Chapter 11: The Rocks Pirates Mentioned Again!
"Ah, let Garp handle this matter. Sengoku, come take a look at this intelligence report. This old man thinks this is more important."
Fleet Admiral Kong took a report from his drawer and pushed it to the edge of the desk. Sengoku walked over, picked it up, and his expression immediately changed drastically.
"This is going to cause a huge incident!"
"Have we found out who spread the rumor? This matter must be treated seriously!"
Fleet Admiral Kong shook his head and sighed, "This intelligence came from Cipher Pol. They haven't found the source yet, only that it's now spreading not only in the Grand Line but also in the Four Seas."
"Is it already too late!" Sengoku's brows were furrowed enough to kill a mosquito.
"If that's the case, then this rumor is definitely not accidental, but a long-planned action by someone, and there are quite a few people involved. Only then could it be spread to all sea areas at almost the same time!"
"The Pirate King's Great Treasure, ONE PIECE."
He seemed to guess who was behind it.
In Mary Geoise, within Pangaea Castle, Im sat high upon the Empty Throne, looking down from above at the Five Elders kneeling before him.
But his expression was even colder than his usual indifference; his previously pleasant mood was now filled with extreme anger.
Regarding the rumor about the Great Treasure ONE PIECE, he had received the intelligence earlier than the Marines. This was also the main reason he was meeting the Five Elders again.
This matter was too important for him to ignore!
"It must be Roger's Crewmates spreading the rumor. Roger must have instructed them before he died. But what is their purpose in doing this?" said Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, who was kneeling on the far left.
He was the highest person in charge of Cipher Pol, basically overseeing all intelligence-related matters.
"Great Pirate Era!"
Im, sitting above, coldly uttered these five words. He had just found a way to silence Roger during his Execution, thinking he could prevent this from happening, but he didn't expect the latter to have such a move left.
Although this method of spreading rumors through Crewmates throughout the World was far less impactful and influential than a loud shout during a public Execution, the appeal of the Pirate King's Great Treasure itself had not changed at all; it just needed more time to spread and ferment.
He could already see countless young and middle-aged people across the Sea, shouting "ONE PIECE" while setting sail and surging into the Sea, rushing towards Reverse Mountain!
The Five Elders' moods became heavy upon hearing the five words spoken by Im. Among the future that Im had briefly introduced before, there was mention of the Great Pirate Era.
It was said to be an astonishing era where the number of Pirates was so great that even the current Marines couldn't suppress them.
For eight hundred years, the Sea under the World Government's rule, although occasionally turbulent, had generally maintained relative peace and order. However, the Great Pirate Era triggered by Roger caused the entire Sea, regardless of the area, to boil over!
The Five Elders had also originally thought that such a thing would not happen again, but now... they had to admit that both they and Im had underestimated this Pirate King.
"We should order the Kings of the Affiliated Countries to strictly control their people from going out to Sea, and also have the Navy Branches everywhere increase their patrol efforts. At the same time, have Cipher Pol arrest those who dare to spread rumors to deter the World and the Sea!"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, kneeling second from the left and holding the Shodai Kitetsu, proposed with a fierce expression.
The other four all nodded in agreement. Their approach was exactly the same as that of previous generations of Five Elders: suppression and erasure.
However, Im, sitting on the Throne, knew deeply that their methods would not be very effective. The ocean in this World was too vast. Although the Marines had many people and quite a few Warships, facing the infinitely vast Sea, it was difficult to patrol very strictly.
Sensing that Lord Imu did not quite agree with their proposal, the Five Elders fell silent for a moment.
Im pondered for about ten minutes before finally speaking.
"The main target of these people who go out to Sea to become Pirates because of the rumors is the so-called Great Treasure, and their destination is the 'New World'. From the Four Seas to the first half of the Grand Line, and then to the 'New World', there are two nodes that must be passed through."
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, kneeling second from the right with a hideous scar on his left face, responded, "Are you referring to Reverse Mountain and Fish-Man Island?"
Of course, he wouldn't say Mary Geoise. It was out of the question to allow Pirates to pass through here to enter the 'New World'. Therefore, it could only be Fish-Man Island, located ten thousand meters below, and the rift at the very bottom of the Red Line.
"Exactly. If a Navy Branch is set up at the Entrance of Reverse Mountain, specifically to intercept and check the identities of passing Ships, it can directly block the influx of Pirates from the Four Seas into the Grand Line!"
Im's idea originated from customs in his previous life. The geographical environment of Reverse Mountain could make the role of customs almost perfect.
There are essentially only two ways for a Ship to enter the Grand Line from the Four Seas: one is through the Calm Belt, and the other is through Reverse Mountain.
Of course, if one is strong enough, they can indeed go through the Calm Belt, but how many of the Pirates from the Four Seas can pass through the Calm Belt?
"Excellent method, this method is too good!" Saint Marcus Mars praised greatly.
"That's right, and not only can a Navy Branch be set up at the base of Reverse Mountain on the Grand Line side, but a Navy Branch can also be set up at the Entrance on the Four Seas side, or a few Warships can be stationed there long-term as the first checkpoint!"
Saint Topman Warcury, kneeling in the very center with a birthmark on his forehead, seemed to have opened the door to a New World, and many new ideas emerged in his mind.
"This is a good method, but..." Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, holding the Shodai Kitetsu, hesitated.
Im's gaze turned to him, "But what? Tell me."
"However, this places considerable demands on the Combat Power and troop strength of the Marines responsible for guarding the Reverse Mountain Branch. They will face countless Ships from the four Sea areas. If they have to check each one, they will need a Branch Base with enough space to accommodate so many Ships for docking and people queuing."
"At the same time, the government personnel responsible for checking and the Marine soldiers stationed at the Branch cannot be few. They need places to live. However, there doesn't seem to be a suitable Island near the base of Reverse Mountain."
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro laid out his thoughts one by one. Im also nodded secretly, acknowledging that these were indeed issues that could not be ignored.
The other four Five Elders pondered hard. What could they do if there was no Island? They couldn't create an Island out of thin air.
They also considered whether the first Island on the seven Routes in the first half of the Grand Line could serve as a Navy Branch, but it was a bit far from the Entrance of Reverse Mountain.
Although they could dispatch Warships to wait at the Entrance in advance and then urge Ships to go to that Island for inspection, this would not only be very troublesome, but also have a high possibility of accidents.
They didn't believe that those guys who went out to Sea to become Pirates would honestly accept the arrangement. Eight out of ten would try to force their way through, but how many could a few Warships stop?
Just then, a flash of inspiration struck Im. This idea made him feel somewhat excited, but he still had to maintain his outward coldness.
"Do you still remember the Rocks Pirates?"
(End of Chapter)