As soon as these words were spoken.
The scar-faced Vice Admiral immediately felt numerous strange gazes focusing on his face.
What?
Isn't that the case?
The scar-faced Vice Admiral scratched the back of his head, momentarily confused.
"Stop spouting such nonsense."
Akainu bit down on his cigar and spoke coldly, his impression of this hawkish subordinate who followed him dropping considerably:
"Before Headquarters can mobilize its full strength to launch a major offensive, recklessly sending fleets deep into the heart of the New World—what outcome could there be other than total annihilation?"
He had always been the most radical in attitude, but this subordinate... in Akainu's view, was simply too extreme.
To the point of losing all sense!
Among the Four Emperors' forces in the New World, there had always been an unspoken understanding.
No matter how fiercely these factions fought among themselves now, once the Navy's actions crossed a certain line.
The Sea Emperors would inevitably turn their guns and deal with the Navy first.
Not to mention, near the Red Line, there was also that Old Man who treated the New World as his own backyard, watching closely.
On these seas, the destructive power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit...
was no joke!
"Report!"
At that moment, a young staff officer put down the receiver and spoke solemnly:
"Fleet Admiral! Latest battle report from Totto Land—three of the BIGMOM Pirate Crew's Sweet Four Generals have already been defeated! Only Katakuri remains locked in fierce combat!"
As soon as these words were spoken.
Many high-ranking Navy officers froze.
"Three?"
"So quickly? It hasn't even been ten hours since the battle started, has it?"
Amidst the murmurs, Sengoku's expression grew even darker.
All of them lost?
The 'Sweet Four Generals' were renowned, having dominated the seas for years. How could they be as fragile as clay figurines before the Curtain Closer?
"Smoothie was up against that Kuina, right?"
Tsuru set down her teacup and frowned, "As for Cracker, he faced Kuma. Those two losing isn't too surprising, but who defeated Snack?"
The Curtain Closer's 'Four Calamities' each had their own opponents and couldn't break away.
Among the remaining officers, it was hard to imagine who else could have accomplished this.
Could it be that one of the newly recruited Supernovas had a sudden power surge?
"Well..."
The young staff officer hesitated, "It... it was Smoker."
Who?!
Smoker???
This statement was even more shocking than the previous news, instantly causing an uproar in the conference room.
Many high-ranking Navy officers, especially those who had dealt with Smoker before, spat out their tea, their eyes filled with profound disbelief.
That White Hunter who had defected a year ago...
When he was in the Navy, he was just a small East Blue branch base commander.
Now he could defeat a Sweet Commander?
This was utterly absurd!
"Although it was the weakest of the Sweet Four Generals, looking across all of Headquarters, aside from the three Admirals, the only one who could confidently pull this off would probably be Gion, right?"
Momonga wiped sweat from his forehead, muttering unconsciously, "Teacher Zephyr once said he believed Smoker could become the new generation's leader of the Navy..."
This statement had always been brushed off by his disciples as Teacher Zephyr merely joking on a whim.
But now…
Could it actually be true?
Smoker… really had that kind of potential?
After all,
when compared to the Pirate factions of the New World, the Marine Headquarters' top-tier strength had never been lacking.
The mid-to-lower ranks were even superior, capable of mobilizing tens of thousands of elite forces from branches across the world at any time.
However, the one glaring gap lay in the second tier of the pyramid—figures like the "Sweet Commanders," the "Three Disasters," the "Four Calamities," and the top-ranking commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates…
At this level, the Marine Headquarters had a massive shortage, barely able to fill even a handful of positions.
This was precisely why the "Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea" system was necessary—to recruit powerful Pirates to maintain balance.
Now, after so long, they had finally produced another junior with such strength, one with impeccable origins.
And yet…
Momonga clenched his cigar tighter, his frustration palpable…
"There's no need to waste sympathy on someone who's already turned traitor."
Tsuru spoke softly, her voice carrying a chill:
"I understand how you all feel, but don't forget—from the moment he sided with the Pirates, he was no longer our comrade. Set aside those useless mixed emotions. As for the strategists, your task now is to reassess his threat level and ensure his bounty reflects his current strength."
"Yes, Granny Tsuru."
Momonga let out a long sigh.
The murmurs gradually faded, and silence returned to the vast conference room, broken only by Garp's loud snoring.
That sound… Many of the high-ranking officers, having stayed up all night, exchanged bitter smiles, while others simply leaned back in their chairs to catch some sleep.
Unfortunately,
the silence didn't last long before it was shattered again…
Brrring Brrring~
A strategist casually picked up the receiver, but after just a few words, his expression drastically changed:
"What? Say that again! Is it true? Confirmed? Alright, alright, I understand! I'll report to the Fleet Admiral immediately!"
He set down the receiver, his face pale as he turned to Sengoku, his voice trembling:
"Fleet Admiral, we've received an urgent report of the highest priority! BIGMOM… that Charlotte Linlin… has been killed in battle!"
"What?!"
Sengoku's expression twisted in shock as he abruptly stood up:
"Killed? That woman wasn't just defeated—she's dead?"
Defeat and death…
The weight and significance were on entirely different levels!
Long before Red Hair rose to fame, those three veteran Emperors had ruled the seas for decades! No one had ever been able to touch them!
And yet now…
Just because she provoked that Xiano, she had fallen in mere days?!
For a moment,
the conference room was plunged into dead silence.
Nearly everyone wore expressions of stunned horror, too shocked by the news to speak.
"..." Even Akainu narrowed his eyes, his face shadowed, remaining silent.
At that moment,
Garp, who had been snoring loudly, groggily opened his eyes and yawned: "Ah, is it morning? Is the meeting over?"
Everyone: "..."
Sengoku's veins bulged at his temples: "Garp! You old bastard! This is no time to sleep! BIGMOM is dead! The war in the New World is over!"
"Huh?"
Garp looked stunned. "That old fatty is dead? Who did it?"
Wait, maybe he didn't need to ask.
Garp suddenly realized, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he burst into laughter:
"Puhahaha! To think he could pull this off! Hey, that's really something, taking down a Pirate with a bounty of over four billion Berry single-handedly! Even I couldn't manage that back in the day. That kid… he really doesn't disappoint!"
"Garp!"
Sengoku gritted his teeth, about to reprimand him.
"Mind your words and your position, Garp," Tsuru said coldly.
"Oh."
Garp immediately quieted down, lowering his head and staying silent.
The meeting room fell into stillness once more.
Outside the window, the morning sun had risen unnoticed, casting a golden glow over Marine Headquarters.
Yet, at this moment, a lingering shadow hung over the hearts of all the high-ranking Marines present.
Amidst the haze of smoke, everyone remained silent, but one thing was clear to all.
The outcome of this war, as it stood, was the last thing Marine Headquarters wanted to see.
If the Curtain Closer had fought to a mutual standstill, barely scraping a victory, that might have been somewhat acceptable.
But… in less than a day and night, with the high-ranking officers almost entirely unharmed, the war had ended, and Totto Land had fallen!
The situation was utterly disastrous!
The balance of power in the New World, the very sky of the New World—it wasn't about to change. It already had!
After this battle.
The Curtain Closer would undoubtedly grow even stronger!
As for that man…
There was no question—whether in terms of reputation or threat level across the seas, he would rise to yet another tier!!!
"Xiano…"
Sengoku stood by the window, gazing at the distant horizon, his expression complicated as he murmured:
"Have you truly grown into the most dangerous villain since Rocks? Why… why did you have to be born in this era too…"
——————
At the outskirts of the Galaxy Sea, dawn gradually broke.
The fierce battle between Aramaki and Fujitora raged on.
The entire sea had been overtaken by the Awakened Tree Realm, with vines coiling like giant pythons. Fujitora stood atop a floating meteor, working in tandem with Nami's Flames to burn away the encroaching forest.
"Hahaha, useless, useless!"
Aramaki laughed wildly, his twisted face emerging from the tree trunks:
"Your attacks are certainly annoying, but in this forest, as long as even a single tree or blade of grass remains, I am immortal! You're just wasting your efforts, ahahaha!!"
His words seemed the height of arrogance, even revealing his own secrets.
But in truth, it was an outright lie.
As a user of the Forest-Forest Fruit, his true trump card lay in his ability to perform photosynthesis under sunlight, absorbing nutrients.
In other words, as long as there was light, he had an endless supply of energy.
He could go years, even decades, without eating a single thing!
This Issho's strength was on par with his own, and combined with that irritating fire brat, they had indeed pushed him into a temporary disadvantage.
But what if this dragged on?
The opponent would gradually become unable to hold on. At the very least, that brat with the Flames already seemed to be reaching his limit.
Soon, it would be his turn to take control and sound the horn of counterattack—
BOOM!!!
At that very moment, an overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from the distance, sweeping across like an abyss!
CRACK!
Black and red Lightning split the sky, tearing through the heavens in an instant. The air over the entire sea froze, and even the churning waves came to a standstill.
"Ha—"
Aramaki's laughter abruptly cut off.
His pupils contracted as he sharply raised his head, staring into the distance. For the first time, his face—merged with tree bark—twisted in shock.
"Hey… you've got to be kidding me… What kind of pressure is this… Could it be—?"
His body—his body wouldn't move!
(End of Chapter)