Seeing Sakazuki's emotions nearing their breaking point, Sengoku roared, forcing him to regain composure.
Picking up the documents from Aokiji, Sengoku addressed everyone present.
"None of you are to act impulsively—especially you, Garp! Sakazuki! This matter involves too many interconnected elements. If either of you acts rashly, it could severely hinder the subsequent investigation. Some deeply hidden masterminds might use your actions as an opportunity to destroy evidence, allowing these parasites to remain within the Marines!"
"I bear the primary responsibility for this incident. As the Marine Fleet Admiral, my failure to detect these matters in time is a dereliction of duty. I offer my most sincere apologies to all of you here!"
As Sengoku spoke, he bowed deeply to those present, his voice hoarse with grief and indignation.
Seeing Sengoku suddenly bend over, the others quickly stepped forward to help him up.
Kizaru sighed and consoled him.
"Sengoku-san, there's no need to apologize to us like this. To be honest, these matters shouldn't have been your concern in the first place, nor should you bear any responsibility for them. The Five Elders burden you with heavy tasks daily, and the powerful Pirates in the New World are constantly fighting over territory—the resulting casualties and disasters alone have kept you overwhelmed."
"Truth be told, compared to us, the light in your office is almost never turned off before 4 a.m. In winter, when dawn comes late, I've seen you sometimes turn off the lights only after 4 a.m., only for them to be back on before 6 a.m. No one would have the heart to blame a Fleet Admiral as dedicated and conscientious as you."
"Though you are the Fleet Admiral, you're not omnipotent. Many matters should have been our responsibility to act on and oversee, yet they often fall on your shoulders instead. I actually feel somewhat apologetic about this. Starting today, I'll work harder too—at the very least, we can't let such situations happen again."
Kizaru's words left everyone present momentarily stunned.
They could hardly believe these were words coming from Kizaru, but seeing the genuine creases of emotion on his face, they realized he meant every word.
Sengoku gently patted Kizaru's shoulder and sighed before saying.
"I'll entrust the follow-up of this matter entirely to Jake. Jake, you must thoroughly investigate how many people have violated these principles and betrayed the justice we uphold. During this process, whatever resources you need, just ask me directly. As long as it's within my power to provide, this old man won't hesitate for anything!"
Jake nodded in response.
His ability allowed him to sense the emotional fluctuations of those around him, especially negative emotions, which would essentially help him identify suspects.
What he needed next was simply to gather evidence linking them to the crimes.
Thus, Jake felt quite confident about Sengoku's assignment.
"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I'll do my best to catch every rat hiding in the shadows!"
Before Sengoku could respond, Garp spoke up first.
"Sengoku! Cancel my original leave. This old man is going with Jake to investigate those damned traitors. Besides, this kid isn't that strong—he needs protection. Sending him alone to investigate might get him killed by internal spies colluding with Pirates. I'll feel better keeping an eye on him."
Sengoku nodded and said.
"Jake is in your hands then, Garp. By the way, do you have anything to add? About funding, for instance. Of course, if it's about senbei or some bizarre competition, don't even bother speaking up."
Garp's expression had been fairly pleasant when he heard the first half of the sentence, but upon hearing Sengoku forbid him from pursuing those things, his face immediately fell.
He struggled for a long while but truly couldn't think of anything to say beyond the rice cracker competition.
In the end, he simply turned his head away.
This time, however, he didn't fall asleep, because Garp knew the next person to speak would be Jake.
He was genuinely interested in hearing what this kid had to say.
Just as Garp expected, when he failed to produce anything substantial, Sengoku simply skipped over him and addressed Jake in a gentle tone.
"What about you, Jake? You're the true owner of this batch of gold. What do you want to do with it? Even if it's something outrageous, we'll support your opinion and allocate a portion of the gold as funding for your plans."
Listening to Sengoku's words, Jake could sense the sincerity behind them.
Without much hesitation, he replied softly.
"I want to start from Water Seven and build a sea rail network that connects every island in the world. Let the Sea Train operate continuously across the globe, diminish the significance of the Grand Line, remove Pirates and so-called treasures from people's sight, and place ordinary people at the center of this era—let them become its darlings."
"I know this might sound hard to comprehend, but please hear me out. Only when islands are constantly connected can this era truly move toward brightness."
Upon hearing this, Sengoku adjusted his glasses slightly and asked Jake quietly.
"You seem particularly fixated on the Sea Train. I've heard from T-Bone that you had a close friendship with that fish-man craftsman in Water Seven. Could you tell me why the Sea Train is so important?"
Jake pondered for a moment before explaining to Sengoku slowly.
"I once heard an old saying: 'To get rich, build roads first.' I understand this concept might be unfamiliar to you, given that in our world, there are simply too many islands. These scattered islands across the seas become obstacles to the development of roads."
"But what I want to say is that currently, the connections between most islands are extremely sparse. Some places have islands separated by just a few kilometers, yet they might not interact more than a few times a year. The first reason is the presence of numerous Sea Kings in the ocean. If you encounter one during a voyage, it's basically a death sentence—not to mention Pirates, who appear far more frequently than Sea Kings."
"In addition, the ever-changing weather at sea is another major factor hindering convenient travel. If we can establish the Sea Train, we can effectively solve these problems!"
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