"Hey, hey, hey…"
Caught off guard by Orion abrupt departure, Garp was momentarily stunned. He hurriedly shouted,
"DON'T GO ORION! I was careless just now and didn't dodge. Come on, let's continue. I can still fight!"
Orion, however, acted as if he hadn't heard a word and quickened his pace toward the cafeteria. Along the way, every officer and soldier he encountered stood at attention, their voices echoing with "Loyalty!" all the way to the cafeteria hall.
As soon as Orion left the square, Zephyr and Sengoku rushed over. When the two saw the gruesome wound on Garp chest, Sengoku immediately stepped forward to support him, while Zephyr turned around and shouted.
"Quick, call the medical team!"
"No need, no need~" Garp quickly stopped them.
"It's just a flesh wound. No need to make such a fuss… Ouch! Sengoku, why are you touching my wound? It hurts like hell!"
"Now you feel the pain?" Sengoku glared at Garp and scolded.
"Why are you so impulsive? The situation at headquarters is already settled. Even if you could defeat Orion, what would it change? Don't forget, the three Admirals have already made their choice. They won't let you act recklessly!"
"Give me my senbei~" Garp pointed to his pocket, grimacing. "That kid really didn't hold back."
Sengoku didn't respond.
Instead, he took the box of senbei from Garp bag, handed it to him, and casually popped two pieces into his own mouth.
Seeing this, Garp forgot about his wound and shouted angrily.
"Give me back my senbei!"
Sengoku ignored him, thoroughly enjoying the snack. At that moment, two nurses from the medical team arrived. Seeing the ghastly wound on Garp chest, Zephyr narrowed his eyes and then looked up toward the rooftop of the headquarters building.
Although Borsalino and Kuzan, who had been watching the battle from the rooftop, had disappeared at some point, Zephyr didn't avert his gaze.
Previously, when he and Sengoku had just sensed the clash of Conqueror Haki, they hadn't thought much of it, only focusing on rushing over to stop Garp and Orion from continuing their fight.
Now, with a calmer mind, he began to understand why Orion hadn't targeted Kuzan, who had also returned after the coup, but instead chose to engage in a Conqueror's Haki clash with Garp.
The reason was simple.
Although the Marine Headquarters was now entirely under Orion control, both the three Admirals and the other officers who hadn't participated in the coup harbored some degree of doubt about Orion strength.
After all, despite Orion rapid progress over the years, he was still only at the level of a Vice Admiral.
In such a situation, if Orion wanted to fully control the Marine Headquarters, he had to demonstrate overwhelming strength to subdue all opposition. Kuzan was a good whetstone, being one of the Marine Headquarters' top combatants, but he wasn't the most suitable.
Garp, on the other hand, was a legendary Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, a hero who had cornered the previous Pirate King, Roger, on multiple occasions, making him an idol in the hearts of countless Marines.
He was clearly the most suitable candidate.
By defeating Garp, the officers and soldiers who hadn't participated in the coup the previous night would undoubtedly be deeply shaken, deterring them from harboring any rebellious thoughts in the future.
Most importantly, the three Admirals, regarded as the Headquarters' top combatants, would also view Orion in a new light, even acknowledging this young Marshal.
...
"Fleet Admiral Orion!"
In the Marine Headquarters cafeteria, two officers who were about to leave were caught off guard by Orion sudden appearance.
The moment they saw him, their casual chatter ceased, and they immediately stood at attention, saluting. As their voices echoed, the entire cafeteria fell silent. All the officers and soldiers present turned their fervent gazes toward Orion.
Although the cafeteria was some distance from Marineford, they had all witnessed the recent battle. When they saw Orion send Garp, the legendary Vice Admiral, flying with a single strike, the cafeteria erupted in chaos.
Among them, there were a few who had reluctantly pledged their loyalty due to the overwhelming tide of events. However, after witnessing Orion immense strength, their resolve to follow him was now unshakable.
Orion scanned the cafeteria, showing no signs of fatigue from his battle with Garp.
With a warm smile, he said. "It's mealtime, everyone. No need to be so formal."
"LOYALTY!"
Everyone in the cafeteria simultaneously raised their hands in salute.
"By the way~" Orion suddenly remembered something and gestured for everyone to quiet down. He spoke calmly.
"Although we have many tough battles ahead, we can't let our comrades fight on empty stomachs! Gion, later go to the finance department and increase the salaries of all officers and soldiers. Also, distribute the next year salary in one lump sum!"
Before Gion could respond, the cafeteria erupted once again.
"Long live Marshal Orion!"
"Haha, this is great! We're getting a year salary in advance!"
"Wah, long live Marshal Orion! With this money, I won't have to worry about my brother wedding. Marshal Orion, you must come to my brother wedding!"
Amid the bustling crowd, some soldiers who had not participated in the coup the previous night were also extremely excited, though some still couldn't believe it was real!
After all, if they hadn't been trapped in their dormitories at the time, they might have followed their superiors' orders and fought against the soldiers who had joined Orion in the coup.
Especially a young man in a Rear Admiral uniform, who stood in the crowd looking left and right before summoning the courage to push through and quickly approach Orion.
"Marshal, those of us who didn't participate last night… will we still receive our salaries for the next year?"
"Of course!" Orion nodded with a smile.
"Now that the headquarters' situation is settled, whether you participated in the action last night or not, your salaries will remain unchanged!"
"That's great!" The young Rear admiral eyes reddened with emotion, and he choked up.
"Thank you, Marshal. This money is so important to me… I… I… I…"
Clearly overwhelmed with excitement, he stammered three times before suddenly standing straight, raising his hand, and shouting from the bottom of his heart.
"LOYALTY!"
He had originally been a subordinate of Vice Admiral Onigumo. His younger sister had been bedridden with a chronic illness, requiring exorbitant medical expenses every month to sustain her life.
At first, he could manage, but soon he couldn't keep up, borrowing from all his colleagues until they started avoiding him.
In desperation, he had turned to Vice Admiral Onigumo for help, only to be met with a cold and heartless scolding.
Fortunately, heaven doesn't close all doors. Orion, who had launched the coup and become the new marshal of the headquarters, had decided to distribute a year salary to every officer and soldier at once.
At this moment, he finally understood why Orion had won the loyalty of so many officers and soldiers.
It wasn't just because Orion strength was so formidable that he could defeat the legendary Vice Admiral Garp in a single strike, but because Orion care for his subordinates was visibly evident.
With the distribution of another year salary, the atmosphere in the canteen grew even livelier. However, neither officers nor soldiers disturbed Orion again.
After Gion brought over the food, Orion, sitting by the window, picked up his chopsticks and began devouring his meal. It wasn't that he didn't care about his image, but during this period of cooperating with the investigation team and ultimately being imprisoned, he hadn't eaten his fill.
Moreover, after the system had enhanced all his abilities to the max, his stomach had been in constant rebellion, and his appetite had grown accordingly.
Gion didn't touch her chopsticks.
Instead, she rested her chin on one hand, watching the man who had become the youngest Fleet Admiral in Marine history by launching a Coup.
Her mind couldn't help but drift back to Orion days when he first entered the officer training camp.
Back then, Orion had just turned eighteen, still carrying a youthful innocence and curiosity about everything. Though she had been certain, through their interactions in the officer training camp, that Orion would one day astonish everyone, she didn't expect him to rise to prominence in such a manner.
"By the way" Orion suddenly put down his chopsticks and looked at Gion.
"Can the headquarters still afford to pay salaries now?"
Gion nodded. "It should be enough. However, if the headquarters breaks ties with the World Government, we won't be able to pay salaries next year!"
"No Problem."
Hearing that they could still receive a year salary, Orion felt reassured.
"The World Goverment might not be so enraged as to sever ties with us. To them, it doesn't matter who becomes the Fleet Admiral, as long as the Marine remains under the World Government. They might even make compromises! When that happens, we'll strive to maximize our benefits."
Upon hearing this, Gion didn't relax but instead looked even more worried.
"The headquarters is under control, so I'm not concerned about that. What worries me are the various branch bases across the Four Seas and the Grand Line. So far, not a single branch base has sent any messages."