Mari Geoise, the Chamber of Authorithy.
The Five Elders, gathered together, looked utterly grim.
Just moments ago, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief had delivered the latest intelligence, confirming that Marine Headquarters had completely fallen into Orion hands. It was this very report that nearly caused four of the Five Elders to explode on the spot.
Especially when they learned that not only Marine Headquarters but also numerous bases across the Four Seas and the Grand Line had become unreachable, the last shred of hope in their hearts vanished entirely.
"I knew this Orion would cause trouble!" Nusjuro, clutching a katana cast a grim gaze at the four Elders seated before him, his voice laced with killing intent.
"When Spandine first approached me about Orion, I sensed a threat. That's why I ordered Enies Lobby to intervene and investigate him. I thought we acted swiftly enough, but it turns out he had already bared his fangs in the shadows!"
"Spandine?" Warcury, seated at the center of the sofa, looked up at Nasujuro. "Why would he come to you?"
"Just a power-obsessed insect" Nasujuro replied coldly.
"How he found me is irrelevant. What matters now is what we should do. According to the latest intelligence reported by Kong, it's clear that not only have the three Admirals and numerous Vice Admirals of the Marine Headquarters chosen to stand behind Orion, but many bases across the Four Seas and the Grand Line are also undergoing personnel changes. Orion is clearly aiming to take complete control of the Marines from the top down!"
"If he dares to stage a coup and seize power over the Marines now, he will undoubtedly use the Marines to oppose the World Government in the future!"
"Therefore, my suggestion is to strike while he's still vulnerable. Have Kong lead all forces except the Marines to surround Marineford! I'm certain that once we press forward with our full strength, some within the Marine Headquarters will defect! After all, if they follow Orion and oppose the World Government, they will forever be branded as traitors!"
"Calm down, Nusjuro" Topman Warcury raised his hand, his expression serious. "This is a matter of great importance and requires careful consideration."
"First, we need to understand Orion intentions. If his only goal is to become the Fleet Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, then we should grant him that wish and let him officially replace Sengoku."
"Of course, this is merely a stalling tactic. Once he becomes Fleet Admiral, as long as he remains obedient and follows the orders of the World Goverment, we can gradually sow discord within the Marines. When the time is ripe, we can arrest and execute him!"
"Right now, he has just taken control of the Marines, and his momentum is strong. Even if Kong personally leads the entire army to attack, even if we ultimately achieve victory, it would be a pyrrhic victory—killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of our own!"
"Moreover, if we engage in open war with Orion and the Marines, it will plunge the Grand Line into unprecedented chaos. Pirates, the Four Emperors of the New World, and the Revolutionary Army might seize the opportunity to cause trouble, leaving us in a passive position. It could even lead to some already wavering member nations defecting to their side!"
"I don't agree!" Nusjuro stepped forward, his voice heavy.
"The scenario you describe assumes a stalemate between Kong and Orion Marines. It's undeniable that the Marine Headquarters currently has three Admirals, numerous Vice Admirals, and nearly a hundred thousand soldiers. It would be nearly impossible for Kong to suppress them in a short time."
After a brief pause, Nusjuro suddenly looked up.
"But what if the God Knights intervene? With such a major upheaval in the Marine Headquarters, Figarland Garling has no reason not to step forward! If Garling leads the God Knights to Marineford and restrains the three Admirals, the other Marine officers will pose no threat!"
"As for the lawless Orion, he's just a Vice Admiral. Additionally, we have the CP department, especially CP9 led by Rob Lucci, who is the strongest and most ruthless killing machine in CP9 history. They have been undercover in Water 7 for the past year and can serve as a surprise force to infiltrate Marine Headquarters."
"Speed is crucial in warfare. If we strike swiftly and decisively to eliminate Orion, not only will this rebeliion come to an end, but by the time the Revolutionary Army or the so-called Four Emperors of the New World realize what's happening, we will have already regained control of the situation. They wouldn't dare cause trouble at that point!"
Upon hearing this, Topman fell silent, while the other three Elders turned their gaze toward him, clearly agreeing with Nusjuro strategy.
"Unacceptable!" At that moment, a somewhat sharp voice abruptly rang out.
Immediately after, the door to the Chamber of Power was pushed open, and a tall figure came into view of the Five Elders. The newcomer was draped in a cloak that reached the ground, their entire body concealed within the cloak, revealing only a pair of dark red, rippling eyes.
An invisible, suffocating aura of terror emanated from them, causing the Five Elders, who held the highest authority in the world, to hurriedly rise and step forward before kneeling in unison, prostrating themselves on the ground.
"Im-sama!"
"This Orion is not as simple as you think!"
Im, fully cloaked, slowly walked past the Five Elders and stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, their back turned to the five elders as they controlled their voice, speaking calmly,
"Recently, a battle erupted at Marine Headquarters. To be precise, it was a clash of Conqueror's Haki!"
"Among the two Conqueror's Haki that clashed, I sensed a familiar presence, one very similar to the Conqueror's Haki possessed by Joy Boy in the past!"
Upon hearing this, the Five Elders turned their heads in shock, their faces filled with terror as they looked at Im.
"It seems your understanding of this Orion is rather limited!"
Im slowly turned their head, a cold glint flashing in their dark red, rippling eyes.
"Have you been sitting in the position of the Five Elders for too long, becoming blind and senile?"
The sudden remark sent a chill down the spines of the Five Elders, but Im quickly shifted the tone.
"You need not intervene in this matter anymore. I will dispatch the God Knights to investigate! As long as this Orion, who initiated the coup, is not of the D. Clan or has no connection to Joy Boy, this so-called coup is nothing more than a change of leadership at Marine Headquarters!"
.....
Meanwhile.
Due to sudden personnel changes at various Marine branch bases across the Four Seas and the Grand Line, spies from various factions embedded within these bases swiftly sent out intelligence reports.
Even Marine Headquarters transmitted a piece of intelligence via a Den Den Mushi to the Revolutionary Army headquarters.
....
Revolutionary Army Headquarters, Baltigo Island.
Amid the icy wilderness, a Revolutionary Army officer rushed toward a tent not far ahead, clutching a top-secret intelligence report they had just received.
"Leader! Leader!"
As soon as they entered the tent, the officer gasped for breath and spoke.
"We've received top-secret intelligence from Marine Headquarters! Former Marine Vice Admiral Orion launched a coup last night and has taken control of Marine Headquarters as of this morning. Now, many branch bases across the Four Seas and the Grand Line are undergoing an unprecedented internal purge, with all base commanders being replaced by Orion trusted confidants!"
As the officer finished speaking, the tent fell into a deathly silence. Seated at the head of the conference table in the tent was none other than the Revolutionary Army leader, Monkey D. Dragon.
Two years ago, during the World Government summit, he had been labeled the most dangerous criminal for leading the Revolutionary Army, whose sole goal was to overthrow the World Government.
After a brief silence, Dragon, cloaked in green with a menacing scar across his face, spoke in disbelief.
"Vice Admiral Orion? The youngest Vice admiral who suddenly rose to prominence in the headquarters over the past three years? How could this happen? How could a mere Vice admiral dare to stage a coup and succeed? When did the Marine Headquarters become so vulnerable?!"
The officer who came to report replied.
"This is the intelligence personally sent by that person. There's absolutely no mistake!"
"Understood!" Hearing that the information came from that person, Dragon stood up decisively and commanded.
"Order the five armies to closely monitor every move of the World Government. As soon as they engage in war with the Marines controlled by Orion, all five armies will strike simultaneously. Seize this opportunity to liberate as many countries as possible!"
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