"A Buster Call?!"
Sakazuki's words instantly plunged the Marine conference room into an uneasy silence.
The high-ranking officers exchanged glances.
Hesitation flickered in many of their eyes.
A Buster Call meant an enormous fleet composed of ten massive warships.
Each operation included:
Five Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals
Ten Rear Admirals
Nearly ten thousand elite Marines
Anywhere in the world, such a force was terrifying.
But that wasn't the most important part.
Everyone present understood what a Buster Call truly meant.
Once launched—
It meant indiscriminate total destruction.
The attack would be powerful enough to wipe the entire Zephir Kingdom from the sea.
Yes, such an operation could easily eliminate the kingdom.
But there were also countless ordinary civilians living there.
For a moment, several officers glanced at Sakazuki.
His expression was completely emotionless.
A trace of fear and caution appeared in their hearts.
Fleet Admiral Kong and Sengoku frowned deeply.
After thinking for a moment, Kong spoke slowly.
"A Buster Call is too extreme."
"There are many innocent civilians there."
"Our primary target is Zephir Arthur and the ruling class of the Zephir Kingdom."
"There is no need to cause unnecessary casualties."
Sakazuki remained expressionless.
"Fleet Admiral."
"At present we know nothing about Arthur or the true strength of his forces."
"I believe launching a Buster Call is the safest option."
"Yes, innocent civilians may suffer."
"But it ensures the Marines eliminate the Zephir Kingdom with minimal losses."
He paused coldly.
"For the sake of Marine justice, necessary sacrifices are unavoidable."
"Sakazuki…!"
Garp's face darkened.
"If you keep spouting nonsense, don't blame me if I punch you!"
"Vice Admiral Garp."
Sakazuki looked back without fear.
"I don't believe anything I said was wrong."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
The other Marine officers exchanged glances.
But none dared speak.
"Garp, calm down!"
Sengoku glared at him.
"Don't act recklessly."
"Oh my, oh my…"
Kizaru suddenly spoke lazily.
"This atmosphere is suffocating."
"Sakazuki, don't rush things."
"Let's sit down first and hear what the Fleet Admiral has to say."
He casually pulled Sakazuki back into his seat.
Kong rubbed his temples.
"These people…"
Just as he was about to speak—
A calm voice interrupted.
"I have an idea."
It was Tsuru.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Instantly, everyone's attention focused on her.
Her tone remained calm.
"Vice Admiral Sambidi and Rear Admiral Momousagi lost contact because we misjudged the true strength of the Zephir Kingdom."
"Now their whereabouts are unknown."
"And we still have no clear understanding of the enemy's strength."
She paused slightly.
"At this moment, the most urgent matter is not sending a fleet immediately."
"We should first conduct a probe."
"A probe?"
Everyone looked confused.
"Yes."
"To determine the Zephir Kingdom's true strength."
"We should send a fast and powerful individual or small unit to infiltrate the kingdom."
"This would allow us to:
Investigate the fate of Vice Admiral Sambidi and Rear Admiral Momousagi
Possibly rescue them
Test the strength of the Zephir Kingdom through direct contact"
"This will provide crucial intelligence for future Marine operations."
After Tsuru finished speaking, the room fell into deep thought.
Kong nodded slowly.
"That makes sense…"
"The situation in the New World is unstable with the Four Emperors."
"The Seven Warlords system hasn't been fully established yet."
"And pirates across the Grand Line are becoming restless."
"If possible, we should avoid mobilizing Admiral-level forces unnecessarily."
Then Kong suddenly turned his gaze toward someone.
"Kizaru."
"You possess the Glint-Glint Fruit."
"In terms of speed, no one surpasses you."
"As a candidate for the next Marine Admiral, your strength is sufficient to handle any situation."
"Before the Marines deploy a full operation…"
"You will go to the Zephir Kingdom."
Kizaru blinked.
"Eh?"
"You want me to go?"
His usually lazy face actually showed a rare moment of surprise.
Zephir Kingdom — Royal Palace
Inside the throne hall.
"Your Majesty."
"All Marines have been imprisoned."
"And I have ordered the news of their capture to be spread."
Stanley reported respectfully before the throne.
Arthur nodded with satisfaction.
After a moment, he gave another order.
"Stanley."
"Immediately deploy the Royal Army across the towns."
"Plan evacuation routes."
"No matter what happens—"
"All citizens must be able to evacuate safely into shelters."
Stanley froze for a moment.
Then he seemed to understand Arthur's intention.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Dismissed."
"Yes!"
Stanley bowed and left the hall.
Once he was gone—
Arthur leaned lazily against the throne.
Resting his chin on one hand, he smiled faintly.
"I wonder…"
"What kind of lineup the Marines will send next?"
"Hopefully they won't disappoint me."
Meanwhile — Across the West Blue
Nearly every major force in the West Blue was watching the Zephir Kingdom closely.
When they learned that a Marine warship was heading toward the kingdom—
Excitement spread everywhere.
Because everyone knew—
A major event was about to unfold.
Would the Zephir Kingdom submit to Marine pressure?
Or be destroyed?
But soon—
Another piece of intelligence arrived.
And it shocked the entire West Blue.
According to spies inside the Zephir Kingdom—
The Marine warship led by a Headquarters Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral had been completely detained.
And the reason?
The Marines had shown insufficient respect toward King Arthur.
When this news spread—
Every power in the West Blue was stunned.
"Have they gone insane?!"
This became the shared thought across the sea.
The Marines were the undisputed strongest force in the world.
Their power spanned the entire globe.
Their ranks were filled with monsters.
Most importantly—
Behind them stood the World Government, the supreme ruler of the world.
And now—
A small West Blue kingdom had detained a Marine Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral.
Was the Zephir Kingdom trying to declare war on the World Government?!
The entire West Blue erupted into chaos.
No one could understand the reason for such madness.
If there was any explanation—
It was that King Zephir Arthur had lost his mind.
Otherwise—
Why would he order something so outrageous?
But had Arthur truly gone mad?
As the West Blue buzzed with endless speculation—
Time continued to pass.
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