In the depths of the Navy Headquarters, tension gripped the air as the details of the legendary clash between Kaido and Shanks reached the ears of the higher-ups. While the rest of the world remained oblivious, the World Government and the Navy had pieced together the truth through their covert network of spies.
The sheer scale and intensity of the battle had left the conference room silent. Even the admirals, pillars of the Navy's strength, seemed overwhelmed by the implications. Vice admirals—once considered among the strongest—could no longer hold their ground in battles of such magnitude. Only admirals, the Navy's finest, could barely stand a chance, and even they risked death against warriors like Kaido or Shanks, who wielded the Overlord Color Conqueror's Haki at its peak.
Marshal Sengoku sat at the head of the table, his face etched with frustration. "What are your thoughts on these two pirates?" he asked, addressing the room.
The silence broke as Akainu's fiery temperament ignited. "Pirates like them should be eliminated immediately," he growled, his overwhelming killing intent sending shivers through the room. Akainu's disdain for pirates and his absolute justice left no room for compromise.
Despite Akainu's fervor, Sengoku knew the harsh reality. Taking down either Kaido or Shanks would require mobilizing more than half of their forces, leaving Navy Headquarters vulnerable to attack. The risk was unthinkable. The consequences, catastrophic.
Kuzan, the calm and calculating Aokiji, voiced his thoughts. "The cost of confronting either of them would be too great. The losses would outweigh the gains," he said, his voice firm.
This sparked a heated debate. Akainu and his faction countered Aokiji's reasoning with passion, emphasizing the necessity of decisive action. However, Aokiji's faction argued for caution, pointing out the strategic risks. The room was divided, but one thing was clear—there were no easy answers.
Meanwhile, Kizaru sat back, seemingly indifferent. His casual demeanor betrayed his sharp mind as he observed the verbal sparring. To him, this was just another day in the Navy, and he wasn't one to act unless directly ordered.
The tense exchange came to an abrupt halt when a messenger burst into the room, his urgent expression demanding attention. "Marshal Sengoku!" the messenger called, handing over a crumpled newspaper. "You need to see this."
Sengoku snatched the paper, his eyes scanning the bold headline: **"The Emperors of the Sea Dominate the New World."**
The article, penned by Morgans, declared the Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, Hundred Beast Pirates, and Red-Haired Pirates as the unshakable rulers of the New World. They were dubbed the **"Four Emperors."**
The proclamation was a nightmare for the Navy. Morgans' words painted the pirates as invincible monarchs, elevating their reputations to near-mythical status. The article boldly claimed that one of these "Four Emperors" would inevitably ascend to the title of Pirate King.
Sengoku's face twisted in fury as he tore the newspaper apart. This development was a propaganda disaster, emboldening pirates worldwide and shaking the Navy's credibility.
"Meeting adjourned," Sengoku barked, his voice sharp with anger. "All senior officers, report to my office immediately."
As Sengoku stormed out, the room was left in a stunned silence. Officers scrambled to grab copies of the newspaper, eager to see for themselves the cause of Sengoku's rage. The announcement of the Four Emperors had sent shockwaves through the Navy, and the implications were just beginning to sink in.
The balance of power in the New World had shifted. The era of the Four Emperors had begun, and with it came a storm that would shake the world to its core.