Rowen initially thought Aokiji was upset that someone as notorious as the Marine's "Mad Dog" Shepherd had achieved such a significant accomplishment, and that Aokiji wanted to reprimand him for it.
But hearing these words, it seemed there was something else going on.
Shepherd's forehead broke out in visible sweat, as he was pressured by the aura of the two Admirals, the immense pressure almost causing him to faint.
No matter what he thought internally, within the Marines, no one's authority could surpass that of an Admiral, except for Sengoku and Great Staff Officer Tsuru. No one dared to sit in front of them.
The pressure from these two was not related to their personalities but to their positions.
It was about maintaining the authority of the Admirals!
Moreover...
Shepherd was a Marine himself; this rule had to be followed.
Even with his confirmed accomplishments, he was still just a Ranked Officer and a Colonel at that!
Even Rowen, who had dual Dictates, wouldn't dare to take the top position.
In the office, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Whether it was because Shepherd was frightened or not, his back was soaked with cold sweat, but he remained motionless.
All that could be seen were his trembling legs and his terrified eyes.
Seeing this, a faint sulfuric smell began to spread, and Akainu's gaze under his baseball cap grew even more unfriendly.
"Ha ha ha ha, Akainu, Kizaru, what are you doing standing there?"
Suddenly, a hearty laugh and the sound of the door opening were heard.
Garp, who had timed his entrance perfectly, walked into the meeting room and glanced at the two Admirals who had not moved. Then, he quickly made his way to the empty central seat, patted Shepherd on the shoulder, and said, "You must be Shepherd, right? Quite impressive! Keep up the good work; I have high hopes for you!"
At this moment, everyone else in the room was unsure how to react, but Garp was an exception.
Garp was a Marine who defied all conventional ranks and authority, a holder of the Second Grade Glory Medal, and someone whom even the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) had difficulty dealing with. Aside from Sengoku's position, he could sit wherever he wanted, and no one would have an issue with it.
"Vice Admiral Garp… Are you very optimistic about Shepherd? I hadn't heard about that."
"By the way, who exactly is this Shepherd? Can someone fill me in?"
"I don't know, maybe Admiral Aokiji knows something."
The Vice Admirals whispered among themselves.
Since Shepherd's imprisonment occurred too early in the timeline, the G-8 branch's extortion incident hadn't happened yet, and in the eyes of the current Vice Admirals, a mere Colonel-level prosecutor wasn't worth their attention.
Unless directly ordered by the government, they only cared about Vice Admiral-level prosecutors, like Rowen before.
This was the reality of power and status.
Among them, the few who had some understanding of Shepherd were those who had been surprised by Rowen's investigation results, which led to a government-appointed prosecutor being sent to prison.
"Ka… Vice Admiral Garp!"
Blocked from the view of the two Admirals by Garp, Shepherd snapped back to reality and said, "Sorry, I'll go sit in the back."
"Oh! That won't do!"
"Today's meeting is happening because of your achievements; you naturally have the right to sit in the front."
Garp shook his head dramatically and gestured for him to return to his seat with determination.
Seeing this, Rowen's mouth twitched uncontrollably once more.
'Damn it!'
Garp must have thoroughly checked who the captured Pirate King's heir was, which is why he's putting on such an attitude toward Shepherd.
In that case…
The higher you hold someone, the harder they fall!
Rowen looked to his left and, as expected, saw Vice Admirals Chaton, Momonga, Dalmatian, and Stonobelly, with whom he had close relationships.
But then he looked to his right.
Aokiji, Garp… and Shepherd.
What about me?
The line between an honest person and a schemer?
"Hmph!"
Seeing Garp's actions, Akainu snorted coldly and went to sit next to Tsuru. Vice Admiral Onigumo, after Garp took his seat, got up and left, making the position available.
"Ahem, since everyone is here, let's begin."
Sengoku cleared his throat and got straight to the point: "The reason we've gathered today is to discuss the public execution of Roger's son, pirate Gol D. Jason. Currently, there are several issues that need to be resolved."
"Firstly, the potential resurgence of pirates."
"Secondly, the coordination of military forces."
"Thirdly…"
Sengoku listed the issues that needed addressing, and each Vice Admiral quietly reviewed the materials handed to them, beginning to offer their opinions and the help they could provide.
Unless it's a matter of life and death, the relationship between the "G" series branches and the Headquarters isn't one of full support at any cost.
Their main purpose is to maintain the safety and harmony of the Grand Line's various sea routes, without neglecting their own responsibilities.
For instance, Vice Admiral Comil from G-2…
He had recently become obsessed with treasure hunting, resulting in many pirates exploiting gaps in the sea, causing trouble in the rear. He is now intensifying efforts to curb the situation.
Therefore, the support he could offer to the Headquarters was quite limited.
"The maximum deployable forces from G-10 branch are 3,000 troops. Including the stationed troops at Angel Island Port Fair, we can support the Headquarters with up to 100 fully equipped aircraft and 70 battleships."
When it was G-10's turn, Rowen read out the information organized by Ain and then said, "However, as long as the Yonko… oh, I mean, Sanko (Three Emperers) doesn't take action, we probably won't need that many resources."
A grand statement, highlighting G-10's substantial resources!
Other Vice Admirals turned their heads, astonished.
Aside from the stationed forces, being able to deploy 3,000 elite soldiers plus a full complement of 100 aircraft and dozens of battleships, G-10's financial power was truly beyond comprehension.
However, everything was in accordance with regulations.
If they had the funds, they could do the same.
But the issue is... is this a matter of money?
This is a matter of not having enough funds!
"Hmm, you're right."
Sengoku nodded in agreement: "According to the information from the Assassination Force, Gol D. Jason isn't even considered a full-fledged pirate and has no connections with… Sanko."
"So, in theory, with the Headquarters' forces included, adding another 10,000 troops from the branches should be sufficient. We really don't need that many resources."
No, please, we need them!
The Vice Admirals with Base Head positions roared in their minds.
The Marine's "wealth" is indifferent.
Our limited resources are precious!
"What about the location of the public execution? Will it be at Baterilla island? Loguetown? Or Marineford?"
Tsuru suggested: "Determining the execution site in advance will allow each branch to make arrangements based on actual distances."
This proposal was practical. Even the Marines's War Behemoths cannot guarantee zero accidents while navigating the Grand Line.
Allowing the more distant branches to come prepared can effectively avoid unexpected issues.
Sengoku immediately agreed and added, "This issue is also under consideration by the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars). Their opinion is to carry out the execution in the Holy Land to demonstrate the determination to crack down on pirate activities!"
"However, many officials believe that since he is only the son of the Pirate King, not the Pirate King himself, he doesn't deserve to be executed in the Holy Land."
After all, Gol D. Jason was captured by Kuma on the high seas, with a bounty of "0"!
The fact that he, with no significant crimes, is to be executed in the Holy Land is understandably a concern for the officials.
If word gets out, people might think the government is afraid of Roger.
Even a bounty-less kid warrants such a large-scale operation.
However…
"Holy Land" Mary Geoise!
Rowen's pupils suddenly constricted.
Noticing Garp and Aokiji eager to act, Rowen spoke up first: "I think it's a good idea."
"…"
(The End)
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