Chapter 306: The New Fleet Admiral!
Sengoku was taken to the headquarters hospital.
"…"
Akainu stood in place, silently watching the stretcher disappear, then looked out at the chaotic port. For the first time, a hint of confusion and weariness appeared on his scarred face.
"Sakazuki…" Kizaru, not noticing his expression, rubbed his temples. "It's come to this. The Marines… are probably facing an unprecedented crisis."
More than a crisis… Akainu let out a breath and closed his eyes wearily. But soon, after a deep, centering breath, he opened his eyes again. The confusion was gone, replaced not only by his usual resolve but also a newfound, ruthless determination!
"Of course I know that," he said coldly. "But it's at times like these that we cannot waver! The morale is in chaos. If you and I also fall apart, then the Marines are truly finished!"
"Someone, send out my orders!" Akainu turned and roared.
"Yes, Admiral Sakazuki!" Two young officers, fervent admirers of Akainu, immediately stood at attention and saluted.
"First! All officers stationed at Headquarters are to immediately dispatch half their forces to the various bases to quell the unrest, prioritizing the G-bases on the Grand Line! We must maintain basic order!"
"Second! Borsalino, you are to head to the G-1 Base immediately! The New World is the Yonko's territory. Under no circumstances can we lose our surveillance there!"
"Third! Contact the CP agencies and launch a full-scale manhunt for Morgans! At the same time, forcibly take over the various branches of the news agencies around the world and regain control of public opinion as quickly as possible!"
"Fourth! And most importantly! Contact the World Government! Ask them how they plan to deal with this unprecedented crisis of faith and clean up the mess those Celestial Dragons made!"
Akainu snorted. "This is not the time for them to remain high and mighty! They must come up with a viable plan and give the world an explanation!"
As expected of Mr. Sakazuki! The two young officers thought, their hearts filled with infinite reverence as they took notes. Even at this critical moment, with the Marines on the verge of collapse, Mr. Sakazuki maintained his astonishing composure and decisiveness, his orders clear and orderly! Stabilize the interior, keep an eye on the Yonko, control public opinion, and then, point directly at the core of the conflict, even daring to pressure the World Government… A true pillar, a true leader!
"Yes, sir!" The two young officers closed their notebooks, saluted smartly, and said, "We'll get right on it!"
"Not yet. One last thing," Akainu said, pacing to the window. He stared at the endless sea for a long time before finally speaking in a low voice. "Submit a proposal to the World Government. Tell them to convene a high-level Marine reorganization meeting immediately, no matter what."
Kizaru was taken aback. "Sakazuki, you don't mean…"
"That's right!" Akainu said coldly. "Sengoku is no longer fit to lead the Marines as Fleet Admiral!"
"He is one of the core figures in this public opinion crisis. The people's condemnation, the Marines' dissatisfaction, and the guilt on his shoulders—none of it can be washed away!"
"Keeping him at the forefront will only tarnish the Marines' image in the eyes of the world!"
"And at this critical time, the World Government must, with the utmost speed, appoint a new Fleet Admiral!"
Kizaru sensed something was off. He scratched his head. "That's a terrifying resolve. But Sakazuki, for you to say that… you're not trying to nominate yourself, are you?"
"I am indeed the most suitable candidate," Akainu said, his face solemn, without a hint of evasion.
The conference room erupted! No one had expected that just minutes after Fleet Admiral Sengoku had collapsed and been carried away on a stretcher, Akainu would make such a demand.
"Mr. Sakazuki!" a Vice Admiral frowned and couldn't help but speak up. "This is not the time for a power struggle! Fleet Admiral Sengoku hasn't even…"
"Shut up, you fool!" Akainu roared, grabbing the Vice Admiral by the collar. "You think this is about personal ambition? You think I'm after Sengoku's position? Open your damn eyes and look! The Marines are at a life-or-death crossroads!"
"Only by completely severing ties with the filth of the past can justice be put back on the right track!"
"Only a stronger, more iron-willed leader can restore morale!"
Akainu released his grip, and the Vice Admiral staggered back, his face pale as he lowered his head, not daring to say another word. The conference room was silent. The two young officers exchanged a look and couldn't help but lead the cheer. "Mr. Sakazuki is right! The Marines need a new leader!"
"We support your appointment as Fleet Admiral!"
Several of Akainu's other staunch supporters also responded with fervor, but most of the room remained silent. However, at least there was no opposition. That was enough. Akainu scanned the room, then looked away, his face impassive as he strode out of the conference room without looking back.
The tide of the new era had indeed come. No one could deny that. But he, Sakazuki, would not be crushed by it! On the contrary, he would take the helm of this great ship, the Marine Headquarters, and use the most iron-fisted methods to turn this tide!
Three days later. New World, Dressrosa.
At dusk, Shane, having just had dinner with his adoptive mother, was strolling along a path through a sunflower field with a group of his officers. The setting sun cast a warm glow on the sea of golden flowers.
Shane walked at the front, his hands in his pockets, his black coat billowing in the wind. A faint smile played on his lips as he listened to the reports.
"So, the chaos in the Marines is even worse than we expected?"
"Yes," the head of the intelligence department, Victor, said with emotion. "Our strategy was undoubtedly correct. There are still many in the Marines who hold justice in their hearts and cannot stand the way of the world."
"In just the past few days, over sixty thousand have defected. The largest mutiny occurred at the G-6 Base in the first half of the Grand Line. Of the more than five thousand Marines stationed there, less than a thousand remain. Even the base commander and his deputy, two Vice Admirals from Headquarters, have resigned in protest."
"G-6 Base," Fujitora said, surprised. "If I'm not mistaken, wasn't that where Aokiji was the base commander before he was promoted to Admiral?"
"That's right," Victor nodded. "The veterans at that base are Aokiji's staunchest followers. With Aokiji himself having left the Marines, it's no wonder their reaction was so strong."
"Aokiji, Z… that's two Admiral-level fighters gone in one go," Jack said, scratching his head. "By the way, what about Garp? That old… that old gentleman, why hasn't he done anything?" He had been about to say "old fossil," but then he remembered that the legendary Marine hero was on good terms with his boss and had even helped him out several times.
"Nothing," Victor shook his head. "Perhaps he has his reasons. But Garp has refused to be promoted to Admiral for decades and has been participating in fewer and fewer Marine operations. He's been semi-retired for a long time."
"Semi-retired isn't good enough. The next time I see that old man, I'm going to use these," Shane said, grinning and clenching his fists, "to ask him what he's thinking." That old geezer. Is he reluctant to leave his old comrades? Or is he secretly working as a mole for Dragon? It didn't matter. His fists would get the answer out of him! Ever since his strength had reached the Admiral/Yonko level, he hadn't had a proper fight with the old man. His hands were itching!
"Have you managed to contact Aokiji and Z?" Shane asked.
"Not yet," Victor said with some regret. "As per your instructions, we've been trying to contact them since the schism began three days ago. But it seems both of them have their own ideas. According to our intel, after leaving Marineford, Kuzan set off on his own on a bicycle and has disappeared. He's not answering any calls and has refused all meeting requests. It seems he wants to get away from the conflict and be alone for a while."
"As for Mr. Z," Victor paused. "He's been surprisingly active. After leaving Marineford, he immediately gathered a group of like-minded former Marine officers and announced the formation of a 'NEO MARINE.' Over two thousand former Marines have already joined, including two Vice Admirals from Headquarters. They even managed to take several Pacifistas from the Marine research institute. Their overall strength is not to be underestimated."
So it is? NEO MARINE… Just like in the original timeline, Z immediately formed the NEO Marines after leaving. Shane wasn't surprised. The strong all have their own beliefs. Even if he wasn't a transmigrator and hadn't read the manga, he wouldn't have been naive enough to think that Z and Aokiji would immediately join the Curtain Call after leaving the Marines.
"I have some history with Mr. Z," Fujitora said at this point. "Captain, after the intelligence department locates the NEO Marines, shall I go and try to persuade him? With Mr. Z's prestige and strength, if he were to join us, it would be a great boon to the crew."
"Don't force it," Shane shook his head. "That old man is as stubborn as a Sea King. Let him go his own way for now." If Z could remain rational and if the NEO Marines could actually establish themselves on this sea, then they would undoubtedly be a reliable ally. Shane would be happy to see it. But if he went to extremes, like in the original timeline, then he would eventually come to the New World to try and get the Dyna Stones. And when that happened, it wouldn't be too late for him to step in and reason with the stubborn old man.
Come to think of it, the Marine officers who had chosen to leave could be divided into three categories: the largest group were those who were disheartened and had chosen to retire to their hometowns; the smallest were those who had chosen to follow Z and join the NEO Marines; and in the middle were those who had come to join the Curtain Call. According to the statistics from the various territories, four Vice Admirals from Headquarters, led by Momonga, and a dozen or so Rear Admirals and Commodores had already contacted them and expressed their desire to join. These officers were undoubtedly not just fed up with the Marines, but also disgusted by the atrocities of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons and wanted to change the status quo. The fact that they had come all this way was a sign of their approval of the Curtain Call's ideals. From now on, they were comrades. Shane welcomed them.
As they talked, the group arrived at the shore and boarded the flagship. Shane looked back at Dressrosa. With the compensation funds from the Five Elders as a starting point, after more than half a year of development, Dressrosa had become one of the most prosperous nations in the New World. As night fell, the lights of the capital were as bright as the stars, the port was bustling with ships, and the streets were filled with laughter. The toy country, once shrouded in the shadow of the Donquixote Family, was now radiating with an unprecedented vitality.
How times have changed. This was his first real territory. Back then, the Curtain Call had only just entered the New World and had not yet fully established itself. But now, in addition to the seven islands of the Galaxy Sea and the thirty-four islands of Whole Cake, he also had over thirty other territories. More than half of them were populous, non-affiliated nations that had voluntarily joined them in the days following the North Blue operation!
Expand, consolidate, and expand again! In terms of both population and territory, the Curtain Call was now the undisputed number one among the Yonko, having left even the Whitebeard Pirates far behind! And the World Government, because of the truth revealed by the North Blue operation, was too busy dealing with mutinies and public opinion to stop them. This had bought the Curtain Call a great deal of time to develop.
"It's about time. Let's go," Shane said, looking away. He turned to Victor. "What's our next stop?"
"Representatives from two of our new territories would like to discuss some matters with you in person," Victor said, opening his notebook. "Also, Morgans wants to see you. It seems he has a lot to complain about…"
"I see," Shane chuckled. "Then let's see them all. Let's go to Morgans's first."
"Yes, my lord!"
The flagship started to move, slowly leaving the port of Dressrosa and heading for its next destination. Not long after they set sail, Victor received a call from one of his subordinates. After listening to the report, he looked stunned, then hurried over to Shane. "My lord, the latest news. The World Government has unanimously passed a resolution to remove Fleet Admiral Sengoku from his post. And this evening, they appointed a new Fleet Admiral."
"Oh?" Shane was also a little surprised. Such a major personnel change, decided in just two or three days. It seemed that when the pressure of public opinion was at its peak, even the World Government could be surprisingly efficient.
"It's Akainu, right?" Shane said casually. He didn't think there could be any other answer. After all, in the original timeline, Kizaru had never shown any desire for the position, and Aokiji, who had fought Akainu for ten days and ten nights, had already left the Marines.
"Actually, it's not, my lord," Victor's expression was a little strange. "The new Fleet Admiral is… Kong."
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