In the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku read the report a marine had just forwarded.
"Mutinied Marine Branch 16 has arrived at Marineford Dock."
They sailed a warship completely distinct from HQ vessels. The hull bore no branch insignia, only the bold words for 'East Blue Marines'. The numerical designation on the sails had been replaced with the same regional title.
'East Blue Marines...' The rogue branch's ambition was truly grand.
Yet, the nerve of the boy, actually following orders and bringing his forces right to their doorstep!
Sengoku felt a sudden rush of wariness. He refused to believe a branch that had openly rebelled against the World Government would truly obey their commands now. So, what was the brat plotting? Did he actually have ties to the East Blue Overlord? Or was he purely here to watch the spectacle?
If he was truly linked to Mock, HQ needed to keep a close eye on his crew. If he was just here for the show... the boy had a seriously twisted sense of humor.
Right now, Sengoku's head throbbed. At this critical juncture, if Branch 16 hadn't shown up, the Marines would suspect them of moving in the shadows, now that they were here, they had a massive headache on their hands. Massaging his temple, Sengoku sighed. He looked up, entirely ignoring Garp slacking off on the nearby sofa with a bag of rice crackers, and turned his gaze to the three Admirals standing before his desk.
"What do you think?" he asked.
With the date of the public execution drawing near, their primary combat forces were stationed at Marineford to prevent any unforeseen disasters.
"Strike immediately and arrest all of them."
Sakazuki spoke without hesitation, his voice hard as iron. "Especially since their former Base Commander actually showed his face. We must ensure he never leaves this island. Once this operation concludes, we can exploit Branch 16's vulnerability and purge them entirely. Whether they've collaborated with that pirate or not, a mere East Blue branch dared to rebel. HQ cannot allow them to continue existing."
A heavy silence followed his declaration.
Hearing Sakazuki's proposition, Sengoku fell into deep thought. The man wasn't wrong. Whether Branch 16 had allied with Mock or not, their open treason meant the Marines would inevitably have to crush them.
However. As he had stated earlier, their absolute priority was neutralizing the East Blue Overlord. Until that was accomplished, all other operations had to be put on hold. With the execution imminent, anything that might trigger an unnecessary battle had to be avoided.
Admittedly, Dante Ashford was right here, making him incredibly convenient to deal with. Capturing him now would make dismantling his forces much easier later. Furthermore, the vast majority of their military might was currently gathered on the island, along with the Admirals. A rogue base commander, even a capable one, stood no chance against their combined strength.
But...
They remained largely uninformed about Dante's true capabilities. Nor did they know exactly how many loyal troops he had brought or what hidden combat power they possessed. Sengoku worried that making a move right now might trigger a chaotic disaster at the worst possible time. If they failed to capture the rebels swiftly, a prolonged struggle could tear the harbor apart.
At this thought, Sengoku glared furiously at Garp, who lounged on the sofa, happily munching on snacks as if none of this concerned him. He had sent the old hero to investigate Branch 16 back then, and the mission had ended in a complete farce, leaving HQ with precious little intel.
It would be a miracle if that bastard didn't know something. Sengoku even suspected the old geezer might be in cahoots with the brat, hiding some unspeakable secret. But it was too late to bring that up now. Sengoku sighed inwardly, glancing at Borsalino. The man casually picked his nails, acting as aloof as ever. Sengoku finally shifted his gaze to Kuzan, who looked entirely lost in thought.
"And you? Kuzan."
"Me..."
Kuzan snapped out of his daze. He frowned, looking between Sakazuki and Sengoku. After a moment of silence, he yawned and spoke with dry indifference.
"Whatever. I'll follow orders. But do you remember something?" He paused, his tone sharpening. "The news we received this morning."
Instantly, Sengoku's conflicted expression turned into a grimace. He had almost forgotten about that entirely. He made up his mind, all hesitation vanishing from his eyes.
"Have the soldiers stationed at the pier give Branch 16 a proper reception. Treat them exactly as we would any standard Marine division."
HQ had received alarming word that morning: Red-Haired Shanks had specifically visited the Whitebeard Pirates, staying aboard their flagship for a while. They didn't know the exact details of the meeting, but the implication was obvious. It absolutely had to do with the upcoming execution.
The Whitebeard Pirates. The Red Hair Pirates.
They couldn't afford unnecessary complications right now.
"This matter is closed." Seeing Sakazuki ready to argue, Sengoku's voice hardened with absolute authority. "Notify the men below to drop the mutiny issue for now. Everything else takes a back seat to..." His eyes narrowed. "The execution."
He didn't wait for the three of them to respond. He sighed again, waving a dismissive hand. Just as he ordered them to get back to their posts,
*Purupuru Purupuru~*
The Den Den Mushi on his desk rang out.
Sengoku stared at it in blank exhaustion. 'What is it now?' He picked up the receiver. "Hello? Fleet Admiral's Office."
As the panicked voice on the other end spoke, Sengoku's face darkened with mounting rage.
"What are you idiots doing? Who the hell told you to target Branch 16 right now? Can't you give me one less damn thing to worry about? Nobody moves, you hear me!?" His voice rose into a furious shout. "No one makes a move without my explicit orders!?"
He slammed the receiver down and glared at the Admirals, who looked ready to ask questions.
"Stop! I know what you're going to say, but all of you shut up." Sengoku rubbed his forehead in sheer frustration, exasperation edging his voice. "There's been an incident at the pier. Which one of you..." His eyes drifted involuntarily toward Garp, then snapped away. 'Better not send this chaotic old man.' He scanned the Admirals again. Finally, his gaze settled on the ice user. He sighed. "Never mind. Kuzan, head over there immediately."
"Me?" Kuzan blinked in mild surprise, then nodded slowly. "Alright."
He turned and headed for the heavy oak doors.
"Wait." Sengoku's voice stopped him in his tracks.
Kuzan halted. Before he could turn around to ask what was wrong, the Fleet Admiral's weary voice reached him again.
"Remember, pacify Dante for now. We cannot afford any accidents at a time like this."
"I know." Kuzan acknowledged simply and kept walking. The moment he was out of their sight, his face scrunched into a deep frown, eyes narrowing.
'What exactly are you trying to pull, Dante?'
Meanwhile.
Upon arriving at the Marineford pier, Dante ordered his men to follow standard harbor instructions and dock. But a small, irritating incident occurred.
A little earlier.
Upon entering Marineford's jurisdiction, the independent ship was ordered to dock according to strict military harbor regulations. Under current law, only HQ Officers held exclusive docking rights at the primary piers. Marines below officer rank, along with those arriving from distant branches, had to use assigned perimeter spots. Unauthorized docking was strictly forbidden.
Though they had completely defected, Dante chose not to cause a scene just yet. He calmly ordered his subordinates to go ashore and negotiate with the harbor patrol. They would dock exactly where instructed. They had come to flex their muscles, not to start a pointless brawl.
After casually dispatching a soldier to handle the logistics, Dante leaned back in his chair on the deck, planning to disembark only once the ship was fully secured. This time, he hadn't sailed on a standard government warship. Instead, his men piloted a vessel of their own independent design, boldly emblazoned with the words "East Blue Marines."
Back at their home base, they had torn down the old 16th Branch insignia, replacing every flag and emblem with that new title. Since they had broken away from the World Government, there was no need to keep the old numerical label. This was Zephyr-sensei 's idea. The old instructor argued that even though they hadn't conquered the entire sea yet, they should claim the name first. It would make future recruitment drives in the region look far more legitimate. Moving forward, they would systematically secure the East Blue. Becoming the true ruling force there was inevitable.
Right then, as Dante waited in comfortable silence, Kuro spoke up.
"Marineford... it really is magnificent." Dressed in a sharp black suit, Kuro pushed up his glasses. He smirked faintly, giving the towering fortress a measured look. "I never thought I, a pirate, would one day set foot here out in the open."
He glanced at his laid-back captain, the corner of his mouth curling. "Boss, what's the plan? Planning to raise hell?"
Dante shot Kuro a smirk.
Raise hell? The man was getting ahead of himself. All of the world's elite were gathered here. The Admirals had likely arrived, not to mention the Fleet Admiral himself. Causing trouble now was sheer suicide. HQ might avoid making a move to prevent escalating the conflict, but if the rebels started a riot, Sengoku's fury would boil over, consequences be damned.
"Remember, we are here to flex our muscles, to make the World Government understand... we won't be easily disposed of, so they won't dare attack us recklessly." Dante scowled lightly at Kuro. "We are not here to cause trouble."
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