As soon as the news spread, those in the New World who had bad relations with the Golden Lion, and even those who had mixed feelings about him, rejoiced and began to hold celebrations.
But this event brought Sengoku a headache.
Firstly, the outcome of this operation was extremely unsuccessful. Two Marine legends were sent on a mission, but in the end they captured only a few of the Golden Lion's minor henchmen. Although they were worth some reward, as many said, the cost was clearly not worth it. This, of course, greatly damaged the Marine's credibility and image.
The reason for all this was, of course, that scoundrel Garp. If he hadn't dropped everything and gone after Roger, but had stayed to fight the Golden Lion with Sengoku, then perhaps the Golden Lion would have been rotting in Impel Down long ago, and the Marines would have looked much more impressive.
Now the situation had developed in such a way that the Golden Lion, enraged by the impudence of the young man named Little Curry, did not even think of retreating. If Garp had stayed and acted together, they probably could have stopped the Golden Lion. But... the chance was lost.
However, this was not the biggest problem. After all, capturing such pirate kingpins as the Golden Lion and Roger is no easy task. Although it is a pity that such an opportunity was missed, it is not a reason for real regret for the rest of his life.
The real headache for Sengoku was his older brother's son, Little Curry. He had never seen anything special in him: the boy was lazy and did not stand out with any outstanding qualities. But now it turned out that this future heir, who was to take his father's place in the East Blue, had such a hot temper and a sarcastic tongue that he was capable of driving even such an experienced pirate as the Golden Lion into a rage.
If Sengoku were in Golden Lion's shoes, he would also be furious if he was lectured in front of everyone by some rookie naval officer. And now Little Curry has made himself a mortal enemy. Considering Golden Lion's character, who still can't forget his defeat by Roger more than ten years ago, he will definitely not leave Curry alone.
Sengoku had originally planned to send Little Curry to the front lines with Borsalino. But now, considering that even Borsalino might be in danger in the face of the Golden Lion, that plan would have to be put on hold. He felt more at ease with Little Curry by his side.
But then, wasn't that why he brought Little Curry to the New World, to toughen him up? What was the point of keeping him around then?
Was he, such an important person, now going to have to personally take Little Curry on missions so that he could gain experience?
This is not in line with the purpose of the training...
"Pada pada pada..!"
"Moshi-moshi, this is Sengoku," came a voice from the sea slug lying nearby.
- This is Kong. The recent battle in the New World has not reflected well on our image. Five Elders have called and demanded the creation of a new department to improve the Marines' reputation. The New World is temporarily under the command of Vice Admiral Duncan. Come back.
"And by the way, take Leonardo with you," Kong added, clearly experiencing a headache, but not forgetting to remind.
The creation of a new department is not an easy task, but it is not difficult in essence. Its purpose is to improve the public image of the Marines and restore the world's trust in their forces.
This is not a combat unit, so everything is relatively simple: you need to free up a few offices and appoint a few officials there.
But the problem is that while it is easy to create such a department, and easy to free up offices, the Five Elders have made it clear that the goal is to improve the image of the Marines and build trust among the people. Therefore, simply appointing a few officials will not be enough. At least one charismatic spokesman who can inspire and lead is needed.
Where can one find such talent in the Marines?
The problem is that they don't have such experienced speakers.
While Marine officers do give grand speeches before battle to boost the morale of the men, that's not what the Five Petty Offices require. You can't exactly get these officers to inspire people in front of their screens to follow the Marines in the fight against pirates, right?
Initially, when he received the call from the Five Elders, he immediately thought of Tsuru. Tsuru was a great candidate, but there were so many things to do at the General Staff that Tsuru simply couldn't handle it. So he called Zephyr, and the two of them spent two days in the office thinking about it, but they still couldn't come up with a suitable solution. Sending the Marines to fight pirates was their specialty, but getting them to advertise the Marines on newspaper or broadcasttelevision... There was a clear lack of talent there.
Finally, in the morning they saw the newspaper headlines, and a young man standing on the head of a wooden dragon and pointing at the Golden Lion gave them a flash of inspiration.
However, they were not sure whether this young man had talent in this area. His eloquence was one thing, but would he be able to speak at official events? There was no problem with his image - he was able to charm Gion, perhaps he had some charisma that they had not yet seen.
But insulting people and giving official speeches are two completely different things. We'll have to try it to see if he can handle it...
- New department? Little Curry? Increased reputation?
- Can this guy handle it?..
Sengoku's mind worked quickly. After hanging up the phone, he connected the three key points that Big Brother had spoken of and almost guessed what he meant.
But remembering the famous scene where Little Curry insulted the Golden Lion and used all sorts of expressions to congratulate his family, Sengoku seriously doubted that this guy would be able to improve the image of their Marines.
However, seeing how Kong was in such a hurry, he realized that he was being pressured by the Five Elders. It was said that the World Government was going to establish the position of Commander-in-Chief of the entire army, a high position with great power, second only to the Five Elders. The Marine Marshal had a very good chance. If Kong were to take the position of Commander-in-Chief, then who else but him could become the Marine Marshal?
There is only an admiral in the Marines now!
But all of this is secondary. If Kong becomes the commander-in-chief of the army, it will benefit their marines, and they will not be so dependent on the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
As if imagining himself in a marshal's cape, Sengoku adjusted his glasses, and determination flashed in his eyes.
What to expect?
Call L Curry back to headquarters immediately!
- Brother Mickey, what's going on? I just arrived in the New World, and now I have to go back again? Brother Mickey, my stipend is small enough, you're not exploiting child labor, are you?
After the last battle, which was too brutal, Leonardo released the wooden dragons one after another, causing his legs to weaken and he had to rest for several days. Having barely recovered from the last war, he did not even have time to count the "harvest" of that battle, when Mickey's adjutant gave him Sengoku's order to come to Marineford. Leonardo was clearly not in the mood.
What's going on now?