The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

"It's not just Fallen Angel El himself… The one he's nurtured with great care, Charlotte Linlin—a natural-born monster like him—has also fully matured!"

"I've heard that just a few months ago, Kong clashed with Charlotte Linlin, known as the 'Blood Calamity' among the Fallen Angel Pirates, and could no longer suppress her. She's practically a second Fallen Angel El…"

"Indeed, although she possesses an immortal body, she's still not as monstrously terrifying as El."

"Then there's Fire Calamity Afar, another Lunarian survivor who appeared out of nowhere. Three months ago, he fought another Admiral to a stalemate after battling for an entire day and night."

"And let's not forget 'Shinigami' Gerd, hailed as a 'Calamity.' She wields an extraordinarily strange, soul-based ability, crafting elemental Homies from her own soul. It's said that if she deploys all four of her most powerful Homies at once, even a Navy Admiral would be forced to retreat!"

"Then there's 'Thunder Calamity' Cyril Oka, a Buccaneer slave who escaped from Mariejois and survived imprisonment in Impel Down, as well as 'Wind Calamity' Irma Irene."

"We've all witnessed their strength firsthand. They are no weaker than Navy Admirals."

In the halls of power, the Five Elders sat with darkened expressions, their hearts filled with wariness at the Fallen Angel Pirates' growing might. Their mood mingled frustration and anger.

For centuries, as the supreme rulers of the World Government, they had only needed to tread carefully around Imu-sama. Never before had they felt such intense apprehension.

"It's undeniable," one Elder muttered. "The Five Calamities of the Fallen Angel Pirates each possess strength equivalent to the Navy's top forces."

Saint Nasujuro, his face grim, adjusted his glasses and continued coldly, "What's worse, the so-called Eight Vajras and other officers in their ranks also possess formidable power. They're far from ordinary combatants."

The realization was terrifying: the Fallen Angel Pirates' Five Calamities alone equaled five Navy Admirals, the pinnacle of naval might. And then there was Fallen Angel El, a monstrous anomaly who defied all precedent.

Under his command were not only vast armies of elite soldiers, but also countless mid-level combatants whose strength rivaled that of Navy Vice Admirals. In some respects, their forces even surpassed those of Marine Headquarters.

It was undeniable—centuries of naval supremacy were under serious threat.

"If not for their fear of the World Government's overarching power, Fallen Angel El might have already launched an assault on Marineford and toppled it," someone said gravely.

"CP has begun targeting the Hell Trading Company, but those scoundrels were prepared long before we acted," said Saint Ju Peter, his expression severe. "They've gone underground, withdrawing from public operations. Though we've uncovered and dismantled several of their bases, the rest have burrowed even deeper into hiding. Worse still, they've begun retaliating. Even some CP bases have been silently wiped out."

"We must admit," Saint Mars said, rubbing his temples, "the Fallen Angel Pirates have grown into an enormous threat."

"If we want to eliminate that monster," he continued, "we must commit fully—just as the World Government did with Joy Boy centuries ago. We must strip them of allies and isolate them."

"But if we take that route, the energy reserves of Uranus will be completely depleted," he added gravely, "and the world could plunge back into the chaos of the Void Century."

At these words, the Five Elders exchanged uneasy glances, their faces growing even darker. They realized that unless Imu-sama personally intervened, or they risked everything in a global war, they could not decisively deal with the Fallen Angel Pirates in the short term.

At best, they could attempt to weaken them by targeting the Hell Trading Company and dismantling their intelligence networks. But the pirates had already retreated into the shadows, limiting the effectiveness of such measures. While these efforts might inconvenience the Fallen Angel Pirates, they would not deliver a fatal blow.

Could they truly resolve to deploy ancient weapons repeatedly against the Fallen Angel Pirates, even if it meant dragging the world back into the darkness of the Void Century? Without the deterrence of ancient weapons, how would they face the ambitious figures roaming the seas? What would become of the world if such forces ran rampant? And would the nations, subdued for centuries, still follow the World Government's commands afterward?

"This is humiliating! Utterly humiliating!" Saint Valkyrie snarled, clenching his fists. "In over 700 years, when has the World Government ever been this passive?"

"There's nothing we can do now; we underestimated the threat," Saint Mars said, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Who could have imagined a natural-born monster like this would appear on the seas?"

"No, it's not just one monster," Saint Ju Peter interjected, folding his arms grimly. "Without Charlotte Linlin—that woman—El wouldn't have risen so quickly. At best, he'd have been another Rocks. In fact, he might already have been dealt with by Kong and the others."

Before Charlotte Linlin had fully matured, her iron-like body, immense strength, and Mythical Zoan Vampire form granted her immortality and the ability to stand against Admiral-level opponents. Her strength gave El the security he needed to execute his bold plans. Without her, the catastrophic events, like the hostage exchange involving Saint Howard, might never have inflicted such severe damage on the World Government.

But there was no use lamenting the past.

"How about we consider allying with the Rocks Pirates?" Saint Mars suggested.

"No, that's too dangerous!" Saint Saturn and Saint Nasujuro immediately rejected the idea.

The Rocks Pirates had been growing steadily stronger, collecting figures like Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, and Captain John at Pirate Island. While teaming up with them to attack the Fallen Angel Pirates might seem feasible, Rocks himself was as ambitious as El. How could they trust that the Rocks Pirates wouldn't turn on them, perhaps even joining forces with the Fallen Angel Pirates to strike back at the World Government? This would be a gamble with the future of their entire regime.

Moreover, the Rocks Pirates weren't fools. They knew if the World Government defeated the Fallen Angel Pirates, the Rocks Pirates would be the next target. Why would they align with a force that threatened their own survival?

"Of course, I don't mean betting everything on a single all-out alliance," Saint Mars clarified. "What I suggest is limited cooperation with the Rocks Pirates—drawing them closer to our side while gradually suppressing the Fallen Angel Pirates."

"That might be possible," Saint Saturn said, his brow easing slightly. Gambling everything in one move was too risky. But pirates, with their conflicting ambitions, could be manipulated. As long as they didn't rush to destroy the Fallen Angel Pirates all at once, they could chip away at their influence over time.

"Indeed," Saint Nasujuro said, coldly fingering the First Generation Kitetsu at his side. "The Fallen Angel Pirates have risen too quickly. Their ascendancy must be curtailed at all costs, their power systematically diminished. Rocks and his crew have made their motives clear by forming their alliance—they fear the Fallen Angel Pirates as much as we do."

"It's settled, then," Saint Mars said with a nod. Seeing no further objections, he turned to Saint Valkyrie.

"To handle the growing pirate threats and the increasingly unstable seas, the World Government can't remain so conservative," he said. "I think it's time to implement the plan you suggested, Saint Valkyrie—the one about recruiting powerful pirates to serve the World Government, dividing the pirate forces."

"Over the past five years, our think tanks have refined that plan, drafting terms that will attract strong pirates without eroding the World Government's authority," Saint Mars continued.

Saint Valkyrie raised an eyebrow but eventually nodded. "For this to work, the recruits can't be too numerous, but each must carry significant weight. They must be strong enough to deter others, yet not so strong as to threaten our control."

"I propose selecting seven powerful pirates—each with enough strength and infamy to command respect—and recognizing them as the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea.'"

"Seven Warlords of the Sea?" the others repeated thoughtfully.

"Let's give it a try."

"I have no objections."

"Agreed."