The day after Whitebeard made his audacious decision to attack Marineford, the Marine Headquarters issued an official order—
The mandatory conscription of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!
At present, the Marine Headquarters openly possessed seven Admiral-level combatants:
Fleet Admiral, "Buddha" Sengoku
Marine Hero, Vice Admiral "Garp the Fist"
Former Admiral, "Black Arm" Zephyr
Admirals, "Akainu" Sakazuki, "Kizaru" Borsalino, "Aokiji" Kuzan, and "Orange Horse" Wright
However, aside from Wright and Sengoku, the Marines held a trump card unknown to the world—
The Chief Instructor of the Dawn, Issho!
Zephyr's primary role was to protect the next generation of Marines, leading them in limited engagements in this great war, with their safety as the top priority.
Barring any unforeseen events, Zephyr wouldn't even need to fight—not even against Whitebeard at his peak!
Kuzan's task was to defend Marineford itself, as this was the very heart of the Marines.
The primary offensive force consisted of Sakazuki, with his overwhelming firepower; Borsalino, with his unrivaled mobility; Wright, who excelled in attack, speed, and support alike; and the hidden ace—Issho.
Garp would serve as a deterrent force, while Sengoku would oversee the entire battlefield as the Supreme Commander.
Meanwhile, two immensely powerful but lesser-known Admiral candidates—"Momousagi" Gion and "Chaton" Tokikake—would cover the defensive gaps left by the recall of Marine elite forces. They would be stationed in the Sabaody Archipelago and the New World's G-1 Branch, respectively, to prevent opportunistic pirates from exploiting the situation.
Among the Vice Admirals, very few could decisively overpower the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders—most would only be able to hold them off at best. Therefore, the Seven Warlords of the Sea were considered a vital combat supplement, standing between the Vice Admirals and the Admirals in strength.
"Jinbe definitely won't fight against Whitebeard… Neither will the Fish-Man Marines or the merfolk under our command. The entire 'Fang of the Sea Beasts' division won't participate in this war."
Wright addressed Sengoku with a serious expression. The Fleet Admiral could only sigh with a bitter smile.
"I was already well aware of that. But it's fine—once Whitebeard falls, they'll truly become part of the Marines' strength."
"Exactly. In that case, I'd like to send Jinbe to Impel Down for joint defense. After all, if we're 'conscripting' him, it wouldn't make sense if he didn't at least go through the motions."
Sengoku paused for a moment, then frowned.
"You think something's going to happen at Impel Down? You wouldn't suggest this just to make Jinbe play along with the conscription."
"You're right… Remember what I said about Blackbeard's ulterior motives?"
A golden glint flashed in Wright's eyes, making Sengoku fall into contemplation.
"Every move Blackbeard has made has been calculated—from seizing the Yami Yami no Mi, to breaking all ties with Whitebeard, to scheming for the Warlord title…"
"Moria's situation was unexpected, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Blackbeard had planned to deal with Moria first—had Luffy not taken him out."
"If Moria were still around, Blackbeard likely would've ditched Marco's pursuit and gone after Moria instead."
"Remember—Blackbeard is faster than Marco. If he wasn't deliberately slowing down to match the Navy's movements, Marco might not even be able to catch up to him now."
"In that scenario, he would've claimed Moria's Warlord seat, rather than relying on us for the title."
"And if we didn't have Blackbeard's Yami Yami no Mi to counter Marco, capturing him would be much harder. So in a way, Luffy actually did us a favor."
"Garp's grandson…"
Sengoku ground his teeth and angrily chomped down on a senbei rice cracker. If that old bastard Garp were here instead of rallying forces at G-3 Branch, Sengoku wouldn't be snacking so comfortably!
"So, what's your concern about Impel Down?"
Sengoku set aside his irritation with Garp. After all, the old man had taken the blame for Kuma sparing the Straw Hats, which was a favor in itself. Not that Garp… would even care about such things.
"Blackbeard's ambitions far exceed just becoming a Warlord. A man with his drive and scheming mind wouldn't be satisfied playing the World Government's pawn… cough, I mean, subordinate, or the Marines' enforcer."
Wright coughed lightly, grabbing a senbei from Sengoku's snack bag. He'd been visiting often lately, and the taste of senbei brought back memories.
Ignoring Sengoku's glare, Wright continued:
"I analyzed the kind of people Blackbeard recruits—every single one of them is an absolute menace. His crew isn't some group of dream-chasing pirates. No, they're cutthroats, forming a crew designed to conquer the seas."
"So if he uses his Warlord privileges to enter Impel Down… what would he be after?"
"..."
Sengoku was silent for a long moment, then rubbed his temples.
"None of these damn pirates can give us a break… Do you really think Teach would try something like that?"
"Does he actually believe he can break someone out of Impel Down? Magellan is in charge there!"
"And there's no way in hell I'd approve his entry into Impel Down at a time like this!"
"Just covering all bases… That man's ambition isn't ordinary. Nothing he does would surprise me."
Wright smirked, grabbing another senbei.
"He'll likely answer the Warlord summons and arrive at Marineford. If he vanishes before the execution begins—well, then we'll know."
"Vanish? Even as a Warlord, he'd need authorization to enter Impel Down—he can't just barge in!"
Sengoku snapped. "And if he does, does he actually think he can escape from Magellan?!"
"Honestly… this might be a great chance to eliminate Teach—we can't afford to let a man like him live. If not for his Warlord status, killing him right now would be the best option."
Wright spoke calmly. No matter what secrets Teach might hold, dead men tell no tales. If he let Blackbeard reach the New World, it'd be a disgrace to himself!
"I'll give Magellan a heads-up. If Teach so much as blinks the wrong way, he'll learn what true terror means."
Wright grinned at Sengoku.
"Besides… it's been years since Magellan had a stomachache."
Sengoku's expression turned odd. As much as he hated to admit it, Wright had a point.
"Alright, let's do it. Impel Down has a Lightforged Beacon, and with Magellan, Shiryu, and yourself there, Blackbeard won't get far."
"Not to mention, we'll have Jinbe as backup."
[Heh… the real problem is Shiryu…]
Wright nodded.
"I'll personally head to Fish-Man Island to notify Jinbe. Since Amazon Lily is nearby, I'll also check in with Hancock, Enel, and Mihawk."
Sengoku sighed.
"So the toughest ones are on you… As for Kuma, I'll have Borsalino handle it with Dr. Vegapunk…"
Both he and Wright exchanged odd glances.
"Right… and for Teach, we'll send Kuzan."
Sengoku frowned.
"As for Doflamingo… let Sakazuki handle it—it's just a call, after all."
"You're not sending Rosinante?"
Wright chuckled.
"That'd break Doflamingo's spirit more than anything."
"That bastard… Once Whitebeard is dealt with, his days are numbered too."
Sengoku crunched down on another senbei.
"This time, we play it safe. Everything depends on this war."
"Understood."
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanPiece [remove the parenthesis ( )]
Note: This fanfic has been completely translated and is available on my Patreon.