Chapter 320 - 159

Chapter 159: The Justice of the Three Admirals!!"Then, if you set aside those concerns, who would you actually recommend in your heart?"Garp's crunching stopped abruptly, a piece of senbei still dangling from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes, usually filled with a hint of laziness, brightened.This question had piqued his interest. He never cared for these convoluted matters, but he was, after all, curious about Sengoku's choice.Hearing this, Sengoku rested his hands on the cold desk, his knuckles tapping lightly against the surface, his brows furrowed as he fell into a long period of contemplation.The hall was left with only the faint sound of the sea breeze sweeping past the flagpole outside the window; the savory scent of the senbei gradually faded, replaced by a sense of gravity.After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh, his voice filled with unconcealable exhaustion:"Sakazuki... he is too much like I was in my youth. The same absolute obedience to military orders, the same deep hatred for evil, unable to tolerate even a speck of pirate filth in his eyes, single-mindedly wanting to end that damned pirate era, and even... harboring the delusion of eradicating all evil in this world."As he spoke the last few words, his voice lowered, tinged with a hint of self-mockery.Immediately after, he slumped back into the Fleet Admiral's chair, his broad shoulders slightly sagging—he wouldn't be sitting in this chair, which bore countless burdens, for much longer."But you've seen it too,"Sengoku lowered his eyes, his tone filled with helplessness,"I've struggled my whole life, yet in the end, I've achieved nothing. Pirates still run rampant, evil has never ceased, and so-called 'Justice' has never truly illuminated the seas."He looked up at Garp, his eyes complex:"I don't know, if I let Sakazuki sit in this position, will he repeat my mistakes? Will he, in the end, be left with nothing but exhaustion and resentment?""What about Kuzan?"Garp scratched his messy hair, his face full of confusion.So there was so much to consider when choosing a Fleet Admiral; a brute like him, whose head was only filled with beating pirates and eating senbei, truly couldn't fathom the depths of a tactician's thoughts."Kuzan?"Sengoku murmured the name, involuntarily recalling the man who always wore a loose coat and dared to sleep on the floor of the serious conference room, the corners of his mouth twitching, his tone tinged with a sense of frustration at his lack of ambition."If he becomes Fleet Admiral and continues with that laissez-faire, easy-going attitude... there's a good chance it won't work out!"The Fleet Admiral has to carry the weight of the entire world, the lives of countless Marines; how could there be any room for laziness?"But—"Sengoku changed his tone, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp,"If Kuzan can find himself in this position, no longer be wrapped in confusion, and truly carry the responsibility of 'Justice' without wavering... then the Marine, perhaps, could really have a different, better future."As soon as he finished speaking, his sharp, hawk-like eyes suddenly fixed on Garp, who was swinging his legs leisurely to the side, with a look of profound scrutiny:"Come to think of it, if you could properly teach Kuzan and straighten out that confusion of his, there wouldn't be so much trouble, would there?"Garp was stunned, then grinned:"You know my teaching methods!"Sengoku didn't reply, but his heart was clear as a mirror.The reason Akainu had the capital to rival Aokijiwas seventy percent due to the full support of the Gorosei.After all, Sakazuki's "Absolute Justice" was most to the taste of those in power.The remaining thirty percent came from the support of the rank-and-file Marines and the backing of those veteran hawkish officers.After all, for these years, Akainu had been stationed in the most dangerous New World, confronting the Four Emperors year-round, fighting to the death with all kinds of heinous pirates, and had fought countless battles, big and small.In terms of seniority and military achievements alone, he was enough to take a zero-experience rookie all the way to the position of Admiral, let alone a candidate for Fleet Admiral.In contrast, Aokiji seemed like someone just drifting through life.He spent most of his time hanging around Paradise, occasionally dealing with some pirate incidents; it wasn't that he had no achievements, but compared to Akainu, it was a world of difference.The eyes of the masses are sharp, and the hearts within the Marine are even more so.Who would pass over a "model worker" who had been bathed in blood and worked diligently for years, only to support a "slacker" who always looked indifferent and uncompetitive?The shadow of the Fleet Admiral's chair fell on Sengoku's face, making his expression increasingly difficult to discern.This struggle for the position of Fleet Admiral was never just a contest between two people; it was a clash of two types of justice, a choice for the future direction of the Marine...."Then what about Borsalino?!"Garp suddenly raised his hand to pick his nose, a mischievous smile spreading across his rough face, as if he had thought of some huge joke.He leaned in suddenly toward Sengoku, his stubbly face almost touching the other's, his breath carrying the faint salty scent of senbei, and said thoughtfully:"If I remember correctly, when you were still an Admiral, that guy was your adjutant, right?""What's the matter, now that you've turned your back, you won't even acknowledge him, not even willing to mention the possibility of him becoming Fleet Admiral? That's a bit too heartless!""— — Garp!!"As soon as the five words "Borsalino" fell, Sengokureacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling with stress.In the previously heavy atmosphere of the office, faint golden electric arcs suddenly exploded, intertwined with a bit of black-red Haoshokupressure.The edges of the tables and chairs trembled slightly under this invisible aura, and even the air seemed to congeal for a moment.His face was as black as the bottom of a pot, the veins on his forehead throbbing, spittle flying as he spoke, his tone filled with irrepressible rage:"You actually think that dead salted fish is qualified to be the Fleet Admiral?!""The thing I regret most in my life is that I was momentarily blind back then and let that slacker become my adjutant!"What is an adjutant?It is the right-hand man who can share the burdens of the commander, handle trivial matters, and be a reliable backup who can stabilize the situation even when the commander is away.But whenever he thought of Borsalino, Sengokucouldn't help but feel his temples throb, scenes from the past automatically replaying in his mind—In the conference room, he was overwhelmed by a pile of urgent documents, only to turn and see his adjutant leaning against the chair back, eyes half-closed, speaking in a drawling tone:"Scary~, this work is practically like a monster? It's just too troublesome~"At the mission briefing for hunting pirates, he emphasized the urgency of the operation, but Borsalino was slowly adjusting his gloves, casually saying:"Ma~ it'll get resolved in the end anyway,"enough to make someone choke with anger.Over the years, that guy, relying on the speed of the Pika Pika no Mi and his top-tier strength, always had an attitude of "it has nothing to do with me, slack off if you can" whenever he encountered something; he only fought pirates when he felt like it, handled official business by procrastinating, truly a salted fish that couldn't be propped up against a wall.Aokiji and Akainu were competing for Fleet Admiral; no matter who was elected in the end, they at least had clear codes of conduct, the foundation of the Marine wouldn't be shaken, and the result was still uncertain.But if Borsalino were really allowed to sit in the position of Fleet Admiral...Sengoku closed his eyes, almost able to foresee the future:Within three months, all urgent documents would be piled up on the desk gathering dust, pirate suppression missions would be repeatedly shelved because he "found them troublesome," internal Marine orders would be chaotic, morale would scatter, and the entire system would definitely come to a complete standstill!By then, either the Gorosei would forcibly intervene, or internal dissatisfaction would erupt within the Marine, Borsalino would definitely be removed from office, and in the end, they would still have to re-elect a Fleet Admiral.— — It would be a complete waste of effort, just adding to the mockery!Thinking of this, Sengoku's anger grew, and he glared at Garp:"Stop bringing up that jerk! Handing the Marineover to him would be no better than handing it over to pirates to rule!"