CHAPTER 296 THE WORLD IN SHOCK
Navy G-5 Base.
The base commander looked at Admiral Kizaru before him with utter disbelief—disheveled and currently communicating with headquarters.
Had he misheard?
How could Admiral Kizaru possibly say something so absurd?! That kind of thing could only happen in his dreams!
But unfortunately, he was neither dreaming nor had he misheard. Kizaru was indeed reporting that fantastical matter to headquarters with a face full of sighs.
"I'm very sorry, Sengoku-san. This time we truly suffered an unprecedented devastating defeat."
Finally, Kizaru said apologetically.
On the other end of the line—Navy Headquarters, Marineford.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who commanded all Navy forces, already had an iron-blue expression. His hand gripping the receiver trembled, as if about to crush it.
"Alright, I understand. For now, rest well. We'll discuss specific countermeasures on this end."
He hung up.
"How could this happen?!!"
Sengoku, who'd been so composed on the phone, now couldn't help frantically scratching his well-groomed afro with both hands, directly making his hair incredibly messy—looking like a bird's nest.
"Brett and Zephyr, those two, can actually accomplish even this?!"
Those were the World Government's highest combat power—the three Navy Headquarters admirals!
Even though they'd split up this time, those were still two admirals plus one admiral with two Warlords combinations!
Brett and Zephyr were just two people. How could they possibly accomplish such a thing?!
Just because of Brett, that bastard's overwhelming power?
...Yes.
Just because of Brett's incomparable power—overwhelming even compared to Navy Headquarters admirals.
Sengoku felt somewhat dejected.
Power of this caliber—even when he and Garp were young, they probably fell short. Even monsters like Roger, Whitebeard, and Rocks were likely inferior too.
Probably no one in the world could defeat him—defeat that guy Brett!
Sengoku couldn't help having such thoughts.
"Now's not the time to be discouraged, Sengoku."
Fortunately, Fleet Admiral Sengoku wasn't facing this shocking fact alone.
Though Vice Admiral Garp had already gone to G-1 Base to stand guard due to the admirals' collective deployment, Navy Headquarters' Chief of Staff—the Navy's brain, Vice Admiral Tsuru—still remained at headquarters.
The elderly vice admiral sitting on the opposite sofa said gravely, "You should understand, right? What kind of situation the Navy will face next?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku fell silent for a moment.
Yes, if this matter spread across the seas, he couldn't even dare imagine what kind of blow it would deal to the Navy and government's authority.
In the eight hundred years since the World Government was established, when had the Navy ever suffered such a devastating defeat?
How could people on the seas still believe the Navy possessed the power to protect justice, to protect them?
"First report this to the government and see what ideas they have," Sengoku sighed. Then he said, "After that we can discuss how to rescue Sakazuki and the others."
Mariejois.
"Are you kidding me? Is the Navy nothing but trash?!"
The Five Elders were predictably enraged. Saint Saturn even kicked the coffee table flying with one foot.
"This really is an unanticipated development!"
Saint Ju Peter was also quite anxious, pacing restlessly back and forth in the spacious office. "Who could have imagined Brett could accomplish this?!"
Though they'd repeatedly overestimated the power Brett possessed, it seemed they'd still underestimated him!
"Regretting now is meaningless. The key is how to handle the aftermath of this matter!"
Saint Warcury sat gravely on the sofa. "How to minimize the impact of this defeat, and how to rescue Sakazuki, Kuzan, and the others!"
The Five Elders naturally knew what kind of public opinion impact this defeat would bring to the World Government once it spread across the seas.
The government's ostensibly strongest force—the Navy—had suffered such a devastating defeat. How could member nations still believe they could rely on them to protect their safety?
"Should we expose Brett's role in this?"
Saint Saturn said in a grave voice.
"Are you insane?"
Saint Ju Peter didn't hesitate, directly rejecting the idea. "You wouldn't want to watch Brett, that bastard, bring a Dyna Stone to Mariejois and detonate it, would you?!"
"Even if lord Imu can eliminate him, do you want all of us to die with him?!"
"..."
Saint Saturn had no words.
Yes, that bastard Brett wasn't just overwhelmingly powerful individually—he even held destructive weapons in his hands.
"Temporarily, there's no way to deal with Brett, that bastard."
Saint Nusjuro said helplessly. "To handle that guy, either we wait for Vegapunk's fishman drug research to succeed, giving our people underwater combat capabilities."
"Or as lord Imu said, find a way to trick them into relocating Fish-Man Island to the sea surface."
"For now, we should focus on figuring out how to rescue Sakazuki and the others."
The Navy's losses this time were truly too great.
Those captured weren't just two admirals—there were also close to ten vice admirals, twenty to thirty rear admirals and commodore-level senior officers.
Without exaggeration, just from this battle, the Navy had lost at least one-third of its strength.
Add the two freshly minted Warlords who'd crashed at light speed, and the government's losses were enormous.
If Akainu and Aokiji couldn't be rescued, recovering this portion of strength wouldn't be easy.
"No matter what, that bastard Zephyr is Sakazuki and Kuzan's teacher. He probably won't do anything to them."
Saint Mars said. "How about trying to negotiate with them?"
"Negotiate?"
Saint Ju Peter asked. "Does that mean we must compromise with them?"
"What other method is there now?"
Saint Mars countered. "If there were a way to directly eliminate them, sacrificing all the captured Navy would be fine. But the problem is—is there?"
Everyone fell silent.
Yes, was there?
That guy Zephyr wasn't even the point. The crux of the problem was Brett.
As long as that monster hiding in the deep sea couldn't be eliminated, all the government's efforts were merely futile.
While Mariejois fell into silence, the seas began boiling.
The World Economic News Service printed newspapers at the first opportunity, then delivered them worldwide.
The Navy's campaign to suppress the NEO Navy had results—only, they probably exceeded everyone's expectations.
"How could such a thing be possible?!!"
"The Navy was defeated! Admirals Akainu and Aokiji were captured!!"
"Am I dreaming?!!"
The world shook.
****
60+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces
20% off