Staring at the documents placed before him, Sengoku hesitated to speak.
In the end, he chose to compromise. Picking up a pen, he swiftly signed his name on the document.
As soon as Sengoku finished signing, Hound, standing beside him, stepped forward, took the document, and handed it to his adjutant with a decisive tone, "Immediately copy and send this document to all branches and fortresses!"
"Yes, sir!"
The adjutant accepted the document with both hands and quickly turned around, jogging out of the conference hall.
Hound didn't leave. Instead, he held up a transponder snail and stood before Sengoku, bowing, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, we still need you to make a broadcast. Inform all officers and soldiers who haven't given up resistance to assemble in Marineford Square within ten minutes and announce that Elio is temporarily acting as Fleet Admiral."
Upon hearing this, Sengoku didn't delay further and directly took the transponder snail.
After a brief silence, he took a deep breath, then spoke slowly and steadily, "This is Sengoku. All officers and soldiers hearing this broadcast, immediately cease combat and lay down your weapons. Head to Marineford Square. This farce must come to an end."
As Sengoku's voice was transmitted through the transponder snail, the loudspeakers installed throughout Marineford began broadcasting, sending his voice to every corner.
------------
Marineford – Female Officers' Dormitory
Inside the dormitory, Officer Tashigi and the other female officers stood up straight upon hearing the voice from the broadcast, all looking toward headquarters.
"Officer Tashigi, that's the voice of Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
"Great, the rebellion is over!"
"Does that mean we won?"
Hearing the chatter around her, Tashigi frowned slightly, "Did none of you understand Fleet Admiral Sengoku's words? He said to cease fighting, lay down your weapons, and head to the square."
"What does that mean?" a female officer asked, blinking in confusion.
Tashigi didn't explain. She simply turned around and walked out of the dormitory.
By the time she stepped out the front door, more than a hundred female officers from headquarters had already gathered, and many were already marching in an orderly fashion toward Marineford Square.
Not only from their dormitory, but male officers were also pouring out of their dormitory nearby.
In no time, the road leading to Marineford Square was packed with people. Some looked tense, while others chatted and laughed as if none of this concerned them.
Although people occasionally greeted her along the way, Tashigi responded with a cold, distant expression. She didn't even bother glancing at them and simply followed the flow toward the square.
A few minutes later, Tashigi arrived at the entrance of the square with the crowd.
The massive square, capable of holding up to 100,000 people, was brightly lit. As the crowd that had been noisy just a moment ago stepped inside, a sudden silence fell over them.
It wasn't that they were voluntarily keeping order. Rather, it was because the square was surrounded by soldiers armed with guns. Nearly every soldier wore a red scarf on their shoulders, making it easy to distinguish them from those entering the square.
"W-What's going on here?"
The female officer walking beside Tashigi tensed up at the sight of the armed soldiers stationed around the square, each post guarded by a rear admiral or vice admiral. Trembling, she hid behind Tashigi and said, "Tashigi, d-don't tell me the rebels won? W-What if they kill us?"
Before Tashigi could respond, Sengoku's voice came through the broadcast again.
"Regarding tonight's events, I apologize to all of you!"
"From this moment forward, Vice Admiral Elio will temporarily assume the authority of Fleet Admiral..."
The moment these words were spoken, the square erupted.
Soon, the first batch of officers who had entered the square, those previously trapped in the dorms, began protesting loudly.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, how could you compromise with the rebels?!"
"Elio doesn't have the qualifications to replace you as Fleet Admiral!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku must've been coerced by Elio!"
As chaos spread through the crowd, the soldiers around the square raised their guns.
Then, a rear admiral led a hundred-man unit charging into the square.
As the rear admiral stormed into the square, he shouted harshly, "Silence! All of you, be quiet!"
"Traitor!"
"We will never agree to let Elio lead the Marines!"
Facing the incoming rear admiral, another rear admiral leading the crowd raised his arm and shouted, "Who's willing to fight their way into headquarters with me?"
Bang bang bang!
Before anyone could respond, a sudden burst of gunfire rang out without warning. The rear admiral who had just raised his arm was immediately engulfed in sprays of blood.
"Courting death!"
The two soldiers behind the shots, having emptied their magazines, charged forward and ruthlessly smashed the gun butts into the rear admiral's skull.
The unexpected act left the chaotic square in dead silence.
A Marine Rear Admiral, killed by two ordinary soldiers?
Everyone stared in disbelief at the fallen rear admiral, their eyes wide open.
----------
At the Same Time – Top Floor of Marine Headquarters
Hearing the gunfire from the square, Sengoku immediately rushed to the window.
But the distance was great and the square was crowded; he couldn't see what had happened. All he saw was that everything had suddenly gone still, the silence before a volcanic eruption, thick with tension.
Elio remained calm, watching Sengoku with interest.
The current situation was well under his control. He wasn't worried about surprises. But to make all the Marine officers and soldiers give up resistance, Sengoku's words alone wouldn't be enough.
Sensing the tense atmosphere rolling in from the square, Sengoku raised his voice and shouted, "Do you want Marineford to become a river of blood? If that's what you want to see, then go ahead and fight! I'm sure the lawless pirates across the seas would love to see you destroy each other from within!"
"If you want this farce to end here and now, obey the order."
"I hereby declare that from this moment on, Elio will temporarily hold the authority of Fleet Admiral."
"From this point forward, anyone who resists... will be treated as a traitor."
After saying the word "traitor," Sengoku seemed to lose all his strength, almost collapsing where he stood.
Though the true rebels were Elio's faction, in order to prevent further bloodshed and worsening chaos, this was the only path left for him.
As for where the Marines would go from here, he could only place his hopes in the Holy Land and in Elio's final decisions.
Just as Sengoku declared Elio as acting Fleet Admiral, a sudden voice echoed in Elio's mind.
Ding-dong-
"Congratulations, Host! Mutiny successful. You are now the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters!"
"Note: Rewards are now being issued."
"Note: Detecting Host's currently mastered abilities!"
"Detected: Armament Haki, Observation Haki, Conqueror's Haki, Swordsmanship, and Rokushiki."
"Note: All mastered abilities will be enhanced!"
"Swordsmanship has been upgraded to its peak!"
"Rokushiki upgraded to its peak!"
"Armament Haki upgraded to its peak!"
"Observation Haki upgraded to its peak!"
"Conqueror's Haki upgraded to its peak!"
As the system messages rang out one after another, Elio suddenly felt his vision blur.
The next moment, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar space, and a torrent of knowledge surged into him, everything related to the enhanced abilities. Techniques, mastery, and combat applications all became second nature to him in an instant.
In the time it took to take one breath, Elio felt as though he had experienced an entire era.
Sensing the immense power flowing within him and the absolute confidence that came with mastering every ability to its peak, Elio slowly narrowed his eyes. Although he hadn't expected to receive a reward just for becoming acting Fleet Admiral, an early bonus was always welcome. Especially one of this kind, it felt incredible.
After enjoying the thrill of the upgrade, Elio stood up calmly and said, "Everyone, the outcome is settled. Summon the divisions to Marineford, I have something to say."
As he spoke, Elio turned his gaze toward Red King and Stainless.
As if they knew what Elio was thinking and understood that the tide had turned, Stainless and the others stood up, straightened their backs, saluted, and echoed Hound and the others.
"Loyalty!"
Elio nodded. "This will be the wisest decision you've ever made."
With that, Elio turned and walked away without delay.