"Sengoku, be honest with us. Were these ten Seraphim truly invented by Kizaru younger brother, Leon, an eight-year-old child?"
Even though they had long suspected it and had received related information, The Five Elders now wore complex expressions.
There was no helping it—this matter was simply too astonishing.
After all, even Vegapunk, the man hailed as the world greatest scientist, the smartest person alive, had only managed to invent the Pacifista!
Yet these Seraphim... were clearly far more formidable than the Pacifista and their inventor was an eight-year-old child!
Who would dare believe such a claim?
People would sooner believe Vegapunk invented them than an eight-year-old!
Hearing the Five Elders' question, Sengoku expression turned serious.
He gave a solemn nod and spoke in a grave tone.
"This is absolutely true!"
At Sengoku confirmation, The Five Elders' expressions grew even more complicated.
Though they had prepared themselves, hearing Sengoku verify it firsthand still left them stunned and incredulous!
But the facts were undeniable.
Seeing the Five Elders fall silent, Sengoku couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
Hadn't he reacted the same way earlier?
Suppressing his amusement, Sengoku spoke slowly.
"Actually, this batch of Seraphim isn't at their peak strength, nor are they the most powerful."
"According to Leon, he's still developing Seraphim with Admiral-level strength. Unlike the current Shicibukai-tier Seraphim, the entire R&D process will take three months—we're about two months away now."
"Admiral-level?!" The Five Elders gaped in shock.
"He can develop Admiral-level Seraphim?!"
The current batch of Shicibukai-tier Seraphim was already revolutionary enough to reshape the world balance: abolishing the Shicibukai system!
Overturning the longstanding three-way stalemate.
But Admiral-level... The Five Elders suddenly hesitated to imagine further.
Those were among the absolute pinnacle of power in the entire world and they could be artificially created?
If such Seraphim could truly be developed...
Couldn't the Marines and World Government rapidly elevate their military might? And if mass-produced... That would be even more terrifying.
They could dominate the entire seas without breaking a sweat!
At this thought, the Five Elders collectively felt their hearts race.
Unable to contain themselves, they blurted out in unison.
"What would the budget for this be?"
"The budget..." Sengoku inwardly rejoiced. This question meant the Five Elders would likely approve further Seraphim mass production!
"For the sake of our Marines and world peace, I'd like to request 100 billion in mass production funding!"
"Each Shicibukai-tier Seraphim requires 1 billion Beri in R&D costs. If we produce a hundred of them..."
"Imagine—a hundred Shicibukai-tier powerhouses. That would be enough to overwhelm the entire world, wouldn't it?" As he spoke, Sengoku couldn't help but fantasize.
"One hundred billion Beri..." The Five Elders exchanged glances. Their eyes all showing hesitation. After a long silence, Ju Peter finally spoke.
"One hundred billion isn't unmanageable for the World Government... but it's hardly a trivial sum either..."
"What we've just seen was merely a demonstration, not actual combat. So, we need a real battle to assess the situation!"
"Exactly." The other Elders nodded in agreement.
Hearing this, Sengoku also calmed down.
"In that case, it does make sense..."
Although he deeply trusted Leon and was eager to mass-produce the Seraphim, both the World Government and the Marines had protocols.
Newly developed weapons naturally required field testing.
Only through actual combat could potential issues be identified.
Many problems only surfaced in real battles, Only after passing the test of real combat could mass production proceed with confidence, ensuring the massive investment of 100 billion berries wouldn't go to waste.
"Report!" Suddenly, a CP agent appeared at the door.
"Speak." The Elders glanced at Sengoku, hesitated for a second, then nodded.
"Yes. According to the latest intelligence, one of the Shicibukai, Doflamingo is about to engage in another transaction with the Beasts Pirates."
"The one handling the deal this time is again Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters of the Beasts Pirates!"
"Given Doflamingo status as a Former Celestial Dragon, the Elders must decide how to proceed!"
After hearing the report, the Elders frowned, their eyes flashing with anger.
"Hmph, this Doflamingo! Time and again, he exploits his Former Celestial Dragon status to commit atrocities, colluding with the Beasts Pirates in secret. Do they really think the government is unaware?" Nusjuro spoke darkly.
"If it were just weapons trading, fine. But he's even meddling with artificial Devil Fruits, strengthening the Beasts Pirates!"
"Indeed. We've turned a blind eye before, but this time, we can't tolerate it any longer..." The Elders murmured gravely.
"We must send someone to disrupt their deal! Teach Doflamingo a lesson, or he'll keep acting lawlessly!"
"Hmm, then we'll dispatch CP agents... Wait, no—" Suddenly, Saturn looked at the Seraphim standing behind Sengoku. The other Elders immediately caught on.
They wanted to send the Seraphim!
Perfect—their strength was extraordinary.
To disrupt the deal, they'd have to face Doflamingo, a Shicibukai and his Donquixote Family, as well as Jack the Drought and his Mammoth Pirates crew!
With ten Seraphim at Shicibukai-level strength, it should be manageable and it would also serve as a test of their capabilities!
"Not a bad idea at all!" The Elders exchanged glances, all seeing agreement in each other's eyes.
"Good, then it's settled!"
They turned to Sengoku.
"Sengoku!"
"Have a Marine Vice Admiral lead these ten Seraphim to the transaction site. Their mission is to disrupt Doflamingo deal with the Beasts Pirates!"
"Note: the Vice Admiral must be highly capable to ensure the mission success."
"If the mission is flawlessly executed, the 100 billion berry research fund will be approved immediately. Go, Sengoku. We await your good news."
Hearing this, Sengoku face lit up with joy.
In his view, this mission should be a breeze for ten Seraphim with Shicibukai-level strength.
Sengoku immediately turned and took his leave, swiftly returning to the Marine Headquarters to recall Admiral Candidate Momousagi!
Next, Momousagi would lead these ten Seraphim into their very first battle since their creation!