Chapter 275: Instructions
"Too slow!"
Sengoku made no attempt to hide his anger.
Aokiji sighed and scratched his head. His expression remained unchanged, showing no concern at all. He was clearly used to this.
"Riding a bicycle is already pretty fast."
His attitude only made Sengoku angrier, yet it also left him helpless.
"Can't you take a warship like a normal person?"
Sengoku glared at him.
"You're an Admiral, yet you abandoned your warship and rode away on a bicycle. If something happened, would you reach the scene in time like that?"
"I don't expect you to handle everything perfectly, but you should at least fulfill your responsibilities as an Admiral."
"You're no longer a Vice Admiral. As a Marine Admiral, there are rules you must follow."
A Marine Admiral was different from a Vice Admiral.
It was not merely a matter of higher status.
More importantly, Admirals could not act as freely as Vice Admirals. Every move they made represented both the Marines and the World Government.
There were many situations where an Admiral's presence was required to maintain order.
The World Conference currently being prepared was one such occasion.
After reprimanding Aokiji for a while, Sengoku finally stopped.
He knew that ordinary scolding had little effect on him.
Aokiji appeared to follow the rules, but some of his behavior had clearly inherited Garp's temperament. He often acted according to his emotions rather than regulations.
Perhaps that came from Garp's influence.
Or perhaps it was simply his nature.
Furthermore, although an Admiral was Sengoku's direct subordinate, he could not be too harsh with him.
Sengoku sighed, calmed himself, and continued.
"The quadrennial World Conference is about to begin."
"Kings and heads of state from all over the world will gather at Mary Geoise."
"The Marines are fully responsible for protecting them along the way, so I don't want any accidents."
The World Conference was convened by the World Government and held at the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The kings of the World Government's Member Nations gathered there to discuss global security and order.
Every time the conference ended, its decisions caused unrest, and sometimes even wars, among various nations.
Sengoku placed great importance on it.
If the king of a Member Nation met with an accident at sea, it could spark a war at any moment.
That made the Marines' protection duties especially important.
For this reason, Sengoku had summoned the Admirals to prepare for the escort missions and the security work surrounding the conference.
A trace of seriousness crossed Aokiji's weary face.
Having served in the Marines for many years, he understood how much influence the World Conference had on the entire world.
Although he could not directly influence what was discussed there, he could at least protect the gathering.
"I've written down the specific matters you'll be responsible for."
Sengoku pushed a document across the desk.
"Take it and read through it."
Aokiji picked up the document and was about to leave when Sengoku called out to him.
"Wait."
Aokiji stopped.
"How is Axel doing?"
Aokiji was briefly startled.
"He's all right."
"All right?" Sengoku repeated.
"To be precise, there doesn't seem to be any change on the surface, but..."
Aokiji scratched his head again and yawned.
"Ah, forget it. I can't really explain it."
Although Sengoku was curious about what Aokiji had left unsaid, he did not press him.
"If you can't explain it, then forget it."
He leaned back in his chair.
"The World Conference is our priority right now. Everything else can wait."
Aokiji was silent for a moment before speaking.
"If we gather so much of the Marines' strength in one place, won't pirates in other sea regions become more active because there's no one left to restrain them?"
"The Marines can't completely suppress piracy even now, but our presence still provides some deterrence."
"In areas guarded by Marines, few pirates dare to launch a direct attack."
Sengoku's expression grew heavier.
He had considered this concern.
However, the central issue remained unchanged.
"Everything must prioritize the World Conference."
"But..."
Aokiji wanted to argue further, but Sengoku interrupted him again.
"You should know what will happen if something goes wrong during this conference."
Sengoku looked up at him from behind the desk.
"It won't result in only a few casualties."
"An entire nation could be destroyed because of it."
"If someone with ulterior motives takes advantage of the situation, it could even cause upheaval across the world."
"Compared to that, don't you understand which matter is more important?"
Sitting in the Fleet Admiral's chair, Sengoku had gradually begun to judge peace by the scale of interests involved and the number of lives at stake.
He measured his choices by relative importance.
Yet he did not regret those choices.
This world was filled with decisions.
Sometimes, peace had to be sacrificed to protect a greater peace.
It was a helpless decision.
But as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku was the one required to make it.
Aokiji frowned slightly.
The facts were exactly as Sengoku had said.
He was no longer the naive rookie who had first joined the Marines.
Nor did he still believe that everything could be protected.
He had participated in the destruction of Ohara.
He understood that lesson better than most.
For the sake of world peace, the people of that island had been sacrificed.
Yet sometimes, Aokiji still felt that pursuing such an impossible ideal might not be a bad thing.
But that thought was always crushed beneath another, greater form of justice.
Contrary to his lazy appearance, Aokiji clenched his fists in frustration.
In the end, he still compromised beneath that immense pressure.
For a moment, he envied Vice Admiral Garp.
By refusing promotion, Garp had retained the freedom to travel across the seas and protect the peace he believed in.
What if I weren't an Admiral?
Aokiji wondered.
Then perhaps he could follow his own path.
"I understand."
His fist gradually loosened.
"I'll do as requested."
Seeing Aokiji agree, Sengoku also breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's good that you understand."
"There is still some time before the operation begins."
"Until then, I want pirate searches and arrests intensified to restrict their movements."
"That way, even after our forces are withdrawn, few pirates will dare to act during that period."
There was one thing Sengoku, known as the Strategist, did not say aloud.
The pirates willing to take such a risk and emerge during that time would likely be the greatest threats to both the Marines and civilians.
They were often the most vicious pirates of all.
Aokiji nodded.
"That's all we can do."
With one matter settled, it was time for the next.
"This year's World Conference will not be peaceful."
Sengoku rubbed his forehead.
"It may even lead to more serious consequences than usual."
"There's the increasingly active Revolutionary Army, and then there are the Celestial Dragons."
"At this conference, they seem to intend to use the previous attack against them to create trouble and demand greater benefits."
"However, even the World Government's Member Nations cannot tolerate limitless demands."
Sengoku had wondered why the Celestial Dragons had remained so quiet.
It turned out they had only been waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble.
Aokiji glanced at Sengoku with an indifferent expression.
He had no desire to know too much about such matters.
He was also curious about why Sengoku was telling him any of this.
Sengoku soon answered that question.
"As the person responsible for pursuing the culprit, you will inevitably become a target."
"You'll face considerable pressure."
"So if anything happens, I hope you can exercise restraint."
"I will discuss the specific response with Vice Admiral Tsuru and inform you afterward."
Sengoku waved his hand.
"You may leave."
Aokiji nodded and left the room.
.....
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