"How much of our forces? Why do you ask?"
Sengoku looked at Rorschach, confused.
If a typical Marine officer were to ask a question concerning a secret of the Marines, it would likely prompt a strict investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigation Bureau.
"I'm just thinking about the possible arrival of Golden Lion. If the Marines are stretched too thin by the World Council and can't handle a huge potential war, the consequences would be unimaginable," Rorschach replied with a serious tone.
Hearing Rorschach's response, Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru both tensed up.
Rorschach had a point.
Whether Golden Lion posed a real threat or not, as the highest decision-makers of Marine Headquarters, they had to consider the most difficult scenarios that could arise.
Sengoku thought carefully before speaking. "The World Council typically invites around fifty affiliate countries. Powerful nations like the Kingdom of Flowers and the Kingdom of Dressrosa don't need us to send an escort. The rest, however, require us to send a Rear Admiral and two warships to guard them."
"In addition, the security detail for the Holy Land of Mariejois will require two Marine Admirals..."
"That's absolutely not going to work!"
Rorschach interrupted Sengoku before he could finish.
Sengoku frowned, annoyed at being cut off. "You shouldn't be the one to say that, Rorschach. The decision to deploy Marine Admirals for the Holy Land's security is something that only the World Government can make. Don't be so reckless!"
Sengoku's tone was sharp, making Hibari and the others feel tense.
Even a groggy Kizaru was woken up. He opened his sleepy eyes and looked at the large group of people who had suddenly appeared.
"Oh, it's Rorschach. You're back?" He stretched, yawned, and grabbed the teacup in front of Rorschach, taking a big gulp.
Rorschach didn't say anything, but looked at the frowning Sengoku seriously.
"Old man, I'm serious."
"I am, too! This topic is over. It's late; go back and rest," Sengoku ordered, showing he was clearly unhappy.
Vice Admiral Tsuru gave Rorschach a look and smiled. "I suggest we hear Rorschach's thoughts first."
"What thoughts?" Sengoku frowned. "Every year, the Holy Land's security detail requires the Marines to deploy two Admirals. It's always been this way. Oh, he says no, so it's a no? There's a limit to recklessness! The authority for these major decisions lies with the World Government. Let alone a mere Marine Rear Admiral, not even an Admiral, not even I, the Fleet Admiral, can go against these orders."
He looked at the sleepy-looking Kizaru next to him. "Sakazuki needs to stay in the New World to control the situation there, so this year's World Council security detail will be handled by Borsalino and Kuzan together."
"What if Golden Lion attacks during that time?" Rorschach asked bluntly.
"Huh? Golden Lion attacked? When? That's terrifying. How long was I asleep? How did everything change?" Kizaru asked, bewildered.
Sengoku ignored the squawking Kizaru, leaned forward, and looked at Rorschach. "Even if Golden Lion attacks, Garp and I will go and face him! We took him down twenty years ago; he won't be able to cause any trouble twenty years later!"
Sengoku's voice was strong, and everyone could hear the immense confidence in his words.
As the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters and a former Marine Admiral codenamed "Sengoku the Buddha," who believed in absolute justice, Sengoku was one of the few Marines with Conqueror's Haki. With his "King of the World" mentality, his Conqueror's Haki was among the strongest on the sea.
Although he hadn't personally fought in many years, Sengoku still had immense confidence in his abilities. His eyes, filled with the authority of someone in a high position, were enough to make anyone who met his gaze feel intimidated.
But Rorschach met his gaze without flinching and said in a deep voice, "I believe that you and Garp are still in your prime and can defeat Golden Lion again. But what if he isn't the only one who attacks this time?"
"What do you mean?" Sengoku's brow furrowed.
"Since you always emphasize that the Marines' leadership needs to consider the worst-case scenario, think about this: what if it's not Golden Lion, not his Flying Pirates, but the Rocks Pirates that show up?"
The moment the name "Rocks Pirates" left Rorschach's mouth, even Sengoku's expression changed.
"Where did you hear about the Rocks Pirates..."
"That's not important!"
Rorschach interrupted Sengoku again. "Think about Rose's identity, Golden Lion's identity, Kaido's defeat in Alabasta, and the loss of Wang Zhi's face and his Celestial Dragon sword to Admiral Sakazuki, as well as the loss of one of his trusted subordinates in Spring Queen City. These people were all members of the Rocks Pirates! If I were Golden Lion, I would definitely team up with these people to start a huge war against the Marines that would decide the fate of the world! And that's not all..."
He looked around at Sengoku, Tsuru, and Kizaru, whose expressions had all turned grave. Even Hibari and the others, who didn't fully understand, realized the seriousness of the matter.
"If I were Golden Lion, I would also contact Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Shanks, and every pirate I could reach. While the World Government and the Marines are busy with the World Council and some of our forces are deployed elsewhere, I would launch a devastating attack on the Marines! At that point, old man, do you think we could stop them?"
"Impossible!" Sengoku slammed his right hand on the table. "Whitebeard and Shanks would never choose to team up with Golden Lion. The two of them aren't interested in conquering the world..."
"Then exclude them!"
Rorschach raised his voice, looking directly at Sengoku. "That still leaves Golden Lion, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Wang Zhi. That's more than enough for us to handle. Old man, while my theories might not come to pass, it's always best to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. This way, when it does happen, we won't be caught off guard. So, the security detail for the Holy Land absolutely cannot have two Admirals. Especially not Admiral Kizaru, who has the best mobility, and Admiral Kuzan, who has the best battlefield control. If we have Admirals Akainu, Kizaru, and Kuzan stationed here, we can at least effectively block the enemy's attacks in the face of a cataclysmic attack."
"You can send two other people instead, like Garp, Teacher Zephyr, or even yourself..."
Before Rorschach could finish, he got hit on the head with a hard knuckle rap.
"What's the meaning of this, you brat! Are you looking down on us old guys? Huh?"
Rorschach winced and rubbed his head. Tears welled up in his eyes. He turned his head and saw that Garp, who had been snoring a second ago, was now sitting up, his rough, gnarled fist still raised in the air, ready to strike.
"Good! This insolent brat needs a good talking-to," Sengoku said with a grin.
Garp glared at Rorschach with a sour look on his face. "Explain yourself, or you'll get to taste the full power of my Fist of Love."
Rorschach shrank his neck and said with a wry smile, "Old man, I didn't mean it that way."
"Then what did you mean? You said I and Zephyr should take the place of Borsalino and Kuzan. Are you saying that my strength isn't enough to stop Golden Lion and Kaido? Hmm? When I was pounding on Golden Lion, they were still drinking milk in the rookie camp! As for Kaido, when I was fighting his captain, he was still just a lackey following that dead fat old lady Charlotte Linlin around!"
Garp's beard puffed out in anger.
Seeing that Garp was about to use his Fist of Love again, Rorschach chose to be prudent.
A gentleman uses his words, not his fists.
It was his responsibility as the leader of the new generation of Marines to care for the old, lonely Marines.
So, Rorschach said seriously, "I have complete faith in the strength of you and Garp. After all, you are living legends. We wouldn't have the glorious Marines we have today if it weren't for you opening the way with your fists."
"Hmm, that's not wrong at all. I like hearing that," Garp said, feeling pleased. He took the teacup Hibari handed him and took a sip with a satisfied expression.
"But..."
Rorschach chose his words carefully and said, "But when it comes to the large-scale battlefield control of Logia abilities, I'm sure you wouldn't disagree that you're not as good as Uncle Borsalino, Uncle Kuzan, and Uncle Sakazuki, right?"
Garp unhappily clenched his fist, but Sengoku stopped him.
Sengoku pondered for a moment, then nodded, agreeing with Rorschach.
"In terms of individual attack power, for a one-on-one fight with Golden Lion or Kaido, you can definitely stop their attacks. But what if they don't fight fair and just use large-scale cataclysmic attacks? Like creating a super tsunami or throwing a few islands. At that point, we'll need a Logia user with control abilities like Admiral Kuzan to control the direction of the war, instead of just being led by the nose. So..."
Rorschach didn't continue.
The people in the room weren't fools; they were all experienced veterans who didn't need him to spell it out.
"Hmph! Although what this brat said annoys me, Kuzan and the others' abilities can indeed give us a huge advantage in large-scale wars. But Golden Lion might be dead, or even if he's alive, he might not have heard about Rose's death. Even if he did, he might not cause any trouble. What you're saying is just a guess based on the worst-case scenario. It can't be taken as fact."
Garp shook his head, yawned, and lay back down on the couch.
Rorschach looked at the pensive Sengoku, gave Law, Enel, and Hibari a meaningful look, and stood up.
"Old man, if there's nothing else, we're going to go rest. You guys should go to bed early, too. You're getting old; don't ruin your health."
"Alright, you guys go ahead. As for Enel, have Law take him to my place to rest. There are plenty of empty rooms there," Sengoku said, nodding.
After Rorschach and the others left, Sengoku let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples.
To be honest, Rorschach's words had made him feel very conflicted.
After thinking about it seriously, the worst-case scenario Rorschach described couldn't be completely ruled out.
Especially not with Golden Lion Shiki, a man who would do anything to achieve his goals.
Unlike Kaido's recklessness and Charlotte Linlin's simple-mindedness, the powerful and decisive Golden Lion and Whitebeard were once the right-hand men of Rocks.
To escape from Impel Down, he even broke his own legs.
"What should we do? If this situation happens, how do we respond?" Sengoku frowned in deep thought, and a series of countermeasures and possible outcomes of the war flashed through his mind.
"Should we suggest to the higher-ups that they postpone the World Council? If we submit the possibility of a Golden Lion attack as a reason, maybe the Five Elders will consider it," Vice Admiral Tsuru suggested.
Sengoku shook his head. "Impossible, Tsuru. First of all, we don't know if Golden Lion will actually come. Even if he does, the higher-ups won't agree to postpone the World Council. It concerns the World Government's prestige. Compared to that, a war is just a small matter. What we should be thinking about is how to replace Borsalino and Kuzan's security detail for the Holy Land."
He glanced at Garp, who had his eyes closed. "What about you and Zephyr protecting the conference?"
"Forget it. I don't want to see those scumbags' faces. Have you forgotten about that old guy Garling Figarland? That bastard is still pissed at me. Why don't you ask Zephyr?" Garp didn't even open his eyes. He just rolled over, turning his back to Sengoku.
Sengoku collapsed onto the couch.
This is so annoying.
That kid Rorschach was really a walking time bomb.
He had been happy that Enel, Hibari, and the others had returned, but he hadn't even been happy for a few minutes before Rorschach's words made him lose his mind.
On the path in front of the fortress, Hibari saw the dejected Rorschach and couldn't help but lean closer, gently tugging at Rorschach's sleeve with her soft hand.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Rorschach looked down at Hibari, who was looking up at him with her pale neck exposed.
Under the soft light, the little girl's face was a delicate pink.
Whether it was Rorschach's imagination or not, he felt that Hibari's face was softer and cuter than before.
Ugh, I feel a sudden urge to take a bite.
That's a crime.
Hibari, whose heart was racing from Rorschach's intense gaze, bit her lip and whispered, "Brother Rorschach, why don't you... come to my house and sleep?"
"No! I'll just sleep in the officer dorms. If Uncle Sakazuki finds out, I'm a goner. See you tomorrow, Hibari!"
Rorschach shook off the fantasies swirling in his mind, turned around, and fled into the darkness, quickly disappearing and leaving a bewildered Hibari standing there.
(End of Chapter)
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