Pirate: I was just slacking off, do you really think I'm bad?

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

With the arrival of Raleigh, Sakazuki, and Borsalino, the three admirals, representing the Navy's top combat power, and other vice admirals were all present.

The high-level meeting, ostensibly to suppress pirate activities worldwide, has finally begun.

Seated in the main seat is the current Fleet Commander, Sengoku.

The tasks performed by those below him symbolize the high-ranking officers of the Navy, including but not limited to the three admirals, Chief of Staff Kuzan, Vice Admiral Rat, Doberman, Kashoyama, Kakei, Gion, and others.

The lowest rank is lieutenant general, and some lieutenant generals are not required to attend the meeting due to special reasons, such as Lieutenant General Tsuru and Lieutenant General Garp.

After glancing at the people seated below, a hint of pride flashed in Zhan Guo's eyes.

During the years he served as the Navy's Grand Admiral, he had always wanted to prove that he was no less capable than the Sky, which is why he desperately tried to build up the Navy's strength.

Now you can see it.

When Sora served as Fleet Admiral, the Navy's combat strength was not actually top-notch; compared to pirates, the Navy was simply powerless to deal with them.

As a result, the Navy was squeezed out of the New World, the latter half of the Grand Line, by pirates.

If the Rocks Pirates hadn't acted recklessly, and Garp and Roger hadn't joined forces at God Valley, the Navy still wouldn't be able to establish its influence in the New World.

Things are different now. Several legendary and powerful pirates have died one after another.

From Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, to Edward Newgate, Shiki, Rayleigh, and Red-Haired Shanks, the deaths of these figures symbolized the rise of the Marines.

The positions of the three generals were filled, and because there were too many talented people, the position of chief of staff had to be assigned to Kuzan.

Looking at his exceptionally capable subordinates, Sengoku handed the intelligence to the soldiers beside him for distribution. The reason he had recalled them from all over the world, abandoning the capture of other pirates and the attacks on the Revolutionary Army, was because the pirates' strength had clearly increased again.

Although we have regained control of the New World, the rise of pirate power has weakened our control over it once again.

Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, and Shanks all have a large number of subordinates. Although they haven't clashed with us yet, we must be wary.

The reason for this meeting was to decide that, from now on, the three admirals and the chief of staff would take turns leading a group of vice admirals to guard the bases in the New World in order to resist the expansion of the pirate emperors' power.

"Tell me your opinions, does anyone have anything to say?"

None of the lieutenant generals spoke; they knew that in such meetings, lieutenant generals had no right to speak, and only the four people sitting at the front could speak.

The three generals, Raleigh, Sakazuki, and Borsalino, along with Chief of Staff Kuzan.

Borsalino spoke first;

I have no objection to leading a lieutenant general into the New World, but I would like to ask the marshal how this cycle is calculated, and how many years is required for the rotation?

Sengoku fell into deep thought. Given the current world situation, a general's term certainly couldn't be too long.

We'll pilot it for two years first, and then discuss it further if needed.

The Warring States period was given as a two-year term. In fact, the attendees could roughly guess this answer, as the term of office for the four sea admirals in the navy is generally between two and three years. Therefore, they did not think there was anything wrong with this term.

Sakazuki said coldly.

"If, during my term, pirates expand their territory to border areas, can we proactively launch an attack?"

After a moment of contemplation, the Warring States period leader said with a determined look:

Pirates have always been a target of the Navy. Even if they don't provoke us, the Navy can still launch a preemptive strike!

Both Sakazuki and Kuzan showed a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Sakazuki needs more battles to improve his strength and prestige in the Navy. He wants to become the Fleet Admiral, and Kuzan has similar ideas.

Sengoku had explained to Kuzan why he hadn't become a general, so Kuzan desperately needed military achievements.

Raleigh nodded indifferently:

"Can."

For him, it's the same wherever he is.

I'm just slacking off anyway.

Meanwhile, he has already begun to place his pieces on the world chessboard. In the future, he only needs to wait quietly for his strategy to grow stronger and for the Revolutionary Army to force the World Government to reveal its trump card.

The New World, the Grand Line, or the four seas—it was all the same to him.

Even if he went to the new world, he could develop new spheres of influence there, so it didn't matter to him.

Sengoku nodded, feeling that his plan was sound because it was a legitimate way to address the pirate problem.

However, once this is settled, the pressure on the revolutionary army will be greatly reduced.

Apart from Sakazuki, the other three admiral-level fighters did not relentlessly pursue the Revolutionary Army.

If Sakazuki were simply stationed in the New World, the problem of the navy suppressing the Revolutionary Army would be easily solved.

Marineford also needs an admiral-level person to suppress it. Sengoku can use his authority as Fleet Admiral to have Raleigh guard Marineford, while the World Government can arrange for Borsalino to be sent out to deal with the Revolutionary Army, thus accumulating some merit for Kuzan. This way, everyone will be satisfied.

Except for Raleigh, who can no longer earn battle merits, everyone gets something they want.

A glint flashed in Raleigh's eyes as he cursed inwardly!

As expected of the resourceful and wise general of the Warring States period, he made the most of his power after becoming the Grand Master.

If Raleigh wants to develop his own power, he can't stay in Marineford; he needs to go out!

However, he didn't want to compete with Sakazuki and Borsalino for the places they were about to be assigned, and Kuzan had already been in Marineford for a long time. It was reasonable for Sengoku to send Kuzan to the Grand Line and suppress the Revolutionary Army in the four seas.

Next, Sengoku's words confirmed Raleigh's idea.

At the New World base, we need a tough and daring general, so Sakazuki will temporarily be the first general stationed in the New World.

"Meanwhile, Raleigh and his squadron will be transferred back to Marineford for recuperation. Chief of Staff Kuzan will lead the soldiers to continue suppressing the revolutionary uprising and pirate forces throughout the four seas. Borsalino's mission remains unchanged."

These arrangements were basically in line with what Rowley had in mind.

Sakazuki got the position he wanted, Borsalino remained unchanged, which suited him as someone who disliked trouble, and Kuzan was eager to make a name for himself and naturally longed to go to the Grand Line and the four seas to capture pirates.

Only Raleigh was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do, because Sengoku's reason was quite valid: to take a break. As for how long the break would last, that depended on Sengoku's mood.

"If anyone has any objections, please raise them now."

Sengoku turned to look at the people sitting below.

"I have no objection."

Kuzan spoke first.

No objections.

No objection.

No objection.

The consecutive speeches by the three generals indicated that everything discussed at the meeting had been approved.

Sengoku nodded in satisfaction. As for the vice admirals behind him? They weren't Garp or Tsuru, so it didn't matter whether they had any opinions.

"In that case, the meeting is adjourned. Everyone should go home and prepare for departure."

"Sakazuki and Kuzan can compile the list they want and send it to my office when they get back."

As Zhan Guo finished speaking, everyone shouted in unison;

"For justice!"

Mary Geoise, the holy land of the Celestial Dragons.

At this moment, the five elder stars sat together in the pure white palace hall.

Those who wield power that influences the world have, through the tireless efforts of the CP organization, finally uncovered the true information about Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army.

The Five Elders, who were examining the knife and looking at the eyes, sneered and said!

No wonder our order to suppress the revolutionary army went awry so badly, and no wonder the revolutionary army intercepted our intelligence and began their great retreat—it turns out their spies were inside.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in the eyes of the burly five elders as they spoke;

We never expected that the revolutionary leader who had been so irritating to us was actually the former Navy Star—Monkey D. Dragon.

The Five Elders were no strangers to the name Dragon, after all, he had a father named Garp who was once known as a naval hero. In addition, Dragon's talent and wisdom were well-known in the Navy, and he had also been to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise to perform escort missions.

However, Dragon left the Navy many years ago and no one knew where he went, so the Five Elders did not expect that Dragon would join the Revolutionary Army.

"Hmph, the D clan truly lives up to their reputation as enemies of the gods. Even though they know nothing about history, the sins passed down in their blood make them involuntarily rebel against the rule of the gods."

The five elders with their white beards spoke first.

They deeply resented the D clan, but for certain reasons, they did not completely eradicate them.

Because they had tried it before, and it didn't work.

The D clan is neither a race nor a nation. It has long been scattered throughout the world. People of the D clan can be found everywhere, from the Grand Line to the New World. Unless the world is destroyed, it is impossible to completely eradicate them.

"Although, the first step is to find a way to undermine Sengoku and Garp's power, gradually causing them to lose control of the Navy, while simultaneously selecting a new Fleet Admiral."

If a Fleet Admiral is to be elected, should a former Fleet Admiral be sent back to assume the position, or should a candidate be selected from the current naval forces?

The elder-looking Five Elders asked:

Since Kong has already retired from the Marine Corps, let's just forget about it.

"I still prefer the three new admirals to be Fleet Admirals, and I have a candidate in mind: Sakazuki, codenamed Akainu."

This guy is ruthless—ruthless to the enemy, ruthless to himself, and most importantly, extremely obedient. In the battles to suppress the revolutionary army, only Sakazuki displayed the discipline of a soldier.

The five elders nodded in agreement.

They also unanimously agreed that Sakazuki was indeed a qualified soldier. They had noticed this ruthless lieutenant general since Ohara, and as time went on, they felt he was a good fit.

Sakazuki doesn't seem like someone who likes to take orders. I think Borsalino and Raleigh are alright too; although they're not as tough as Sakazuki, they're very obedient.

The Five Elders began discussing who would be the next Fleet Admiral, but for some reason, they all deliberately avoided mentioning Kuzan's name.

Perhaps they knew in their hearts that Kuzan was Sengoku's man, and Sengoku's men could not hold the reins of the Navy. Of course, for now, it was more appropriate for Sengoku to hold the position of Marine Commander, after all, the Revolutionary Army was putting a lot of pressure on the seas, and at the same time, the pirates had a new emperor, which was a time of madness.

At this critical juncture, the navy must not allow divisions to arise due to the position of admiral.

The New World, a large ship flying a giant skull and crossbones flag.

The deck was filled with people lying haphazardly, many still lost in their dreams, clutching their rum bottles tightly.

Beckman leaned against the railing, lit a cigarette, and looked out at the sea.

A newsbird flew by, and Beckman waved to it, which then landed in front of him.

Beckman took the money and picked up the newspaper, smoking a cigarette as he read for any new stories.

Suddenly, he saw the information about naval troop movements, and his expression changed from relaxed to serious. He then read it carefully.

Not long after, Beckman, having finished reading the report, walked to the middle of the deck, looked at Shanks who was sleeping soundly, and kicked him.

"What's wrong? Are there enemies?"

Shanks, who was fast asleep, was suddenly startled and raised the bottle of rum he was holding to throw. But when he saw that it was Beckman, he smiled and put the bottle down.

"The navy is making another big move."

Beckman handed the newspaper to Shanks.

Shanks ruffled his hair haphazardly, rubbed his eyes, and took the newspaper from Beckman to read.

The more he looked, the more serious his expression became.

Sakazuki's reputation was already known when he was still on Roger's ship. Back then, Sakazuki was already on par with Barrett, and could even hold his own against Rayleigh.

Although he has now become one of the Three Emperors, Sakazuki was already a general long ago.

Shanks knew that there was still a gap between him and Sakazuki.

When did this happen?

Shanks asked solemnly,

"It must have been yesterday; Sakazuki is probably already on his way."

Beckman nodded in reply.

The other people on the deck had already gotten up when Shanks started yelling, and they gathered behind him to read the newspaper.

They all exclaimed in amazement:

I've heard that this navy is extremely ruthless, leaving no pirates alive.

Moreover, he was very strong. I remember he fought against several legendary pirates and did not lose.

"It seems we need to plan ahead to deal with these issues."

Most of the pirates on Shanks's ship are very rational; they don't think they are invincible just because their captain has become one of the Three Emperors.

Of course, if they really appear on the battlefield against the Sakazuki, they will certainly show their strength and be flamboyant when necessary.

"Change course, head to Treasure Country! I need to have a chat with Charlotte Linlin!"

Shanks gripped the newspaper in his hand and looked into the distance.