Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
Hurried footsteps echoed through the usually quiet corridors of Marine Headquarters, as numerous marine clerks hurried through the grand building.
"Quick, faster, don't delay!"
"Where's the contact information for all the West Blue branches? Hurry up and bring it over!"
"Get the logistics department to prepare the necessary supplies immediately."
"Connect me to Impel Down, now!"
The mid-level officers were shouting commands, directing the clerks to deliver various items to their respective destinations.
In the highest office, Sengoku sat at his desk, expressionless as he read the latest report in his hand. On his desk lay a thick stack of documents, the topmost one displaying a photo of a certain marine, suggesting it was a dossier.
Not far from him, Garp and the Director of the Marine Investigation Department, Kuroma Tensei, were sitting on a sofa, sipping tea. Corazon, standing nearby, looked at Tensei with a probing gaze.
Noticing Corazon's gaze, Tensei shook his head and said with a neutral expression, "The level of infiltration by the World Government into the Marines is surprising..."
Initially, Sengoku and Tensei had assumed that the World Government might have planted numerous agents within the high and mid-level ranks of the Marines. However, upon investigation, Tensei discovered that the number of agents was far fewer than they had anticipated. In fact, the number of agents the World Government had within the Marines was less than those planted by other forces on the seas.
This revelation filled Sengoku and Tensei with deep suspicion. After all, it wasn't due to trust that the World Government had been lax in monitoring the Marines. Instead, Sengoku and Tensei arrived at an almost unbelievable conclusion: in the eyes of the World Government, the Marines weren't that important, perhaps even disposable.
This conclusion left Sengoku and Tensei somewhat at a loss.
"Since the decision has been made, let's move forward. It's time for some things to change," Sengoku said suddenly, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
For Sengoku, since they had decided to resist the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, there was no turning back, regardless of the forces the World Government commanded. They either overthrow the World Government and the Celestial Dragons or face defeat, leading to another terrifying, centuries-long campaign led by the World Government.
Tensei nodded in agreement with Sengoku's viewpoint.
"Sabo, what's the situation in the New World?" Sengoku asked, turning his gaze to Sabo, who was standing next to Garp.
"The situation in the New World is complicated," Sabo replied. "Nicolas has somehow split into several identical forms and is currently fighting the Admirals. The Revolutionary Army's leader, Dragon, is currently facing off against the Red-Haired Pirates. Additionally, the NEO Marines have joined the battlefield and are currently cooperating with the Marines to eliminate pirates. The NEO Marines' commander, Zephyr, is currently fighting one of the Warlords of the Sea, Weevil, and it's only a matter of time before he defeats him.
Whitebeard has been successfully rescued by his fleet, but he is not in good shape—he seems to have suffered significant injuries during his battle with Kaido. As for Kaido of the Beasts, the leader of the Beasts Pirates, intelligence suggests he has disappeared, likely rescued by his crew. Furthermore, Warlords Doflamingo and Crocodile fled the Waterstar Island after the NEO Marines joined the battle."
"Since Tsuru and the others have done well, it's time for us to act," Sengoku said, turning to Tensei and the silent Garp sitting on the sofa. "Are you ready?"
Holy Land, Mariejois.
It wasn't just ordinary people worldwide who were concerned about the New World battle; the Five Elders had been keeping a close eye on the situation since they received the news.
In the chamber of authority, the curly-haired Elder frowned. "The impact of this incident is too great."
The long-bearded Elder also looked at the screen and said, "Indeed, we didn't expect so many troublesome figures to emerge in this incident."
"What should we do? With the Marine's top fighters being held up by Nicolas, it's becoming increasingly unrealistic to deal with those people."
"Nicolas's power is beyond what the Marines can handle. Even if we were to intervene, it would be difficult to eliminate him completely. The only one who could possibly deal with Nicolas now is that person," said the blond Elder, his expression serious. Clearly, the five of them together were almost unbeatable on the seas, but Nicolas was not within their calculable range.
The Elder with the scar on his forehead shook his head. "There's been no news from that person so far. Everything should still be within a controllable range. But compared to this situation, what do you all think should be done about the Marines?"
The curly-haired Elder sighed when he heard about the Marines. "If there's truly an issue with the Marines, then the balance of the seas will be completely disrupted. Why did Sengoku have to make such an unwise decision..."
"Perhaps it's because the World Government has refrained from taking action for too long, and the Marines have been handling affairs on the seas for so long that they've developed a misconception. After all, if the master doesn't discipline them occasionally, they might think they can become the master themselves," said the Elder in white robes, holding a sword coldly.
"Then let's vote," said the Elder with the sword coldly. "Some people on the seas will never be satisfied! I agree to eliminate the Marines."
The curly-haired Elder pondered for a moment before saying, "The Marines are ultimately the main force maintaining order on the seas. If we eliminate them, it will be troublesome to handle the aftermath, especially with the current forces on the seas. Moreover, this whole issue was instigated by the Marine leadership, and there's still a chance to salvage the situation. I suggest we just deal with those Marine leaders."
"Just sending them to Impel Down isn't enough of a deterrent. I suggest we directly wipe out Marineford," said the Elder with the scarred forehead impassively.
"Agreed," the other four nodded.
"You have no idea what terrifying power the World Government holds," Shanks said solemnly, looking at Dragon and Nicolas in front of him.
"We know the World Government holds terrifying power, but some things must be done," Dragon replied seriously. "Besides, with the Poseidon, Pluton, and Uranus in our possession, our odds aren't low. Also, if you were aware of the terrifying power of the World Government, why did you choose Luffy?"
Faced with Dragon's gaze, Shanks opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he couldn't. After all, it was a bit underhanded of him to have recruited someone's son knowing the terror of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. The fact that Luffy's father hadn't beaten him up was already quite generous.
Without any pretense of being a strongman, Nicolas found a piece of rubble and sat down. "Shanks, are you planning to seize this opportunity to declare war on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, or are you waiting for Luffy to grow up and then declare war?"
Shanks shrugged and looked at Nicolas. "Do I have a choice? The Revolutionary Army, the World Government, and even Fish-Man Island were all part of my plan to support Luffy in the final battle in the future, but now you've drawn them all in early. Even if Luffy grows up in the future, he won't have enough strength to shake the rule of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. I must admit, Nicolas, you've really messed up my plans."