Pangaea Castle, the Room of Authority.
The atmosphere was so heavy it almost seemed to drip.
The Five Elders stood side by side, their gazes like icy blades as they fixed on the man before them, who wore a pair of frog-like glasses,
his long beard braided beneath his chin, and a seagull symbolizing the Marines perched atop his military cap.
Seagull cap on, Fleet Admiral Sengoku cared for no one!
"Sengoku!" Saint Mars spoke first, his voice oppressive. "You owe us an explanation!
Garp, Kuzan, Borsalino! Three of the Marines' greatest fighting forces, and they couldn't stop a single Gern?!
They even let him land in the Holy Land so easily and slaughter the Holy Knights! Is this the 'containment' you promised us?!"
Faced with the Five Elders' accusations, Sengoku remained unusually calm. There was even a hint of challenge in his level reply:
"An explanation? My lords, some matters simply cannot be allowed to become common knowledge across the seas."
His sharp gaze swept across the Five Elders. "Once those pirates eyeing their opportunities in the New World, especially the other three 'Emperors,' learn that Gern has completely broken with our World Government, perhaps even entered an all-out conflict with us... what do you think they'll do?
Carve up G-10's territory while they have the chance, or... join forces to drive every Marine presence to the fringes of the New World and turn it into a true pirate paradise?!"
"When that happens, the entire balance of the New World will collapse. The Marines will bear the brunt, and the World Government's affiliated nations will suffer devastating losses! Who will take responsibility for that?"
(Because of Gern's presence, the New World could no longer be called a 'pirate paradise.')
At that point, Sengoku gave the five men no chance