บท 16: Chapter 16: A Devil Fruit Rivaling the Power of the Quake-Quake Fruit
At the Holy Land of Mariejois.
The World Government.
The Navy's top brass had arrived one after another, their expressions dark and solemn. Being outwitted by Kuke was bad enough, but now, to be branded as traitors? Every single one of them had a face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.
Even Garp, usually the most carefree, wore a serious look, refraining from his usual antics.
The air was suffocating, the tension hanging so thick that it was hard for anyone to breathe. The Navy officials could feel the powerful presence of many strong individuals within the Holy Land, all of whom had their eyes on them.
The Five Elders sat in a row, flipping through documents in silence. Time ticked by, second by second, as sweat began to form on Sengoku's brow, eventually dripping down his face as he kept his head low in submission.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity…
"Hmph!" All five of the Elders let out a cold snort simultaneously.
Sengoku flinched.
One of the Five Elders threw the documents down at Sengoku's feet, his voice cutting like a blade: "You're lucky we found no evidence of betrayal. Otherwise…"
For days, the Five Elders had combed through the records of every single Navy officer, scrutinizing every action taken within the ranks.
Finding no suspicious activity, they finally let out a sigh of relief.
Sengoku, too, exhaled quietly, relieved that they had passed the test.
"Sengoku, you fool!" one of the Elders barked, his voice seething with anger. "Kuke used to be part of the Navy's training camp, a member of the Navy! And you let him go, allowing him to become a criminal who dared to invade the Holy Land and turn Vice Admiral Gion against us! You've failed miserably!"
Sengoku lowered his head even further in shame.
Akainu and the others clenched their fists in frustration as they were forced to endure the humiliation. The dignity of the Navy had been trampled upon, with not a shred left.
"The Navy and the World Government have become the laughingstock of the entire world! What do you propose we do about that?" another Elder demanded, his gaze cold and accusing. He glared at Sengoku, as if the entire mess were solely his fault.
"The Navy will dedicate all resources and efforts to capture Kuke, no matter the cost!" Sengoku vowed, determined to prove his worth.
"And how long will it take for you to succeed in this 'capture plan'?" one of the Elders pressed.
Sengoku fell silent, struggling to find an answer.
How long would it take? He didn't know. They had completely lost track of Kuke's whereabouts. The vast seas were an impossible maze, and finding him, let alone capturing him, was a task so daunting it bordered on hopeless.
"Will it be like before? The Navy floundering around like headless chickens while Kuke toys with you, making a mockery of everything you do?" The Five Elders' scornful words stung deeply.
Half a month had passed since they began their search, and yet, the Navy had achieved nothing. Enies Lobby was now a wasteland.
Sengoku opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He had no defense.
"I have a plan," Akainu suddenly spoke up, stepping forward.
All eyes turned to him.
"Speak, Sakazuki!" one of the Elders commanded.
"We need to lure him out," Akainu explained. "We publicly execute slaves, drawing Kuke out to save them. Once he shows himself, we trap him with overwhelming force."
The others quickly mulled over the plan, calculating its chances of success.
Aokiji, however, frowned in disapproval. "For the past two weeks, most of the slaves have already gone into hiding across the seas. Their slave markings have been covered by tattoos or removed. Capturing them again will be incredibly difficult."
"Then we'll capture other people and pretend they're slaves," Akainu replied, his tone cold.
Aokiji's frown deepened.
Garp, too, scowled at Akainu's extreme approach.
But the Five Elders seemed intrigued. As far as they were concerned, as long as it resulted in Kuke's capture, the lives of common people were expendable. "Sakazuki, how confident are you in this plan?"
"I don't know," Akainu admitted. Even he wasn't sure if it would work.
Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up: "The plan has too many flaws. An open execution? Everyone will see right through the trap. Why would Kuke—a pirate—risk his life to save slaves? If he doesn't come, the Navy and the World Government's reputation will take another hit. And even if he does come, the public will view Kuke as a hero for saving the slaves, while the Navy and the Government will be seen as heartless and corrupt. Where's the justice in that?"
The Five Elders exchanged looks, realizing the validity of her points.
The success rate was indeed low. However, Akainu's suggestion sparked an idea within the Elders.
"Luring him out isn't a bad strategy," one of the Elders mused. "If we can get him to reveal himself, taking him down will be much easier."
He turned to Sengoku. "You've studied Kuke. What are his weaknesses? What does he care about?"
"Weaknesses?" Sengoku pondered.
He had investigated Kuke thoroughly.
In the past, Kuke's weakness had been his lack of talent. But that was no longer an issue. He had grown into a monster.
As for what he cared about… the only person he seemed to value was Gion, and she had already defected to his side. His homeland was also destroyed. He had no obvious weak points.
"Pirates crave power, wealth, and status. There must be something we can use to make him reveal himself," the Elder continued, unconvinced that Kuke had no vulnerabilities. "Obviously, gold and riches won't work on him."
The Elders continued scanning through Kuke's files, trying to find anything useful. Suddenly, one of them noticed something.
"He's not a Devil Fruit user, is he? From the reports, it seems Gion spent the past few years completing missions and earning merits in order to secure a powerful Devil Fruit for him through the Navy."
Devil Fruits—the mysterious treasures of the sea.
They were worth more than gold.
"What if we use a Devil Fruit to lure him out?" one of the Elders suggested, his eyes gleaming.
Could this plan work?
Sengoku considered the possibility and nodded. "It could work. But given Kuke's current strength, ordinary Devil Fruits might not interest him."
"How many Devil Fruits does the Navy currently have?" an Elder asked.
"We have sixteen," Sengoku replied, "but none of them would likely tempt him. At only eighteen years old, Kuke is already stronger than Gion. To make him come out, we'd need something on par with the Quake-Quake Fruit."
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