The Holy Land, Mary Geoise. The Hall of Power in Pangaea Castle.
Five elders at the pinnacle of power sat around a long table. The air in the hall was stifling.
The battle report on the total destruction of the Buster Call fleet at Water 7 lay in the most prominent spot on the table.
Ten top-tier warships and five Vice Admirals had been lost.
Against any other force, losses like that would have been enough to spark all-out war.
But this time, Marine Headquarters had pulled back across the board. It did not even dare send a single scout ship near Wano Country.
"The Buster Call has become a joke."
The elder holding a long sword spoke first, tapping a finger against its cold sheath.
"Conventional forces can't hurt Eclipse. They've become supply wagons delivering manpower to them."
"Kahn's strength is unfathomable, and Eclipse's technology is advancing fast."
The blond member of the Five Elders held an intelligence summary, his expression dark.
"Thirty-meter heavy mechs, high-frequency particle beams that vaporize warships, and drugs that enhance the body."
"All of it came from that otherworldly scientist, Tony Stark."
"We can't rely on Sengoku, and Garp is doing the bare minimum."
The long-bearded elder slowly raised his head, his gaze icy.
"If we can't beat Kahn head-on, we'll clip his wings."
"Kahn himself has no obvious weakness. But Stark has limited combat ability, while his technological value is immense."
"Without that scientist, Wano Country's military industry will grind to a halt."
The curly-haired elder made the final decision.
"Launch a top-priority special operation."
"Codename: Shadow Strike."
"Send CP0's three best agents. Their target is Tony Stark. They're also to steal the Superhuman Enhancer formula and core research data."
"Failure is not an option."
"Besides, assassination alone isn't a sure thing."
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