Marine Headquarters.
The conference room was thick with cigar smoke, a massive strategic map spread across the long table.
Sengoku leaned on the table, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Marine officers and strategists like a hawk.
"The execution of Red-Haired Shanks must be flawless and maximize its strategic value."
...
"Considering the potential appearance of Roger's former crew or some reckless individuals planning to take advantage of the chaos, we have recently mobilized eighty thousand elite troops from various branches, along with over twenty Vice Admirals from Headquarters."
"Rayleigh has been missing from Sabaody for two months..."
Sengoku's eyes sharpened, his voice grave: "If the Pirate King's right-hand man appears, along with Shanks, eliminating them... would be a complete severance of Roger's lingering influence!"
"I have already ordered that on the execution day, even Pirates approaching Headquarters will not be pursued."
"It is precisely to let them see... the fate of those who continue Roger's path!"
"Therefore..."
"The execution site will be here, at Marineford Plaza, under the gaze of the entire world!!"
Just as the solemn moment of strategic decision settled, a clear voice rang out.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I agree with your strategic logic."
Usually, after such words...
As expected.
"But."
Griffin lowered his hand from his chin, speaking calmly: "You plan to set the execution platform at Marineford Plaza. Based on the current situation, the execution platform will likely become the battlefield."
"Have you considered how many ordinary soldiers this will place in utterly unbearable danger?"
The conference room fell silent, several officers frowned, and Akainu looked at Griffin with a peculiar gaze.
...
Sengoku lightly tapped the table, explaining slowly: "Marineford's defenses are comprehensive, and those summoned are elites from each branch. There are no 'ordinary soldiers' as you describe."
"Even if there are some sacrifices..."
"Rear Admiral Griffin, do I need to remind you that compassion does not command troops?"
...
"Sacrifice for justice is justified." Griffin met Sengoku's gaze without fear.
"But the presumed enemies are Roger's former crew..."
Griffin turned his gaze toward Garp, who seemed lost in thought: "Vice Admiral Garp, honestly speaking, can those assembled 'elites' withstand Rayleigh and others?"
"How many among them can endure a Conqueror's Haki Shockwave?"
The conference room was silent again, everyone's eyes turning to Garp.
Garp snapped back to attention, scratching his messy beard: "Uh... if you insist on saying that... probably not many would remain conscious."
"Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki is quite strong."
...
Sengoku frowned slightly: "Rear Admiral Griffin, Headquarters has specific countermeasures for this. Are you suggesting they are unfit to participate?"
"Understand this: displaying Marine strength to the world is also part of the plan."
"Most civilians cannot perceive Conqueror's Haki; tangible troop numbers are what they can see."
"Even with immense personal strength, like Whitebeard, he can only occupy a small area of the New World. We Marines govern the four seas, relying on our powerful forces."
"Are you underestimating the strength of our soldiers, Rear Admiral Griffin?"
...
Thud—
Griffin slapped the strategy book in front of each person forward, his voice turning colder: "Eighty thousand soldiers standing neatly in Marineford Square—is this what you call displaying military might?!"
"The high walls of Marineford, hundreds of warships—it would be easy to accommodate over a hundred thousand people. Even considering the spectacle, lining them up would be more imposing, wouldn't it?"
"Knowing full well that the enemy might possess Conqueror's Haki, yet gathering everyone in one place..."
"Don't you think that's too naive, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
The conference room fell silent.
Bang—
Kizaru's hand slammed down in front of Griffin, his expression unusually stern: "Watch your words."
...
"Borsalino, I'm not so easily angered."
Sengoku's eyes lowered, his emotions unreadable: "Garp and I will personally oversee the execution platform. Do you think we'd let the enemy casually attack our soldiers?"
"You considered they might have Conqueror's Haki, but have you thought about..."
"When it comes to Conqueror's Haki, I surpass even Rayleigh!"
An invisible aura spread—not Conqueror's Haki, but the pure, commanding presence of a superior.
...
Griffin smiled faintly.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.
"If, and I mean if..."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, if you and I were to clash here, do you think this building would still be standing?"
Griffin scanned the room and continued:
"Without being modest, if I went all out, I could destroy half of Marineford before you all killed or captured me."
"If even I can do that, Fleet Admiral Sengoku... why do you think Rayleigh and the others can't?"
Sengoku paused; he hadn't considered this at all.
Based on his understanding of Rayleigh and the others, they shouldn't engage in wanton destruction...
...
"Isn't there an option to escape..."
Kizaru said in a joking tone: "If you can't win, you can run. Why would anyone insist on destroying Headquarters?"
Yes... Kizaru had voiced Sengoku's thoughts.
Isn't that how people on the sea are? If you can win, you fight; if you can't, you run. Who would think about causing destruction before dying when they can't win?
...
Griffin frowned.
He thought Sengoku was trapped in a flawed line of thinking, but in reality, it was Griffin himself who was mistaken.
Because he knew about Shiki's actions and how Whitebeard destroyed Headquarters during the original timeline's Summit War, he subconsciously assumed that top-tier fighters clashing at Marineford would lead to its destruction.
But he needed to consider the uniqueness of those two.
The Float-Float Fruit could directly lift islands and drop them, and Whitebeard's Quake-Quake Fruit went without saying.
Even Griffin himself, whom he used as an example, possessed multiple large-scale destructive abilities.
...
But if Rayleigh and the others really came... they'd have to be out of their minds to confront the Marines head-on, let alone waste energy killing soldiers and delaying their escape.
They'd surely seize the chance to rescue Shanks and flee. Why would they go through the trouble of destroying Marine Headquarters?
...
So that's how it is. I was mistaken.
Griffin's expression remained unchanged, with no awareness of having spoken incorrectly. He simply felt these people were too timid to keep up with his train of thought.
"Just tell me if there's a possibility or not."
"During the battle at Hachinosu Island, I mistakenly killed one of Admiral Sakazuki's informants. It's been weighing on me ever since. What's wrong with wanting to reduce casualties among innocent soldiers?"
...
I see...
Akainu frowned and said, "When I said that, the point wasn't about accidental killings, it was... you misunderstood my meaning."
"To eradicate evil, some sacrifices are inevitable. You don't need to blame yourself."
He wasn't good with words and rarely explained things so patiently.
...
"I think... Rear Admiral Griffin makes a valid point."
A giant Vice Admiral wearing an iron mask spoke up. His name was forgotten, but he was known as the "King of Flaws."
"When I'm carrying out missions, I often have to consider not accidentally harming other soldiers on the ship."
"The gap in strength between the Admirals and me is probably even greater than the gap between me and my subordinates..."
"Rear Admiral Griffin's concerns are quite necessary."
It just goes to show that everyone has two sides. The man who dared to strike first against Whitebeard also had a surprisingly thoughtful side.
...
"Compared to lining up in Marineford Square, spreading out across the warships sounds more imposing..."
A Vice Admiral finished speaking, then cautiously glanced at Sengoku and quickly added, "Of course, Fleet Admiral Sengoku is right. Displaying our forces more directly makes it easier for the citizens of the Member Nations to understand the Marines' strength!"
...
Sengoku's brow furrowed even deeper, his expression constantly shifting.
It seems...
I hadn't considered this thoroughly. If the soldiers are too densely packed, it could indeed affect the battles between the powerful.
At most, only a few of Roger's former crew will come; a large-scale confrontation is unlikely...
...
Griffin would argue even when he had no reason, while Sengoku was adept at accepting others' suggestions.
He didn't mind verbal offenses, even if they weren't from Griffin.
Meetings are meant for everyone to voice their opinions so that good results can be discussed. The Marines aren't his personal platform.
"Hmm... the issue you raised does exist."
"But the execution site at Marineford has already been announced. We can't just change the location at the last minute—what would that do to the Marines' credibility?"
...
"I never said this location was bad, just that the specific spot could be adjusted."
Griffin pointed at the headquarters distribution map and said, "Marineford Square is too close to the cafeteria and living quarters. I think it would be better to set up the execution platform on the eastern sub-island."
"Some soldiers can line up on the high walls, and the trench between the sub-island and the main island can accommodate warships."
"If filmed from a wide angle, it would look like the Marines' forces have at least doubled."
...
Sengoku had an intuition.
Griffin had said so much not to assert his authority, win the officers' approval, or take care of the Marines' soldiers...
Being too close to the cafeteria was the real reason for his suggestion, wasn't it?
As soon as this thought surfaced, Sengoku dismissed it himself.
Impossible!
What am I thinking during such a serious meeting?!
It's all Garp's fault! That guy is always hanging around, making me start having foolish thoughts!
...
Garp, who had been glared at by Sengoku for no reason, was utterly bewildered.
.