Chapter 172: Im's Response

The encirclement and suppression of the Revolutionary Army failed, leaving the World Government and the Marines humiliated but powerless. Luo Ning was simply too strong, so strong that there was nothing to debate. Retreating was their only option.

On the way back, Kong reluctantly contacted the Five Elders. But this time, the Elders were uncharacteristically agreeable with Kong's approach. After all, their presence wouldn't have changed the outcome. Against Luo Ning, they had no chance of winning. Retreating and preserving some of their forces was the only viable strategy. Taking a head-on approach would have resulted in total defeat.

The Five Elders didn't reprimand Akainu and Kong. They simply acknowledged the situation and ended the call.

"It's Luo Ning again. This time, the monster has entangled himself with the Revolutionary Army. What do we do now?"

One of the Five Elders said helplessly after hanging up the phone. The name Luo Ning always gave them a headache, and they were powerless against him. Now, they were utterly depressed.

"I don't know. We have no way of dealing with this guy. It was fine before, we just ignored those Celestial Dragons. They were going to die anyway. But now they're mixed up with the Revolutionary Army, and that changes everything!" Another Elder said with a sigh.

Before Luo Ning attacked the Celestial Dragons, the Five Elders couldn't be bothered to deal with them. They were all expendable, a bunch of useless burdens. Previously, these individuals served to uphold the Celestial Dragons' reputation. But now that myth was shattered, and these so-called nobles were no longer necessary. Those with potential were beckoned away by the Elders, while the rest were left to their fate in the Holy Land.

The Five Elders viewed these Celestial Dragons as playthings for Luo Ning's anger. They were simply unlucky to be caught in the crossfire, and the Elders had no intention of intervening. These Celestial Dragons had already been abandoned.

"We need to see Im-sama. This Luo Ning was a lone wolf before, but now he's associating with the Revolutionary Army. There's a chance he might join forces with them to overthrow us in the future. We can't afford to wait any longer!"

After the bald Five Elder finished speaking, the others all agreed and proceeded together to see Im. Seeing Im-sama is a rare occurrence, reserved only for matters of utmost importance. Im-sama himself generally avoids meddling in affairs.

One could say Im-sama is also a hands-off leader, but he controls the World Government through a select few who are completely loyal to him. This frees him from the burden of daily operations.

Upon meeting Im-sama, the Five Elders knelt on the ground, their status demanding such deference. In the presence of Im-sama, the Five Elders were no different from servants.

After listening to their report, Im-sama, in a rare display of seriousness, remained silent, instead entering a meditative state. The Five Elders, now covered in cold sweat, waited anxiously. Finally, after a long while, Im-sama spoke.

"This matter does not require your concern. I will handle it myself."

With that single sentence, the Five Elders acknowledged his decree. They neither knew nor desired to know what Im-sama planned to do. Their role was simply to follow his orders. Having received their answer, the Five Elders departed respectfully. Im, on the other hand, went about his own agenda.

"What do you think Im-sama will do this time?"

After returning to his residence, the Five Elder with the sword spoke first.

"How could we possibly know Lord Im's decision? But we can make some educated guesses. Unless there's a change of plans, it likely involves Uranus. After all, Uranus is the only weapon in the World Government's possession that can potentially deal with Luo Ning."

The bald Five Elder offered his guess. Their status granted them access to this level of information, second only to Im himself. Currently, Uranus was their best bet.

They weren't the only ones with this knowledge. The heads of each Celestial Dragon branch also possessed some fragments of this information. Of course, their knowledge paled in comparison to the Five Elders.

"Uranus, huh? It might be our only option against him. Speaking of which, what's the latest on Enies Lobby?"

The recent events at Enies Lobby had also alarmed the Five Elders. After all, it was a World Government facility.

"Didn't we send Spandam over there? Apparently, he did a terrible job. It seems all the CP9 members have rebelled and joined forces with Impel Down!"

One of the Five Elders looked grim. Based on the information from CP0, it seemed Spandam and Spandine were entirely to blame.

Normally, they wouldn't care who Spandam pinned the blame on. But here, these agents had defected and sought refuge with Luo Ning. This situation forced their hand, leaving them quite frustrated.

"They must answer for this! We've suffered heavy losses. Not only did Luo Ning reach Water Seven, but the CP9 agents tasked with the Pluton mission there also defected. It's no surprise Pluton is gone – it's likely already in Luo Ning's hands!"

"In any case, someone needs to take the blame for this mess."

The Five Elders finally decided to cut their losses with them. The incident with Luo Ning, coupled with the series of unfortunate events that followed, necessitated a scapegoat. To prevent further complications, they resolved to dispose them.

"We've been saying for a while that this man is a liability. While we need pawns to do our dirty work, keeping around someone like him only invites trouble. The likes of Spandam and Spandine have become a nuisance! They've grown too arrogant!"

The Five Elder with the sword spoke disdainfully. He advocated getting rid of the father-son duo. After all, there were plenty of expendable lackeys, but Spandine and his son were different. They were arrogant and prone to shifting blame.

Spandam had done his fair share of misdeeds and pinned them on others. Now, it had all backfired. The entire CP9 unit had betrayed him, forcing him to take the fall. Needless to say, the Five Elders were fuming.

"Then send CP0 to deal with him and find someone new to oversee Enies Lobby," another Five Elder agreed. With that, theirs fate was sealed, oblivious to the impending disaster.

As for Luo Ning, after dealing with the Revolutionary Army's affairs, he also had a spar with the army commanders and other leaders. After all, it was all about freedom points.