Also within the Holy Land of Mariejois, in the Commander-in-Chief's office.
Sengoku the Buddha, the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, submitted his resignation to Commander-in-Chief Kong.
With Garp having already resigned, and now Sengoku also stepping down from the Fleet Admiral position, it was a great source of regret for Kong that the two men who had led the Marines on the front lines since the time of Roger were both retiring to a supervisory role.
However, Kong still accepted Sengoku's resignation, retained his rank, and pleaded with him and Garp to stay in the Marines to train new recruits.
Knowing that it was impossible for him to completely abandon all his duties and retire peacefully, given the multitude of Marine and World Government secrets he was privy to, Sengoku was not surprised and readily agreed to Kong's request.
"Kong, regarding the next Fleet Admiral, I would like to recommend Aokiji." Before leaving, Sengoku put forward Admiral Aokiji to Kong as the candidate for the next Fleet Admiral.
Sengoku, known as 'The Buddha' and 'The Strategist,' is a very steady and pragmatic man who always considers the bigger picture. He recommended Aokiji because he is benevolent, friendly to civilians, and more suited to lead the army of Justice.
In contrast, Akainu is an absolute hardliner. Although his strength and strategy are also excellent, he tends to be extreme in his actions, so after careful consideration, Sengoku felt he was not suitable to be the leader of the Marines and decided that Aokiji should be the next Fleet Admiral.
As for Kizaru, he is too smooth and lacks the temperament of a commander, so Sengoku naturally did not consider him seriously.
"Kuzan, huh... he is a good choice." Kong nodded slightly. In his impression, Kuzan was indeed a person capable of leading the Marines and possessed the talent to do so.
"The Gorosei seem to be vaguely leaning toward supporting Sakazuki, but I will take your recommendation into consideration."
…
New World, Riquille Kingdom.
A kingdom located in the central sea region of the New World, famous for its gold. It possesses one of the world's few large-scale gold mines, capable of extracting over ten tons of gold annually. The nation is wealthy and its power is formidable.
Riquille Kingdom is situated on a massive, irregularly shaped island where a total of five countries exist, and Riquille Kingdom is the strongest among them.
Unfortunately, great wealth attracts trouble. Even with its formidable national strength, Riquille Kingdom could not fend off the swarming enemies and pirates who descended upon it like hungry wolves.
Since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, several wars have erupted every year. If not for the gold extracted from the domestic mines supporting it, Riquille Kingdom would not have been able to sustain itself for so many years.
However, after such a prolonged period, the national power of Riquille Kingdom has long been depleted.
Recently, three surrounding countries, allied with several pirate crews, launched another fierce offensive against the kingdom, intending to wipe out this weakened nation in one swoop.
Boom, boom, boom, boom...
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
On the border, countless enemy soldiers and vicious pirates attacked the kingdom. Cannons roared, and gunfire was incessant. In an instant, blood and flesh flew everywhere.
But then, a troop of soldiers in Germa 66 Raid Suits appeared. Wielding various advanced weapons, and even energy cannons, they inflicted devastating casualties on the enemy soldiers and pirates from the moment they entered the battlefield.
Of course, what caused the most collapse among the enemy was the arrival of over ten monsters.
These monsters possessed powerful bodies up to five meters tall, the heads of lizards, mouths full of fangs, and blood-red eyes filled with brutality and viciousness. Their bodies were covered in jet-black scales the size of a baby's palm. They walked upright, with a row of half-meter-long spikes running down their backs. Both their hands and feet bore incredibly sharp claws, and a long, thick tail trailed from their tailbone—were they a legendary Lizardman? Or a Dragonian?
They were all swift, agile, and incredibly strong. They were also bulletproof; not only bullets, but even a direct hit from a rocket launcher left them completely unharmed.
"Charge—"
"Stop them!"
"Where did these monsters come from?"
"Damn Germa 66, those bastards!"
When these monsters charged into the enemy ranks, they immediately started a bloodbath. Their eight-inch-long claws were exceptionally sharp, practically irresistible, and unstoppable.
Even fully armored knights who resembled tanks, with their full steel plate armor, were easily ripped apart and pierced by the monsters' sharp claws, causing the enemy to flee in panic and suffer massive casualties.
"What impressive humanoid weapons! They might not be any weaker than the Marines' Pacifistas!" Prince Ichiji, the red-haired eldest prince of the Germa Kingdom, couldn't help but exclaim as he watched the battle below from a small hill.
As the eldest prince of the Germa Kingdom, his judgment was naturally sharp. He could see the power of these monsters. The various biological technologies contained within these creatures were equal to, if not superior to, the technology of the Germa Kingdom...
"Codename: 'Dragonborn.' They possess a reinforced super-alloy skeleton and are implanted with the latest mechanical central processing unit and chips. They belong to the Humanoid Biological Weapon class. They are living beings with a simple self-awareness, capable of efficiently distinguishing between friend and foe. Their strength is formidable, enough to rival a pirate with a bounty over 100 million Berry," Galan simply introduced the files of these biological weapons, the 'Dragonians.'
Then, he smiled and looked at Prince Ichiji, saying, "Your Highness Ichiji, these biological weapons are the culmination of several years of research by Dr. Dalt and Dr. Vade. They have cultivated hundreds of models one after another. Even the ferocious beasts used on the Aznat battlefield back then were merely transitional experiments."
"Dr. Dalt and Dr. Vade truly live up to their reputation as world-class scientists!" Blue-haired Niji's tone carried a hint of regret. Dr. Vade had cooperated with Germa before, but unfortunately, they couldn't keep him.
"This is the comprehensive result of years of research, costing countless resources. Otherwise, we wouldn't have Captain Oliver personally overseeing this field trial," Galan smiled and glanced at Oliver, who was half-asleep behind him.
"Hahahaha~ That's true. Otherwise, for a small mercenary mission, deploying such a high-ranking individual would be too easy on them!" Niji laughed loudly, a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes as he looked at Oliver.
"Of course. One 'Dragonian' costs a billion Berry. Sixteen 'Dragonians' are worth 16 billion Berry right here!" Oliver rubbed his eyes and grumbled without good humor. "Although I don't know much about it, the core technology involved is worth far more than 16 billion Berries."
At this moment, across the battlefield spanning dozens of square miles, the armies of the three countries and several pirate crews, leaving behind countless gruesome and mangled corpses, began to collapse.
"Run!"
"They're all monsters! We can't win!"
"We're going to die! We're really going to die!"
"..."
Seeing his subordinates suffer countless casualties, a pirate captain covered in tattoos on his face, chest, and arms could no longer sit still.
"Damn it! Don't get arrogant! Watch me, Blue Wolf Bowen, take your head!"
The captain, nearly three meters tall, moved quickly despite his size. He immediately drew his sword and launched a lightning-fast slash toward the nearest 'Dragonian.'