Epilogue: Cronus
May 14, 801 WG
The Gorosei chosen to speak on behalf of all five men put down the receiver, ending the call to Raiju and Fujitora. The lack of interruption from the Fleet Admiral probably meant he was on his way to speak with them face to face. None of the five men were looking forward to another confrontation with him but it couldn't be helped. The personal opinions of their lackeys were not their concern.
"I am shocked you even heeded my advice this time, considering that for the last twenty years you have ignored it," sang a smooth soprano. The voice was like bells chiming in the wind but notes of dissonance rang throughout. Her words were filled with venom and contempt.
The men regarded the woman with a wary eye. Unlike Akainu, her opinions were of international concern.
The woman who had spoken was diminutive in stature, perfectly petite in every way. Her long hair silver hair was partially restrained in a ponytail, the top half at least, the lower half flowed like water over her shoulders and down her back to her waist. Her dress, silver with tiny gemstones of complimentary coloring but too small to distinguish at the distance, flowed to the floor from her hips while everything above hugged her torso, arms and tiny neck. It revealed nothing while showing off every graceful curve she possessed. Only the pale skin of her hand and face showed. Cold elegance that conveyed power and confidence.
She held an unfurled fan, also silver, up to hide her lower face even as her crimson eyes regarded them with chill curiosity. A startling color that flashed like rubies in stark contrast to her wintery colors.
The Lady of the Rose, the Oracle of the Shrine of the Silver Moon, the Lady Marlene.
She had urged not five minutes earlier to heed Raiju's warning and drop the matter regarding Alabasta. Between the former Marine strategist and her own authority as Oracle, the Gorosei had relented. Not that they needed to speculate on the seriousness of the matter. Raiju had not spoken of things they weren't already aware of. The Oracle had merely cemented their decision.
Still her choice to remind them of their two decades of disregard was also a reminder of her family's hostilities toward them.
They could hardly blame her. The Oracle's task was to guide the World Government down the path of greatest prosperity. Twenty years ago, the Gorosei, alarmed by Roger's declaration and the resulting rise of pirate activity in the world, had made a decision that went against the previous Oracle's guidance. Forcing her to aid them in a scheme she condemned.
The woman had committed suicide soon after, during Reverie. It had taken almost the entirety of the week to calm the monarchs down after her body tumbled into the plaza among them without revealing anything of significance. Given the atmosphere of the time, that had been no small feat.
The current Oracle was the daughter of the late one, rising to power at the tender age of fourteen. The Gorosei had thought she would be easier to control because of her youth. It was the exact opposite. While she made no obvious moves, evidence dictated that she was taking a more active role in the world's events. Her predecessors were more passive, simply waiting until their advice was sought, much of the time. They did not involve themselves with the day to day affairs of state.
The only exception was when they had plotted to destroy the Scholars of Ohara, her late mother, the Lady Ariel, had rushed over demanding that they leave Ohara alone. It was the first time in living memory that an Oracle had given unsolicited advice, it was also the first time in living memory the Gorosei had chosen to ignore that advice.
The men shuddered inwardly. Much of their problem today seemed to stem from that very decision. Now her daughter stood opposed to everything they did, giving cryptic advice when asked and commenting on other actions when not.
When they had been planning Paramount, they had sought her advice about how to proceed. Her response had been a giggle and a single question.
"What do you intend to gain by disposing of a stabilizing pillar in exchange for a catalyst for change?"
It had made no sense back then and she made no clarifying comment, merely walked off while hiding her face behind her silver fan. However, her red eyes had danced with malicious glee as if she knew something important. Which she most likely did but after what happened to Lady Ariel and the fall out animosity between the Gorosei and the Keepers of the Shrine of the Silver Moon, they didn't dare pursue it.
Even now they weren't certain who the catalyst for change was supposed to be. White Beard had obviously been the stabilizing pillar, but the catalyst? Black Beard was a candidate due to his taking White Beard's place and devil fruit. That had been an embarrassing screw up on their part to allow that man access to so much power. Raiju had been right about that.
It could also have been Mugiwara. The boy was the sole survivor of Project Imperial Rose not to mention who his parents were. Raiju's words echoed within their mind:
"Take that up with the gods. They've already shown their hand to me. They have their own agenda and Mugiwara is a large part of it. They will not let him die while he still has a job to do."
"You can argue again that death to Mugiwara is the only solution and you can dismiss my claim to him being favored by the gods. However, I'm going to tell you something now that will prove that dismissal foolish and your solution unattainable."
"I was on the deck of Pluton but Mugiwara was the one that ran into the bowels of the ship and lit the magazine on fire with a torch. If he comes back alive from that…"
They didn't buy that. To them it was just further proof that Project Imperial Rose failed in the worst way. Mugiwara was finally becoming what they designed him to be but not at their weapon. Dragon not maintaining control of the boy was also bad. At least they could trust Dragon to be careful with such a creature and restrain his actions. But Mugiwara was a loose cannon, as close to a literal interpretation of the phrase as a non-cannon could be. Weapons should never operate under their own will. Terrible things happened when they went off without intelligence to guide their actions.
Roger's boy had been taken care of so he was out at least, though they had thought back then he might be the one Lady Marlene was referring to when she first posed the question. They now realized his death had been more of a catalyst than his life, if he was any kind of catalyst. It made them wonder if they shouldn't have executed him. Far too late for such unproductive contemplations.
Lady Marlene had also commented on their choice of Fleet Admiral following Sengoku's retirement.
"You would put the dog in charge of men? There are far cleaner methods to disbanding the Marines, if that's what you're striving for."
They still didn't know how to interpret that. Only thing they knew was that she despised Sakazuki. She never once referred to him by name, only ever addressing him as "hound" or "cur" as well as "the dog". They were lucky the two never had a reason to be in the same room. They couldn't imagine the Fleet Admiral surviving the encounter.
Which reminded them. They needed to conclude their talks with her before the Fleet Admiral arrived here demanding answers.
"You merely confirmed what we were already thinking. Do not think you alone were of influence," replied the Gorosei.
"I'd be insulted… if the man were anyone other than Vice-Admiral Raiju. Such a pity you chose to take such unnecessary actions then, you would not have lost so much if you had not been so stubborn. Power is fragile after all."
They were about to answer her when the door flung open with the much-dreaded arrival of the outraged Fleet Admiral.
"Why did you release that criminal and spare Alabasta?" demanded Sakazuki. "Why did you even indulge him? How much mud must you fling on the Marines' name by bargaining with criminals?"
Lady Marlene's eyes narrowed in annoyance over the top of her fan. "Must we suffer the baying of the hounds?"
"Just who is he that you would bend over backwards to accommodate him after he destroys your strongest weapon?" the Fleet Admiral continued, ignoring the Oracle's insult. He probably hadn't even realized it was about him.
Lady Marlene spoke again before the Gorosei could collect their thoughts, much to their mutual surprise. She rarely spoke more than two sentences at a time but today she was being unusually chatty.
"Pluton was no more a weapon than a pickaxe is and, besides, it wasn't the World Government's anyway. That relic belonged to the ancient kingdom, crafted for a purpose other than destroying life. Honestly, all you people think about is power and blowing things up. You're like little boys with blocks, smashing down whatever you build up because the destruction is more entertaining than the creating."
The Gorosei flinched at her words and, not surprising, Sakazuki finally turned to face the Oracle.
"Who are you to be making such judgements?" snarled the Fleet admiral as he reached for her. "Leave this place, whore. These matters of state don't concern a bed slave."
"Akainu!" the Gorosei shouted to stop the man as well as reprimand him. Was he really so blind to the Oracle's importance? While knowledge of the Oracle was on a need-to-know basis outside of Marie Geoise, and the Fleet Admiral had had little reason to know of her, surely he could tell she was not some slave of the Celestial Dragons?
Their cry came a heartbeat before three shieldmaidens appeared, swords drawn and tips pressed against the man's throat, who actually managed to freeze in time to keep form impaling himself. His hand still outstretched toward the Oracle who regarded him coolly over her silver fan.
The shieldmaidens were dressed identical in navy blue sleeveless leotards that covered them from their necks to their ankles, along with elbow length gloves. Sandals were ties to otherwise bare feet and silver sashes hung at their waists. Their hair was long and drawn into ponytails.
Shieldmaidens were the weapons of the shrine and deadlier than any member of Cypher Pol. They were also all related to the Oracle, her lesser cousins. They may not have been blessed with the same strength of gift she had but they still shared a fair amount of her power, as was their blood right. That gift was what made them so dangerous.
The Gorosei held their breath. She could kill Sakazuki right now for his insult to her. No one would complain. The Celestial Dragons would consider it only right and would expect it. All the Gorosei could think was how they were going to explain his disappearance to the rest of the Marines and the public when they had to announce a new Fleet Admiral. It would be such a stupid and embarrassing thing to admit that their chosen Fleet Admiral had insulted a Celestial Dragon and been killed for it.
Lady Marlene continued to stare at him, her crimson eyes becoming unfocused as she stared off into the distance, as if watching something they could not. Debating whether to kill him or not, the Gorosei realized. She was peering into the stream of time to see if it would be worth the hassle, weighing the outcomes and calculating the rewards.
"So, so tempting," she said with a wistful sigh. The shieldmaidens, responding to some unheard cue, pulled back allowing Sakazuki to step away. Sweat beading on his forehead, he must have realized the gravity of his error.
"And with Cronus stirring, probably even advisable, but why should I make things easy," she whispered, but in the pin drop silence, everyone heard her as if she had shouted.
The Gorosei blanched at the name. Cronus. They hadn't heard it uttered aloud since Roger had been rumored to have found Raftel. The fourth weapon and one whose power exceeded the three that came before.
They had wanted to combat the rising pirate threat, that was why they had ignored the previous Oracle. They had craved that unrivaled power that granted them victory eight hundred years ago to once again serve them. However, the power had not come to them in the end and it had cost them more than they had ever anticipated in merely trying to obtain it. Now all the evidence pointed to its manifestation in a being not under their direct control.
Would Cronus appear as promised by the fallen so long ago to burn the world? To destroy them? They wanted more than anything to demand answers from the Oracle, now that she had invoked the forbidden one. But would she give them? Or would she mock them with more cryptic statements? They were almost certain of the latter as they studied her.
Lady Marlene gently fanned herself as she turned to leave the room. "I'll take my leave. You seem to have much to discuss and I am weary of dwelling in the presence of short-sighted fools."
"Wait!" cried the Gorosei.
The Oracle paused and cast her gaze over her shoulder, her fan still hiding her mouth. Something amused her. Something about sparing the Fleet Admiral amused her and the Gorosei could only guess why. With her hate for the man, she could have, should have, taken advantage of his error to end him. She didn't spare him for altruistic reasons. She spared him because something she had seen amused her.
The shrine keepers were hostile to the Gorosei and had never associated with the rest of the Celestial Dragons. They even refused to wear the same style of clothing, which was why so few outside of Marie Geoise recognized them. If the Oracle had found amusement in sparing a despised being it was because it benefited her agenda, whatever it was.
The Gorosei found themselves wishing she had disposed of Sakazuki now that they saw her glittering crimson eyes. Something about the man's survival was going to hurt them, despite his being their chosen attack dog. Her words from two years ago echoed through their minds, however, they could not ask, even now, what she meant by that cryptic statement. She would not answer. She hadn't then and she wouldn't now.
Ordinarily this would be enough for them to take action and assign an assassin to remove Sakazuki. If she felt his living would further her devious cause, then killing him was the only natural response. Except she had twice before pulled a similar stunt with others and their deaths wound up being in line with her agenda. She just amused herself by tricking them into doing it for her. The very act of their taking action had shaken their power and cast doubt when they had thought they were affirming their superiority.
Perhaps she spared the Fleet Admiral because of actions he would take in the future that were harm the World Government. Perhaps she spared him because it would drive the Gorosei to assassinate their own loyal hound. Causing the very blowback they were hoping to avoid when they prayed she would not kill Sakazuki. Worse they wouldn't even have the justification she would have had in killing him. Killing their own chosen Fleet Admiral would be thrice as damning as her doing it.
They were paralyzed with indecision on how to respond to her subtle messages and that also amused her. Perhaps that was the source of her amusement. She saw their paralysis and it amused her.
Instead the Gorosei decided to focus on something they were more likely to get a response on.
"What is the threat from Mugiwara? What should we do about Dragon's son?"
The Oracle contemplated his words her eyes growing distant.
However, Sakazuki had found his voice again, now that he no longer perceived he was in any danger.
"Mugiwara, huh? Every day I hear of him, I curse that fool, Coby, for his interference in Paramount that prevented us from finishing him."
"Thank Shanks for his interference, cur," said Lady Marlene, snapping her fan in the Fleet Admiral's direction. "His intervention prevented your head from flying from your shoulders. Coby is the Vice-Admiral's protégé. If you had succeeded in killing him as well, Baron Goldenrei would have cut ties with the Marines then and there by disposing of you. The civil war that would have erupted from such a defection would have ended the Marines and crippled the World Government just when the seas had lost its strongest pillar of stability."
She turned away and glided from the room with her shieldmaidens in tow. One last statement floating back to taunt them.
"Besides, if you actually had had any chance of slaying Maryanne's son, I would have personally intervened."
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The official introduction of Lady Marlene, who is rather a big deal in the first arc.
They also touch on another ancient weapon, Cronus. However, what is Cronus?
The story continues in "Return to Water Seven" which will be posted in as part of "The Princess and the King Short Stories". Already posted, the Grandfleet and Marine perspective from this time period "A Fool's Faith" and "Coby's Confusion". They can also be found in "The Princess and the King Short Stories."