On this day, the entire sea was stained with blood.
"The Marines have gone mad!"
"The entire fleet from G8 Fortress has been deployed, and no pirates in the area are left alive."
"This is terrifying!"
"What are they trying to do? Start a war with the pirates?"
In just a few days, panic spread among all the pirates in the region.
Two Marine generals had wiped out every pirate near G8 Fortress.
More than a dozen notorious pirates with bounties over 100 million were killed.
"It's getting too intense!"
At Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the office of the Admiral, Sengoku frowned, his tone serious.
"The Grand Line needs to be stabilized right now. The actions of Ron and Sakazuki are severely disrupting the balance of the sea."
"It's just a bunch of dead pirates, no need to make it sound so serious. Admiral Sengoku, you're being too cautious."
Sitting to the side, a Marine Vice Admiral silently wiped his blade, his expression dismissive.
"Although the Rocks Pirates are no more, their remnants have recently been causing chaos across the seas. These elements need to be eliminated."
At these words, several Vice Admirals nodded in agreement.
Though the Marines are often criticized for their bureaucracy, they never lack hardliners.
If Marshal Kong and Admiral Sengoku hadn't kept them in check, today's seas would be far more chaotic.
The hatred between pirates and Marines is an unresolvable conflict.
"Enough, stop the bickering."
Marshal Kong intervened, cutting off the growing argument.
"Given the current situation, it's not wise to engage in a full-scale war. Order Sakazuki and Ron to return to their respective bases immediately. Without direct orders from headquarters, large-scale pirate cleanups are not permitted."
After a brief pause, Kong gave his command.
Having been in power for many years, though lacking in spectacular achievements, he was a master of maintaining balance.
He wasn't interested in glory, but in avoiding major blunders.
As long as there were no serious disruptions, he would be on track to succeed as World Government Marshal in the next decade.
At this crucial time, caution was the safest course.
With the resources of the World Government behind him, there was no need to worry about the pirates causing any real damage.
Risking his future promotion just for a temporary show of force was pointless.
Sengoku silently exhaled, relieved. His biggest fear had been that the Marshal would rush into a war with the pirates.
That would plunge the entire sea into chaos.
The safest strategy now was patience, splitting and weakening pirate forces in a more controlled, gradual way.
Through subtle maneuvers, the pirate threat could be eliminated without causing mass upheaval.
The World Government, after all, had maintained order for centuries, and the people still trusted it.
But because of the actions of the Celestial Dragons, member nations were growing increasingly dissatisfied with the World Government.
If another war were to erupt, it would only fuel public discontent even further.
That would be digging their own grave and dooming the World Government.
The headquarters' orders were swiftly delivered to Ron and Sakazuki.
"While Sengoku and Kong's strategy has its merits, they're too conservative, afraid to act decisively."
Ron scoffed as he read the notice from headquarters.
"If maintaining balance were enough, why would war even be necessary?"
If Roger becomes the Pirate King and the seas aren't cleansed before the Four Emperors rise to power, when the era of the Great Pirates begins, the Marines will face unprecedented challenges.
The influence and control the Marines exert over the world will weaken to its lowest point in history.
Enduring a little pain now would be like cutting out poison from the body. Better to suffer some muscle damage than lose a limb.
"Justice must not be compromised!"
Sakazuki's body was ablaze with magma, his fury apparent at headquarters' decision.
To him, all the scum at sea should be wiped out. Compromising with pirates for the sake of stability was utter stupidity.
Nurturing evil would only make the Marines suffer later.
However, as a Marine Commodore, he couldn't defy direct orders from headquarters.
But when he became Admiral, or even Marshal, he would rid the world of this weakness.
"Let's wrap it up for now."
Ron sheathed his sword and gazed at the debris of pirate ships scattered across the sea.
Although things had ended abruptly, the recent cleanup wasn't without its rewards.
After eliminating so many pirate crews, including those with bounties over 100 million, it was likely that the first half of the Grand Line would remain peaceful for a while.
Moreover, the battles over the past days had significantly boosted his own strength.
Red Cry, having consumed enough blood, had entered its second evolutionary stage.
However, this time, the evolution process seemed unusually long, lasting over two days.
But Ron wasn't in any rush; the longer the evolution took, the more powerful it would be.
After saying his goodbyes to Sakazuki, both returned to their respective fortresses.
For now, Ron had to bide his time. Even for Marshal Kong's sake, he had to lay low for ten days or so.
Any further troublemaking might get him reassigned to some remote, desolate post.
Thus, it was best to stay put in the fortress for the time being.
If he wanted to hunt more pirates, he'd have to wait until the heat died down.
"Killing really is the best way to get stronger."
The frenzied hunting over the past few days had earned Ron great rewards.
Crimson Cry had begun its second evolution after consuming vast amounts of blood.
Ron's own strength had also skyrocketed thanks to Crimson Cry's power feedback.
With his daily feast on the flesh of Sea Kings, his power had increased by at least 50% compared to a few days ago.
Additionally, his Devil Fruit powers had advanced, giving him another chance to trigger a power evolution.
*Boom!*
Just as Ron was contemplating where to channel his new power, the warship beneath him suddenly shook violently.
"What's going on?"
Ron frowned. They were in the deep sea—there shouldn't be any rocks to hit.
As for an attack?
That thought didn't even cross his mind.
Who would be foolish enough to attack a Marine warship?
"Ron Rear Admiral, the ship's port side was hit by cannon fire. Some mechanical parts have malfunctioned, and we're currently inspecting the damage."
The adjutant, drenched in cold sweat, rushed over to report.
Having witnessed Ron's ruthless efficiency over the past few days, the adjutant could hardly keep his hands from trembling as he stood before him.
"How serious is it?"
Ron's frown deepened. If the warship was severely damaged and had to stop at sea, it would be troublesome.
They were still half a day from the fortress.
If the ship couldn't be repaired, they would have to call in help from other nearby Marine bases.
Ron disliked relying on others but didn't want to be stranded at sea either.
"We're not sure yet!"
The adjutant's vague answer only worsened Ron's mood.
Suddenly, he remembered he still had an unused power evolution.
In this world, where 90% of the terrain is ocean, and the seas are filled with harsh climates and natural disasters, the role of warships is critical.
You couldn't get anywhere without one.
So, perhaps giving the warship an evolutionary upgrade wasn't such a bad idea.
With that thought, Ron decided to bestow his remaining power of evolution on the warship beneath him.
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