Sabaody Archipelago – Marine Temporary Command Center
"Dismissed for now..."
Akainu, calmly reviewing the intelligence laid out before him, addressed the returning Onigumo and the other Vice Admirals.
"Yes, sir!" They responded, standing at attention and saluting before departing.
With the room emptied, only the three Admirals and the Great Staff Officer, Tsuru, remained. The moment the others were gone, Akainu could no longer contain his fury. He slammed his fist on the desk, shattering it into splinters that ignited in a shower of sparks.
"Those… bastards!!!"
The government had publicly announced that the Red Hair Pirates had stolen Pure Gold? What utter nonsense! Akainu couldn't believe how swiftly his earlier warnings had come to pass. To maintain their grip on power, the World Government had forced the Marines to swallow their pride, even in the face of humiliation.
Rowen's resounding victory had been concealed, and the Marines were compelled to present a false image of defeat, deceiving the world. For someone like Akainu, who believed in "Absolute Justice," this humiliation was worse than eating dirt.
"Calm down, Akainu!" Tsuru frowned, fanning away the acrid smoke rising from the charred remains of the desk. "You're the Fleet Admiral now. Your every word and action reflects the Marine's stance."
This only fueled Akainu's anger further. His eyes narrowed, his expression turning rabid. "Then let them come and punish me! Those stubborn old fossils— do they have the nerve to act but not to face criticism?!"
It was a blatant attack on the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars), the highest authority of the World Government, with even "Steel Bone" Kong, the Commander-in-Chief, standing between them and Akainu.
Tsuru's face paled. Though accustomed to Akainu's temper, she was utterly exasperated.
Fortunately… her gaze shifted towards the young Admiral standing at a distance, his demeanor nonchalant and detached. With him here, even if Akainu's words had overstepped, the Gorōsei likely wouldn't trouble the Marines.
Noticing Tsuru's gaze, Rowen shrugged. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't accept that lord's appointment, so whether the Gorōsei are reprimanded or invited elsewhere has nothing to do with me— it's meaningless."
"That's more than enough!" Tsuru shot him a sharp glare.
While she appreciated Rowen's decision— after all, the Marines couldn't afford to lose him, their youngest Admiral ever, especially given the current tense situation and lack of capable successors— still…
They were talking about the Gorōsei, the highest authority in the World Government! If a Marine were to rise to such a position, it would free them from constant interference and allow their voice to be heard. But Rowen had refused the opportunity.
This humiliation, inflicted upon the Marines by a dirty political trade, had presented Rowen with a golden chance to ascend directly. Using the turmoil of the Pirate Era to overthrow the Gorōsei would have been a historic and unprecedented move.
Such a heaven-sent opportunity…
"Ugh!" Tsuru sighed deeply and looked away. "Let's focus on discussing how to take advantage of this situation and crush the pirate alliance in one go."
With a massive force of pirates united, they stretched endlessly across the sea. Even with the strength of the three Marine Admirals, without targeted action against specific figures within the pirate alliance, they wouldn't fear encirclement. On the contrary, they might welcome it.
However, the vastness of the sea posed a problem. Even with Rowen's "Heavenly Network," which could monitor targets within a 50-kilometer radius, it was a drop in the ocean. If the pirates scattered, the Marines wouldn't have the capacity to hunt them down individually.
Aokiji nodded in agreement. "At this point, we should feign a retreat, pretending that Rowen's defeat forced us to pull back our defenses. This will lure the pirates into advancing further."
"Their current position is too advantageous— they can attack or retreat at will. We need to break the stalemate."
Rowen glanced at Aokiji and commented dryly, "You've changed, Admiral Aokiji."
"Hm?"
"Retreating would embolden the pirates, and the civilians in the occupied regions would suffer. The old you wouldn't have been able to make such a cold-hearted decision." Rowen's tone was laced with amusement.
"People change," Aokiji replied, his expression calm.
Rowen chuckled lightly at the remark and shook his head.
"I think this plan is feasible. What do you think, Akainu?" Tsuru turned to look at the Marine Fleet Admiral, who wore an expression as if ready to devour someone and asked.
In order to better capture the pirates in one fell swoop, certain compromises were necessary. Akainu didn't care about the lives of the common people but was more concerned with preserving the dignity of the Marines.
Now that Aokiji had proposed this plan, Akainu, as the Fleet Admiral, had to lead by example.
"Proceed with this plan!" Taking a deep breath, Akainu suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "For Justice!"
At this moment, the pirates surrounding the outskirts of Sabaody were still unaware that the Marines were weaving a massive net to trap them, sharpening their blades for the confrontation.
They were still stunned by the shocking news from the New World a few days ago, caught in a dilemma.
"What should we do? Should we stay here? The Pure Gold has already been taken by Shanks!"
"I don't know. Let's wait for the Captain to decide."
Meanwhile, in the heart of an obscure island, a group of allied pirates was gathered, noisily voicing their opinions.
"Everyone, listen to me! Even if the news is true and Red Hair really has taken the Pure Gold, this is still a golden opportunity for us!" A pirate captain spoke loudly. "Think about it— what kind of lives are we leading right now?"
"How long are you going to wait before standing up to resist? Do you know what's being said out there? The Marine Era! Our time is over!"
Since the great events that led to Whitebeard's defeat and death, people everywhere felt a sudden shift in the winds of the era. The previously calm waves turned into violent surges in an instant. Before anyone could recover from their shock, the Marine Era had abruptly arrived.
In the past few months, which pirate crew could claim they were doing well? They didn't even dare to appear casually along the Grand Line for fear of encountering Marine patrols. If they were unlucky enough to face the Aircraft Force, none would survive.
"It's time to suppress the Marines' arrogance!"
"We are pirates— free pirates!!"
The captain's eloquence stirred the crowd's emotions. Many were brimming with excitement, ready to charge out and fight the Marines immediately.
However, while some were swayed, others were not.
A tall, feminine-looking Longleg Tribe captain stood up, dusted off his sleeves, and walked toward the door. His actions quickly drew everyone's attention. "Where are you going, Gabriel?"
"Where? Naturally, I'm going home!" Gabriel, the pirate, chuckled lightly. "Marine or pirate, I went to sea for treasure."
"Now that the Pure Gold is in Red Hair's hands, it's time for me to return to the New World and look for other opportunities." With that, he waved goodbye. "Farewell, everyone. Come visit me for tea sometime!"
Gabriel wasn't the only one. Seeing someone take a stand, a few other captains exchanged glances and also stood up.
"I suspect Red Hair didn't actually take the Pure Gold, so I'm going to the New World to find out the truth and avoid being manipulated." With that, this person turned and left.
"Such cowards!!"
In an instant, out of the thirty or so pirate crews participating in this alliance, fewer than ten remained. Each crew had its own considerations, but none were willing to recklessly clash with Marine Headquarters under unclear circumstances.
The pirate captain who held the alliance's leadership looked gloomy and was tempted to kill someone to establish authority. However, the remaining pirates were all formidable, and it was uncertain who would kill whom if they started a fight.
The same scenario played out across the seas. When news spread that Shanks had taken the Pure Gold, pirates everywhere were shocked and began to deliberate whether to stay and confront the Marines.
They forgot one thing: on the seas, hesitation leads to defeat.
Noticing this shift in attitude, the Marines decisively executed the final step of their plan, strategically retreating their defensive lines.
The reason, as leaked, was that Soryu (Azure Dragon) had been defeated and left weakened, forcing the Marines to shrink their defense perimeter to secure Holy Land and the Sabaody Archipelago.
For a moment, pirates harboring deep hatred for the government were ecstatic upon hearing this news.
To pirates, the Marine's most threatening figure was undoubtedly Marine's Soryu (Azure Dragon). Within the pirate community, some had even begun calling him "Marine Thunder God," signifying their reverence and fear of him.
The thought that even he had been defeated, forcing the Marines to retreat, triggered two distinct reactions.
First, if Soryu (Azure Dragon) had been defeated, Shanks couldn't have emerged unscathed. This was the best chance to fulfill their ambitions and dominate the seas— toppling a Yonko and seizing the Pure Gold for immortality!
Second, with the Marines retreating, the vast expanse of unguarded seas could be freely plundered. Perhaps… it was worth pushing the front lines forward?
What drives people forward is always interest.
Faced with these two enticing prospects, even those who were rational were swept up by the tide and acted accordingly.
The Marines, on the other hand, exploited this mentality to divide and conquer the pirate fleets, luring these ambitious individuals into their encirclement, and preparing for a complete annihilation.
(End Of The Chapter)
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