CHAPTER 77:The Supreme Palace, Brownie and the Five Elders
"I'm not overestimating you, Ayr, but you have this strength, and yet you continue to stay in the Rocks Pirates. No one can guess what you're thinking," Charlotte Linlin remarked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Ayr simply gave a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying anything.
"Gu ra ra ra… Ayr, did you hide your strength when you first joined the crew?" Whitebeard's eyes flashed as he scrutinized Ayr, trying to see through him.
Whitebeard found it hard to believe that in just a short period, Ayr had grown so powerful—capable of clashing against Marine Admiral-class opponents and even holding his own against Marine Marshal Brownie. Not only that, but he had also slain Sabertooth, an Admiral feared across the seas.
Given this, Whitebeard suspected that Ayr had been hiding his true strength since he first set foot on the ship.
"You bastard, did you hold back when you fought me?" Golden Lion demanded.
When Ayr had first boarded, he and Golden Lion had clashed. At the time, Ayr's strength seemed insignificant in comparison.
Yet now, Ayr had completely surpassed him.
As the others pressed for answers, Ayr raised his hands in exasperation.
"Honestly, don't think too highly of me. When I joined the ship, I wasn't holding back. As for what you saw back there…" Ayr paused. "I used the power of a Devil Fruit. But I won't be able to use that power again."
His expression turned serious as he spoke.
In truth, Ayr had used an experience card that granted him the power of Six Paths Sage Mode, boosting his strength to an absurd level. However, the card was a one-time-use ability. Now that it was spent, his strength had returned to normal.
Unlocking the full Sage of Six Paths abilities would take far longer—and for now, it was impossible.
But he couldn't tell Whitebeard and the others the truth. Instead, he used the Devil Fruit as an excuse.
More importantly, he knew that Rocks D. Xebec would definitely question him about the battle.
A man as ambitious as Rocks would never tolerate a crew member secretly hiding their strength. If Ayr admitted that he had been concealing his abilities, Rocks might see him as a threat—and try to eliminate him.
Ayr, without his Six Paths Sage Mode, had no way of fighting Rocks.
So, to protect himself, he created this fabricated story for Whitebeard and the others.
"Devil Fruit ability…?"
The others were stunned.
What kind of Devil Fruit could grant such terrifying power, even if only temporarily?
"Are you saying that ability can only be used once?" Golden Lion asked after a brief silence.
"If it weren't so powerful that it burned itself out, do you think I'd still be sitting here with you guys?" Ayr retorted.
In reality, if he ever unlocked the full Sage of Six Paths abilities, he would be on an entirely different level.
Six Paths Sage Mode was already godlike. But the Sage of Six Paths himself was a true immortal, wielding power beyond comprehension.
Hearing Ayr's words, Whitebeard exhaled deeply, a hint of gratitude in his voice.
"So, to save us… you used a power you can never access again?"
Whitebeard may not have fully believed Ayr's explanation, but he still appreciated what Ayr had done. Without him, they all would have perished on Beehive Island.
"If I didn't use it, I would've died," Ayr replied with a shrug.
That much was true. Without Six Paths Sage Mode, he wouldn't have been able to fly or escape Marine's relentless pursuit.
"What kind of Devil Fruit did you eat?" Kaido asked, his interest piqued.
Kaido had always sought to consume a powerful Devil Fruit to enhance his strength. And now, Ayr had demonstrated an ability far beyond anything Kaido had ever seen.
Ayr simply smiled.
He had to admit, the Six Paths Sage Mode experience card was beyond anything he had expected.
At that moment, he couldn't help but wonder—if Six Paths Sage Mode was this strong, then what would happen if he fully unlocked the Sage of Six Paths abilities?
The difference between the two was like heaven and earth.
Six Paths Sage Mode borrowed the power of the Sage of Six Paths.
But the true Sage of Six Paths was an immortal god—one who wielded unimaginable power without limits.
Golden Lion and the others clearly wanted to ask more questions, but they held back. Ayr had saved them. It would be rude to pry when he didn't want to answer.
Thus, the questioning stopped.
---
The next day, Holy Land Mariejois – Inside the Supreme Hall
Brownie stood before the Five Elders once again.
"What happened this time, Brownie? Is Rocks still alive?"
"Report the outcome of the battle immediately!"
"Why are you silent, Brownie?!"
The Five Elders' voices boomed through the chamber, each word carrying a weight of authority and fury.
Brownie remained silent for a long time, his face dark and strained.
He didn't dare to tell the full truth of what happened on Beehive Island.
However, under the intense gazes of the Five Elders, he finally took a deep breath and spoke with a grim expression.
"The results of the Beehive Island operation… were far from ideal."
"Far from ideal?"
The blond Five Elders frowned.
"You mean to tell us that despite deploying such a large force, you still failed to eliminate the entire Rocks Pirates?!"
The scar-faced Five Elders spoke next, his tone cold and accusing.
"How could you fail? We gave you every resource necessary—Marine Marshal, Three Admirals, Four Top Vice Admirals, and countless elite forces!"
"And yet… you did not capture the Rocks Pirates?!"
The Five Elders' anger radiated throughout the room.
Brownie did not defend himself. He simply lowered his head, absorbing their fury in silence.
Seeing this, the Five Elders gradually calmed down, though the atmosphere remained tense.
The long-haired Five Elders sighed.
"Forget it. Even if you failed to capture the entire crew, I trust that at least Rocks D. Xebec himself was slain?"
Another Elder, the one who wielded the First Generation Kitetsu, pushed up his glasses and nodded.
"If nothing else, the death of Rocks will lead to the collapse of his pirate crew. The rest of the commanders can be hunted down individually."
They knew that once the Rocks Pirates fractured, its members would be easier to eliminate.
But as these two Elders spoke, Brownie's face grew even more tense.
His silence dragged on.
The blond Elder suddenly stood up, pointing a finger at Brownie in fury.
"Brownie, you bastard… Don't tell me… that even Rocks himself is still alive?!"
The scar-faced Elder narrowed his eyes.
"Are you saying that with the largest Marine force ever assembled, all you managed to do was kill a few of Rocks' underlings?"
The atmosphere in the Supreme Hall grew heavier.
Brownie's silence spoke volumes.
Rocks was still alive.
And the Five Elders were furious.
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