The next day.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Inside the Room of Authority, the Five Elders received the latest intelligence.
[Shichibukai White Tiger Enel has departed for Ink Tide Island with the White Tiger Adventure Group.]
[Shichibukai Gecko Moria has joined up with the White Tiger Adventure Group.]
[Shichibukai Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma has appeared on Ink Tide Island and begun evacuating civilians.]
The air around the long table fell silent at once, and none of them looked pleased.
Nusjuro Saint's gaze darkened.
"They've already moved?"
Warcury Saint's expression was grim.
"We restricted Marine Headquarters' fighting strength, yet forgot that Rock still has the Shichibukai."
Peter Saint said coldly, "Especially Enel and Kuma."
"Those two only just joined, but they moved far too quickly."
"By the time we received the intelligence, they were already there."
Mars Saint flipped through the report, his brow deeply furrowed. "It's already too late to forcibly stop them, and we can hardly find a suitable reason."
Saint Saturn sat in the shadows, lightly tapping his fingers against the table.
"It's not that we can't find one. It's that we must not."
Everyone turned to look at him. Saint Saturn said evenly, "The Seven Warlords New Regulations have just been passed. They are now carrying out Rock's legitimate orders."
"The evidence of Ink Tide Island's crimes has also been laid bare."
His voice turned slightly cold.
"If we forcibly stop them now, we would be openly telling Rock—the World Government is preventing him from purging pirates."
Silence fell over the room again. That was the most troublesome part.
They wanted to restrict Rock, but they could not put themselves in the position of "protecting pirates."
Nor could they speak up for a Whitebeard-affiliated captain with irrefutable crimes at a time like this.
Otherwise, given Rock's temperament, he would