Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The atmosphere among the Gorosei was very heavy; the news just sent back by CP0 was like a slap to their faces, stinging painfully.
What hurt them more was their hearts; the order to track down the peeper in Marijoa was given by Lord Imu today. After spending so much time, Aramaki finally confirmed that the Wanluos Group was just a scapegoat!
This filled their hearts with fear—fear of Lord Imu's rage upon learning the truth, and fear that someone behind the scenes was leading the World Government by the nose!
"That bastard Spandam!"
The Old Man with a Crutch stomped his short cane, the murderous intent in his voice surging uncontrollably, almost erupting from his throat.
"Order Magellan... no, Hannybal, tell him to execute Spandam immediately!"
The other four also understood what the Old Man with a Crutch meant; if this matter got out, it would be a joke!
Someone must be held responsible, but the person responsible cannot be too conspicuous.
Otherwise, many people will soon know that the World Government and the Gorosei were played like fools by the 'true culprit,' which would cause the entire supreme power center to lose face.
The Bald Man with a Sword adjusted his glasses and said in a heavy voice,
"The peeper must be the Wanluos Group, and it can only be them! Let Lucci continue to track their whereabouts under the guise of pursuing Moria. Do not change the target for now!"
The Old Man with a Birthmark on His Head nodded. "They have been active in the New World for quite some time, and many people have noticed their activities. This matter must be handled quietly; our reaction cannot be too extreme!"
Pausing, he continued,
"Aramaki should have also sent the news to Sakazuki. Warn the Marines immediately that this matter must not be leaked! Sakazuki must understand the severity of this situation!"
The Blond Man frowned, "What about Taro?"
As soon as that name was mentioned, it instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Don't you find it strange? What was Taro doing in those waters? And that guy Kuzan appeared there too, and Midorik just happened to be there as well!"
"Could this be a simple coincidence?"
The Blond Man's words made everyone fall silent.
The Old Man with Long Straight Hair pondered for a long while, his eyes turning colder.
"It's Taro again!"
"Ace not dying, Edward Weevil's death, the failure on Sicily Island... for so long, case after case, as long as Taro is involved, our plans always encounter variables!"
"I don't believe these things are all coincidences either!"
The others' pupils constricted slightly, hearing the hidden meaning in the Old Man with Long Straight Hair's words. The Old Man with a Crutch thought for a moment and asked,
"You think it's time to re-characterize Taro as a 'Great Threat,' right?"
The Old Man with Long Straight Hair's face was gloomy and profound.
"It's not about re-characterizing him; it's time to deal with him once and for all!"
"The World Conscription has ended, and the Marines will soon regain their combat strength; Vegapunk's SSG Research has also made a major Breakthrough. Soon, we will have overwhelming power!"
"We have given Taro enough chances. Now, the Marines no longer need him!"
The Bald Man with a Sword and the Blond Man had always been uneasy about Taro, and now they nodded deeply in agreement.
The Old Man with a Birthmark on His Head pondered for a long time and frowned.
"What about Blackbeard? Red Hair did mention him; he's also a troublesome guy. If he's still alive, Taro still has utility value!"
The Bald Man with a Sword was dismissive, his expression full of disdain.
"Recent intelligence shows that Blackbeard and the Whitebeard Pirates Remnants will have a decisive battle. If Blackbeard defeats the Whitebeard Pirates Remnants, we can still keep Taro to let these two 'hidden threats' balance each other out...!"
"Once Blackbeard fails, hmph, then Taro's last bit of utility will naturally be gone. Why hesitate!"
The Old Man with a Crutch still vaguely felt that rushing to turn against Taro was too risky. After a brief thought, he spoke,
"His prestige among the young Marines, especially those newly recruited, is quite influential. Rashly 'cleaning up' Taro, isn't it...!"
The Blond Man shouted in a muffled voice, "That's exactly why we must deal with him as soon as possible!"
"Hmph, isn't Sakazuki's recent performance enough to make us vigilant? If we let them continue like this, will the Marines still be the World Government's Marines?"
These words were very heavy.
The Marines must be strictly under the control of the World Government, with no room for negotiation!
At this point, the Gorosei finally reached a consensus.
After some thinking, the Bald Man with a Sword was the first to speak.
"This matter must be planned properly; it cannot be like Sicily Island again! Relying solely on a few Warlord of the Sea-level pirates won't get the job done!"
The Old Man with a Crutch raised an eyebrow.
"Admiral Fujitora has a personal relationship with Taro, and most of the newly recruited Marines came because of Taro's reputation. There probably aren't many in the Marines who can be of use!"
It wasn't just "not many"; there were almost none!
Since the Marineford War, the high-level Marines have been in turmoil, and the world situation has changed, to the point where a trend of scouting for intelligence everywhere has emerged in the military at some unknown time.
No matter what it is, as long as one or two Marines know about it, it won't be long before it spreads throughout the entire military, leaving no secrets!
The Gorosei have seen clearly now: any plan targeting the Marines must not leak a single word until the very last moment!
"To clean up Taro, we certainly cannot rely on the Marines!"
Cold light flickered in the Bald Man with a Sword's eyes, his tone chilling.
The four looked at the Bald Man; he was calm and composed, looking as if he had a well-thought-out plan.
"Don't Taro, Doflamingo, and Kaido have deep grievances? This time, we must facilitate a direct confrontation between him and Kaido. Only then can we achieve a certain kill!"
The other four were stunned for a moment. The Blond Man asked, somewhat puzzled, "How do we facilitate it?"
The Bald Man with a Sword sneered and tapped Shodai Kitetsu against his shoulder.
"Wano Country!"
The Old Man with a Birthmark on His Head's expression changed. "You want him to notice the secret of Wano Country?"
The Bald Man with a Sword smiled disdainfully.
"Is he worthy of knowing those secrets?"
"Use Blackbeard as bait to lure him to Wano Country. Are you still afraid Taro won't take the bait?"
The Old Man with Long Straight Hair thought for a moment and questioned.
"With Blackbeard's personality of waiting to reap the benefits of others' labor, he's unlikely to head to Wano Country right now!"
The Bald Man with a Sword shook his head gently.
"What does it matter if Blackbeard goes to Wano Country or not? We just need Taro to believe that Blackbeard went there!"
"Once he gets there, so what if Blackbeard isn't present? Will it still be that simple for him to leave?"
Speaking of this, the Bald Man with a Sword wore a cold smile of a successful conspiracy, as if he had already seen the scene of Taro's death without a burial place.
"Now, we just need to wait for the result of the decisive battle between Blackbeard and the Whitebeard Pirates Remnants!"
"Have the CP Spies speed up their investigation!"
The Old Man with a Birthmark on His Head still felt something was wrong. After pondering for a long time, he finally remembered.
Eh!
Weren't we talking earlier about why those three 'Marines'—Taro, Aramaki, and Aokiji—appeared in the same sea area?
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