Stussy's words caused the four Marine big shots to frown.
"Those old fellows, those muddleheads!" Akainu was beyond furious, shouting out.
"This old man and Taro have never had any conflict regarding our stance on pirates!"
"Is that so? Does Admiral Sakazuki truly think so?" Stussy sneered.
"You all have traversed the four seas and the Grand Line for years and are well-informed. Have you ever encountered anyone with names like Wang Zhi or Taro?"
"Besides, Taro's history before the age of twenty is a mystery. Is there anything wrong with the Gorosei judging that Taro is connected to the most evil pirate crew in history based on that?"
Akainu's face darkened as he recalled Taro's suspicious behavior when facing Ace, then his brow furrowed, and he remained silent for a moment.
"How scary~ The most promising rising star of the Marines might actually be involved with a pirate who has been dead for over thirty years!"
"He is one of the Marines' strongest combat forces. If we cast him aside, the pirates would surely be very happy, wouldn't they?"
At this moment, Kizaru put away his nail clippers and spoke slowly.
Everyone understood Old Man Kizaru's meaning; he believed someone was using a discord-sowing tactic to weaken the Marines' strength.
Aokiji, who had pulled down his sleep mask and was pretending to sleep with his head on his arms, lifted the mask slightly and sneered.
"Since the World Government is so worried about his connection to that pirate crew, why keep him in the Marines? Wouldn't killing him directly be more in line with your style?"
As soon as Aokiji spoke, everyone frowned, but Aokiji stared at Stussy and continued:
"So, Stussy, you must be hiding something!"
Sengoku had been deep in thought. Once the three Admirals finished speaking, he also gazed at Stussy and asked in a heavy voice:
"Why exactly did the Gorosei make such an arrangement?"
Stussy thought for a moment but still shook her head, looking directly at Sengoku. "No comment!"
The four of them frowned. Finally, Sengoku waved his hand. "I will go to Marijoa and ask for a clear answer in person."
Meanwhile, Garp and the other two were also frowning.
Taro was making up a story, and the more he spun it, the more invested he became, weaving in all the melodramatic idol drama tropes from his past life.
Clichés like lacking strength, being in an unfamiliar place, getting lost in the desert, nearly dying of dehydration, a beauty saving the hero, and marrying to repay the favor came naturally to him.
"As the saying goes, two fists are no match for two breasts, and even a hero can't withstand a good grinding. I resisted with all my might, but eventually, my strength failed, and I lost some precious seeds!"
As the story reached its end, Taro became more and more excited, completely immersed in it, and then he started being cheeky again.
The first part was fine; Garp and the other two were completely fooled by Taro's deeply moving story.
But by the end, a grand emotional drama of a beauty and a hero had turned into a segment unsuitable for children.
Veins popped on Garp's forehead, and he punched Taro right on the head, smashing him face-first into the ground.
"Ouch!"
Taro had almost convinced himself with his own story. Being suddenly hit, he cried out in pain, clutching his head.
"Why did you hit me again?"
Momousagi, who often used honey traps to capture pirates, had been listening with great interest. Seeing Taro get hit, she laughed even more happily.
"Hohoho, you seem to be very experienced in that sort of thing!"
You're the one who's experienced, you old woman! I've just seen a lot, and my theoretical knowledge is extensive!
Vice Admiral Tsuru first rolled her eyes at Momousagi, then glared at Taro. "You start talking nonsense as soon as you open your mouth; you definitely deserved that hit!"
Then she rubbed her temples. "You really know how to pick a fight, getting involved with that woman..."
Taro also sighed, feeling somewhat helpless. What a mess!
Right now, Taro had no idea he had become the focus of all parties... "There is one more thing, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
In the temporary office, Stussy stood up, walked to the door, and then turned back.
"Regarding the escape of those criminals from the Sixth Level of Impel Down, do not publish it in the newspapers."
Sengoku was furious upon hearing this, gritting his teeth. "Those heinous criminals, any one of them could destroy a nation, and you want me not to tell the civilians?"
Stussy remained unmoved and said softly, "This is also an order from the World Government; it has nothing to do with me!"
After saying that, she pushed the door and left!
"Dammit!" Sengoku smashed his fist onto the desk and cursed.
Akainu's face was dark, Kizaru pulled out his nail clippers with an inscrutable expression, and Aokiji pulled down his sleep mask... "Taro, go to Impel Down." The door to Vice Admiral Tsuru's office was pushed open, and Sengoku walked in.
Taro turned around, looking at him with some confusion.
"Magellan has woken up, but because Impel Down was breached, he is filled with self-reproach and has been clamoring to atone with his life,"
Sengoku explained, "You two have a friendship from before. I want you to go and persuade him."
Taro was even more confused, but seeing that Sengoku had no intention of saying more, he nodded. "Alright."
Once Taro left, Momousagi was also tactful; she made an excuse to look for Hina and quickly departed.
Vice Admiral Tsuru looked at Sengoku, whose complexion was not great, her eyes flickering slightly.
"Now that they've all left, you can say it. What did Stussy say?"
"It's about Taro..." As soon as Sengoku spoke, he saw Vice Admiral Tsuru and Garp's expressions tighten, which he found a bit puzzling. "What's with those expressions?"
"No, it's nothing. Go on." Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head.
Garp, on the other hand, tilted his head back and started picking his nose.
Although Sengoku felt something was off, he didn't press further and continued.
"It's like this..."
..."So, you've already decided to transfer to the G5 Branch, right, Smoker?"
Aokiji made a final confirmation after hearing Smoker's words.
"Yeah, I wouldn't joke about something like this." Smoker sat across from Aokiji with a cigar in his mouth, looking quite casual.
"Well, I'll negotiate with Sengoku. However, I'm afraid it won't work in the near future; there are too many things to handle at Headquarters, and the G5 Branch is also full of problems."
Aokiji watched his favorite subordinate with a sharp gaze.
"Since you've decided to go to the New World, just wait patiently. The Marines are currently in a real mess!"
Marineford, offshore.
As the Marineford War that changed the world's structure came to an end, the pirate Supernovas also left one after another, heading toward the New World.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Civilians who witnessed Whitebeard's death celebrated and spread the exciting news.
At this time, Taro also boarded his flagship and headed toward Impel Down. Since his internal injuries hadn't recovered, he could only choose this method for now.
After closing the door to the captain's quarters, Taro turned around and was startled.
"Why are you here?"
"I said I would come to see you again, 'key of revolution', Mr. Taro!"
Dragon, completely wrapped in a deep green coat, spoke.
Taro's eyes widened.
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