A meeting between the five Gorosei and Fleet Admiral Sengoku had been arranged in their meeting place of Marijoise. Many serious issues had been addressed. The fall of the balance of the Yonkou, the ever weakening ties to the Shichibukai, defections from the Marines, even the secession of nations from the allied World Government. All related to one massive central problem.

"Fleet Admiral, this is unacceptable. Reports indicate that Mugiwara no Luffy and his crew now have uncovered the secrets of at least three of the so called Road Poneglyphs. We cannot afford for them to find the last. His pledged fleet grows stronger by the week and it seems only a matter of time before the last one is found. We were fortunate that the Roger Pirates did nothing with the information to be revealed about that time, but with the Demon Child Nico Robin in their company, and being the son of the Revolutionary Dragon, we have no reason to believe we will be so fortunate a second time."

"Understood, we will implement extreme measures to apprehend the Mugiwara crew before they can cause more national destabilization. They have disrupted the ruling parties of no less than three attending nations of Reverie, and many more show inclinations of supporting him on a personal level. Justice cannot allow him and his fleet to continue running wild." The Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki, stood resolute having already determined his course of action to solve the

"What is your plan to deal with this matter, Sakazuki?"

"We will require access to the Buster Call."

"And what is the target?"

"His supporters. Everyone Mugiwara has come into contact with and shown support for him and his crew. We have traced his line from East Blue, through his path in Grand Line. We know every island he has been spotted on. We will strike each, one by one until he surrenders."

"And your starting location?"

"Alubarna. They were the first large nation to walk away at Reverie due to Mugiwara's intervention with Crocodile's attempted coup with his criminal organization. We have intelligence that Princess Nefertari Vivi considers herself a member of the crew, and with King Nefertari Cobra in failing health, it could be problematic if she assumes control of such an influential nation with support for this pirate threat."

"Are we sure we're ready to resort to these tactics? The details of that century cannot come to light or the world will be shaken to its foundations and all political ties could be torn asunder, but are we willing to begin mass destruction of former and current allied nations? There is certainly no justification we can give which will not raise suspicion of our motives and encourage further nations to leave the World Government's allegiance."

"I see no other choice, sir. Limited as my information on the void is, if it will be as impactful as you say, that information cannot be in the hands of any pirate. Our attempts to resurrect and gain control over the ancient weapons have failed due to the Mugiwara crew. They have reduced confidence in the Marines to protect the nations of the World Government. Spin whatever tale you need to convince your people that the attacks are justified. My orders from you as they stand are to ensure Mugiwara does not reach that final island and reveal its secrets. With his Grand Fleet protecting his progress, we are unable to perform any direct assault and will likely suffer unaffordable casualties to do so. I believe this method is the only one which will draw him and his crew out into our hands. Much like Shirohige, he will be unwilling to allow an attack on his allies to go unanswered."

"Why not start smaller? His home village, one of his Crew's, Fishman Island? Escalate if necessary, but to start out with such a large nation seems an unnecessary risk"

"With all respect, it must be Alubarna. We must be clear to all that treason against the World Government and consorting with pirates will not be tolerated. We must not allow whole nations to fall to lawlessness support of such criminals or the World and the Marines will maintain no security or control. It will make the most impact to leaders of other nations that revolution will not be treated with passiveness."

"We will confer on this plan and give you our answer shortly, Fleet Admiral."

The five old men entered a private room in their operating building while Sakazuki waited impatiently for them to return.

After several minutes, the Gorosei returned.

"We have decided to grant you your request for access to the Buster Call to be used against the nation of Alubarna under a few conditions we deem reasonable. Firstly, a contact must be made to Mugiwara to express what will happen, and you must receive irrefutable confirmation that he has denied your offer to come peacefully to spare the victims. Secondly, Alubarna will not be the first target. The first target will instead be a complete arrest of the entirety of the homelands of the Mugiwara crew. This entails from the east blue: Foosha Village, Shimotsuki Village, Cocoyashi Village, Syrup Village, and the floating restaurant Baratie. From Grand Line: the entire city of Water 7. We begin with a nonviolent aggression for consorting with Pirates. Only after this failure to protect their loved ones can we justify an open Buster Call on any nation, but we will grant you the permission to eliminate the desert nation under those exact circumstances."

"Very well. These terms are agreeable. I will find a method to inform the crew of our intentions and receive his answer. With your blessings, I will be on my way to begin preparations."

The fleet admiral bowed with customary action but a keen eye would notice his lack of respect for these men, but he was stopped before making his exit.

"We still have a few more questions. In his short time on the sea, Mugiwara has also made very troublesome connections to current and former Shichibukai. We need to make a determination of what to do with the entire set of positions. Every single member of the Shichibukai in recent years, save for Weevil, has had personal interactions with their crew. Whether as allies or enemies, they have all become contaminated. They are no longer the reliable threat to piracy they were intended to be. What do you recommend? It may be easier to imprison all active Shichibukai quietly if this first contact fails before news reaches the world of our intentions."

"Unfortunately the methods to capture a Shichibukai are not as simple as performing a Buster Call. Only Kuja could be reached by ships. The remaining Shichibukai, current and past, have either been eliminated or are out on the seas at their own discretion, making them far harder to trace. Nigh impossible for some should they catch wind that they are being hunted. We could be setting up a war to rival Shirohige if we enrage the Shichibukai, the rebelling nations, and the Mugiwara Grand Fleet. And with the Shichibukai likely to oppose us in that war, we may lack the ability to succeed as we have before. At this time, it may be best to allow operation of their numbers as normal and ensure the allegiances of those who remain under their agreement. Should it come to open warfare, we will need their strength as tools rather than opposition."

"Very well. We will have more to discuss as the situation develops. Until then, you have your plans and your orders."

The men in the room all went their separate ways.

"Do you think he will respond to our threats?"

"No. The only place we have to put them is Impel Down, and he has grown immeasurably more powerful since he orchestrated the mass escape several years ago. It would be an insult to his amassed might to expect the prison to be a viable threat."

"So we are left with destroying nations in hopes that will draw him out?"

"It seems it is our only option. Time has shown us that young man will respond to nothing other than threats to those he cares for. If we cannot target his crew directly, we will have to take such drastic measures."

"May mercy be on all of us for what we must allow to happen to the people of this world."