Ch. 241 implied four operators via the head-bounty math (“can’t divide seven
heads among four people”). Ch. 243 names them explicitly and states the mechanic
they enforce.
The payoff
(Earlier note: the named Ordeals and the four Priests by name are not yet shown as of
Ch. 243. Conservative read: the mechanism is stated; the specifics belong to
later chapters.)
Earliest known caller
(Unrecorded — flagged for the prediction-scorer.)
Why this matters
This is the seed of the four-Priest Ordeal gauntlet and the structured Survival Game of the
Upper Yard. It pre-loads the four named Priests, their ordeals, and the rescue stakes — the
gauntlet the Straw Hats must cross to reach Enel.
generalize the pattern: Oda states a mechanic explicitly (chekhov-explicit) while
withholding the specifics (negative-space), so the structure is known before the
particulars arrive. See Skypiea Survival Game and Heavens Punishment and
the companion seed Four Hunters Cannot Divide Seven Heads Priests-Of-Enel Setup.