Marineford itself," another high-ranking officer said in disbelief.
"Yes, these five are monsters, but taking on the Holy Land is something else," murmured Vice Admiral Tsuru, her voice uncharacteristically tense.
"They must have suffered casualties," one Vice Admiral speculated. "Even with their strength, they couldn't possibly come out unscathed."
"Did Ayr survive?" Sengoku asked, cutting straight to the point.
Back on Hachinosu (Pirate Island), Ayr had left a traumatic memory. Sengoku's Buddha form was shattered by Ayr's single devastating blow.
Zephyr chimed in quickly. "If Ayr died, the Rocks Pirates would lose their sharpest blade."
That was the outcome all of them had hoped for.
Brownie leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.
"Unfortunately… not only is Ayr still alive, but none of the five attackers were even injured. All escaped safely."
Silence fell over the room like a crushing weight.
"…That can't be right," Tsuru said, her voice almost inaudible.
Mariejois had not only CP0, the Holy Knights, and the Elders, but also ancient defenses rumored to have guarded the Celestial Dragons for centuries.
For Ayr and the others to escape unscathed? It defied logic.
"What happened?" Garp asked bluntly. "How did that group of monsters slip out without a scratch?"
Brownie slowly exhaled and delivered the grim explanation:
"According to the World Government's intelligence, their goal wasn't to engage fully. They attacked purely to retrieve the Eternal Pose leading to the Valley of the Gods. Once they had it, they retreated immediately."
Zephyr slammed his hand on the table. "Damn it! They really got lucky…"
Sengoku looked troubled. "Especially that monster Ayr. The fact he's still alive… It's bad news for everyone."
"They risked everything to retrieve a Pose?" Kong asked, eyes narrowed. "To the Valley of the Gods?"
"The Valley of the Gods was once a private territory of the Celestial Dragons, yes. But why go through all this trouble?" Tsuru questioned, brows furrowed. "There are treasures galore in Mariejois. Why focus only on the Valley?"
Brownie's face darkened.
"They weren't after treasure," he said slowly. "They were after an ancient weapon."
That brought the entire room to silence again.
"…What?" Kong asked.
Brownie leaned back, looking every Marine in the eye.
"They were after Uranus."
---
The word hit the room like a thunderclap.
"Uranus—the ancient weapon?" Tsuru said in disbelief. "Is it really located in the Valley of the Gods?"
"If they believe it is," Sengoku said, "then that explains everything."
Ayr and the others hadn't attacked to loot or make a statement. They attacked to gain absolute power—power to overturn the entire world order.
And worst of all… they may have found it.
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