"Kong, you'd better give us an explanation. What in the world just happened?!"
In the dimly lit conference room, the Five Elders sat silently, their piercing gazes fixed on the heavily bandaged figure before them. The atmosphere was suffocating—an invisible pressure blanketing the entire office.
Kong, wrapped from head to toe in gauze, remained silent for a long moment. Under the heavy scrutiny, he finally opened his mouth.
"I didn't expect enemies of that caliber… Not at all. It was just one person. One. And yet, even with me, Garp, Zephyr, and a whole squadron of vice admirals, we couldn't stop him!"
He looked up, his face dark and grim. "Actually… we believe there were three of them. One held us back, another intercepted Sengoku and the others, and the third—he's the one who broke Roger out. Only monsters could befriend such monsters. You're asking me how to deal with them? Hell if I know!"
The Five Elders' expressions shifted ever so slightly. One of them hesitantly asked, "Are they really as strong as you claim?"
"It's worse," Kong said firmly. "Garp and Zephyr woke up after being knocked out cold. They told me that guy wasn't even serious. He toyed with them. Then, in just one moment… it was over. I thought they were joking at first. But now? I can't even begin to imagine the strength he was hiding."
"…Is that so?" one Elder muttered, his voice low and heavy. If things were truly as Kong described, then the World Government—so long thought untouchable—was now under a real threat.
"This incident has deeply damaged the reputation of the World Government," said another Elder, his tone measured but severe. "Several allied kingdoms have already expressed discontent. Never mind Roger for now—what matters most is calming public opinion and salvaging what remains of our prestige. You and Sengoku will immediately lead a large-scale manhunt. Arrest every high-profile criminal you can find."
"Agreed," the others echoed.
"…Understood." Kong hesitated for a second, then turned and exited the room.
The chamber fell into silence. The Five Elders sat motionless, the weight of the moment bearing down on them.
"…Should we seek an audience with Lord Imu?" one of them finally asked.
"We should," another replied grimly. "If the enemy is truly as powerful as Kong says, then this may be beyond even us."
With that, they rose and opened a hidden passage, vanishing into the shadows.
…
New World — Whitebeard Pirates' Territory
"Gurararara… That brat really went and caused an earth-shaking storm," Whitebeard guffawed, sloshing sake from his massive cup. "I bet even Roger didn't expect to come back from the dead! Gurararara!"
"No kidding," Marco muttered, eyes glued to the newspaper. "I still can't believe it. That Rimuru guy actually rescued Roger."
"Gurarara… But his friend is even more terrifying." Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, the grin fading slightly. "Even I couldn't pull off something like that. Kong, Garp, Zephyr… Those are not small fry. If I were in their place, I'd be the one running."
…
On an island near Loguetown,
"He was rescued." Rayleigh leaned back in his chair, trying to process the news. "The captain actually got out alive…"
Roger may have chosen to surrender and die, but how could the crew ever accept that? Now that he was alive… maybe the Roger Pirates could sail again.
"Roger, you bastard… You'd better come back soon."
…
Marine Headquarters.
"This defeat has done devastating damage to our authority," Kong growled from his seat, face ashen. "Even if the enemy was ridiculously strong, that's no excuse. We cannot lose morale!"
"Can we even beat a monster like that?" Garp murmured bitterly. The image was still burned into his mind—that gap. That abyss-like gap in strength.
The room went silent.
BANG!
Kong slammed the table. "Snap out of it! This isn't the time for despair! Sengoku, report on the current situation."
"Yes, sir." Sengoku sat upright, hands clasped. "Pirate activity is growing more aggressive everywhere. We don't have the manpower to contain them all—we need urgent reinforcements."
He paused. "But that's not the most dangerous part… What are Roger's people planning? If they're trying to use Roger to find that thing…"
"…The One Piece?" a vice admiral asked in a low voice.
They didn't know exactly what the so-called "great treasure" was, but the mere idea of it was enough to make the World Government panic. After all, anything that could shake their foundations to the core had to be silenced.
Even Kong's face changed at the mention of it.
…
Back in the Slime World.
"So, Roger, what exactly is the One Piece?" Rimuru asked curiously after the meeting had ended. His eyes sparkled like a child begging for candy.
"The One Piece?" Roger gave a helpless sigh, seeing Rimuru's puppy-dog expression. "It's nothing but the filthy secrets of a bunch of damned old fools."
"…And evidence of the sins committed by one undead bastard in particular."