Marineford, Sengoku Office.
"Are there any Celestial Dragons casualties, Borsalino?"
"Alright, it seems only one Celestial Dragon was harmed. I heard the slave nearly killed that Celestial Dragon to avenge his wife and children~"
Kizaru gestured with his index finger and thumb as he spoke, confirming the truth. That Celestial Dragon would likely spend the remainder of his life in a wheelchair, leaving an psychological scar as well.
"That's not good..."
Sengoku rubbed his brows with a hint of a headache. He cared little about whether the Celestial Dragons lived or died, but he feared that the Five Elders might exploit this situation.
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
As soon as he finished speaking, the phone on the desk suddenly rang.
Kacha!
"This is Sengoku!"
Under the strange gazes of several people, Sengoku calmly picked up the phone.
"How do you Marines handle things, Sengoku?"
The voices of the Five Elders echoed from the phone, resonating with a deep tone. Everyone present could discern that they were clearly restraining their anger and expressing dissatisfaction with the Marine's performance during the uprising.
But, who cares!
Atlas glanced at Kizaru, who stared at his fingernails with indifference, likely contemplating whether to trim them later.
"Saint Nusjuro, our Marines have swiftly provided support to Marie Joie!"
Sengoku clearly had no intention of accepting the Five Elders' approach of criticizing the Marines when they met. He retorted mercilessly.
"According to the investigation by the CP department, the mastermind behind the Marie Joie attack is the fish-man Fisher Tiger. Now, Marines, it's your responsibility to agree on a bounty for him, send individuals to pursue him, and closely monitor the movements of Fish-Man Island. Remember! Do whatever it takes."
"Also, try to avoid conflicts with the Whitebeard Pirates. I believe you Marines should be capable of understanding the scale. We don't want the balance on the seas to be disrupted again."
The World Government's intelligence capabilities were highly effective, and Tiger's identity was swiftly uncovered. However, the stance towards Fish-Man Island remained somewhat ambiguous.
Fish-Man Island held a somewhat unique status. It was a member of the World Government, yet it also accepted the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates.
In reality, Fish-Man Island wasn't to blame. Its geographical location was exceptionally unique. Being the sole channel to Paradise and the New World, it was perpetually plagued by pirates throughout the year. However, it received little protection from the Marines. Additionally, Neptune, in his youth, was good friends with Whitebeard, leading to the adoption of the Whitebeard Pirates' flag for protection.
"We at the Marines discovered that Rayleigh was also involved in this incident..."
Sengoku disclosed the information conveyed by Atlas. Although the Five Elders were likely aware of it, it served as a sufficient distraction. As for Rayleigh's fate, he did not take it into consideration.
"As for Rayleigh...reactivate the bounty on him. Since he doesn't value the chance Roger granted them, let him resume the life of a pirate!"
In reality, this statement was nonsensical. Rayleigh, being the most powerful figure on the seas, lacked a fixed territory. As an individual, he could depart whenever he pleased. For such a formidable individual, the Marines had no means of confronting him unless they dispatched two Admirals to encircle him.
However, such actions made no sense whatsoever. A Marine Admiral represents the apex combat power within the Marines. Its primary objective is to deter all malevolence on the seas. Such formidable individuals are rare to come by in the first place, and sending two of them for a single target is akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
The Five Elders virtually assigned all the tasks in a single phone call, yet Atlas's name went unmentioned. It was likely due to Rayleigh's interference. Even if CP0 had spoken ill of him in front of the Five Elders, they couldn't deny the fact that he had clashed with Rayleigh!
Concerning the Whitebeard Pirates, although the World Government was apprehensive about the formidable destructive power of Whitebeard's Shock-Shock fruit, the most crucial factor was their reluctance to let Marine's influence surge again. Currently, Marine exhibited a faint tendency to slip from their control.
"Also..."
Just when Atlas believed this guy's incessant chatter was about to conclude, a voice emanated once more from the phone bug.
However, Sengoku's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.
"I had initially intended to organize a promotion ceremony for you in the next year or two. However, given the disappointment we felt towards Marine's conduct in the Marie Joie incident, the five of us have unanimously decided that once Fisher Tiger is apprehended, Sengoku, you will be promoted to Marine Marshal. That settles it!"
Kacha!
Before Sengoku could utter a word, the phone was abruptly disconnected.
"Damn it!"
Upon learning that the promotion timeline had been altered, even though Sengoku was aware that it was an excuse from the Five Elders, he couldn't help but express his anger through curses. Everyone in the office was his own, and he had no need to conceal his emotions.
...
A few days later, a piece of news that shocked the world was published in the World Economic News.
The Holy Land of Marie Joie has been attacked!
Despite the World Government issuing a public statement accusing the fish-man Fisher Tiger of nefarious deeds and remaining silent about the liberation of slaves, Tiger was still hailed as a hero by numerous individuals, particularly the denizens of Fish-Man Island!
...
A somewhat dilapidated ship sailed leisurely on the sea. The deck was crowded with people, representing a myriad of races from around the world. It was Fisher Tiger and his entourage!
At this moment, Tiger had recently departed from the waters near the Sabaody Archipelago. Some individuals disembarked and continued their journeys along the way. The majority of those left behind were now either homeless or too distant from their hometowns to return.
"Brother Tiger! The Marines have announced your bounty!"
Tiger heard the noise and looked around, spotting Bol running towards him with a freshly issued bounty poster. He felt a sense of helplessness and amusement.
Bol was one of the fish-man slaves that Tiger had rescued from Marie Joie. He admired Tiger for pulling him out of hell, but what left Tiger somewhat helpless was that, even though the other slaves didn't harbor hostile emotions toward him, the sensitive Tiger still felt they had a certain distance from the fish-men.
This discrimination rooted in racial prejudice left Tiger feeling somewhat disheartened and stifled.
"Haha~ The Marines sure are willing to spend their money!"
Tiger accepted the bounty poster from Bol's hand. At the top was Tiger's portrait, and the figure at the bottom was a staggering 230 million Berries!
"Of course, Brother Tiger, you're a tremendous hero who rescued slaves!"
Bol's face displayed a proud expression, and those unaware might have thought it was him, Bol, who was being offered the 230 million Berries bounty.
----------
Bonus chapter for review by Tejith Vasu. Thank you for your feedback
Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari