CHAPTER 108:The Council of the Five Elders
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Holy Land Mariejois – Pangaea Castle, Highest Hall
A World Government official rushed in, his face pale with panic. He fell to one knee and blurted out:
"L-Lord Five Elders! For some reason… all the slaves in the city have escaped!"
The tension in the grand chamber remained unchanged, though the elders exchanged brief glances. The blond Elder, reclining lazily on the couch, opened one eye and muttered:
"That ruckus outside… is it all because of a few runaway slaves?"
Despite their location in the most secure part of Mariejois, even they could feel the disturbance shaking the sacred land.
"Yes, my lord!" The official nodded vigorously.
The Elder with long, straight hair furrowed his brows and asked in a cold voice:
"Did someone set them free, or did they escape on their own?"
"We… we're still investigating, sir."
The bald Elder with the samurai sword sighed, gripping his weapon tightly before giving his orders:
"Send Cipher Pol agents immediately. Capture them all. I want no one left unaccounted for."
"Yes, my lord!"
With that, the official sprinted out, leaving the room in a brief silence.
The Elder in the black suit took a measured sip of tea before finally speaking.
"Slaves escaping is nothing new, but…" He paused, his sharp eyes narrowing. "This feels different."
The Slave City had stood for centuries. Occasionally, rebellious captives managed to break free, sometimes sparking mass uprisings. But this… this was unusual.
The blond Elder's fingers tapped against the armrest of his seat.
"Something isn't right. Just days ago, we received intel that the Rocks Pirates had regrouped."
The room fell into deep thought. The Rocks Pirates—the most fearsome crew the world had ever seen—had vanished into legend decades ago. Yet now, they were rumored to be resurfacing.
More importantly…
"We suspect they've uncovered the location of the ancient weapon, Uranus."
And now, in an eerily convenient twist of fate, all the slaves in Mariejois had suddenly escaped?
Coincidence?
Unlikely.
The long-haired Elder stroked his beard, his mind racing.
"If the Rocks Pirates are behind this, what's their goal? Surely, they wouldn't come here just to liberate slaves."
The Elder in the black suit frowned.
"Indeed. The Rocks Pirates are methodical. They wouldn't risk infiltrating Mariejois without a reason."
The bald Elder, still gripping his sword, suddenly spoke.
"What if Uranus has been here all along?"
The others turned to him in surprise.
"What if Imu-sama secretly buried Uranus beneath this very land?" He continued. "What if this entire rebellion is merely a distraction?"
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The black-suited Elder shook his head.
"Unlikely. If Imu-sama had hidden Uranus here, we would have known. They have no reason to take such a risk."
The elders glanced at one another, unable to arrive at a definite answer.
Speculation was pointless.
"There's only one way to know for sure." The blond Elder finally stood up. "We need to see for ourselves if the Rocks Pirates are really here."
If the Rocks Pirates weren't in Mariejois, then the slaves had simply taken advantage of an opportunity.
But if they were here…
Then they would be exterminated.
The samurai Elder turned toward the exit.
"Cipher Pol is already in motion, but if our enemy is truly the Rocks Pirates, they won't be enough." He unsheathed his blade slightly, his eyes gleaming with resolve. "I'll deal with this myself."
The others did not object.
They knew each other's strength well. If anyone could face the Rocks Pirates, it was him.
"Capture at least one alive," the black-suited Elder instructed. "We need information on Uranus."
"Understood."
With that, he vanished from the chamber.
---
Meanwhile…
Mariejois was in flames.
The uprising had reached every corner of the sacred land. Slaves ran wild, attacking Celestial Dragons, setting fire to buildings, and toppling centuries of oppression in mere hours.
High above the chaos, Shiki the Golden Lion grinned wickedly.
"Jihahaha! The slaves have been freed! Then that means it's time for us to move."
From the skies, he had a perfect view of the destruction. Mariejois, usually pristine and untouchable, now burned like any other battlefield.
The Golden Lion unsheathed Oto and Kogarashi, his twin swords, their edges gleaming with Armament Haki.
"Before we get what we came for, let's have some fun first."
With a single swing, countless compressed air slashes erupted from his blades.
"Lion Majesty: Thousand Slice Valley!!!"
A wave of golden slashes rained down upon Mariejois.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Buildings split apart like paper. Celestial Dragons screamed as their palaces crumbled into rubble.
Watching the devastation unfold, Shiki smirked.
"That should keep the Marines distracted while we search for the Eternal Pose."
He disappeared into the shadows, suppressing his presence as he moved deeper into the city.
---
Elsewhere in Mariejois
Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, and Whitebeard stood amidst the chaos. Though they had split up earlier, fate had brought them back together.
Linlin watched as slaves trampled over fallen nobles, their cries of victory echoing across the burning streets.
She cackled. "Looks like the brats finally decided to fight back."
Kaido took a swig of his sake. "Tch… they're making too much noise. It'll draw the Navy here soon."
Whitebeard remained silent, his sharp gaze scanning the horizon. He wasn't interested in the slaves' revolution.
No—his mind was set on only one thing.
The Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale.
And if it was here, in the heart of the World Government's stronghold…
Then not even Mariejois would be left standing when he was done.
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