One month later
Grand Line, first half of the Grand Line, Marine Headquarters, Marineford
"You're all aware of the situation. Blackbeard took down Kaido a week ago and even delivered his head to the headquarters in exchange for the position of warlord. What are your thoughts on this?"
Sengoku, wearing a seagull-adorned hat and sporting a twisted mustache, sat at the head of the conference room and addressed those present.
"Well, managing to take down Kaido with Blackbeard's power is truly frightening. His previous bounty seemed to underestimate him," commented Admiral Aokiji, calmly supporting his chin with his hand and lounging in his seat.
"Hmph, with the Warlords currently at full capacity, there's no room for him to join," said Admiral Sakazuki, a muscular man with a scar across his face, dressed in a black and red suit and wearing the Justice cape.
"It's indeed frightening. Blackbeard is becoming more powerful," remarked Admiral Kizaru, wearing a yellow-striped suit and a pair of eccentric glasses and lazily sipping his tea.
"Hmph, Borsalino, look at what you did back then. If you hadn't let him go, we wouldn't be dealing with this mess now," growled Admiral Akainu, also known as Sakazuki, with both his arms erupting into scorching magma, leaving a mark on the table with the intense heat.
"Arara, Sakazuki, back then, the island had many civilians. If we had confronted Blackbeard and his crew, countless innocent lives would have been lost. Have you thought about that? If Blackbeard continued causing havoc, it would have threatened the entire world," countered Admiral Kuzan, also known as Aokiji, wearing a white undershirt and sporting an explosive hairstyle.
"Hmph, for the safety of more civilians, the loss of an island is acceptable. Have you ever considered that, Kuzan? If that man continued his evil ways, the entire world would be in danger," Sakazuki retorted with determination. For him, sacrificing a few for the greater good was justified.
"Sakazuki, you're going overboard!" Kuzan angrily stood up and yelled at Sakazuki.
"Hmph, unnecessary kindness cannot protect this world," Sakazuki firmly responded.
"Enough of this bickering. Now is not the time for arguments!" Sengoku roared, holding his head and feeling a headache coming on. He was highly frustrated dealing with the two highest-ranking Marines, who had such contrasting beliefs.
"Okay, let's get back to the topic. The issue at hand is Blackbeard's potential induction into the Warlords. However, due to the current full capacity of Warlords, the Five Elders have issued a command to revoke Bartholomew Kuma's title and have him cooperate with the Marine Science Unit under Vega Punk's experimentation." He repeated the latest order, silencing the room.
"Hmph, the Five Elders are doing this to cater to Blackbeard, aren't they?" Sakazuki's anger flared. For him, the Warlords' policy insulted the absolute justice he upheld.
"Revoking Kuma's Warlord title, and he will cooperate with the Marine Science Unit's experiments? Since he's lost his title, he'll become an ordinary pirate again," Kuzan questioned, still puzzled.
"That guy will cooperate well. He's not willing to sacrifice an entire country for his gain. Hmph! Those five elders are dirty politicians. As long as you have enough power and obey their commands, even pirates become a force they can use," Sengoku commented, dropping Blackbeard's crew's information on the table in anger.
"Well, this is indeed a frightening group of individuals," Borsalino marveled. He casually poured himself another cup of tea.
"Arara, it's clear that despite being a rookie pirate crew, they're compelling," Kuzan said with a severe expression. For such a team, gaining the title of warlord meant nothing, as it did not impact their already considerable strength.
"Hmph, a group like this should be eliminated before they grow any stronger. Otherwise, we'll have another Red-Haired Shank!" Sakazuki declared, his arms turning into scorching molten lava, raising the room's temperature significantly.
"That's my concern as well. Blackbeard is an ambitious and brilliant individual. If he wants to join the Warlords, he must have a purpose we don't know about," Admiral Fujitora confirmed, his voice calm as he spoke.
"Arara, it's a dirty trade indeed. The Five Elders are perfect politicians. They only need your power and your willingness to follow their orders. Even pirates can be a force they can utilize," Kuzan added, covering his eyes with an eyepatch and lying back to sleep in his chair.
"As long as they are a force that can be used for their purposes and do not threaten their rule, it doesn't matter if they are Marines or pirates." He continued with a detached tone, gazing around the room.
"The damn Five Elders! The damned warlords! I'll find an opportunity to throw them all into Impel Down." Sengoku, growing angrier by the minute, shouted, and his voice echoed throughout the meeting room.