#546 - Chapter 546: The New Five Elders
In Elbaf's night, a massive bonfire blazed in the royal palace square, its light reflecting on the faces of every giant warrior.
Their expressions were grave, their brows furrowed with anger at the internal strife within their clan, and with worry about the future battles.
Loki sat on a stone chair, as if bearing the weight of an entire mountain.
His gaze swept across the square, seeing not passionate warriors, but faces mixed with anger and doubt.
He knew that the cracks in Elbaf were far from healed.
"My people."
Loki slowly rose, his voice like thunder rolling across the square.
"I know many of you still harbor resentment towards me.
But now, with enemies at our doorstep, we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past."
"Repeat the mistakes?" An elderly giant scoffed.
"Last time, we trusted the wrong people and allowed the enemy to succeed! And now..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the skepticism in his tone immediately made the atmosphere in the square tense.
"Enough!" Jin'an's voice suddenly rang out, clear and steady, like a blade cutting through the chaotic air.
He stepped out of the shadows of the firelight, his gaze fixed on the elderly giant.
"You can argue, but argue after the enemy is dead."
Jin'an's tone was calm, yet everyone felt an invisible pressure.
His eyes swept over the giant warriors, his tone slightly raised.
"The World Government won't wait for you to tear yourselves apart before attacking; they will exploit the cracks to deliver a fatal blow. If you can't even see that, then Elbaf is finished."
The square fell silent, the giants murmuring to each other, but mostly remaining quiet.
Jin'an's aura pressed down like a mountain, forcing them to face reality.
Loki took a deep breath and continued.
"I admit my mistakes, but now we have no way out.
Elbaf needs every warrior to unite, or else, whether it's me or you, we will all be destroyed together."
The elderly giant frowned and pondered for a moment, finally sighing.
"You're right, Loki. We can't afford to fight amongst ourselves at this time. Let's put aside our grievances and deal with the external enemy first."
The other giants nodded in agreement, still dissatisfied, but chose to remain silent.
......
Jin'an stood by the bonfire, his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
He knew that these giants were not completely obedient, but were forced to compromise by external pressure.
But that was enough; he never wanted the giants' loyalty, only their strength.
"Another ally added."
Jin'an said softly, his words devoid of joy, only calm judgment.
His gaze swept over the tall giants and landed on Whitebeard, "I hope these allies won't disappoint me."
Whitebeard sat to the side, holding a large bucket of sake, grinning.
"Gurarararara, don't worry, the giants are stubborn, but they are absolutely ruthless in battle. Their strength is more reliable than most pirates."
The bonfire burned even brighter, the flames flickering in the night wind.
The giants began to discuss the upcoming battle strategies, their voices gradually rising from low to high.
Their morale was gradually recovering.
Tian Yue Shi walked to Jin'an's side and whispered:
"You're right, they have temporarily put aside their differences. But what about the future?"
The corners of Jin'an's mouth curled into a faint smile.
"The future? Let's see how they perform first. If they can survive to the end, they might understand that true allies are never gained through trust, but proven through victory."
The bonfire crackled, sparks flying, reflecting on everyone's faces.
The night wind blew, bringing the chilling atmosphere of the distant battlefield.
The New Navy, the Whitebeard Pirates, and the Giants, three forces temporarily gathered together to face the impending storm of blood and fire.
......
Inside Elbaf's palace, the atmosphere was solemn and tense.
Jin'an, Whitebeard, Loki, and others sat around a large circular stone table, a map spread out on the table filled with markings and annotations, symbolizing their gradual control of the war situation.
However, the discussion was suddenly interrupted—a New Navy signal soldier came in a hurry, nervously handing over a newspaper.
"Big news."
Tian Yue Shi said softly, taking the newspaper and handing it to Jin'an.
Jin'an opened the newspaper, and the bold headline caught his eye:
"Five Elders Replaced! Complete Reorganization of the World Government's Top Echelons!"
His brow furrowed slightly, his eyes quickly scanning the text.
The newspaper detailed the complete replacement of the Five Elders and mentioned that leaders from various countries had been invited to attend the ceremony, and a familiar name caught his eye—Morgans.
"So he was invited too."
Jin'an chuckled and handed the newspaper to Whitebeard.
"It seems the World Government doesn't want this news to be buried. They even want to put a glamorous facade on this action."
Whitebeard took the newspaper, glanced at it, and then revealed an interested smile.
"Gurarararara, replaced? Interesting, it seems that Imu has decided to abandon the original Five Elders."
Loki also leaned over, his brow furrowed.
"This is not just a replacement. The World Government's invitation to the member states to attend the ceremony is clearly meant to intimidate. They want the whole world to know that this time, the World Government is stronger than before."
"......"
The wind of Elbaf blew, the square outside the palace was empty and silent, as if even the wind had become particularly cold.
At this time, the giant warriors were gathered together, talking in low voices in groups of twos and threes, but occasionally looking up at the direction of the palace.
They knew that the people inside were deciding the future of the war, and they would be the sharp knives and shields in this battle.
"......"
At the same time, on Morgans' airship, the head of the Big News Co. was frowning as he looked at the invitation in his hand.
His fingers tapped the table rhythmically, his expression complex.
"Attend the ceremony? Hmph, quite the grand gesture."
Morgans' tone was tinged with sarcasm, but his eyes could not hide his desire for information.
He turned to look at the assistant behind him, "Have you confirmed the authenticity of the invitation?"
The assistant nodded: "Confirmed, it was sent by the World Government."
Morgans pondered for a moment, finally sighing.
"It seems that this trip is unavoidable.
If I don't go, I won't be able to get first-hand information, but if I go..."
He looked out the window, his eyes deep.
"The risk is not small."
The airship began to descend, and he ordered his subordinates to temporarily adjust their course to the observation point designated by the World Government.
At the invitation of the World Government, the heads of various member states successively arrived in Mariejois.
On the square in front of Pangaea Castle, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. The new Five Elders, wearing gold-trimmed uniforms, stood on the high platform, overlooking the many participants in the square.
Imu did not appear, but her will was everywhere.
The entire venue seemed to be shrouded in an invisible sense of oppression, and even the air seemed extremely heavy.
Morgans stood in the crowd, looking up at the new Five Elders on the stage, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
"These new faces, I wonder how they compare to the original five..."
He thought to himself, while observing the reactions of the leaders of various countries with the corner of his eye.
And while everyone was watching the new Five Elders, Imu's intention was unfolding step by step—she used this replacement to show the world:
Even if the old Five Elders are eliminated, the World Government is still unshakable, and her power will continue to climb to its peak.
At this time, Jin'an, who had returned to Elbaf, put the newspaper back on the table, his tone calm but full of coldness:
"Since Imu wants to put on a big show, we should add something to her script."
Whitebeard took a sip of wine and laughed heartily:
"Gurarararara, then let's give this world more surprises as she wishes!"
Loki nodded, his expression unusually firm.
"The Giants will fully cooperate. Now is the time to prove our worth."
Tian Yue Shi approached Jin'an and asked softly:
"What should we do next?"
Jin'an stood up, walked to the map, reached out and pointed in the direction of Mariejois, his voice steady and cold:
"Attack Mariejois."
Everyone's eyes instantly focused on him, and a chilling aura filled the air.
This war had already begun to shift from undercurrents to a decisive battle with swords drawn.
...
...
