That night, the internal port of Marine Headquarters was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
"Holy cow, have you guys ever seen Marineford at four in the morning? This is it!"
Rorschach stood on the dragon's head at the bow of the Kirin, looking in astonishment at the crowded Marineford Plaza. He couldn't figure out what was happening or why so many people were gathered there.
Is Golden Lion really coming?
But why didn't I receive a call from Sengoku?
The Kirin's arrival drew the attention of many Marine soldiers.
It was impossible not to. The Kirin's unique style and appearance, which were so different from standard Marine warships, made it stand out.
The dragon's head statue at the bow, in particular, reflected the lights of Marineford, giving it a majestic and mysterious aura.
If it weren't for the seagull symbol on the sails, the Marine soldiers might have mistaken it for a pirate ship.
"After three months, we're finally back! Marine Headquarters!" The soldiers on the Kirin were extremely excited.
Having made significant progress in their strength compared to three months ago, they were now eager to return home to Marineford and show off to their friends and family.
Oh, and there was also the considerable amount of money they had earned from Rear Admiral Rorschach.
Wouldn't their fellow rookies be green with envy?
The soldiers couldn't help but smile at the thought.
"Stop messing around! Get over here, you brats!"
From the top of the towering Justice Fortress, Sengoku's roar came from a distance, making Rorschach's neck retract.
What's going on?
It was four in the morning, and even Sengoku wasn't asleep?
The thought of being scolded so late at night made Rorschach's heart feel heavy. He quickly looked for Kuzan, but couldn't find him.
Rorschach scanned the area and saw that Kuzan had already gone into the plaza at some point, and his path didn't seem to be leading toward the headquarters' Justice Fortress.
"Hey, Uncle Kuzan! Where are you going?"
Kuzan waved without turning his head. "It's too late. I'm going back to sleep."
"But you slept all day," Rorschach said, his mouth twitching.
Without a reply from Kuzan and with Sengoku's impatient bullhorn shouting from above, Rorschach reluctantly brought Law, Hibari, and Enel to Sengoku's office.
As he walked up the stairs, Rorschach grew more and more nervous. He couldn't help but retreat behind Hibari, put his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her in front of him.
"Hibari, you go first."
Hibari looked back at Rorschach's nervous face and couldn't help but smile secretly. She whispered, "Brother Rorschach, you haven't done anything wrong. Grandpa Sengoku probably won't blame you for anything. Don't be so nervous."
Rorschach rolled his eyes.
True, I haven't done anything wrong. I just failed to stop Vivi, letting her kill Crocodile, and I defeated Moria. Sengoku has no reason to scold me.
At most, he'll just beat me up...
With a creak, Hibari cautiously pushed the office door open a crack.
Rorschach squinted and peeked through the gap, immediately seeing Sengoku's bell-like eyes staring back at him from the other side of the door.
"Ah! A ghost!"
Rorschach was startled.
Bang! The door was yanked open by Sengoku. Before Rorschach could run, a large hand shot past Hibari, grabbed Rorschach's ear, and dragged him into the office.
"Ah, ouch, ouch, ouch! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, let's talk. Old man, uh, no, Grandpa Sengoku, let's talk. A gentleman uses his words, not his fists. As the dignified Fleet Admiral of the Marines, you can't give people something to gossip about."
Rorschach's ear was being twisted by a dark-faced Sengoku, and he was dragged to the couch.
"Gentleman? I'm no gentleman."
Sengoku's beard puffed out, and he glared at Rorschach, spitting as he spoke.
"You brat, you've finally decided to come back? And you dared to hang up on my Den Den Mushi? Your wings have grown hard, haven't they? I told you not to cause trouble, but you wouldn't listen. Not only did you turn Mock Town upside down without the headquarters' permission, but you also went to Alabasta and fought two Shichibukai. One dead, one injured. You're really something. Do you know what I've been through these past few days? Look at my eyes, look at my graying hair, look at all these wrinkles on my face. Can't you give this old man a break? I want to live a few more years!"
Rorschach was being showered with Sengoku's spittle and could only look at the people on the couch, trying to find someone to help him.
On the couch, as expected, was the old slacker Kizaru, sleeping with his head tilted.
The kind Vice Admiral Tsuru had a gentle and friendly smile on her face, watching Rorschach and Hibari as she had Hina pour some hot tea for Enel and the others.
Garp was splayed out on a couch, snoring loudly with a large snot bubble coming out of his nostril.
Looking at the people in the office, Rorschach knew he was finished.
Teacher Zephyr, who was his best hope, wasn't there yet. He probably hadn't returned to Marineford.
Seeing Hibari and the others about to walk past him, he quickly grabbed Hibari's arm and pushed the blushing girl in front of Sengoku, creating a barrier between Sengoku and himself. This gave him a chance to rub his ear, which had turned red from Sengoku's twisting.
Hiss, this old guy really has a heavy hand.
Rorschach winced in pain as he patted Hibari's shoulder with a forced laugh. "Old man, let me introduce you. Hibari is now a Logia user of the Cloud-Cloud Fruit. And she also awakened Armament Haki in Alabasta. At only thirteen years old, with two types of Haki and a Logia Devil Fruit, she has the full demeanor of an Admiral."
Of course, Sengoku already knew about Hibari's details.
But hearing it now, he still couldn't help but show a look of joy. He looked at Hibari with a look of great satisfaction and reached out to pat her on the head.
"That's amazing, little Hibari. You're Sakazuki's daughter, no doubt. Keep it up. Don't slack off. Grandpa Sengoku believes you can definitely become a rising star in the Marines."
"Yes, I'll do my best, Grandpa Sengoku," Hibari said, a little embarrassed by Sengoku's praise, her head bowed like a quail.
After praising Hibari, Sengoku's face hardened again. Just as he was about to continue scolding Rorschach, he saw Rorschach grab a black-faced Enel by the shoulder, pull him off the couch, and put him in front of himself.
"Hahaha, old man, let me introduce you again. This is Enel, a handsome young man from Skypiea. He was so moved by our Marines' ideals of justice that he resolutely chose to dedicate himself to the cause of justice. He's a Logia user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, with an ultra-wide range Observation Haki that can easily cover dozens of kilometers of sea. Although he hasn't awakened Armament Haki yet, his strength is enough to easily crush most Marine Vice Admirals. He also has the full demeanor of an Admiral."
Enel's fists were clenched.
Moved? Bullshit! I was trying to escape, you know?
How can a person be so shameless?
But he couldn't beat him, couldn't escape, and couldn't argue with him.
It's so frustrating.
Sengoku's hardened face immediately broke into an extremely kind smile.
He reached out his rough, old hands and warmly shook Enel's hand.
Enel wanted to struggle, but the old man in the round-framed glasses gave him a sense of pressure that was even stronger than Rorschach's, almost as strong as the demon he had seen in Alabasta.
Not only that, the old man snoring on the couch also gave off a terrifying aura that Enel couldn't even imagine.
This aura was as vast as a mountain and as deep as the sea.
An ordinary person wouldn't feel it.
Enel felt it so clearly because his Observation Haki was greatly enhanced by his own ability.
So, sometimes being too sensitive wasn't a good thing.
Also, there were way too many strong people in this damn Blue Sea.
Enel didn't dare to move and could only let the smiling old man shake his hands.
"Hehehe, Enel, right? I heard your story from Rorschach. I'm very relieved that you were able to turn over a new leaf and walk the path of justice. I'm sincerely happy about your decision. Don't worry. Now that you've joined the Marine family, you're one of us, and everyone here will be your comrade. Work hard. I look forward to the day you grow up and become a Marine Admiral."
Sengoku smiled and encouraged him. Just as he was about to turn to Rorschach, he saw Rorschach grab a black-faced Law and put him in front of himself.
"Old man, let me introduce you..."
"You brat! That's enough!"
A few minutes later, Rorschach and Law, both with panda eyes, sat obediently on the couch, looking at the steaming teacups in front of them.
Law's face was full of despair.
Why did I get hit, too?
That damn bastard Rorschach used me as a shield.
I shouldn't have saved him in Alabasta.
Seeing that the group of old and young people had finally calmed down, Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled and handed a cup of hot water to Sengoku.
"Sengoku, you're an old man now. Why are you still bickering with these young people? The young have their own thoughts, their own perspectives, and their own understanding of justice. They won't be the same as us old folks who have been left behind by the times. We can't interfere too much. Otherwise, won't the Marines just repeat the same hopeless future?"
Sengoku snorted, picked up his teacup, and took a sip, looking at Rorschach with annoyance.
"Tsuru, it's not that I'm bickering. This kid is just too much trouble. I've realized that when this kid is in Marineford, I'll be so annoyed that I'll suffer a nervous breakdown. If I let him go outside, I'll have to worry all day and go insane. If it's not about him going after the Shichibukai, it's him going after the Four Emperors, or him interfering in the internal politics of the World Government's affiliate countries. Be fair, is it easy for me to be the Fleet Admiral?"
Enel and Law, who were nearby, nodded in agreement.
Yes, that's right. That's exactly how he is.
Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head and chuckled.
Hina, who was sitting next to her, was also trying to hold back her laughter with Hibari.
It was the first time they had seen Sengoku so angry.
As expected of Rorschach, the title of the leader of the new generation of Marines is well-deserved.
"Rorschach, why don't you apologize to your Grandpa Sengoku? You can't be so reckless next time, okay? Sengoku is worried about you, too," Vice Admiral Tsuru said with a smile, looking at the bruised and swollen Rorschach.
Rorschach nodded weakly and said, "Grandpa Sengoku, I'm sorry. I won't cause so much trouble next time."
He was being sincere.
There were only a few Shichibukai left. With two of the weaker ones gone, the rest were not to be trifled with, and more importantly, they hadn't gotten into a conflict with him, so it wasn't a good idea to provoke them.
He would leave the others alone. Next time, he would just go after Doflamingo in the New World.
Sengoku snorted again and picked up his teacup.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Rorschach finally found an opportunity to ask in a quiet, puzzled voice, "Grandma Tsuru, what's going on at headquarters? Why are so many people gathered here so late at night? Did they really find traces of Golden Lion?"
If Golden Lion reappeared on the seas, the Marines would likely face an unprecedented war.
This was no joke and could result in massive casualties.
Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head.
"The Marines have not received any news of Golden Lion yet. That old man is indeed someone we should be watching closely, since Rose was a woman he once valued highly. But the Marine soldiers who have gathered from the surrounding branches are not here to deal with a possible war; they are here because the World Council is about to begin."
"The World Council?"
Rorschach was stunned.
The World Council was a conference organized by the World Government for its affiliate countries, usually held once every four years.
The location was Mariejois on the Red Line.
The total number of countries affiliated with the World Government was over 170, and not every country was invited to the conference.
Only countries that actively paid their Celestial Tribute and were powerful and influential on a global scale were invited to attend the World Council in the Holy Land.
For example, the Kingdom of Dressrosa, the Kingdom of Alabasta, and the Goa Kingdom.
"But it seems to be only the year 17 now, right? Is the conference being held early?" Rorschach asked, confused.
"No, this is just part of the normal process of organizing the conference. The World Government's affiliate countries are all over the world, and it takes a lot of manpower and time to gather all the kings together."
Hina explained, "There are less than two months until the new year. To prepare for the World Council in the year 18, the World Government is having our Marines allocate some troops to be deployed and sent to various parts of the world to escort the kings of the affiliate countries."
Hibari's eyes lit up. "Will Alabasta also send someone to the World Council?"
"Of course. The Kingdom of Alabasta is one of the superpowers among the world's nations. The Nefertari family comes to every World Council," Vice Admiral Tsuru said with a smile.
"That's great! Doesn't that mean I'll get to see Vivi soon?" Hibari's face filled with a joyful smile.
But Rorschach couldn't smile.
He frowned, looked at Sengoku, and asked seriously, "Old man, how much of our Marine's forces will be needed to ensure security for the World Council?"
(End of Chapter)
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