Headquarters, conference room.
The constant crunching sound of chewing finally pushed Sengoku to his limit. He slammed the table and roared at Garp beside him:
"Garp! This is the highest-level strategic meeting at Headquarters! Show some seriousness!"
Hearing this, Garp idly curled a finger, dug into his ear, scooped out a bit of earwax, and flicked it onto the conference table.
He threw his head back with a booming, deafening laugh:
"Hahaha, Sengoku! You'll handle all these troublesome matters in the end anyway. I just need to get the gist!"
As he spoke, he took out another handful of Senbei and tossed it into his mouth. The crisp sound once again echoed through the conference room.
A vein throbbed on Sengoku's forehead, but he forcefully suppressed his anger.
After all, if he really started arguing with Garp, today's meeting would never get anywhere.
He sighed, picked up a report, and said gravely, "Now, let's move on to the next matter."
Before continuing, Sengoku shot Garp another glance, sighed again, and went on:
"The Whitebeard Pirates and the Beast Pirates have been clashing fiercely in the New World recently. We need an Admiral to go to the New World to oversee the situation and prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control.
Additionally, Fire Fist Ace has been repeatedly clashing with the Seven Warlord of the Sea, Hana-Fuda. Hana-Fuda is already at a disadvantage. We need to dispatch a Vice Admiral to assist Hana-Fuda in securing a victory. A Seven Warlord must not be allowed to fall easily!"
After finishing, Sengoku glared at Garp with clear annoyance.
After all, Ace was Garp's grandson, who should have become an outstanding Marine, but under Garp's tutelage, he had instead become a pirate.
This was all Garp's fault!
Garp also felt somewhat awkward. He let out a few forced laughs, and the speed of his Senbei chewing noticeably slowed.
Sengoku waited a moment. Seeing no one volunteer, he looked toward the three Admirals.
Kizaru was slouching nonchalantly, pretending not to see Sengoku's meaningful look. Aokiji, with an eye mask on his head, had simply fallen asleep.
This left Sengoku utterly exasperated. Why was the next generation of the Navy all like this? Did the Marines even have a future?
Sengoku took a deep breath, suppressing the fire in his heart, and finally settled his gaze on Akainu.
Akainu, who firmly believed in Absolute Justice, would never shirk his duties, no matter how heavy his workload:
"I will go to the New World to monitor the conflict between Whitebeard and Kaido. As for Fire Fist Ace, leave that to Onigumo."
Hearing this, Sengoku nodded in satisfaction.
While the Absolute Justice Akainu adhered to was extreme, it also made him the most decisive and reliable. Among the three Admirals, he was undoubtedly the one most capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities.
This thought led Sengoku to indulge in a brief fantasy.
If only he could combine Akainu's resoluteness with Aokiji's flexibility... wouldn't that create the perfect candidate for the next Fleet Admiral?
Then, Sengoku brought up several other matters.
Dismissing that thought for now, Sengoku cleared his throat and proceeded to outline several more deployments.
Kizaru was given full authority over the new Laser Weapon research project.
Aokiji would remain at Headquarters, on standby to provide support wherever needed.
The remaining vice admirals split into two groups, each stationed in the New World and Paradise respectively, to deter the increasingly rampant pirate forces.
With all instructions clearly issued, the entire meeting proceeded in an orderly manner.
Sengoku casually picked up another document from the corner of the table. After just a few glances, he exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected that besides Smoker, another troublemaker has emerged in the East Blue."
This immediately caught Garp's attention.
With a wave of his large hand, he snatched the document from Sengoku, quickly skimmed a few lines, and then slapped his thigh, bursting into hearty laughter:
"Hahaha, this kid is something! He actually took care of that bastard Arlong. Well done!"
"Garp!" Sengoku roared, snatching the document back after having it taken away. "Arlong had deep ties with Jimbei. His death will inevitably create friction between Jimbei and the Navy."
"Moreover, Ivan went to the 16th Branch on his own to capture pirates. That in itself is a violation of protocol. What's there to praise?"
Garp picked his nose, completely unconcerned. "The report clearly states that the kid went to support the 16th Branch and just happened to resolve the issues in that sea. It's perfectly reasonable!"
"Perfectly reasonable?" Sengoku grew even angrier. "Garp, don't play dumb. You can't possibly miss the underlying complexities here!"
Garp leaned back, pursing his lips. "I don't care. I like this kid!"
As the Navy Hero and the Fleet Admiral began arguing again, the conference room fell silent. Even the three admirals remained quiet.
Everyone present was sharp-witted. Holding their copies of the report, they all sensed something amiss.
The death of Captain Rat likely wasn't as simple as it seemed—it might even be connected to Major Ivan!
Kizaru looked at the report in his hand with a faint, ambiguous smile. "Young people these days are truly terrifying. I never had that kind of drive when I was young."
Whispers continued among the attendees, but Sengoku paid them no heed. He tapped the table and said gravely:
"Enough idle talk. Let's discuss the main issue: how should Major Ivan be dealt with?"
The hot-tempered Akainu, looking at the report in his hand, was full of admiration. "He should be heavily rewarded, of course. The Navy needs that kind of boldness!"
On the other side, Aokiji, who had been sleeping, had woken up at some point and was uncharacteristically serious. "I recommend promoting Major Ivan's rank."
The moment he finished speaking, Akainu and Aokiji simultaneously looked at each other, both showing a flicker of surprise.
In recent years, due to their differing views on justice and clashing decisions, their relationship had deteriorated sharply. It had been a long time since they had voiced the same opinion in a meeting.
Clearly, neither had expected that they, who were usually at odds, would agree on this matter.
With two admirals speaking up for Ivan, even Sengoku couldn't ignore it.
After a moment of contemplation, he addressed the group: "According to the report, Major Ivan already possesses the strength of a headquarters captain. Therefore, promote his rank to headquarters captain and have him report for duty as soon as possible!"
At this point, Garp, who was sitting nearby, laughed heartily. "Perfect timing—I happen to have some free time lately. Why not let me go to the East Blue and bring back that interesting kid?"
Sengoku shook his head helplessly. Who didn't know that this guy was using official business for personal gain, wanting a publicly funded trip?
Still, Sengoku didn't refuse. It might be a good idea to let Garp make the trip to the East Blue.
This would serve to humble Ivan's arrogance and eliminate the Krieg Pirates.
A pirate crew of 5,000 members, even if not particularly strong, was still a formidable force in Paradise!
...
Ivan remained unaware that his actions had drawn the attention of Marine Headquarters.
At that moment, he was fully immersed in a critical stage of his training.
On the shores of Loguetown, the sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent as it brushed against his face.
Ivan stood still as a pine tree, holding a long sword, his eyes slightly closed, focusing intently on sensing everything around him.