The war room at Marine Headquarters bore the scars of recent battle, cracked walls hastily patched, the smell of smoke still lingering despite opened windows. Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at the head of the massive oak table, his golden aura subdued but ever-present, casting subtle shadows across the faces of those assembled. The three Admirals flanked him: Akainu to his right, still bearing bandages from his confrontations; Aokiji to his left, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by contemplative silence; and Kizaru across from them, laid back as he observed the proceedings with uncharacteristic attention.
Vice Admirals filled the remaining seats; Momonga, Doberman, Strawberry, Dalmatian, and others who had proven their mettle in the crucible of Marineford. The massive table was covered under the weight of battle reports, casualty lists, and reconstruction estimates. Conspicuously absent was Garp, his empty chair a silent reminder of the fractures that even victory could not fully heal.
"Gentlemen," Sengoku began, his voice carrying the weight of authority that had grown stronger since his transformation, "we gather not merely as survivors of war, but as guiding force of a new order of justice." His gaze swept the room, meeting each pair of eyes in turn, and several officers felt their spines straighten involuntarily under that golden stare. "Each of you played a crucial role in our victory at Marineford. What we accomplished there will echo through history, not just as a military triumph, but as the moment justice finally claimed its rightful place in this world."
He stood slowly, his presence seeming to expand and fill the room with an sense of purpose. "Admiral Akainu, your decisive action against both Ace and Blackbeard's forces eliminated two of the greatest threats to justice this world has ever known. Your unwavering commitment to our cause prevented countless future tragedies." Akainu's scarred face showed no emotion, but his eyes burned with satisfied pride.
"Admiral Aokiji, your tactical control of the battlefield prevented countless pirate escapes while minimizing collateral damage to Marineford itself. Your precision saved both Marine lives and infrastructure we couldn't afford to lose." Aokiji nodded slightly, though something in his expression remained troubled.
"Admiral Kizaru, your aerial dominance neutralized their strongest fighters when ground forces alone might have faltered. Marco, Vista, Jozu, names that once struck fear into Marine hearts now serve as testament to your abilities." Kizaru's usual lackadaisical demeanor had given way to attention, a sign of how seriously he was taking this gathering.
Sengoku's attention turned to the Vice Admirals. "Vice Admiral Momonga, your covert operations disrupted their coordination at critical moments. The intelligence you gathered and the surgical strikes you executed prevented their retreat from becoming a successful regrouping." Momonga bowed his head in acknowledgment, pride evident in his weathered features.
"Vice Admiral Doberman, your direct assault on their secondary formations prevented flanking maneuvers that could have overwhelmed our positions. Vice Admiral Strawberry, your artillery coordination maximized the effectiveness of our Pacifista deployment. Vice Admiral Dalmatian, your rapid response teams plugged every gap in our lines before it could become a breakthrough."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "The rest of you maintained formation discipline under impossible odds, ensuring our strategy could unfold without deviation. Every Marine who followed orders, every officer who led by example, every soldier who stood firm when chaos threatened to break our ranks, all contributed to this victory."
The weight of acknowledgment settled over the room like a blanket of shared purpose. These men had not merely fought a battle; they had participated in reshaping the world's balance of power.
"The world witnessed not just Marine strength, but Marine unity," Sengoku continued, beginning to pace behind his chair. "That unity will be our foundation for what comes next. But victory brings responsibility, the responsibility to ensure that what we've won is never again threatened."
Akainu leaned forward, his scarred face intense with barely contained energy. "The pirates are scattered, Fleet Admiral. Their leadership is dead or broken, their morale shattered. This is our moment to strike while they're weak, to hunt down every crew that thinks they can rebuild what we destroyed. We should launch immediate pursuit operations across all four Blues and the Grand Line.."
"Patience, Sakazuki." Sengoku's voice carried a subtle resonance that seemed to vibrate through the very air, causing several officers to shift uncomfortably. "Reacting to trouble is the old way, always responding to threats after they manifest, always one step behind the chaos. We will be proactive of order, shaping the world according to our vision rather than merely reacting to its problems."
He gestured, and an aide brought forward detailed reports bound in leather portfolios. "Our immediate priorities are reconstruction and expansion, but not merely of what was. We will build something greater, something that serves our new purpose." He opened the first portfolio, revealing architectural diagrams and engineering specifications. "Impel Down requires complete rebuilding, not merely restoration, but transformation into an impregnable fortress of justice."
"The damage from Blackbeard's breakout was extensive," Doberman noted, reviewing the files with a professional eye. "Complete structural overhaul, new security systems, additional Seastone reinforcement throughout all levels. The cost estimates here are..." He paused, clearly taken aback by the figures.
"Staggering," Strawberry finished, examining his own copy. "This isn't renovation, it's building an entirely new facility from the ground up."
"More than that," Sengoku interrupted, his golden eyes gleaming with purpose. "Impel Down will become a symbol of Marine power once again, visible proof that crime cannot escape justice, no matter how powerful or clever. I want it rebuilt within six months, twice as secure as before, with holding capacity increased by three hundred percent. It will be a monument to justice that criminals across the world will see in their nightmares."
Aokiji's expression remained neutral, but his voice carried a note of practical concern. "That's... ambitious, Fleet Admiral. The cost alone would strain the World Government's budget for the next decade. The logistics of transporting materials, the specialized labor required, the Seastone procurement.."
"Will be offset by our next initiative." Sengoku's smile was radiant with absolute certainty. "The Global Marine Conscription Program."
The silence that followed was profound. Even Kizaru straightened in his chair, his usual detached demeanor replaced by sharp attention. The implications of such a program were staggering, not just for the Marines, but for the entire world order.
"We have proven Marines are the world's salvation," Sengoku continued, beginning to pace again, his golden aura flickering with each step. "Now we offer that salvation to every civilian who desires order over chaos, prosperity over poverty, purpose over aimlessness." His eyes shined with conviction. "We will recruit not hundreds, not thousands, but hundreds of thousands. From the Four Blues to the Grand Line, we will open Marine recruitment centers in every major population center."
"The logistics.." Strawberry began, but fell silent as Sengoku's gaze fixed on him.
"Are manageable with proper planning and unlimited ambition," Sengoku stated. "Each recruit will receive immediate benefits that transform their lives: steady pay that exceeds local wages, comprehensive education including literacy and mathematics for those who lack it, medical care for themselves and their families, housing assistance, and clear advancement opportunities based on merit and dedication to justice."
He stopped pacing and faced the assembled officers fully, his presence seeming to fill every corner of the room. "But this is more than recruitment, it's elevation. We will transform the world's common people into forces of justice, giving them stake in stability rather than the desperation that breeds piracy. Every man and woman who joins our ranks becomes invested in the order we're creating."
Akainu's eyes burned with approval, his fists clenching unconsciously. "Finally, absolute justice will have the numbers it deserves. No more fighting outnumbered against criminals who breed like vermin."
"True," Sengoku nodded. "But our justice will be tempered with wisdom. These new recruits will undergo extensive training not just in combat, but in other administrative works, skills that build settlements rather than merely defend it. We're not just creating soldiers; we're creating the foundation of a new world."
"There will be opposition," Momonga observed quietly, his voice carrying the weight of years spent in intelligence gathering. "Revolutionary Army sympathizers, pirate-aligned nations, merchant guilds who profit from chaos, criminal organizations whose power depends on weak law enforcement, they'll see this as an existential threat."
"Let them come." Sengoku's voice carried certainty that made the air itself seem to thrum with power. "Opposition will reveal itself, allowing us to address it directly rather than hunting shadows. The age of hidden enemies operating from darkness is ending. In the light of justice, all will be revealed."
The room fell silent as the magnitude of what was being proposed sank in. This wasn't just military expansion, it was social revolution on a global scale.
Aokiji shifted in his seat, finally speaking the question that had been weighing on everyone's minds like a storm cloud. "What about Vice Admiral Garp?"
The temperature seemed to drop several degrees despite Akainu's presence. Sengoku was silent for a long moment, his expression becoming unreadable as carved stone. The golden light in his eyes dimmed slightly.
"Vice Admiral Garp acted according to his conscience," he said finally, each word measured and deliberate. "In the heat of battle, when family and duty collide, emotions run high. Family bonds, however misguided they may be in specific circumstances, are understandable human weaknesses that even the strongest can fall prey to." He met Aokiji's gaze directly, and several officers noted the compassion in his voice. "I will not pursue disciplinary action for mistakes made in the fog of war by an otherwise exemplary officer whose decades of service speak louder than a single moment of weakness."
Relief flickered across several faces around the table, though Akainu's expression remained disapproving, his scarred features twisted with barely contained frustration.
"However," Sengoku continued, his voice hardening slightly, "Garp will be offered early retirement with full honors and pension. His decades of faithful service earn him that dignity, and his reputation as the Hero of the Marines will remain untarnished. Whether he accepts this gracious offer or requests reassignment to less critical duties where family conflicts cannot compromise his judgment will be his choice."
"And if he refuses both options?" Aokiji pressed, his concern for his former mentor evident.
"Then we will cross that bridge when we reach it." Sengoku returned to his seat, his movements deliberate and controlled. "For now, our focus remains on the future we're building rather than the past we're leaving behind. The world has seen what unified Marines can accomplish when they act with single purpose. They hunger for that stability in their own lives, that certainty that justice will prevail."
Strawberry cleared his throat respectfully. "Fleet Admiral, returning to the financial aspects of these programs, the recruitment incentives, the construction projects, the welfare improvements, the costs will be enormous. Even with increased recruitment bringing in more funding through member nations, the initial investment required..." He gestured helplessly at the budget projections spread across the table.
Sengoku's smile was serene, almost mysterious. "The funding will be secured. I will deal with it personally." Behind his calm exterior, his mind turned to certain golden opportunities, the legendary Golden Emperor Gild Tesoro, whose massive floating casino-city represented wealth beyond imagination, and the ancient treasures of Skypiea, including the golden bell and the vast reserves of precious metals that the sky dwellers possessed. Both could be... requisitioned in the name of justice, should diplomatic negotiations prove insufficient. After all, hoarded wealth served no purpose if it wasn't invested in global stability.
"In the meantime," he continued aloud, "prepare detailed implementation plans for the recruitment program. I want the first centers operational within two weeks, with full expansion completed within two months. The world's need for order will not wait for our bureaucracy to catch up."