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Daring to exploit the situation and blackmail the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)— mere death was insufficient to end such an act.
Rowen could challenge the Gorōsei because he held the advantage of timing, geography, and support, bolstered further by the First Grade Glory Medal he earned for slaying Big Mom and his multiple military merits.
For anyone else, even someone like Akainu, trying to defy the Gorōsei would be unthinkable.
Thus, the fates of Umit and Feld were sealed; the only question was how far the punishment would go.
"Drain them of their last drop of value"— such a vivid metaphor.
After watching Zero lead the captives away, Rowen unceremoniously settled into a sofa, lighting a cigar for himself.
Whoosh...
"So... why did you summon me today?"
That's right— even major criminals like Umit weren't enough to warrant Rowen personally traveling to the Holy Land.
The real reason for his presence was the Gorōsei's summons.
However, calling it a "summons" was an overstatement— it was more of a "discussion."
Given his casual demeanor and the lack of formalities, it was clear that Rowen no longer considered himself an outsider.
The Gorōsei observed this with only a slight reaction before disregarding it entirely. Position dictated behavior, and Rowen's status spoke for itself.
Rowen had been chosen by Imu to become the next Gorōsei. Thus, the differences in their positions were merely superficial.
The long-mustached Gorōsei regarded Rowen calmly and said:
"Vegapunk's experiments have reached a critical stage. He's made some discoveries and wishes to consult you."
"Oh?"
Rowen leaned back on the sofa, curious, and turned toward the screen behind him.
"What could possibly require me to make a personal trip, Dr. Vegapunk?"
"Apologies for the disturbance."
From behind the large screen, Vegapunk emerged, removing his hat as he stepped forward. He approached the five individuals, kneeling on one knee.
Looking at Rowen lounging casually on the sofa with his legs crossed, surrounded by the Gorōsei seated calmly in their positions, Vegapunk's visible shock betrayed his thoughts.
He could hardly believe that the once-young Marine Rear Admiral who had consumed the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit)— an object of his envy— had risen in just a few short years to stand as an equal to these central figures of the government.
The magnitude of this transformation was clearest to someone as familiar with the government's inner workings as Vegapunk.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on such matters. Vegapunk bowed his head and quickly answered:
"Soryu San… we have studied the Pure Gold you brought back and discovered an issue."
"Oh? Wait a moment— you're not suggesting that I tampered with the Pure Gold, are you?"
Rowen's tone remained calm, but an invisible pressure spread through the room, causing the Gorōsei to frown silently.
Regardless of other factors, Rowen's sheer strength had reached an unimaginable level.
"Calm down, Rowen. That's not what we mean!"
The long-mustached Gorōsei intervened to defuse the tension.
"You submitted a full recording of the treasure hunt, including every step of the process. Anyone accusing you of tampering with the Pure Gold would be directly challenging the World Government!"
Since even Imu had recognized Rowen's status, it was unthinkable for the Gorōsei to question him. Their position required them to demonstrate unwavering support, a stance dictated by their very roles.
"I see. Then, please continue."
Rowen remained unmoved, puffing on his cigar.
Relieved, Vegapunk composed himself and said gravely:
"After extensive research, we discovered that the Pure Gold… is fake."
Though they had already heard this conclusion, the Gorōsei's faces twisted in fury.
How much had they sacrificed to secure the Pure Gold?
And now it turned out to be a fake?!
"Impossible!"
Rowen feigned surprise, his expression serious.
"I personally oversaw the entire operation. There was no chance for anyone to swap out the Pure Gold under my watch. If it's fake…"
Suddenly, Rowen pretended to realize something.
"I think I understand why you contacted me."
The individuals before him were unaware that Rowen himself had swapped the Pure Gold. Without suspecting him, their conclusions would logically fall into one of two categories:
The Pure Gold was always fake and there could only be two reasons for this.
First, whether it was a purely mythical creation or an invention that Acier never truly perfected, it had been fake long before Rowen found it.
Second, someone else had found the Pure Gold first, taken the genuine article, and cruelly left a fake in its place.
This second possibility was bolstered by the footage recorded by the Qilin's Den Den Mushi. The ship had captured images of the Lantern Fish as they exited its stomach, enriching the report's credibility.
Before Rowen lured out the Lantern Fish, it had just recently lost one of its eyes in an explosion.
Using this clue, they could trace the involvement of another key figure.
"Orrick!"
"Exactly!"
Vegapunk nodded and explained:
"Through analysis, we discovered that this so-called Pure Gold contains a mixture of luminous mineral elements, which gives it the ability to glow in the dark."
"However, the timeframe for its creation does not exceed three months!"
Three months— that coincided exactly with when they received intelligence about Orrick's appearance on Colkla Island and began their mission.
"Furthermore, based on the research into the photographs of the enormous Lantern Fish taken by Dragon Lord Rowen, we concluded that the scar on the fish's eye appeared no more than three months ago."
"And the scent discovered by the Sniff-Sniff Fruit user on the shipwreck was also left behind three months ago."
This revealed one of the weaknesses of the Sniff-Sniff Fruit:
If the user wasn't already familiar with the target's scent, they wouldn't be able to recognize it even if they detected it.
It's similar to someone encountering the smell of surströmming (fermented herring) for the first time— without knowing it's food, what would they think it is?
The enormous Lantern Fish's existence had only been discovered by the government after Rowen reported it. As a result, this detail wasn't included in the original report.
Now, combining all the information, everything began to connect.
Orrick first encountered the giant Lantern Fish at sea and, for some reason, entered its stomach. There, he successfully found the Pure Gold. However, instead of simply taking it, he left behind a counterfeit piece of glowing metal to mock the government.
Afterward, he surfaced on Colkla Island, diverting their attention.
Then Rowen, relying on the legends, discovered the Pure Gold, setting off a chain of subsequent events.
"Only Orrick, that ambitious scoundrel, would dare to toy with us like this— a truly wicked traitor!"
The swordsman among the Gorōsei roared in anger, definitively labeling Orrick a villain.
Rowen's face remained impassive, though internally, he found the situation amusing.
"It's true— this does help clarify Orrick's movements. But the issue is… the Pure Gold is real!"
He twitched the corners of his mouth, barely suppressing a laugh.
For some inexplicable reason, he felt an overwhelming urge to laugh!
*o(≧▽≦)ツ┏━┓
And to pound the table in hysterical laughter!
"Hahaha!"
---
Meanwhile, 10,000 meters below the surface, at Fish-Man Island:
"Achoo!"
Orrick suddenly sneezed, drawing a shocked expression from Sugar beside him.
"No way! Orrick can catch a cold too?!"
"Only fools and idiots never get sick, kid."
Noticing Sugar's invasive stare, Orrick bent his index finger and flicked her forehead, making her crouch down and hold her head in defense.
"Ow! That hurts! Boohoo!"
Ignoring her, Orrick turned his back to the enormous frozen mermaid girl and declared: "The Ancient Weapon, Poseidon, is mine to take."
Glancing at the blood-soaked waters of Fish-Man Island, Orrick's thin lips curled slightly beneath his mask.
"That little guy has already gone that far ahead— I can't afford to lag behind too much!"
(End of chapter)