On a quiet stretch of sea, a Marine warship drifted steadily across the surface.
"Retreat! Hurry, retreat!"
Any pirate who caught sight of the ship immediately turned tail and fled. The insignia on its sails left no room for doubt.
This vessel belonged to Tsuru, the Marine Great Staff Officer.
A loud, carefree laugh suddenly shattered the calm atmosphere aboard the ship.
"Hahahaha, Sengoku, look at this! Without your constant efforts to hold things together, the world has finally plunged straight into chaos!"
"Crunch, crunch…"
Between the crisp sounds of chewing, another aged voice responded with weary resignation.
"Let them fight if they want. This world has always been driven by war, and now it is spiraling out of control in every direction."
Standing on the deck was a white-haired, white-bearded man in casual attire, a loose red tie hanging around his neck, with a Marine justice coat draped over his shoulders. His gaze was fixed on the shifting sky in the distance as he sighed.
This was none other than Sengoku, now serving as the Marineford Inspector General after stepping down as Fleet Admiral.
"Hahahaha, just as expected. Sakazuki doesn't care about stability or long term strategy. All he wants is results. He is determined to surpass you, the former Fleet Admiral, no matter the cost."
Nearby, another old man lay sprawled across a reclining chair, legs raised without a hint of decorum as he flipped through classified Marine documents.
This was Monkey D. Garp, the legendary Marine Hero.
Sengoku let out a long sigh.
"Sakazuki is not suited for the position. His personality is too extreme, wuwu…"
Frustrated, he shoved another senbei into his mouth instead of finishing his complaint.
"Hmph, you two old men have been freeloading on my ship, and now you act concerned about the state of the world?"
A firm, displeased female voice cut in.
"You speak as though you have always cared. It is irritating."
Tsuru stepped out from the cabin, followed by three female Marine officers, her presence commanding and sharp.
"Ya hahaha! You got called out, Sengoku!"
Garp burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as he toppled from his chair onto the deck, still laughing uncontrollably.
Seeing Sengoku now in the same position he once was, being scolded by Tsuru, was simply too amusing.
"This old man is still concerned about the Marines," Sengoku replied awkwardly, rubbing his nose as he reached for another senbei.
"Is that so, Senbei Immortal?"
Tsuru glanced at him with clear disdain, noting the crumbs clinging to his face.
"Pfft, Senbei Immortal! Hahahahahaha!"
Garp laughed even harder, tears streaming down his face.
"Get up, you are disgusting."
Tsuru snatched the intelligence report from Garp and kicked him aside without hesitation. Lowering her gaze, she carefully examined the document, her expression gradually darkening.
"To ignore so many potential conflicts erupting across the world, and instead secretly encourage them… what exactly is the World Government planning? Do they intend to plunge the entire world into war?"
"Tsuru, that might be exactly what they want."
Garp stood up, brushing dust from his clothes as his tone turned more serious.
"They fear a peaceful world. If things settle down, people will begin to see the difference between the World Government and the Sky Island Alliance."
"They are afraid that their allied nations might defect."
"The more chaotic things become, the more those nations will depend on the Marines to maintain order and protect them from pirates."
Tsuru frowned deeply.
"That approach is dangerous. Extremely dangerous."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Marshall D. Teach and Shiki have formed an alliance. The overwhelming presence of both the World Government and the Sky Island Alliance has forced these two to unite."
"Shiki lost his original crew after escaping Impel Down, but with Blackbeard's support, he now has forces under his command again."
"And Blackbeard, who lacks the means to reach the Sky Islands, now gains that ability through Shiki."
Her expression turned more complicated.
"Former Marine Admiral Zephyr has attempted to seize the Explosive Rock to destroy magma storage points in the New World. Admiral Verglas has already been dispatched to stop him."
Silence fell over the deck.
The mention of their former comrade weighed heavily on all three of them.
Tsuru continued reading, her voice colder.
"The Whitebeard Pirates have also come under attack. The enemy remains unknown."
"Their core members have begun heading toward Whitebeard's lost homeland. A massive battle is inevitable. Another Emperor is being drawn into the conflict."
Her tone grew more severe.
"The most critical situation is this."
She inhaled slowly before reading aloud.
"Shanks has arrived at Elbaf and has already clashed with Shirogai, who appeared there alongside the Straw Hat Pirates."
"The outcome of this battle is impossible to predict. There is a high chance that Elbaf itself could be destroyed."
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is personally leading the Admirals to Elbaf."
Tsuru suddenly raised her head, her sharp gaze locking onto Sengoku and Garp.
"What exactly is the World Government thinking?"
"They know his strength, yet they still try to eliminate someone who cannot be killed."
"If Shirogai is truly provoked…"
She stopped mid sentence, noticing Gion and the others nearby.
Closing her eyes, she pressed her fingers against her temple.
"The world will descend into chaos beyond control. Even the Marines will not be able to save it."
"Crunch…"
The sound interrupted her.
"Can you take this seriously for once, Sengoku?"
Tsuru opened her eyes, clearly irritated.
Sengoku simply opened his empty mouth, indicating innocence.
"Crunch, crunch…"
Garp, now holding Sengoku's senbei, chewed loudly with a carefree grin.
"Do not worry so much, Tsuru."
"No matter what we do, we cannot stop the tide of this era."
"If we stand against it, we will pay the price. So we might as well become that price."
He grinned, crumbs clinging to his beard.
"And if the world really is heading toward destruction…"
His eyes gleamed with unshaken resolve.
"Then we will be the ones who save it."
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