Below the Red Line – New Marine Headquarters
"There's really a lot of movement from this guy Dylan."
"After this cleaning, there will be no pirate ships around that channel—except for the Donquixote Family."
"They probably won't dare to fly the pirate flag and will replace it with Dressrosa's royal flag."
"About 'Reconstructing the Seven Warlords of the Sea'..."
At this, everyone in the conference room fell silent.
Mariejois's list had been distributed, and most names were of little concern, but one name caused significant unease.
"Whitebeard Jr."—Edward Weevil.
The guy who caused "General Instructor" Zephyr to lose an arm was now on the proposed list.
"Zephyr..."
Outside the conference room, Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru also looked at the lists on their small tables.
"Such a decision... I'm afraid it will have a huge impact on Zephyr's faith in the Marines..."
"How's it going over there with Zephyr?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru held her chin and sighed: "I heard that training has stopped and he hasn't been out for a few days."
Sengoku slapped the tea cup in his hand: "We can't hurt Zephyr like this."
Garp folded his arms and lowered his head in silence, while Vice Admiral Tsuru said somewhat unexpectedly: "Do you have any plan? Sengoku, this is the list drawn up by Mariejois."
"Bwahahaha, that's right, Sengoku. When you were the Fleet Admiral, you couldn't do anything about it. Now you're semi-retired. Do you still want to reject the draft from above?" Garp laughed, but there was a hint of sadness and loss in his expression.
Zephyr...the man who trained the entire Marine...
A light flashed on Sengoku's glasses: "Yes, we are all semi-retired and can no longer directly participate in decision-making, but don't forget."
Sengoku took out his pen and scratched the name of "Whitebeard II"—Edward Weevil.
"There is someone who is very popular and has Mariejois's trust!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled slightly: "That's true. Moreover, this list is only a draft and has not been announced or implemented. With his strength and character, there is still room for manipulation."
Garp and Sengoku looked at Vice Admiral Tsuru at the same time, showing expectant expressions.
Vice Admiral Tsuru rolled her eyes at them: "Okay, okay, I understand, you guys. I will discuss it with Little Dylan, even if it means giving up my old face."
Sengoku and Garp looked stiff.
After the "Summit War," Dylan never contacted them again and ignored them when he returned to Marineford.
During the war, their hesitations and "stands" did not cause Dylan to break with them, but they also created irreparable differences.
---
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
"Hello?"
"Dylan? It's Tsuru." The Den Den Mushi turned into a withered old lady.
"Um... Grandma Tsuru, what's wrong?"
Although Vice Admiral Tsuru did not enter enemy positions during the war, she was highly respected. Women and men are different after all, and Vice Admiral Tsuru is not known for her combat prowess.
Garp and Sengoku, sitting nearby, looked at each other after hearing Dylan's tone and both showed a hint of joy.
If it were the two of them, although Dylan wouldn't hang up directly, his tone wouldn't be friendly. Talking about business would be fine, but there would be no way to discuss personal matters.
"Dylan... we..."
Before Vice Admiral Tsuru could continue, Dylan on the other side frowned: "You guys?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru showed a look of disappointment:
"Yeah, it's us old guys who have something to do, and we want to ask you..."
Sengoku and Garp next to her looked nervous. What if Dylan dropped the phone at this moment...
On the other end of the phone, Dylan was silent for a moment and then asked, "About Zephyr?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded: "It seems we can't hide it from you, Dylan. We want you to take action... to obliterate Edward Weevil!"
Surprisingly, Dylan responded without any hesitation.
"Can!"
The next sentence made both Garp and Sengoku frown.
"But I have a request! Sengoku and Garp need to go to Kong and apply. I request that Zephyr be transferred to the G5 branch in the name of re-employment from retirement. Can you do it?"
Before Vice Admiral Tsuru could respond, Dylan narrowed his eyes:
"Sengoku, Garp. Are you around? Is this your justice? A man who has dedicated his life to the Marines and justice, a purer soldier than you. If I don't agree to take action today, what will be his end?"
"You two, if you are willing, you can just kill Miss Buckin and Weevil at will, right?"
"In 10 days, I will take action. At the same time, I will also receive Zephyr's transfer order."
Kachak!
The Den Den Mushi closed its eyes. Garp and Sengoku looked at each other and fell silent at the same time.
"You old men..."
Vice Admiral Tsuru knocked on the table: "There is nothing wrong with what he said. Let's understand each other! Besides..."
Vice Admiral Tsuru rarely looked at Sengoku and Garp seriously: "Old men. Go and warn those old ghosts not to act rashly because of Buckin and Weevil!"
"Since we ask young people to do things, we cannot let young people be attacked from all sides."
"I know..." Sengoku nodded in response, and Garp nodded after being silent for a while.
In any case, the situation cannot be allowed to develop, otherwise Zephyr will completely lose confidence in the Marines. The blow to Marine morale would also be huge.
---
On the 8th day of G5's outward "cleaning"
Basically, all the pirates who could escape had escaped, and those who could not had turned into heads piled on the ships of various fleets.
"It's about time..."
During the telephone conference, the commanders of each combat unit exchanged opinions and decided to start a U-turn. They would clean up the stragglers and consolidate their gains.
After each fleet returned home, flags were planted on all the outermost islands.
Flags from the "Kingdom of Greenbit."
But all pirates knew it was actually another flag of G5.
This also declared that this sea area spanning thousands of kilometers had been claimed by New Greenbit... no, it was ruled by the G5 base!
"Divide the areas and establish lower-level outposts with mid-level officers to cooperate with the Kingdom of Greenbit to carry out trade, develop commerce, and collect taxes."
Dylan started planning his next strategy in front of the map.
Nojiko asked while recording: "Brother Dylan, why do you still need to collect taxes and do business? Your money..."
She didn't quite understand, but she knew about the rumors from the outside world.
Marine Vice Admiral Dylan was perhaps the richest man in the world.
With so much wealth, why develop commerce and trade?
"Nojiko, wealth does not simply refer to gold or jewelry.
Even berries are not considered wealth in some aspects.
If I put my gold and jewelry into the world, their value will only shrink significantly.
This question is very complicated.
I didn't study well when I was young, so I can't give you a systematic answer.
But you have to remember one point."
"The wealth that circulates is the real wealth."
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