After witnessing Good's battle, Tokikake's heart was filled with admiration.
He felt that Good was the ultimate man among men—every man's idol.
Not only did he have a knack for charming women, but his strength was also unmatched.
He made up his mind then and there: from now on, Good would be his role model, his goal, his master!
All around, the roars of the Marine soldiers shook the air.
The Shichibukai were left in complete shock.
Good was too strong.
They finally understood why the Marines dared to declare war against the most dominant of the Yonko, the strongest man alive, Whitebeard.
With Good in the Navy, their combat strength had reached its peak in decades—comparable to the era of Sengoku and Garp.
No! Perhaps even surpassing that time.
Sengoku's expression shifted slightly.
"Hmph!"
"Monkey D. Garp!!!"
In his heart, he was forced to correct his earlier judgment of Good's swordsmanship.
Not just top ten—when combined with his Devil Fruit abilities, Good's swordsmanship could easily place in the top three.
Those hundred strikes just now… even Hawk Eyes himself would have struggled to withstand them.
Good was too powerful.
Elsewhere, Sengoku froze when he received the report through the Den Den Mushi.
Good had grown even stronger than during the battle in Impel Down's Level Six.
How could this man improve so quickly…
If things continued this way, could Sengoku's own plans even succeed?
And if they did, could he retreat unscathed?
The thought of facing the Marines now meant facing Admiral Reckless Maniac—and that very idea made Sengoku's head ache.
The pressure Good brought was too overwhelming.
Among the Marine top brass, Garp listened to the deafening cheers around them and couldn't help but sigh.
"Thinking back to the year Roger and I defeated Rocks, we never received this kind of treatment when we returned.
"This kid's ability… Good's influence in the Marines now might have already surpassed my own."
Beside him, Sengoku shot Garp a furious glare and hissed, "Garp, don't spout nonsense."
The battle of God Valley—where the Marines and Roger Pirates joined forces to kill the infamous Rocks—was a secret buried by the World Government.
Since Roger was a pirate, the World Government couldn't give him any glory.
Instead, they pushed all of the honors onto Garp.
That battle established Garp's status as a Marine hero, giving him absolute influence within the Navy.
It was also why, despite bearing the name of "D," the World Government never dared to touch him.
And because of that deception, Garp had long been disappointed with the World Government, refusing promotions and remaining a vice admiral.
"Che."
At Sengoku's scolding, Garp nonchalantly picked his nose.
"I only spoke the truth—what's there to be afraid of?"
Sengoku sighed, helpless. He muttered a few warnings, but stopped arguing.
As old comrades, they knew each other too well. Sengoku fully understood Garp's nature, so there was nothing more to say.
Collecting himself, Sengoku decided to take advantage of the moment—to raise the soldiers' morale even higher.
He strode forward to the center of the crowd.
From his coat, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi and shouted:
"Meal time! Meal time! Meal time!!"
The snail was linked to the Marine broadcast system, and Sengoku's voice thundered across the entire base.
The words ignited the already frenzied atmosphere, sending it into overdrive.
The soldiers went wild, ecstatic!
They cheered for Good!
"With Admiral Reckless Maniac here, the Navy is blessed by fate! Perhaps this is destiny—the twenty-year era of great pirates is about to end at our hands!"
"The world will soon see a new dawn, a new radiant age!"
Cheers and chants erupted everywhere.
Sengoku stood quietly, waiting until the feverish emotions began to subside.
Then, once again, he bellowed:
"Our Navy will clash with the cruel rulers of this age! Tell me, are you afraid?"
The Marines' emotions soared once more.
"Not afraid!"
"What's to fear? Whitebeard is nothing but a relic of the old era!"
"Exactly! And now we have Admiral Reckless Maniac!"
"If Whitebeard dares come, we'll bury him here, in Marineford forever!"
"That's right! Like the Admiral says—let's crush him!!"
The entire Marine force shouted in unison, their spirit rising like a tidal wave.
Sengoku's heart soared—this was exactly what he wanted.
In war, strong individuals were important, but it was the morale of the soldiers that decided the true outcome.
And with Good defeating the strongest creature alive before their very eyes, this was the perfect opportunity to forge that morale.
"Exactly!!!!"
Sengoku roared, "We have Admiral Reckless Maniac! Since his rise, he has never known defeat! He is our Navy's undefeated legend!"
"With him here, what is Whitebeard? What is the so-called strongest man in the world?"
"Tell me, Marines, am I right??"
"Yes——!"
The thunderous response surged like a tangible force.
This was momentum.
Among the crowd, even the Shichibukai felt an unfamiliar chill of fear under the oppressive spirit.
For Queen, Jack, and the other captured Beasts Pirates, terror gnawed at their hearts.
Right now, even if any one Yonko crew fought this Navy—even with three times the numbers—they would likely still lose.
To defeat the Navy now, one would first have to shatter the faith the soldiers had placed in Good.
Good had become the pillar of their will.
Many silently prayed for the Whitebeard Pirates—this war might end in their crushing defeat.
Sengoku too was elated, feeling the unshakable momentum building within the ranks.
As long as Good was present, the Whitebeard Pirates would never claim victory.
Good's brilliance was dazzling!
Even Sengoku himself hadn't expected things to escalate this far.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten his promise of reward.
Seizing the moment, Sengoku declared loudly:
"Admiral Reckless Maniac is the new hero of the Marines!"
"The hero of this era!"
"The Navy will grant him a reward of fifty billion Berries, along with the highest privilege—supreme command authority!"
This authority was incredibly rare.
Even the three original admirals could not mobilize forces freely without the fleet admiral's approval.
But now, Good had been granted full command rights—meaning he could move an entire army at his discretion, without asking anyone's permission.
This was the greatest honor.
Not even Garp, in his prime, had ever possessed such authority.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!]
[[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]