Meanwhile…
At Marine Headquarters, Marineford, Fleet Admiral Kong summoned Sengoku and the others for an early-morning emergency meeting.
On the conference table, an image Den Den Mushi projected the scene from Hachinosu Harbor.
At the center of the image—
the Celestial Dragon's corpse hung clearly from the mast.
The atmosphere in the room was heavy.
A Celestial Dragon had been killed.
The World Government had intended to lock that information down completely.
But first Romu paraded the body around on a mast.
Then Rocks displayed it openly at Hachinosu harbor.
At that point, it didn't matter what newspapers printed—
the entire world already knew.
This wasn't just humiliation.
This was naked provocation.
A declaration of war by the Rocks Pirates against the World Government… and Mary Geoise itself.
Around the table, Sengoku, Garp, and the others all turned their eyes toward Kong at the head seat.
Feeling the pressure of their gaze, Kong's mountain-shaped mustache twitched.
He shut off the image feed.
Then spoke in a low voice:
"We wait and observe."
Every brow in the room immediately tightened.
Vice Admiral Tsuru—the only woman present—spoke first.
"Fleet Admiral Kong… we can't just sit still anymore. We have to act."
"News of the Celestial Dragon's death has spread across the continent. The credibility of both the World Government and the Marines is collapsing."
"Rebel factions hiding in the shadows are already stirring."
"In just three days, five branch bases have been attacked."
"If this continues…"
Her tone grew darker with each word.
Zephyr glanced down at the bandages wrapped around his body and added:
"Putting Rocks aside… Whitebeard, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, and the other officers are already nightmares to deal with."
"And now we have Romu—a madman with that level of power…"
"I agree. We need to strike soon, or the balance of the world will shatter."
Even Garp—usually carefree—looked grim.
He slammed his iron fist onto the table.
"Fleet Admiral. Tsuru and Zephyr are right. We can't keep waiting!"
Beside him, Sengoku adjusted his glasses and asked calmly:
"Fleet Admiral… what's the Five Elders' stance?"
Kong nodded slowly.
His mustache twitched again.
"Wait and observe."
"Three months."
"That's their direct order."
Confusion spread across the table.
Kong raised a hand for silence.
"Here's the reasoning."
"The Five Elders believe the Rocks Pirates are now the greatest threat in the world."
"They must be uprooted completely."
"Based on their intelligence, Rocks will appear at the God Valley ritual in three months."
"And the entire crew will be there."
"So to avoid alerting them, we do nothing drastic until then."
The room fell quiet.
Tsuru spoke again:
"Fleet Admiral… how can they be so certain Rocks will attack a Celestial Dragon ritual?"
Kong shook his head.
"Those five in Mary Geoise have always been… mysterious."
"That isn't our concern."
Everyone nodded reluctantly.
The Five Elders had pulled off too many uncanny predictions in the past to dismiss outright.
Sengoku spoke again, voice steady:
"So… God Valley will be the decisive battlefield?"
A full-scale clash between Celestial Dragons and Rocks—
that wasn't a battle.
That was history in the making.
Kong nodded.
Then his tone sharpened.
"There can be no mistakes at God Valley."
"In these three months, we prepare everything we can."
"We won't strike Rocks directly—but Hachinosu must be under constant surveillance."
"We cannot allow them to escalate further before the final battle."
The room answered with solemn nods.
Then Kong straightened, issuing orders.
"Sengoku. Zephyr."
"Yes, sir!"
"God Valley won't just be a clash of top-tier fighters."
"Each of you assemble teams."
"Do whatever it takes to raise their strength in these three months."
"Especially those three rookies—Kuzan and the others."
"Push them to their limits."
A devil training regime had begun.
But Kong wasn't done.
His gaze snapped to Garp.
"Garp…"
His teeth clenched.
"I know you've got… connections with Roger."
The room froze.
"…You may contact him."
"But this stays classified."
Shock rippled across the table.
Everyone knew Garp and Roger had an unusual mutual respect.
Kong had scolded Garp for it more than once.
And now—
he was asking Garp to reach out?
Kong exhaled heavily.
"…We're Marines."
"Seeking pirate cooperation…"
"…the whole world would laugh if they heard."
But his voice hardened.
"We don't have a choice."
The Rocks Pirates were already a catastrophe.
Now Romu existed—a walking disaster in human form.
Marine strength alone might not be enough anymore.
From the Five Elders' tone, God Valley wasn't just another operation.
It was the final confrontation.
And if that failed—
face and pride wouldn't matter.
Kong sighed again, deep and weary.
"Make the contact."
"Under no circumstances…"
"can we allow anything to go wrong."
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