Bang!
Sengoku slammed the intelligence report onto the table, his face dark with fury.
Even Garp, the old rogue, didn't dare speak up this time. He glanced at the information on the table and couldn't help but feel shocked.
He had expected Naruto to cause some major waves.
But he never imagined the other party would go straight for the Celestial Dragons' home.
If it were just one or two Celestial Dragons killed, the Marines could have put on a show of pursuing justice, and the Five Elder wouldn't have pushed the matter too hard.
After all, they still needed the Marines as their 'sharp blade'.
But this time was different.
Just look at this!
Akainu was defeated, lost an arm, and was still unconscious.
This was already Naruto showing restraint, as he hadn't completely severed ties with the Marines.
The reports below were even more explosive.
The God's Knights lost one member, as Saint Killingham was confirmed dead.
The Holy Land Mary Geoise was attacked by Naruto, and the number of Celestial Dragon casualties was incalculable.
Compared to this, the slaves Naruto freed barely even registered as news.
Fisher Tiger should take notes, as this is how you really save people!
As for who the God's Knights were?
Garp knew all too well.
During the [God Valley Incident], these guys were supposed to be the ones holding the line against the Rocks Pirates.
But unfortunately, they couldn't defeat Rocks and his crew, so after losing, they simply retreated.
The task of 'protecting the Celestial Dragons', or rather, 'recovering the treasure', was then handed to Garp.
Frankly, Garp had zero respect for these so-called God's Knights.
But even he had to admit that they were strong.
-Did Garp defeat Rocks? That was only possible because he teamed up with Roger.
In a true one-on-one fight, Garp wasn't that man's match.
When Rocks was still around, there was no such thing as [Emperors of the Sea] on these waters.
It was this battle that earned Garp the title of [Hero of the Marines].
This time, the Celestial Dragons had suffered a devastating blow.
The old man couldn't help but feel a little gleeful about it.
As for Imu's intervention or the attack on the Five Elders, those details weren't included in the report.
"Our top priority is to contain the news."
Across from Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke gravely.
Sengoku had already considered this, but he shook his head.
"It's too late. Morgans probably already has the first-hand report."
Sengoku's prediction was spot-on.
"We've already contacted Morgans, but he brushed us off with 'the News Coos have already been dispatched, we're doing our best to recall them'."
"That bastard… Does he really want to go against the World Government?"
At this time, another female voice chimed in.
That was Vice Admiral Momousagi, Gion, one of the [Admiral Candidates].
"Do you really not know what kind of man Morgans is?"
Everyone knew this guy is a madman who would risk his own life for the sake for the so-called 'big news'.
"What about Kizaru and Aokiji? Have they returned yet?"
Sengoku suddenly turned and asked a Marine's officer standing nearby.
"Yes! Admiral Aokiji has received the news and is on his way back. Admiral Kizaru has just arrived at Marineford."
"Then why hasn't that lazy bastard shown up yet?!"
Sengoku roared in frustration.
'That old slacker had already made it to Marineford but still dared to skip the meeting… unbelievable!'
On another note, Sengoku was also deeply unsettled by the rapid growth in Naruto's combat prowess.
The last time Naruto had taken action was when Kuzan went to the East Blue to capture him.
Back then, he learned that Naruto had only been able to run away, so he wondered how had Naruto, in such a short time, become strong enough to face Sakazuki and the God's Knights head-on?
'Had he been holding back then? No, that couldn't be. The Marine had been relentlessly pursuing him… Uzumaki Naruto had no reason to do that.'
Sengoku quickly dismissed his own speculation, unaware that his initial guess was actually the closest to the truth.
At this point, the combat power Naruto had displayed had surpassed that of an Admiral. So sending a single Admiral to hunt him down was no longer a realistic option.
"Garp, this time, you're going with Borsalino. No more excuses… remember your position."
Sengoku's preemptive strike shut down any refusal Garp might have had.
Seeing the stern look on his old friend's face, Garp could only nod.
'Don't blame me for not helping you this time, brat. You brought this on yourself by causing such a huge mess-'
"I'll go too."
Vice Admiral Tsuru suddenly spoke up, and beside her, Vice Admiral Gion also expressed her desire to join the mission.
After some thought, Sengoku agreed.
An extra fighter meant an extra edge.
Besides, with Tsuru keeping an eye on things, he believed there won't be any risk of Garp slacking off or holding back.
"Based on Uzumaki Naruto's movement patterns, he's likely planning to return to the New World through Fish-Man Island."
"You'll cut him off by going through Mary Geoise. Do not let the battle take place on Fish-Man Island."
This decision was made partly because Sengoku didn't want to drag Fish-Man Island into the conflict.
Not only was it a 'member nation' and a 'transit point', but the Whitebeard Pirates backing it would only complicate things for the Marines.
On the other hand, if a battle were to break out 10,000 meters beneath the sea, judging by the combat capabilities of these individuals, the shockwaves alone could very well destroy all of Fish-Man Island.
In that case, everyone might end up buried in the depths of the ocean.
The Marines were now operating like a precision machine, while the reactions of others who received the newspaper varied greatly.
"Zehahahaha… Uzumaki Naruto? What a terrifying guy."
Blackbeard munched on cherry pie while skimming through the freshly delivered news.
The newspaper only showed Naruto's name and a glimpse of his back, but Blackbeard would never forget the man who had nearly killed him right in front of Whitebeard.
That day, he had truly believed he would die by Naruto's hand.
To say Blackbeard held no resentment toward Naruto would be a lie… but at the same time, he couldn't help but admire the man's audacity.
At the very least, he would never dare to do something so insane.
'Tch… That reckless fool.'
In Water 7, Stussy received the intel almost immediately… even before the News Coos arrived.
Shortly after the report came in, the order from the Five Elders followed.
"Lucci, Kaku, gather the others. We're moving out."
She turned toward the training grounds where the two were still sparring to hone their Haki and called out to them impatiently.
"Ma'am, where are we going? What about the blueprints for Pluton?"
Kaku looked puzzled, while Lucci's gaze sharpened with curiosity.
"We're heading to the New World. Another CP unit will take over here."
Stussy had no obligation to explain things to them. These brats just needed to follow orders.
The two in the training grounds exchanged glances but ultimately said nothing, obediently going to gather the rest of their team.
The News Coos were fast… they took off almost simultaneously from Morgans' various branch bases, spreading across the world.
-Did you really think a guy like Morgans wouldn't understand the principle of 'the cunning rabbit has three burrows'?
Having multiple branch bases made it easier to distribute the papers efficiently.
Whole Cake Island, Onigashima, Dressrosa, Amazon Lily, the four Blues… even ships passing through Reverse Mountain found newspapers dropped by News Coos.
This time, the name Naruto Uzumaki truly resounded across the entire sea.