Kryptonite—Kryptonite was the only hope of defeating Garen.
Every ability had weaknesses and could be countered. This was an axiom of the Devil Fruit Ability system, etched into the minds of everyone in this world.
Even an ability as incomprehensible as Garen's should have something in the world capable of restraining it.
Thus, when the legend of Kryptonite first emerged, everyone in the World Government instinctively accepted it as true.
Those brave, fearless frontline researchers who had truly verified Kryptonite's effectiveness had mostly taken their results into their coffins. The only survivor, Kizaru, had promptly gone to serve under Garen.
As a result, the legend of Kryptonite had never been exposed.
The World Government still believed such a stone existed.
At this critical moment, with the nation collapsing and the regime on the verge of ruin, the Five Elders and the others clung to Kryptonite as their lifeline.
In this war, every high-ranking combatant of the World Government had been equipped with a piece of Kryptonite to bolster their courage, fantasizing about using it to take Garen, the bandit leader's, head in one stroke.
The reason the Five Elders had fought so desperately to reach Garen was also to find an opportunity to unleash their ultimate move against him.
And now, that heavy responsibility rested entirely on Solaris alone.
"There's only one chance. I can't miss it."
Solaris took a deep breath, and the hope burning in his heart reignited his fighting spirit.
Just as possessing Sea Stone did not guarantee victory over a powerful Devil Fruit user, having Kryptonite in hand did not guarantee that he could hit Garen.
If his strike missed and Garen discovered the existence of Kryptonite, Garen could simply abandon their risky duel and summon a group of experts to gang up on him.
If