-Real World-
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
Do these Uchiha clan members who suddenly appeared have some peculiar obsession with sneaking into women's delivery rooms?
The question hung unspoken in the air as Marine officers processed the Sky Screen's latest revelations. However, for the Marine institution as a whole, they'd finally learned the origins of Buggy the Clown's most mysterious subordinates. This feeling of gradually unraveling layered secrets represented one of the genuine pleasures of watching the broadcasts—peeling back reality's curtain to expose hidden truths.
Because morally perfect individuals proved extremely rare on the seas, the secret pleasure of snooping into others' private affairs proved addictive. Audiences couldn't stop themselves from seeking more revelations, and the value of each deception exposed increased exponentially with every new disclosure.
As the Sky Screen had become a permanent fixture in the pirate world's daily existence, the powerful figures across the seas gradually accepted this player hovering in the sky. Ironically, the strong proved more likely to be deceived than the weak, their confidence making them ideal nourishment for subsequent lies and manipulations.
Garp currently ranked as the biggest victim within the Marine system. Although fellow Marine officers had unanimously announced his symbolic death, the gesture earned sympathetic responses from colleagues who understood the politics involved. Not only had he lost the honorary title of "Hero of the Marines," he probably wouldn't receive significant salary from the organization for several years. Fleet Admiral Sengoku had done his utmost simply by not recovering bonuses previously awarded—financial mercy rather than genuine support.
"Shisui... then we should call him Uchiha Shisui," Garp muttered, processing the information with visible difficulty. "This eye technique family represents a truly terrifying existence. No wonder Wano Country wanted to overthrow this group of monsters centuries ago."
Garp chose to believe he'd been a victim of Kotoamatsukami—that insidious genjutsu that rewrote memories and allegiances without leaving traces. Ever since seeing Ann in the Sky Screen's broadcasts, he'd desperately wanted a granddaughter, desired Ann's return to his side with almost painful intensity. The old man felt profound guilt about Roger's final wish, a burden that grew heavier with each passing day.
The main problem was that absolutely none of the people around him proved worry-free. His son Dragon led the Revolutionary Army—the World Government's greatest enemy. His grandson Luffy was determined to become the Pirate King—following the exact path Garp had hoped to prevent. His closest godson Ace was the posthumous son of former Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Another godson, Sabo, served as the Revolutionary Army's second-in-command. His newest apprentice Koby had been labeled a traitor to the Marines by some factions.
The cumulative effect left Garp in an incredibly difficult position within the Marine hierarchy. No one could withstand all this terrible luck concentrated on a single individual without suffering consequences.
If Garp couldn't leverage his seniority and legendary status, if the sea weren't still turbulent enough to require veteran expertise, there probably wouldn't be any place for him in the Marines at all. He owed his continued position entirely to his good friend Sengoku, who'd protected him through external pressure from the Celestial Dragons and internal criticism from the Marine's upper brass. Sengoku had proven himself a true friend beyond any doubt.
Vice Admiral Tsuru raised her pen and carefully wrote down two surnames in her notebook: Uchiha and Hyuga. This marked the first time the Marines had learned that besides Devil Fruits, the seas harbored another method of power inheritance—bloodline abilities passing from generation to generation. These monsters who could hypnotize with their eyes absolutely required careful monitoring and strategic planning.
The Kozuki clan's isolationist policies over the centuries had proven devastatingly effective. The Marines knew pathetically little about Wano Country despite its strategic importance. They understood only surface details: the distinctive clothing worn by Wano's citizens, that the region produced abundant seastone deposits, that endless samurai swordsmen emerged from that closed nation to sail the seas. Beyond these fragments, information proved nonexistent. The Marines could only consume whatever the Sky Screen chose to feed them, passive recipients of filtered truth.
"Uchiha Madara is an old monster who's lived for eight hundred years," Tsuru observed, voice tight with concern. "I can only imagine how many ambitious individuals will fantasize about immortality now. The Sky Screen has proposed another path besides the Ope Ope no Mi (Op-Op Fruit)'s ultimate technique."
The woman rubbed her temples, overwhelmed by information that proved difficult to digest all at once. She could already envision what absolute chaos the seas would descend into. Every capable individual seeking Uchiha Madara's immortality secrets would make pilgrimage to Wano Country, turning that isolated nation into a battleground for competing ambitions.
As for the six Shichibukai, they remained at the Holy Land of Mariejois engaged in their political theater. Tsuru had returned to Marine Headquarters because she'd grown too exhausted watching pirates posture and scheme. Even if those six demolished the Celestial Dragons' holy land entirely, she had no intention of intervening in their affairs.
"Originally I didn't believe people could live that long," Admiral Sakazuki admitted, his gravelly voice carrying unusual uncertainty. "But since the World Government banned all discussions about the Celestial Dragons' ancestor, I had no choice but to accept it as fact."
As a Marine Admiral, liaison duties with the Five Elders didn't fall under Sakazuki's responsibilities—those delicate negotiations were primarily handled by Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru through careful mediation.
The World Government maintained absolute silence regarding the Celestial Dragons' living ancestor. Those concerned about the implications could only discuss matters privately, voices lowered, aware that walls had ears and information leaked upward.
The Celestial Dragons—descendants of the twenty founding kings—grew increasingly dissatisfied with having such an ancient ancestor lurking above them. They must have deduced that Im had broken their forefathers' sacred agreement, that the Void Throne having a master represented a fundamental betrayal of the compact that established their system.
Most people serving in the Marines worked primarily for salary and security. Those who genuinely harbored justice in their hearts represented a distinct minority. Upon learning that an ancient figure existed above even the Five Elders in the hierarchy, most Marines didn't react strongly. Working for anyone was still working—as long as the World Government allocated funds normally and paid salaries on schedule, the majority of Marine personnel raised no objections to the revised power structure.
One more ancient survivor from eight hundred years ago existing in the world didn't fundamentally change daily operations. Uchiha Madara's sudden appearance became easier to accept after Im's revelation had already desensitized audiences. Admiral Sakazuki, like other viewers, simply wanted to see what tricks these old bastards hiding in history's shadows would attempt in the future.
"We don't need to worry about Uchiha Madara's problem immediately," Fleet Admiral Sengoku stated, redirecting the discussion with characteristic pragmatism. "Borsalino has already departed for the Marine's branch base again. We are absolutely determined to obtain the Red Dragon Fruit before other factions can claim it. The real question we should be considering is internal distribution—assuming we successfully acquire it, who receives this power?"
Marshal Sengoku's sudden topic shift caught everyone present completely off guard. It seemed this old strategist truly possessed far-reaching vision, planning several moves ahead while others still processed current revelations. However, deciding who should receive the fruit represented an enormous problem fraught with political complications. And wasn't it premature to discuss distribution when acquisition remained uncertain?
The discussion triggered memories of precedent. Before the three current Marine Admirals obtained their Logia-type Devil Fruits, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan had already been acknowledged monsters within the Marine system. Even before gaining fruit abilities, their personal strength had far exceeded standard Vice Admiral levels. Their exchange of accumulated merit for fruits and subsequent promotion to Admiral rank made perfect sense—the Marines harbored no doubts about these three individuals. They'd genuinely deserved those three Logia-type Devil Fruits through proven capability and loyal service.
But the artificial fruit created by Dr. Vegapunk—this Uo Uo no Mi (Fish-Fish Fruit), Model: Seiryu (Red Dragon)—was described by the Sky Screen as surpassing even its original template, Kaido's Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Azure Dragon). Perhaps the scientist had incorporated additional elements into the fruit's structure, supplementary modifications that explained why the Red Dragon Fruit exhibited such perverted capabilities.
Such an extraordinarily powerful Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit could theoretically elevate any competent Marine to Admiral-level potential through dedicated training. Even saints would feel temptation toward a Devil Fruit guaranteeing increased strength and virtually assured Admiral rank upon consumption. And the Marines definitely weren't saints—they were the seas' largest military organization, pragmatic warriors who understood power's value intimately.
Excluding Devil Fruit users already present in the Marine hierarchy, only Vice Admirals and the three Admiral candidates remained as viable recipients. Sengoku personally leaned toward granting the fruit to one of the Admiral candidates. The Vice Admirals' potential seemed fundamentally limited by age and development—he worried these veteran officers might lack the capacity to unleash the Red Dragon Fruit's full combat potential.
Choosing between Momousagi Gion, Chaton, and "Kinjishi" Artoria proved significantly more difficult than anticipated. The Marine high-ranking officials began quarreling in the war room about distribution priorities, voices rising with passionate intensity. They threatened to blow the roof off the building with their vehement disagreements.
The primary controversy centered on whether the Red Dragon Fruit should be entrusted to Artoria. Although this future acting Admiral of the Marines had brought considerable goodwill to the organization through Sky Screen revelations, she'd only recently joined the Marines. Her service record remained essentially blank—no accumulated merits, no proven loyalty through decades of service.
The Marines needed to carefully consider whether they should easily entrust such a phenomenally powerful Devil Fruit to this blonde girl based purely on future potential. After all, now was the present and the future remained the future—two different contexts requiring separate evaluation.