The office of the Fleet Admiral was thick with a tension that felt heavy enough to choke. Sakazuki, the man now holding the highest authority in the Marines, had just issued an order that left the room in a stunned silence. His subordinates exchanged glances, their eyes wide with surprise. However, as the initial shock faded, the logic behind Sakazuki's decision began to take hold.
The landscape of the world had shifted violently since the War at Marineford. When the Yonko Kaido had ruthlessly destroyed Marine Base G1, the influence of the World Government in the New World had plummeted. The seas were no longer under their control; instead, they were a playground for chaos. The Marines were stretched so thin that they could barely spare a single warship to patrol the waters, let alone maintain order.
The situation had only grown more dire with the "Great Pirate Craze" sparked by the Beasts Pirates. The New World was a powder keg, and the Marines were running out of matches.
Sengoku, the former Fleet Admiral, broke the silence. His gaze was solemn, his face etched with the weariness of a man who had seen too many wars. "Sakazuki, have you truly thought this through?"
"Of course I have," Sakazuki replied. His voice was like grinding stone, leaving no room for argument. "Do you think Kaido destroyed G1 out of boredom? No, he did it because he fears the Marine presence in the New World. He wants us gone. If we back down now, we are giving him exactly what he wants. If he doesn't like us being there, let him come and try to stop us. Besides, the World Government has already made it clear—our next objective is to bring down the Beasts Pirates."
A ripple of understanding moved through the senior officers. To be perfectly honest, most of the Marines in the room were terrified of the prospect of a direct confrontation. If they had to face the full might of the Beasts Pirates—or worse, a potential alliance between Kaido and Big Mom—it would be nothing short of a suicide mission. Many of the soldiers were still haunted by the carnage of the war with Whitebeard. The morale of the rank-and-file was at an all-time low.
Sakazuki's aggressive stance, while risky, actually provided a strategic excuse. By fortifying their position and provoking a response, they could control the timing of the conflict rather than being caught off guard.
Sengoku sighed, a small nod of respect hidden in his grim expression. "You've done well, Sakazuki. I can see now that the Marines are in capable hands."
Sakazuki didn't thank him. Instead, he snorted coldly and turned his attention to Great Staff Officer Tsuru. "Chief of Staff Tsuru, give me an update. Have we heard anything from X Drake?"
The room shifted focus instantly. Drake was their most valuable asset inside the Yonko's territory, a mole deep within the enemy's ranks.
Tsuru's brow furrowed into deep lines. "No. Communication has been difficult lately. I haven't had much contact with him. Recent reports suggest that Kaido has recalled all the Oni Squad captains back to Wano Country. We don't know why yet, but the timing is suspicious."
Vice-Admiral Onigumo leaned forward, his many arms crossed. "They must have caught wind of our movements. They're preparing for something."
"That's likely," Tsuru agreed. "I'll try to establish contact again today. We have to be extremely careful. Drake's identity is our most guarded secret. His position within the Beasts Pirates is too valuable to lose; he is the key to our eventual victory over Kaido."
The conversation shifted to the looming shadow of the Yonko alliance. "An alliance between Kaido and Big Mom... it's a nightmare scenario," someone muttered. "Two monsters like that joining forces will turn the ocean into a graveyard."
Akainu's temper flared. His right fist bubbled and shifted, transforming into red-hot magma that sizzled against the surface of the desk. The wood charred and melted instantly, but the officers around him didn't even flinch. They were used to his heat. "Those monsters think they can rule the world," Akainu growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Onigumo spoke up again, his voice thoughtful. "If news of this alliance gets out, the other pirates in the New World won't be happy. Someone like Red-Haired Shanks should be even more worried than we are. A shift in power like that threatens everyone."
The officers fell into a deep silence, contemplating the political fallout. Then, Vice-Admiral Momonga spoke up. "What about the Seven Warlords? If we are truly going to war against two Yonko at once, we're going to need the Shichibukai's strength. Should we notify them?"
The mention of the Warlords brought a collective scowl to the room. The memory of their half-hearted performance during the war with Whitebeard was still fresh. They were unreliable, selfish, and often more trouble than they were worth.
"Think about it," Momonga continued. "The only one who might be a problem is Doflamingo, since he has business ties with Kaido. As for the others, like the Ghost Princess, our intelligence shows her relationship with the Beasts Pirates isn't exactly friendly. We might be able to use them."
"Notify them immediately!" Sakazuki barked. His eyes flashed with a cold, predatory light. "And give them a warning. If any of them refuse the call or hesitate to act, I will personally strip them of their title and their protection. They are tools of the government, and they will start acting like it."
The office went silent. The weight of Akainu's resolve was suffocating. He wasn't just planning a war against the Yonko; he was ready to purge the entire system if it didn't suit his brand of "Absolute Justice."
Suddenly, a frantic knocking broke the silence. The heavy doors burst open, and a Marine Commodore rushed in. His green hair was disheveled, and he was clutching two strange boxes to his chest. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki! It's bad! It's really bad!" the man gasped.
Sakazuki glared at him, his patience wearing thin. "Get a hold of yourself, Brandnew! Why are you panicking like a rookie?"
Tsuru, however, was looking at the boxes in his arms. "Brandnew, what are those?"
Brandnew took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "Reporting, Chief of Staff! Fleet Admiral! These were found by our men at Red Port. We didn't think much of them at first, but just a few moments ago, they started moving. A message started playing, and... it's something you need to see. I brought them here as fast as I could."
Confused, the senior officers gathered around the table. Brandnew set the boxes down and pressed a switch on the side.
A bright light projected from the box, similar to the image produced by a Visual Den Den Mushi. A screen appeared in the air, and a figure began to take shape. When the image cleared, the heart of every Marine in the room skipped a beat.
On the screen stood a massive, hulking figure with a terrifying presence.
"Hehehe... I didn't think we'd be meeting like this," the voice boomed, distorted but recognizable. "Greetings to everyone on the high seas—Marines, pirates, and everyone in between. I'm not here just to say hello. I've brought a gift for the world."
The figure reached into his coat and pulled out a small, glass orb. Inside was a needle pointing toward a fixed location. It was an Eternal Pose.
While the younger officers like Momonga and Onigumo were still trying to process the image, the old guard—Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru—felt the blood drain from their faces. Their eyes widened in pure, unadulterated horror.
"I think some of you already know what this is," the man on the screen chuckled, his voice dripping with malice. "That's right. This is the Eternal Pose to the throne of the Pirate King. The final island: Laugh Tale!"
The revelation hit the room like a physical blow. It felt as if the very foundations of the world were shaking.
"Unfortunately," the voice continued, "there is only one throne, and only one person can sit on it. So, I've decided to host a little event. A grand celebration for the lawless. I call it: The World Pirate Festival! And the winner... the winner gets this Log Pose as their prize."
The figure leaned closer to the camera. "Get ready. I'll be sending out the location and the time very soon. I look forward to seeing you all there. Let the games begin!"
The screen went black with a sharp "Click."
The silence that followed was deafening. Onigumo was the first to speak, his face pale. "That... that can't be real. It's a trick, right?"
Sengoku and Garp both looked like they had aged ten years in a single minute. They leaned back, hands over their faces.
"It's real," Garp said, his voice unusually quiet. "I remember the rumors. Douglas Bullet was kicked off Roger's ship years ago. The word was he had secretly crafted an Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale. We all assumed Roger destroyed it, or that it was lost to time. I never imagined that monster still had it."
Sengoku slammed a fist onto the table. "That damn Blackbeard... he released a devil like Bullet from the depths of Impel Down, and now the whole world is going to burn for it."
Tsuru, ever the pragmatist, turned to the boxes. "Brandnew, explain what these devices are. How is he broadcasting this?"
Brandnew stood at attention. "Reporting! I spoke with the men who found these at the port. They call this device a 'Television.' It works like a Visual Den Den Mushi, but it's self-contained. The other box is a 'Recorder.' They can receive and play back messages, but they can't send them. They're being distributed as receivers."
"And where did these come from?" Tsuru asked sharply.
"They were found in bars and public houses. Apparently, these things started appearing all over the world about a month ago. No one paid them any attention because they didn't seem to do anything. But today... today they all turned on at once."
The air in the room felt like it was boiling. Sakazuki's eyes were narrowed into slits. "Are you telling me that a tool capable of undermining the Marine's control of information has been circulating for a month, and our intelligence department didn't notice?"
"I... I'm sorry, sir!" Brandnew stammered, sweating under the Fleet Admiral's gaze. "Since we didn't know what they were for, they weren't flagged as a threat."
"Enough!" Sengoku interrupted, stepping forward. "Sakazuki, the blame lies with me. You only took command today. The failure happened under my watch. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is the source. Brandnew, do we know who is behind the distribution of these machines?"
Brandnew saluted sharply. "Yes, sir! We tracked the shipments back to their origin. The person responsible for distributing these 'Televisions' is the Shichibukai, Buggy the Clown!"
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