The Gorosei, also known as the Five Elders, are incredibly important characters in the overarching plot of One Piece. Until recently, they didn't take a direct part in the unfolding events of the One Piece world. Most of what they did was deliver exposition on something that the story was tackling at that moment, as seen when Luffy awakened the Nika powers or when the annexation of the island of Wano was ordered. However, with One Piece 1073, the Gorosei finally made a move.
One of them, named Jaygarcia Saturn, was seen on the ship of Admiral Kizaru which is headed to Egghead Island, where Monkey D. Luffy currently is, along with Dr. Vegapunk and other members of the Straw Hat Pirates, including Jewelry Bonney. Saturn is just as important to the story as any other member of the Five Elders and, as such, his deployment means that One Piece is actually going to tackle the endgame events of the story. For the very first time, one of the Five Elders has decided to come down from Pangea Castle in Mariejois, which just goes to show the importance of the task at hand. That said, fans know very little about whether the Gorosei hold any fighting capabilities or not. However, with the little clues in the story, it can be inferred that day, in fact, do.
The Deployment Of Jaygarcia Saturn
The very first clue that fans need to look at concerning the Gorosei and their fighting capabilities is the deployment of Jaygarcia Saturn in the latest chapter of One Piece. The Gorosei are extremely important characters and need to be protected at all costs. In the entire world and even among the Celestial Dragons, they hold the highest authority. Essentially, the entire power that exists in the world rests in their hands, or so the world believes as they are not aware of the existence of Imu, who resides over them. As such, it would make very little sense to send someone as important as Jaygarcia Saturn to war with a Yonko if he did not have any fighting capabilities.
On the ship with Kizaru, fans saw people test his food for poison. This just goes to show that Jaygarcia Saturn is a person who cannot be harmed at any cost. This is a clear implication of his importance to the World Government and everyone who was a part of this organization. The fact that Saturn himself is heading to battle means that he is fully aware of the danger that it poses. For Kizaru, taking him along if he did not have any fighting capabilities would only be a bad idea as he could easily get injured or worse, die. At the same time, Kizaru would not be able to fight to the best of his abilities if he had to protect someone that important.
The Weapons Of The Gorosei
Another important thing that fans need to look at is the weapons that the Five Elders wield. So far, two of them have been seen wielding weapons and they are a musket and a sword. While anyone could wield them for show, it wouldn't make any sense for them to hold them in their possession if they are already in the safest place in the entire world and that is the Room of Authority within Pangea Castle in the Holy Land of Mariejois. Furthermore, the weapons that they wield seem to be rather special. The bald Gorosei has been seen will then a very special sword that resembles the Shodai Kitetsu. Fans know this grade of sword from Loguetown, where Zoro got his hands on the Sandai Kitetsu. The Kitetsu swords are known to be cursed, with the curse getting stronger as the user gets closer to the one forged first, and that means that the curse of the Shodai Kitetsu is the strongest.
At the same time, it is a known fact that the Shodai Kitetsu is one of the 12 Saijo O Wazamono grade swords. A weapon of such might can only be wielded by someone who knows how to use them. This is especially true for the Kitetsu swords which are known to bring their wielders a terrible death. These swords can only be wielded by a person if the blade accepts them and they are able to control their bloodlust. As such, the fact that the bald elder is able to possess a sword of this quality is proof enough that he is capable of wielding it incredibly well. This also implies that all the Gorosei are capable fighters since none of them ranks above the other.
The Parallels To Doflamingo's Officers
Oda, the author of One Piece, has also drawn very interesting parallels between Imu's Gorosei and Doflamingo's Officers. When a young Doflamingo first ate his Devil Fruit and rose to power, all the Gorosei bowed down to him. When Imu was first revealed to the fans during the Reverie arc, the Gorosei bowed down to them in a starkly similar fashion. In fact, even the weapons that they wielded and their poses were drawn very similarly. Fans already know that Doflamingo is well aware of the secrets of Imu and the World Government.
He is also a character who represents the very same beliefs that the Celestial Dragons have, given that he carries their blood in his veins as well. As such, it can be inferred that this parallel is intentional and, just as Doflamingo had fighters under him capable of taking on most tasks that were assigned to them, the Gorosei will also hold enough power to do whatever necessary to protect Imu and serve as his royal guard of sorts.