Whitebeard stared, his mind, which had weathered the storms of Roger's era and the rise of the Four Emperors, struggling to process the image on the Video Transponder Snail.
It wasn't just Mike.
It was the crowd behind him.
He saw Sengoku, the "Resourceful General," his eternal rival.
He saw Garp, the "Hero," the man he'd nearly killed each other with countless times.
He saw Tsuru, the "Great Tactician," whose mind was as dangerous as any Devil Fruit.
These were the absolute pillars of the old guard, the immovable anchors of the Marine, and they were all standing firmly behind this young, smiling kid.
And then he saw the others. Akainu, the magma-fueled dog of "Absolute Justice."
Kizaru, the lazy, untouchable man of light.
Kuzan, the "lazy" idealist.
The three pillars of the future of the Marines, all following Mike's lead without question.
What did this mean?
Whitebeard wasn't a fool.
He understood perfectly.
This wasn't a rogue faction.
This wasn't a simple rebellion.
This was a coup.
A complete and total takeover.
The colossal ship of the Marines, the very vessel that had carried the World Government's will for centuries, had just changed its captain.
The helm was no longer in the hands of the Five Elders.
It was in the hands of this smiling, terrifyingly composed young man.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, feeling his aged, ailing heart stir with a vigor he hadn't felt in years.
He thought back to Fish-Man Island.
He remembered Mike's "Reform and Opening Up" plan, a move he had respected but not fully understood.
'Now I get it,' he thought, his mind racing.
'The kid wasn't just saving an island. He was testing a theory. He was building his base. He has quietly amassed a power so formidable that it defies imagination, and he didn't do it to rule the seas. He did it to reshape the entire landscape of the ocean.'
This kid intended to unleash an unprecedented storm, a tidal wave to sweep the old order—the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and yes, even them, the Four Emperors—into the dustbin of history.
And now, standing at the dawn of this new age, Whitebeard saw the final, simple choice.
Do you cling to the rotting, sinking remnants of the old era, barely surviving until you're ground to dust beneath the wheels of time?
Or do you grab the lifeline being offered and board the great ship of the new one, riding the winds and waves toward a bright, unknown future?
Was that even a choice to make?
"Alright!" Whitebeard's voice was a firm, decisive rumble.
"I don't fully grasp all the specifics yet, kid… but I believe in you. Becoming a Shichibukai? I'll take it!"
"Good," Mike nodded, all business.
"Then abandon your main fleet. Bring Marco, Jozu, and your core commanders here. We'll be waiting for you at headquarters."
He hung up the Den Den Mushi.
The "war" was over before it began.
Now, the real war could be planned.
He turned to the room, which was now, effectively, the New Marine's first-ever war council.
"Sengoku-san," Mike said, and Sengoku, now in his new role, stepped forward.
"Spread the word," Mike ordered, a faint smirk curling his lips.
"Leak it to every news outlet and whisper network on the planet. Whitebeard is joining the Shichibukai to save Ace. He is offering his entire territory and the full cooperation of the Whitebeard Pirates in exchange for his son's freedom."
He paused, letting the strategic brilliance of the lie settle in.
"An Emperor of the Sea, willingly giving up his territory and his dignity to stoop to the level of a Shichibukai? That's explosive enough to stop the entire world in its tracks, don't you think?"
Sengoku's eyes lit up as he instantly grasped the plan.
"The other powers will be paralyzed," he said, his voice brimming with tactical energy.
"Those who planned to take advantage of the chaos, to pick at your scraps, will think twice. And Kaido… that warmonger loves a good fight, but he's not stupid. He's not coming all this way to fight a battle that's already been won by the Marines."
"Exactly," Mike confirmed.
"He'll wait and watch. If he thinks this is true, he'll turn back, bored and disappointed. If he thinks it's false, he'll keep coming, eager for the spectacle. Either way, it buys us time. And once the New Marine is fully consolidated and our strength is solidified… we'll have Whitebeard himself debunk the rumor, call Kaido a coward, and lure that 'invincible' beast right into our trap."
"..."
"Good," Sengoku said, a genuine smile on his face.
This was strategy on a level he hadn't been able to practice in years.
"And… what about the World Government? They won't just sit by and let this new narrative stand."
"How long?" Mike asked, turning to his new council.
"How long until the New Marine is fully integrated? All factions, all new protocols, all chains of command solidified and battle-ready."
Sengoku didn't answer immediately.
He looked at Akainu. He looked at Zephyr. At Kuzan. At Garp.
They exchanged silent, calculating glances, mentally reviewing the logistical nightmare of merging every loyal Marine faction, every new recruit, and every Shichibukai into a single, cohesive fighting force.
After a long moment, Sengoku gave the definitive answer.
"Two weeks. Nonstop, around-the-clock work. Within two weeks, we can complete all combat preparations and integration."
"Good. Then two weeks it is," Mike nodded. He then answered Sengoku's earlier question, a cold smile on his face.
"The World Government's sources of information… there are only so many channels that truly matter."
He turned his gaze to Bartholomew Kuma, the newest member of the New Shichibukai, who stood silently in the corner with his familiar Bible in hand.
"Kuma. I'll need your help."
Kuma nodded, his voice a quiet, mechanical monotone as he pulled out an oddly shaped Den Den Mushi.
"Vegapunk gave this to me. It's a private line. We can use it to contact Stussy. With her help from inside CP0, delaying their intelligence reports for two weeks will not be a problem."
'One eye blinded,' Mike thought, satisfied.
He then turned to the man in the garish pink feather coat.
"Doflamingo. That 'Big News Bird' of yours. He's your responsibility now."
"Fufufufufu!" Doflamingo's grin was pure, malicious joy.
The former "Joker," the king of the underworld's information network, was now being tasked with silencing the world's press.
The irony was delicious.
"With Stussy making sure the government is deaf, I'll happily track down that overgrown albatross and make him 'shut his beak' for three days, or three weeks, or however long you wish. Consider him silenced."
"..."
Sengoku watched this unfold, his heart filled with a complex, almost terrifying awe.
'CP0's intelligence network, severed at the source.'
'"Big News" Morgans' reports, silenced.'
A complete, two-pronged strike to blindfold and deafen the entire World Government.
The next two weeks would be the New Marine's "silent period."
A time of dormancy where they would gather their strength like a leviathan lurking in the deepest abyss, silently awaiting the moment to strike.
Meanwhile, the World Government would remain blissfully, arrogantly oblivious, still lost in their delusion of being the "rulers of the world."
By the time they realized what was happening?
Too late.
Everything would be far beyond their control.
The colossal ship of the New Marine would crush all the old order and outdated rules with the thunderous, unstoppable force of a tsunami.
The final details were hammered out with ruthless efficiency.
One: The New Marine would establish three military fortresses in the New World—at the G-1 Branch, on Dressrosa, and in Whitebeard's former territory.
These three strongholds would act as iron nails driven firmly into the map, expanding the New Marine's influence to every corner of the most dangerous sea.
Two: Within two weeks, the New Marine would complete its internal consolidation.
Then, they would leak the "truth" to Kaido, lure him to Marineford, and, in a globally broadcasted spectacle, annihilate the Beasts Pirates.
The blood of a Four Emperor would serve as the inaugural sacrifice for the New Marine's rise.
Three: At the same time, they would announce the New Marine's establishment to the world, declaring their intent to take over the order of the seas.
Pirates with no blood on their hands would be given a chance to reform.
As for those who remained stubborn? They would face Akainu's "Absolute Justice."
Four: Subsequently, the consolidated forces would split.
The Paradise Army, led by Kuzan, would purge Paradise and the Four Seas.
The New World Army, led by Akainu and reinforced by the Whitebeard Pirates, would pin down the Big Mom and Red-Haired Pirates, preventing them from leaving their territory.
Five: The remaining forces, under the command of Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp, would remain at headquarters, standing ready for the World Government's inevitable, all-out counterattack.
"With that, all arrangements are concluded," Mike said, his voice filling the room, which now crackled with a new, dangerous energy.
"Well done, everyone."
He stood, his posture shifting from the relaxed financier to the supreme commander of the world's new, greatest power.
He raised his hand and snapped a crisp, perfect military salute.
Snap!
The synchronized sound of nearly a dozen of the most powerful individuals on the planet—Sengoku, Akainu, Kizaru, Kuzan, Zephyr, Garp, Tsuru, Mihawk, Doflamingo, Crocodile, Kuma, and Jinbei—returning the salute as one, echoed sharply through the conference room.
"For Justice!" Mike roared.
"FOR JUSTICE!!!"