In a temporary conference room in Mary Geoise, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like the very air had frozen.
The Five Elders and all members of the God's Knights were gathered, their faces ashen and grim.
The conference room was sparsely decorated, with only cold stone walls and a long conference table, but at this moment, the stark surroundings felt particularly oppressive.
Izanbaron V. Nasujuro Saint slowly stood up, his brow deeply furrowed, his hands gripping the documents on the table, his voice low and filled with suppressed rage:
"The attack on Mary Geoise this time resulted in immense losses. Pangaea Castle needs to be rebuilt, which is an immeasurable financial burden. More seriously, Lord Imu was forced to intervene personally, highlighting our dereliction of duty."
His words were followed by silence in the conference room, everyone contemplating the gravity behind them.
As the Financial God of War, Izanbaron V. Nasujuro Saint was keenly aware that the losses incurred by the World Government in this incident were not merely monetary, but also a blow to its authority.
Jaygarcia Saturn Saint slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present like icy blades.
His voice was like the cold wind of winter, carrying a bone-chilling iciness:
"Even more disgraceful is that the culprit vanished right under our noses. This is a blatant provocation, a trampling of our prestige."
His anger erupted uncontrollably, his clenched fists faintly white, as if he might shatter the table in front of him at any moment.
Each member of the Five Elders was a symbol of power, but at this moment, their faces were filled with anger and resentment.
They had rarely experienced such a sense of failure in their lives, and never imagined that one day they would be humiliated in this way on their own territory.
The members of the God's Knights did not speak, but their faces were all incredibly gloomy.
As the strongest force protecting the World Government, they bore an irreplaceable responsibility, yet they had failed to fulfill their duties in this incident, causing them deep shame and anger.
The silence lasted for a moment, but it felt like decades.
Izanbaron V. Nasujuro Saint's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. He took a deep breath, as if suppressing the anger in his heart, but his voice was still filled with undisguised chill:
"We cannot allow this failure to shake our foundations. We must rebuild Pangaea Castle as soon as possible, restore the prestige of Mary Geoise, and at the same time, we must find that mysterious person, at all costs!"
"He must pay a heavy price for this offense," Jaygarcia Saturn Saint interjected coldly.
Every word was like being dredged from an ice cellar, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
Everyone present knew that this incident was not only a challenge to their authority, but also a violent shock to the foundation of the World Government.
If they could not control the situation in time, cracks would appear in the order they had established, and these cracks would be devastating.
The captain of the God's Knights nodded slightly, his eyes cold and sharp:
"We will continue to track down that person's whereabouts and will not let go of any detail."
His voice was low and resolute, as if he had made up his mind to spare no effort.
As these words fell, the conference room fell silent again, but this time the silence concealed a suffocating sense of oppression.
Jaygarcia Saturn Saint's voice cut through the silence like ice:
"There is another matter. The war between the G-5 Branch and the pirates has ended."
When the others present heard this, they frowned.
They were not surprised by this news, as they had already received relevant intelligence.
But precisely because of this, the disappointment and dissatisfaction in their hearts became more apparent.
Originally, they had envisioned an outcome where both sides were severely injured, preferably so weakened that they could no longer pose a threat to the World Government.
However, reality had deviated from their expectations.
Topman Warcury Saint calmly placed a document on the table, his gaze indifferent:
"The Navy has appointed Jin'an as acting admiral. These are the materials they submitted. What do you think?"
The document was gently pushed to the center of the conference table, and everyone remained silent, their eyes lingering on the document.
They knew that the Navy had a great deal of autonomy in recommending and appointing important positions. Although the Five Elders were the supreme power of the World Government, they mostly offered suggestions on these matters.
The final decision still rested with the Navy.
A trace of disdain flashed across Jaygarcia Saturn Saint's face, his voice carrying obvious coldness:
"They have already made a decision. What suggestions can we offer?"
He almost gnashed out these words, the faint disappointment in his heart difficult to conceal.
He did not hide his malice towards Jin'an.
In fact, this malice was already deeply rooted.
Jin'an's existence gave him a sense of inexplicable unease and threat, a feeling that had been around for a long time, but he could never explain its origin.
Perhaps it was because of Jin'an's abilities, perhaps because of his elusive background, or perhaps because of his indomitable spirit. In short, Jin'an's existence made him extremely uncomfortable.
"I didn't expect that the two great pirates couldn't kill him."
He continued coldly, his tone filled with deep regret and unwillingness.
The expressions of the other Five Elders in the conference room also varied.
Izanbaron V. Nasujuro Saint frowned slightly, as if pondering something, a hint of heaviness in his eyes.
Another sighed softly, seemingly resigned to the outcome.
They understood in their hearts that Jin'an's existence and his rise were not just a matter of a powerful fighting force, but could also become an unpredictable variable in the future.
Although the Navy was just a tool to maintain order in their eyes, when the tool began to possess its own will and power, the Five Elders would naturally feel a sense of unease.
However, no matter how dissatisfied or unwilling they were, the Navy's decision had already been made.
For the Five Elders, it was more about how to control the overall situation in the existing circumstances and ensure that the authority of the World Government was not shaken.
All of this made the atmosphere in the conference room even more oppressive, like the calm before a storm.
Jaygarcia Saturn Saint's gaze finally settled on the document on the table, and he smiled coldly:
"This game seems to be getting more and more interesting."
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, but there was not a trace of a smile in his eyes, instead revealing a chilling ruthlessness.
"But they are all just pawns."
"There can only ever be, and must only ever be, one voice in the world, and that is the World Government!"
Everything they did was just to consolidate the rule of the World Government.
As for those civilians, marines, and pirates, they were just tools. Their lives and deaths were not within their consideration.
"Then just give the Navy a reply..."
...
