These five old men included one with a map-like scar on his head and a huge mustache.
There was an old man with curly hair that looked like corncobs and a big beard.
There were also old men with long hair and straight beards like swords, and old men with blond hair and red skin, but whose hairstyles and beards looked quite normal.
And then there was that old man with the knife, whose head was so shiny that the sunlight streaming in from the window reflected off it.
They were all old men, but we couldn't let Kuro underestimate us.
Who is the most powerful person in this world?
General?
king?
Are they the Four Emperors who have gained regional dominance?
Or is he the Pirate King who has gained freedom?
It's hard to say for sure, but it's undeniable that the Five Elders of the World Government are among the most elite members of these power structures. They are the highest leaders of the World Government and the elite members who can determine the direction of the world.
Rather than saying that the World Government's subordinate agencies are the Navy, CP, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea, it would be more accurate to say that the Five Elders are their subordinate agencies.
Even though the Seven Warlords of the Sea are now under Clow Reed's command, they are still nominally the Seven Warlords of the Sea and still belong to the Five Elders.
And these old men who hold all the power are the Five Elders!
Kuro stared at the five old men for a while before nodding and saying, "I am Kuro."
The curly-haired old man nodded: "I've always wanted to meet you, Lucilfer Kuro. I didn't expect you to come to us first."
The red-skinned old man said, "But we are very busy, and your time is limited."
The long-bearded old man said, "Yes, it is precisely because it is you that we have made time to gather together to listen to you speak, hoping that you will have some good words to say."
The old man with the map nodded, while the old man with the knife hugged the knife in his arms tighter.
Kuro instinctively crossed his arms, chewing on his cigar, and said:
"Um, I disagree..."
Before he could finish speaking, the five old men glared at Kuro instinctively.
But then it was discovered that this was Kuro, not Sakazuki.
Kuro also found it a bit strange. He'd only finished half of his sentence, so why were these five old men staring at him? And he had a feeling that he was missing a navy hat or something while he was speaking...
But he quickly realized what was happening and continued, "I don't agree with Admiral Kizaru retiring like this. He's so young. If he retires now, wouldn't that be letting go of an important fighting force? I don't care. I'm not in a hurry to be promoted to admiral. I can wait a long time, really, I can wait a long time!"
He'd wait a lifetime; he really didn't care. If it weren't for the faction's successor position looming over him, he wouldn't even want to compete for the position of general.
The only chance to salvage the situation now is if the Five Elders disagree.
The old man's relationships aren't like Garp's; there are many kinds of retirements, some involve taking the blame and retiring, like Sengoku.
Someone has to take the blame for the losses in the Marineford War. He already had the intention to retire, wanting to defeat his nemesis Whitebeard in one battle and then retire. Once he accomplished that, his mission was complete, and he could conveniently take the blame as well.
Sengoku knew that no one else could take the blame; he was the highest-ranking officer in the navy at the time, and no one was better suited to take the fall than him.
This is a case of taking the blame and retiring.
There were also those who had a falling out and retired.
Garp is like that. Although he made great contributions, such as the battle at God Valley against Rocks and the battle where he "captured" the Pirate King Roger, it doesn't mean that they can't fall out.
The son is a member of the Revolutionary Army, dedicated to overthrowing the World Government, although they claim they only want to target the Celestial Dragons...
But what's the difference between the two?!
The current World Government and the Celestial Dragons are inseparable.
Grandsons... Garp's two grandsons, one was Roger's son, who was even tried to be Whitebeard's successor, but died in the Marineford War. Kuro deserves half the credit for this, as it allowed the execution to proceed successfully.
The other is his grandson, who wants to be Roger...
That's the biggest thing he's done; all the major troubles to date have been caused by him.
After the summit, Garp also took his leave, purely because he had gone too far. That Straw Hat kid was charging recklessly across the battlefield, and many Marines gave Garp face, even the old man did, and Garp didn't kill him.
Otherwise, in that state, he might be able to handle a few lieutenant generals, but he definitely couldn't handle a dozen or so lieutenant generals, and he also couldn't stop those elite lieutenant generals.
This whole affair was handled far too leniently; the only one who didn't loosen the rules was Sakazuki, and coincidentally, Sakazuki was promoted to Field Marshal...
With both sides combined, Garp had no choice but to back down. Besides, after Ace died and Luffy remained incorrigible, Garp had lost his motivation and seemed exhausted and numb, so he simply gave up.
Ace's affair had already caused him to fall out with the World Government. He was just nonchalant and didn't care, while the World Government was still concerned about saving face and his past achievements.
That achievement was so great that the World Government could treat Straw Hat Luffy as an ordinary pirate.
After all, there are so many pirates in the world, and they've never heard of anyone daring to cause trouble on Enies Lobby in the first half of the series. The Straw Hat Pirates are the first.
If this were any other ordinary pirate, they wouldn't even have the good fortune of being caught; they'd be buried with grass growing several meters high by now.
But Sengoku and Garp had other reasons, but the old man didn't!
The old man always follows orders when it comes to important matters. Although it's unclear to what extent, he executes all orders from the World Government, unlike Sakazuki who directly confronts those he dislikes and resolutely refuses to do anything.
The old man may not have contributed much, but that's not a reason for the World Government to think he's wrong, or even a reason. If the old man were to retire, it would be a perfectly normal retirement, due to age or other factors.
For example, before the Warring States period, Sora was promoted from Fleet Admiral to Fleet Admiral of the Armed Forces. Although Kuro thought the position was useless, it was still a promotion.
The old man will either be promoted or wait for the right time to retire.
It's too early now, that doesn't make sense!
The five old men exchanged glances, and the long-bearded elder said to Kuro, "Do you think Borsalino shouldn't back down now?"
“Yes, we shouldn’t back down,” Kuro nodded.
The old man with the map said, "You should know one thing, Lucilfer Kuro: if Borsalino retires, you will be the new general."
really...
Kuro tightened his grip on the cigar.
These five old men really think that way!
"Yes, General..."
The red-skinned old man said in a deep voice, "I remember you're not even thirty years old yet. We've never seen a general under thirty. Even Kuzan didn't become a general at such a young age."
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