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At the same time, Graeme took his subordinates and returned to the Holy Land Mariejois.
"You all head back and take care of your own business for now."
As he walked inside, he turned to his subordinates and ordered, "Don't wander around, wait for me to assign tasks."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Understood, Captain Graeme."
The members of the CP0 knew well that as the "living dead," they needed to disappear within a month, or risk being exposed.
Although, even if they were exposed, it wouldn't directly lead people to think of Akira, the user of the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Raccoon.
Still, it would be better to keep things under wraps a bit longer.
After nodding in agreement, they split off into groups.
"You..." Graeme glanced down at Muzan beside him.
"Muzan, I'll take you to the general manager of the training base.
"But be mentally prepared—CP9 training is brutal."
"If you want to succeed me, you'll need to make a name for yourself and leave an impression there."
"Are you... confident?"
Though Muzan now appeared as a child of three or four years old, after seeing his true form, Graeme couldn't bring himself to treat him as just a little kid.
The tone of their conversation shifted to that of equals.
Muzan's red eyes gleamed with bloodlust, his sharp gums visible through his grin.
"Brother Graeme, don't worry, I'm not as weak as you think."
"Alright then, let's go."
Seeing this, Graeme nodded and said no more, walking toward the outer office building.
Even if he didn't fully trust Muzan, he believed that since Akira-sama arranged for him, it was for a reason.
And though he hadn't yet tested Muzan's abilities, Graeme could sense his power through his sharp Observation Haki.
At the same time, Graeme led his subordinates back to the Holy Land Mariejois.
"You all head back and take care of your own business for now."
As he walked inside, he turned to them and instructed, "Don't wander around, wait for me to assign your tasks."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Understood, Captain Graeme."
The CP0 members knew they were like "living dead" and had to disappear within a month, or they risked exposure.
Even if they were discovered, it wouldn't lead people to think of Akira-sama, the user of the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Raccoon.
But, of course, it was better to stay hidden for as long as possible.
After nodding to show their understanding, they split into groups and left.
"You..." Graeme glanced down at Muzan beside him.
"Muzan, I'll take you to the general manager of the training base."
"But be prepared. CP9 training is brutal."
"If you want to take my place one day, you'll need to make a name for yourself and leave a lasting impression."
"Are you confident?"
Although Muzan looked like a child of three or four years old, Graeme couldn't treat him like one after seeing his true form.
So, the tone of their conversation was that of equals.
Muzan's red eyes gleamed with a flash of bloodlust, and his sharp gums showed as he grinned.
"Brother Graeme, don't worry. I'm not as weak as you think."
"Alright, let's go."
Seeing this, Graeme nodded and said nothing more, leading the way toward the outer office building.
Even if he didn't fully trust Muzan, he believed that since Akira-sama had arranged this, it wasn't without purpose.
And though he hadn't tested Muzan's skills yet, Graeme could sense his power through his sharp Observation Haki.
While not on par with the top experts, Muzan was definitely stronger than the children in the base.
They passed several guards along the way before finally stopping at an office in the building.
"Wait here in the corridor," Graeme instructed as he went inside to speak with someone.
Ten minutes later, Graeme emerged from the office.
"You can go in now. The people inside will take you to the heart of the base."
As Muzan entered and closed the door, Graeme let out a sigh.
"It's time to report to the Five Elders."
Graeme didn't delay, even though it was late. Having served under the Five Elders for a long time, he understood how much they craved control.
The Five Elders didn't need clever subordinates—they needed loyal ones. Even if they were asleep at this hour, his duty was to report his return from Marine Headquarters immediately.
Whether they listened or not wasn't his concern.
But if he failed to report, it wouldn't just affect his work—it would show a lack of respect.
"Please inform the Five Elders that I've returned from Marine Headquarters."
Graeme stood outside the exclusive villa of the Five Elders, addressing the maid at the door.
The maid, familiar with Graeme as a CP0 captain, nodded and entered the villa without hesitation.
Soon, lights flickered on inside the dark building.
"The Five Elders are awake," the maid hurried out, "You may enter now."
Graeme was relieved. If he hadn't come immediately, tomorrow's explanation would've been much harder.
Straightening his slightly disheveled clothes, Graeme took a few deep breaths, gathered his composure, and stepped forward.
As Graeme passed through the corridor, he found the Five Elders, dressed casually in pajamas, gathered in the living room.
"Five Elders, I have returned with the report from my subordinates, following the completion of the mission," Graeme said respectfully, bowing his head.
One of the Elders gave a slight nod. "Has all of Marine's property been handed over?"
The other Elders, who had been resting but were clearly eager for this update, focused their attention.
In truth, the main reason they had gotten out of bed, despite their usual early retirement, was to receive confirmation of this matter.
Without hesitation, Graeme quickly reported, "Yes, everything has been handed over to the CP. After a thorough investigation by myself and all members, we found no discrepancies."
Hearing this, the Five Elders exchanged glances, their expressions relaxing. They had long trusted Graeme's competence.
His assurance meant that Marine had indeed fallen back under the World Government's control, just as they had demanded. The metaphorical leash that bound Marine to the World Government had been firmly reattached.
"Are you certain?" The cautious, Warrior God of Science and Defense, always prone to skepticism, asked again to confirm:
"Did Marine really relinquish everything so easily? Could there be any hidden assets or secret locations that were missed?"
Graeme's face became solemn as he stood tall, his voice firm. Without hesitation, he patted his chest and declared, "I swear on my life, Five Elders, that Marine's properties have indeed been fully handed over. There are no hidden or missed locations."
His words carried no deceit.
Akira-sama had meticulously orchestrated this operation, transferring everything from one hand to the other within the World Government's grasp. There was no need for any loose ends that could provoke the suspicion of the Five Elders.
From start to finish, Graeme had been instructed to keep the entire transfer operation discreet.
As for the Marine generals and soldiers, as long as they harbored no rebellious thoughts, their complaints were all they could muster. They had no real choice but to accept the situation.
Graeme paused for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly. He knew that everything seemed 'too' smooth, and that could easily raise the suspicions of the paranoid Five Elders.
After thinking it over, he decided to elaborate. "In fact, the handover wasn't entirely smooth. Many Marine generals and civilian officials tried to obstruct the process."
He added, "Honestly, if Fleet Admiral Akira hadn't suddenly ordered all Marines to focus their efforts on the second half of the Grand Line, it would've taken my subordinates a lot longer to fully take control of those properties."
Sure enough, upon hearing that Marine had been using subtle tactics to resist, the Warrior God of Science and Defense relaxed, his doubts fading.
"It seems that forcing Marine to focus all their energy on the pirates in the New World has worked out in our favor," he remarked. "In such a short time, they wouldn't have had the opportunity to hide anything, even if they wanted to."
"Although we've reclaimed important industries like the banks, we can't trust that Akira, clever as he is, won't try something else. We must keep monitoring Marine closely," said another Elder, with others nodding in agreement.
One by one, the Five Elders shared their thoughts and opinions.
Meanwhile, Graeme lowered his gaze, maintaining a neutral expression, as if he hadn't heard any of it.
Time ticked by slowly.
Eventually, Graeme left the villa and returned to his exclusive quarters in the Holy Land Mariejois.
Once inside, he was attended by a slave who brought him a midnight snack and prepared a bath for him. After bathing, he returned to his room, switched off the lights, and lay down to sleep.
As he lay in the darkness, his thoughts raced. "The Five Elders didn't notice anything strange. I'll need to find an opportunity to report this to the master."
He then thought of something else. "Also, Saint Nusjuro asked me to use those industries to make money… I'll need the master's advice on that as well."
Graeme sighed quietly in the darkness. "I'm skilled at killing people, but making money... that's not really my expertise."