Far away from the chaos of the Hellix facility, the air was unnaturally still within the sacred chamber of Pangaea Castle, nestled atop the celestial throne of Mariejois. Five ancient figures sat in a half-circle beneath the World Government seal, cloaked in dim candlelight.
The Five Elders—so old that time itself bowed before them—were watching a projection transmitted through Den Den Mushi surveillance. The feed flickered with distorted visuals: Kael's Core-possessed form warping reality, the Straw Hats engaged in desperate battle, and the CP0 agent issuing urgent status updates.
The elder with the longest beard steepled his fingers. "The Core has awakened."
The bald elder with the jagged scar frowned deeply. "It should've never existed. We gave the shutdown order twelve years ago. Riven defied us."
"Because he believed in evolution," muttered the thin-lipped elder. "His obsession with perfecting control bred this heresy. And now that experiment walks with the power of gods."
"It walks," said the one-eyed elder gravely, "with power drawn from a time this world was not meant to remember."
He waved a hand, and the projection froze on a moment—Kael's body erupting with quantum tendrils, distorting the ground into shimmering panels of metal and light.
"Voidstone," the elder swordsman said, arms crossed. "The core's material is composed of it—an impossible element. One we've only ever seen in the ruins under Birjot Cradle."
"A relic of the Void Century," the one-eyed elder added.
Silence fell.
"Are you suggesting," the bald elder growled, "that Riven somehow unearthed forbidden material from the same era as the Poneglyphs and embedded it into a man?"
"That is no longer a suggestion," said the long-bearded one. "It is a certainty."
The thin-lipped elder's voice grew sharp. "And now that man has bonded with the Core. He is no longer Kael. He is an adaptive entity. A sentient machine rooted in ancient knowledge beyond comprehension."
"And the Straw Hats are there," the swordsman said with distaste. "Naturally."
"Luffy and his crew are drawn to the forbidden like moths to flame," said the bald elder. "They've meddled with the Will of D., fought two Warlords, escaped Enies Lobby, and defeated a Shichibukai... And now, they're standing against a failed god."
The projection changed again—data reports scrolling from CP0: [Subject Kael has adapted to first-tier disruption. Expansion of environmental reality fields is accelerating.]
Another line followed: [Observation: Voidstone resonance increasing. Predicted full island-scale reformation within 48 hours.]
The one-eyed elder inhaled slowly. "The core isn't just waking up. It's evolving. At this rate, it could override the very fabric of the Grand Line."
"What happens when it breaches into populated territory?" asked the thin-lipped elder. "When it decides reality no longer needs the sun? Or the seas?"
The long-bearded one stood slowly. "This weapon was never meant to be seen. Not by the world. Not by pirates. And certainly not by that child of the dragon."
"You propose total erasure?" asked the swordsman.
The elder's answer was firm. "We burn the island."
"A Buster Call?" The bald one arched an eyebrow. "That facility is no longer listed on any maps. The Marines won't even know where to aim."
The one-eyed elder turned to the swordsman. "Then we send a special squad. Recalibrate the Eternal Poses. Notify Admiral Kizaru. He's the fastest."
"We deploy ships from G-2 and G-5 simultaneously," the thin-lipped elder added. "And we activate Cipher Pol 0 in full force."
The bald one grunted. "We'll lose a lot of resources..."
"But we'll contain the infection," said the one-eyed elder. "Before the world sees the truth."
He walked slowly toward the towering Den Den Mushi in the back corner of the chamber, lifting the receiver with care. For a moment, he stood in silence, eyes heavy with dread.
Then he spoke.
"This is the Five Elders. Initiate a Level Zero Containment Order. Location: Omega-class ruins, 84.6° East of Sea Route 7. Code designation: Buster Call."
The Den Den Mushi echoed the command.
"Understood. Beginning preparations. Dispatching ships within the hour."
The elder returned to his seat. The candles flickered. One by one, the elders turned their backs to the screen as the feed shifted to static.
None of them looked surprised.
The long-bearded elder muttered, "If the Straw Hats are lost, then fate has simply corrected itself."
The one-eyed elder whispered, almost to himself, "And if they survive... we'll know who the real enemies of the world are."
Far below them, the sea began to shift. Naval ships stirred from hidden harbors. Orders were issued in code, and death was set in motion.