Seeing the tall figure at the door, the pupils of several Marine veterans in the office suddenly constricted. They exclaimed in shock, "You... Kuzan!"
Tap, tap, tap!
The sound of urgent running followed. Vice Admiral Dalmatian appeared behind him, covered in cold sweat. "Forgive me... Aokiji… Kuzan broke in so suddenly, we couldn't stop him."
Sengoku's eyes sharpened. "Isn't Borsalino the one on duty to guard the perimeter today? That guy..."
"Kuzan, you brat... what did you mean by that sentence just now?" Garp asked with a cold face.
Kuzan was dressed in his dark green long coat and small round sunglasses, still looking like a vagabond. "Mm... exactly what it sounds like. Just like Amystia, lean toward my Captain."
"Are you joking?!"
Kong glared at him with fury. "What do you think those two words (海軍) carved onto the Marine headquarters building stand for?!"
"Justice. I know. But as positions shift, Justice shifts with them. At the very least, turning toward the Immortal isn't the same as turning your back on Justice."
Kuzan's serious expression slumped after he spoke. He shoved one hand into his pocket and scratched the back of his head with the other. "No, wait... I'm not cut out for serious preaching. To put it simply..."
"Don't fight anymore. Only by staying alive can Justice be maintained."
Stay alive to maintain Justice.
It was a simple sentence, yet it struck at the very heart of the issue.
The Marines were currently trapped in a frozen valley of internal strife and external threats.
Externally, they lacked the numbers to suppress pirates, bandits, and national civil wars, let alone spare the strength to deal with the Yonko.
Internally, contradictions were piling up. The Government had collapsed too abruptly. Without them, Sengoku found himself facing countless problems that were impossible to ignore.
One such issue was the payment of bounties.
While Bounty Hunters rarely caught "Great Pirates" worth over 300 million, many worked hard to capture the smaller pirates who oppressed the common folk. However, bounties had always been paid by the Government, and the printing of currency was handled by the World Noble families.
Even the issuance of Wanted Posters was under their jurisdiction. With the Government gone, they couldn't even put out new bounties.
This single issue was enough to trigger a chain reaction of failures, to say nothing of everything else.
"In the hundreds of years since the Marines were founded, there has never been a precedent for surrendering to a pirate," Kong said through gritted teeth.
"That man is a monster unlike any the world has ever seen," Kuzan countered without hesitation. "Well, I'm not saying you have to submit or anything. Just... show weakness. I stayed with them for two years, after all; I have a relative understanding of his personality. As long as you don't actively oppose him, nothing should happen."
"Kuzan's proposal, while extreme, is something this old man also agrees with."
Issho stood atop a massive hovering rock, slowly descending to the ground. The group was shocked once again. Even Fujitora...
"Even if we do not officially join them, the Marines should send someone to express our lack of hostile intent." Issho stepped down from the boulder.
Two "traitorous" Admirals arriving one after another… was this a conspiracy?
Had even Fujitora joined the Immortal Pirates? What about Shirokitsune, Momousagi, and Momonga?
In an instant, countless suspicions flashed through the minds of the Marines present.
"Please do not let your minds wander. This old man has not joined the Immortal."
Issho was blind, but through his top-tier Observation Haki, he easily guessed their thoughts. However, his next words caused the faces of Sengoku and the others to change drastically: "Though, looking at the current situation, joining the Immortal might actually be better..."
"Issho, you!!"
Sengoku's brows knitted fiercely. Even Issho, who possessed a sense of Justice more fervent than anyone, was saying this...
Kuzan showed Sengoku and the others the Immortal Pirates' mark on the back of his hand. "Sorry, Sengoku-san, but I won't be taking this mark off for the time being. I'll stay by the shores of G-1 for a few days, waiting for your answer."
"And if we refuse?" Sengoku asked in a heavy voice.
"Nothing will happen, except that I'll have to fulfill my own Justice," Kuzan replied ambiguously before turning to leave the Fleet Admiral's office.
"This old man agrees with Kuzan-san's suggestion. Times have changed, seniors." Issho also turned and left.
Even Tsuru, who usually kept her emotions hidden, and Garp, who acted like he didn't care about anything, had expressions that were terrifyingly dark. The Marines showing weakness, surrendering, or even submitting to a pirate… how could such a thing be?
Several hours after Kuzan and Issho left, the office remained in a deathly silence until a Rear Admiral walked in to report: "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Momonga and Vice Admiral Bastille have landed on Gran Tesoro. They are preparing to conduct a secret investigation into the Death Match."
…
On the sea-faring entertainment city, Gran Tesoro, two parties sat opposite each other in a magnificent casino.
The surrounding gamblers stopped what they were doing, watching the two sides with nervous expressions.
On one side was the Black Thorn Pirates, subordinates of the Immortal Pirates. On the other was the Sabertooth, led by Storm, one of the Three All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates.
"It's been a long time, the only person in the Beasts Pirates with a bit of a brain."
Fallon looked at the Sabertooth's ace, Elburn. "You failed to snatch the Titan Fruit back then. Are you eyeing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit now?"
"As Alucard's status rises, so does yours, Black Thorn Fallon," Elburn said with a smile. "But this isn't a place for a fight, is it?"
"I'm warning you, don't expect to leave this ship peacefully."
After Fallon spoke, he led his men away. Elburn also led the crew of the Sabertooth to begin gambling.
As the danger passed, the other gamblers breathed a sigh of relief, secretly noting just how many world-class powerhouses had been drawn here by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Not far away, a group of disguised individuals were discussing in hushed tones.
"Phew, the atmosphere just now was so tense I almost fainted."
"On one side is the world's strongest pirate crew, on the other is a Yonko. I really want to see what they're capable of."
"Moss-head, keep those thoughts to yourself. Don't forget how many powerhouses we've seen along the way."
"You want to die! You ero-cook!"
This group was, of course, the Straw Hat Pirates in disguise.
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