Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
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Marine Headquarters · Conference Room
Half a day later.
"That's the situation. Everyone, I want to hear your thoughts."
Inside the Marine conference room, Garp and the other high-ranking officers who had been recalled early by Sengoku exchanged glances.
"Hey, hey, hey! You're not pulling our legs, are you? The World Government is just... gone?"
Vice Admiral Onigumo spoke with an expression of pure disbelief.
"As hard as it is to believe, it's the truth. I sent Kizaru to check, and Mary Geoise is now a ruin."
Everyone in the room turned to look at Kizaru, who was leisurely sipping tea.
"That's right! I went to see it myself. The Celestial Dragons have all been killed! The Gorosei are missing too!"
"Even the God's Knights have vanished! All of Mary Geoise is now occupied by the Jura-Tempest Federation's army!"
With Kizaru's confirmation, every person in the room drew a sharp breath.
It took a moment for them to fully absorb just how enormous that news was.
"Bwahaha! Isn't it better that those guys are gone? They were a bunch of trash anyway!"
Garp's booming laughter was the first sound to break the silence.
"But without the World Government, what exactly are the Marines supposed to do?"
Vice Admiral Momonga laid out their predicament with a grave expression.
The Marines right now were like children left without parents. Their military funding had no source.
If things went badly, the Marines could face disbandment from a lack of future funding alone.
"Hmph! What's there to be conflicted about? Everything stays the same. Keep cleaning up the trash on the seas!"
Admiral Akainu declared in his usual blunt manner that the Marines should carry on as before and focus on pirates.
"But Admiral Akainu, where will our supplies come from?"
"Without the World Government, the affiliated nations will probably stop sending them!"
"And once word gets out that the World Government is gone, the entire world will fall into chaos, never mind the pirates!"
Onigumo followed up by spelling out the full picture, making it clear that the world was already on the edge.
Hearing that, the room fell silent.
The high-ranking Marine officers still alive were not die-hard loyalists of the World Government.
The true loyalists had long since been wiped out by the Jura-Tempest Federation.
What these people feared was the chaos that was already brewing, and none of them had an answer for it.
"Sengoku, do you have something in mind?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer, looked at Sengoku, whose expression was grave but carried no trace of panic, and asked directly.
"There is a way out."
"What is it?!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, stop holding back and just tell us!"
"Sengoku, what are you waiting for, out with it!"
Seeing the anxious faces around the table, Sengoku was about to speak when another voice cut in first.
"Join our Jura-Tempest Federation, of course!"
"You!!!"
Sengoku looked up in surprise at Kaito and the others who had appeared, and quickly got to his feet.
"What, you're not going to invite us to sit?"
"Hahaha! Please, please, sit down!"
Sengoku quickly gestured for Kaito and the others to take their seats.
This time, seven people had come in total, including Kaito. All of them were true decision-makers of the Jura-Tempest Federation.
Well... except for two of them.
"Allow me to make the introductions, Mr. Sengoku!"
Kagaya stood and introduced each person to the assembled Marines.
"This is the Queen of the Jura-Tempest Federation, Rimuru-sama!"
Every eye in the room drifted to the stunning beauty before them, and quiet murmurs spread as people realized the top leader was a young woman.
"This is the Regent of the Jura-Tempest Federation, Kaito-sama!"
The high-ranking officers were already quite familiar with Kaito. He was, after all, the one most directly responsible for the kidnapping of the Celestial Dragons.
Kizaru in particular, having spoken face-to-face with Kaito before, knew him better than most.
"This is Miss Izayoi Sakuya, Head Maid and Commander of the Imperial Guard Corps!"
All eyes moved to the silver-haired girl standing behind Kaito, dressed in a maid's uniform with her hands folded neatly in front of her.
The Marines were once again caught off guard.
"So cute! These young people nowadays are frighteningly capable!"
"I know her! She was one of the people sitting in those chairs during the broadcast!"
"She really is a maid! I thought that was just a personal choice!"
Kagaya continued the introductions without acknowledging the murmuring.
"I imagine this next person needs no introduction!"
Every officer who had participated in the battle nodded as their eyes landed on Benimaru, seated with his two horns clearly visible.
"Benimaru, I didn't expect to see you again so soon!"
"I understand now what you meant when we parted."
Akainu addressed Benimaru with his usual bluntness.
"Heh heh! The Admiral doesn't seem to be opposed to this!"
"As long as we can keep cleaning up the trash on the seas, I have no objections."
"Wonderful!"
"This is Rigurd, who serves as a Chief Administrator of the Jura-Tempest Federation, just as I do!"
Rigurd gave a serious nod to everyone present, and the Marines politely returned it.
"And this one..."
"I am the diplomat of the Jura-Tempest Federation. My name is Testarossa. My greetings to all of you."
Before Kagaya could finish, Testarossa rose from her seat in a white gown and spoke for herself.
She performed a perfectly measured noble bow to the room, every movement composed and effortless.
Every Marine in the room instinctively stood and returned a military salute.
"You are too kind, Miss Diplomat."
"Miss Testarossa must certainly come from noble birth!"
Watching this, Kaito and Rimuru leaned toward each other.
"Hey! Kai-chan! Why does she feel more like a queen than I do?"
"Well, she actually was a princess for a while. You can't really compare yourself to that."
Kaito kept his voice low and wore a thoroughly unimpressed expression.
"Wow! What is that supposed to mean?! I'm a Queen, that's a rank above her!"
Rimuru shot back in an indignant whisper.
"Oh please. Do you even know what your queenship actually amounts to?"
"You're not even as useful as Gobta."
"What?! Kai-chan, you actually said that about me! Aren't you in the same boat as me?"
Realising he had accidentally implicated himself, Kaito quickly changed the subject.
"Ahem... That's beside the point. We're conducting serious business here! Let's not get sidetracked again."
"And finally, myself. I also serve as a Chief Administrator of the Jura-Tempest Federation, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku and I are old friends."
As he said it, Kagaya gave Sengoku a warm smile.
Sengoku smiled back and nodded slowly.
"Now that introductions are done, let's get to the real discussion..."