New World, New Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, towering stacks of documents covered the desk so completely that Fleet Admiral Kuzan was almost impossible to see unless someone walked around to the back.
Swish, swish, swish.
After signing several documents, Kuzan finally stopped.
"My back is killing me. This Fleet Admiral position really is not meant for just anyone. If I had known it would be this exhausting, I would not have taken it."
He rubbed his temples as he spoke.
He had accepted the position with the goal of reforming the Marines, but reality turned out very different from what he imagined.
Instead of fighting on the front lines, he was buried in paperwork all day. Pens and documents had replaced battles and enemies.
His shoulders and neck constantly ached, and even his overall condition had worsened. It felt like his body was being worn down day by day.
Only now did he truly understand how difficult Sengoku's time as Fleet Admiral had been.
He stretched slightly, one hand massaging his neck while the other tapped his lower back.
Then he reached into his pocket, took out a few pieces of bread, and held them above his head.
The seagull perched there woke up and quickly pecked the bread from his hand.
"You really have it easy, huh?"
Caw.
The seagull let out a soft cry, adjusted its position, and went back to sleep.
Just then, a voice came from the doorway.
"This job is not as simple as it looks, is it?"
Kuzan tilted his head, raising his gaze above the stacks of paperwork as two elderly figures walked in.
Each of them held a bag of senbei, chewing loudly.
"Sengoku, Garp, what are you doing here?"
The two men casually took seats.
Garp grinned. "We came to check on how the new Fleet Admiral is doing."
Kuzan rolled his eyes.
Check on me? More like showing off how relaxed you both are.
"Thanks for the concern," he said dryly.
Sengoku tossed a piece of senbei into his mouth and asked, "How is the progress on separating the Marines from the World Government?"
Kuzan shook his head.
"It is not that simple. You both know how deeply tied the Marines are to the World Government. There is no way to separate them in a short time."
Sengoku nodded.
As a former Fleet Admiral, he understood that reality very well.
Kuzan rubbed his forehead.
"Right now, only the higher ranks know about this plan. Vice Admirals and below have no idea. If you have any suggestions, I would like to hear them."
Sengoku poured the remaining senbei into his mouth and shook his head.
"We can only move step by step. If this spreads too quickly, it will cause chaos. And do not forget, there are still many people loyal to the World Government within the Marines. If they find out too soon, it will only make things worse."
Attempts like this had been made before, and none had succeeded.
It was not something that could be rushed.
Beside them, Garp had already fallen asleep, loud snores filling the room.
Without hesitation, Sengoku grabbed the senbei from Garp's hand and ate the rest.
"Hey! Sengoku, you bastard!"
Garp immediately woke up and grabbed Sengoku by the collar, furious.
Sengoku turned his head slightly, calmly chewing.
Kuzan watched the two of them and shook his head with a faint sense of envy.
Brrrring, brrrring.
The Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
Kuzan turned and picked it up.
"This is Kuzan."
The Den Den Mushi's face transformed into that of an elderly man.
"Kuzan. In one month, the World Government will publicly execute Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff Sabo on Karai Bari Island. The Marines will be responsible for handling the operation."
The room fell silent.
Kuzan froze.
Sengoku stopped chewing.
Garp stared blankly.
Kuzan spoke again to confirm, "Chief of Staff Sabo?"
The voice on the other end continued without pause.
"The Revolutionary Army will certainly attempt a rescue. The Ion Pirates are also expected to intervene.
This event will surpass the scale of Portgas D. Ace's execution.
It will be our opportunity to eliminate both the Revolutionary Army and the Ion Pirates.
We expect the Marines not to repeat past failures."
The call ended immediately.
Kuzan frowned deeply.
This situation was far more complicated than it seemed.
The Revolutionary Army was currently aligned with them.
"Sabo?" Garp's voice trembled, even a bubble forming from his nose. "When did this happen?"
He knew that voice belonged to Saint Nusjuro of the Five Elders.
There was no doubt about the authenticity.
Sabo, Ace, and Luffy had all grown up under his watch. To him, they were no different from his own grandsons.
First Ace, now Sabo.
Was fate deliberately targeting them?
"No. I am going to save him."
Garp clenched his fists and turned to leave.
Before he could take more than a step, Sengoku slammed his hand down on Garp's head and forced him to the ground.
Bang.
"Garp, get a grip."
Garp struggled, blood trickling from his forehead.
"That is Sabo. He is my grandson!"
Sengoku shouted back.
"Do you even know where he is being held? You think you can just storm in and save him?
You are still a Marine. Everything you do represents the entire organization.
If you rush in blindly, you will not save him. You will only get yourself captured and drag the Marines down with you."
Garp's resistance weakened.
"But he is my grandson..."
Sengoku's voice softened slightly.
"He will not be left to die. There is still time. We will figure something out."
Slowly, Garp stopped struggling.
Sengoku released him, and Garp sat on the ground, silent tears running down his face.
"When was he captured?" Garp asked quietly.
Kuzan shook his head.
"I do not know. But the Five Elders would not lie about something like this."
Sengoku stood nearby, his expression serious.
"This is bad."
He stroked his chin as he continued.
"The World Government is clearly dissatisfied with the outcome of the last war. They may already suspect the Marines.
Putting us in charge this time is likely a test."
Kuzan pressed his fingers against his temple.
The situation was a mess.
The Marines had not fully integrated with the Ion Pirates, and many newly recruited soldiers still lacked loyalty.
At the same time, the World Government was beginning to doubt them.
Everything was tangled together.
Sengoku spoke again after a brief pause.
"Most Marines still do not know about our alignment with the Ion Pirates.
Now the World Government has forced this responsibility onto us.
The Revolutionary Army will act, and the Ion Pirates will not stay out of it.
We cannot remain neutral.
Either we follow the World Government and fight against them,
or we stand with the Ion Pirates and bring down the World Government.
No matter what we choose, the losses will be severe."
Kuzan let out a long breath.
"There is no point overthinking it right now. We need to inform Rolan and hear his plan."
He glanced at Sengoku.
Sengoku nodded.
"That is the best option."
Their thoughts were already aligned.
If it came down to it, they would stand with the Ion Pirates.
Kuzan took out a small white Den Den Mushi and dialed.
The line began to connect.
===
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