The meeting was about to begin.
A massive round table dominated the room, yet only three figures sat around it — Kaido, Big Mom, and Elior.
Kaido and Big Mom were both taken aback. Elior wasn't just a fearsome man
The World Destroyer and Redfieldl?
What shocked them even more was that both of these legendary monsters from the old era appeared younger!
They now looked to be in his forties at most.
Kaido and Big Mom thought their eyes were deceiving them — but the sheer pressure emanating from him proved otherwise.
This was the real thing.
A genuine powerhouse from the old era.
They couldn't help but feel both awe and unease.
"Elior's combat strength configuration is downright terrifying," Kaido muttered.
Kaido: "The Marines is said to be fully mobilized this time, right?"
Elior: "According to my intel, the entire Marine has been dispatched. The lineup will be even greater than that of the war at Marineford. I'm talking about top and mid-level combat forces — the grunts don't matter."
Big Mom: "It seems the Marine and the World Government can't sit still any longer. The balance among the Yonko has already been shattered. What they've always wanted is for us to restrain one another and maintain equilibrium. This situation must be far beyond their expectations."
Elior nodded in agreement.
Kaido: "So we're really going to attack the Red-Haired Pirates?"
Elior: "That's right."
He paused, then continued: "By the way, both of you were present during the God Valley Incident. Red-Hair — what's his true identity? His age matches too closely with that event. Could he be Rocks' son?"
Kaido: "Rocks' son? Impossible. That man never had a woman. He cared only for domination and power."
Big Mom: "The Red-Haired brat definitely isn't Rocks' son, Elior. Why do you ask?"
Elior: "Because if he's not, then the Marines have an even greater reason for this full-scale mobilization."
Kaido: "What reason?"
The two Yonko leaned forward, intrigued.
Elior smirked."Maybe Shanks is a descendant of the Celestial Dragons. If that's the case, the Gorosei won't be able to sit idly by. Perhaps the real reason the Marines are mobilizing is to protect him."
Big Mom: "A Celestial Dragon's descendant? Elior, that's ridiculous. A Celestial Dragon becoming a pirate? Absurd!"
Both Kaido and Big Mom scoffed at the idea — unwilling to believe Shanks could possibly have such a lineage.
But the truth was far more shocking. Shanks was a Celestial Dragon — and not just any, but a descendant from one of the highest noble bloodlines among them.
Over the centuries, even within the Celestial Dragons, internal hierarchies had emerged.
As for the Marines' current operation against Elior and his allies — on one hand, they truly intended to eliminate him, or at least capture him alive. Ideally, they'd erase him completely.
But there was another reason. The Gorosei hadn't told the Marine that their true purpose was to secretly protect Shanks.
Even Akainu knew nothing of this.
Yes — Shakns was a Celestial Dragon.
Elior: "The enemies we face this time aren't just the Red-Haired Pirates — we'll also be up against the full might of the Marines. And don't underestimate their strength after the World Military Draft. Admirals like Ryokugyu and Fujitora… they're monsters in their own right."
Kaido and Big Mom nodded grimly.
The Marine Headquarters' top-tier combat strength was now even greater than during the Paramount War.
It was decided — at dawn tomorrow, they would march on the Red-Haired Pirates.According to Elior's plan, every last one of them would be wiped out.
Elior wasn't one to let a so-called "peacemaker" like Shanks keep playing his games.
When the time came, they'd kill Shanks — and Elior himself would deliver the finishing blow.
Finishing what others started was a habit of his. Break the bones. Scatter the ashes.
After all, this world was full of weaklings who refused to die properly.
One of the key topics of the meeting was strategy — how exactly to wage this war.
Elior also shared the information he had gathered from his visit to Mary Geoise, the same secrets he had once told Bullet and the others.
Kaido and Big Mom were both shaken.
The truth about the Celestial Dragons' background was beyond horrifying — more than twenty top-tier combatants, and even an immortal monster granted eternal life by Imu, one who fed on human flesh.
Elior had witnessed Imu's terrifying power firsthand — a single gesture summoned a sea of flowers that extinguished an inferno reaching to the heavens, all within seconds.
"A force that's managed to rule this world for eight hundred years must have its reasons for surviving so long," Kaido admitted after a long silence."Their cruelty surpasses even mine. Eight centuries of absolute domination… that's no small feat."
Big Mom: "Wait — Elior, you went to Mary Geoise? So that whole incident was your doing?"
She was referring to the attack on Mary Geoise — a mysterious assailant had slaughtered over two hundred Celestial Dragons and caused massive destruction.
Kaido raised an eyebrow at her words.
Elior simply smiled."I only went there to retrieve something. Maybe I caused a little chaos along the way."
Big Mom: "A little? You call that little?"
Even to Kaido and Big Mom — two of the craziest beings alive — Elior's actions were beyond madness.
Yet Elior remained calm, as if none of it mattered.
Big Mom: "If the Celestial Dragons ever find out you were behind it, they'd rip you apart and scatter your remains!"
Elior: "I'm not afraid."
He shrugged, utterly indifferent.
Kaido: "You're insane, brat! But I have to admit — I'm starting to like you more and more."
Even Kaido, a man who constantly challenged death itself, couldn't help but respect Elior's fearlessness.
Because Elior wasn't just reckless — he was beyond madness.
Elior: "Heh. Thanks for the compliment."
Kaido: "But admiration aside — don't think that means you can lay a hand on my daughter!"
Elior: "Relax. I'd never touch your daughter — not even once."
He said it calmly, though the truth was… he'd touched Yamato countless times.
Big Mom laughed."I've got dozens of daughters! You can take your pick, Elior!"
Elior: "No thanks. I already have a woman."
He shook his head. In truth, Big Mom's daughters were far from appealing to him. Despite her once-stunning looks in her youth, her marriages were all political — for power, for bloodlines, for breeding.
Most of her daughters were… eccentric, to say the least. The few normal ones didn't interest him either.
By comparison, Kaido's daughter was in a league of her own — a hundred times more captivating than any of Big Mom's offspring.
Elior didn't linger on the subject. He reached into his coat and drew out a Log Pose — one that pointed directly to God Valley.
He also began revealing the secret of the Treasure Vault of Mary Geoise.