The darkness before dawn had passed.
And just like always, the sun rose once more.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine Headquarters...
Kuzan had made his decision. In the end, he chose to stay, standing side by side with Sakazuki and Borsalino.
Just as Elio had said, the situation within Marine Headquarters had already stabilized. There weren't many paths left for him to choose.
Of course, the real reason he stayed wasn't because he feared Elio might have him eliminated. Rather, it was because after so many years of confusion and disappointment within the Marines, Kuzan now found himself wanting to see, would things truly change with Elio as Fleet Admiral?
More than anything, he wanted to know:
The man Zephyr had placed such hope in, the man who had earned the loyalty of so many Marine officers, what future would Elio bring to the Marines?
Behind the three Admirals stood Gion, Dalmatian, Strawberry, Bastille, and several other Vice Admirals, lined up in order, their eyes all fixed upon the young man seated calmly at the desk.
He gazed at the three Admirals and the Vice Admirals behind them, his expression calm.
"Sooner or later, the Holy Land will realize they've lost contact with Marine Headquarters. Even though everything here is already under our control, the real battle has only just begun."
After a short pause, Elio turned his head slightly and looked toward the Vice Admirals.
"Gion, take command of the surveillance room. From now on, any communication from the Holy Land is to be handled by you personally. Also, bring Ain and Binz in."
"Yes, sir."
Gion saluted crisply and turned on her heel, stepping out of the room.
Moments after she left, Ain and Binz entered at a brisk pace and stood before Elio, saluting in unison.
"Fleet Admiral!"
Elio looked at them, his eyes softening slightly.
Three years ago, while returning from a mission where he had taken down a pirate crew and rescued civilians, including Sakazuki's mother, Elio had encountered a Marine training vessel under attack. The survivors included Ain, Binz, and Zephyr, whose arm had been severed.
It was only because Elio had appeared that day that the three of them had made it back safely.
Even though three years had passed since then, neither Ain nor Binz, nor Zephyr himself, had ever truly moved on from that event.
Over those three years, Elio would often visit Zephyr to share a few drinks whenever he had free time. Naturally, he came to talk with Ain and Binz during those visits.
At first, Ain was quiet and distant, carrying the weight of hatred in her heart. She rarely joined in conversations.
Binz, on the other hand, remained optimistic. Every time Elio visited Zephyr, Binz would eagerly join them, often seeking opportunities to spar with him.
Perhaps it was Elio's radiant personality, or maybe it was because they were all students of Zephyr, but after seeing Elio and Binz exchange swordplay, Ain, also a skilled swordswoman, gradually emerged from her shell. Eventually, she too joined in the sparring matches.
Later, when Elio went on missions, Ain and Binz would take care of Zephyr, who had developed dementia. Though they rarely spoke much, the bond they shared had grown into something deep and wordless.
"Ain," Elio said gently after a moment,
"From this moment forward, you will replace Maynard as Vice Admiral."
He handed her a letter of appointment.
"You have only one mission now. From the officer training camp, select the most elite recruits and lead them to sea. Your target: the ones responsible for the attack on the training vessel three years ago."
"Fleet Admiral, I... I-"
Caught completely off guard, Ain's eyes widened.
"I've been stationed at headquarters for the past three years... I haven't accomplished anything worth mentioning, I... I..."
Elio waved his hand, interrupting her gently.
"Then consider this your chance to prove yourself."
He immediately turned his gaze to Binz.
"Binz, I'm appointing you as Ain's second-in-command. You'll accompany her on this mission. Once you return, your rank will be promoted to Vice Admiral, and you'll take over the position left by Onigumo."
"Yes, sir!" Binz stepped forward and saluted,
"Loyalty!"
Elio nodded, "If that's decided, you two may leave first."
Ain and Binz didn't dare delay. They glanced at the veteran Vice Admirals and Admirals standing nearby, a bit uneasy, then turned and left the room.
After watching them exit, Elio immediately fixed his gaze on the three Admirals in the front row and got straight to the point.
"Our Marine Headquarters needs some adjustments. I've decided that you three will each lead a separate force."
"The force led by Sakazuki will be renamed to Red Dogs, Borsalino's force will be called the Yellow Monkeys, and Kuzan's force will be the Blue Pheasants. Each of these three units will be assigned six Vice Admirals from Headquarters. All Vice Admirals and below will be divided evenly in groups of three."
As Elio finished speaking, he picked up three folders and handed each to the three Admirals.
"These folders contain the lists of Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals under your command, as well as some officers who are slated for promotion. Don't doubt these promotions, they are all heroes from last night's battle!"
Meanwhile, in the Holy Land, Mary Geiose, within the Chamber of Authority...
The Five Elders, the highest authorities of the World Government, began their new day's routine.
The spacious and bright Chamber of Authority housed the Warrior God of Science and Defense, Jaygarcia Saturn, seated calmly on one side of the sofa, lazily staring at the transponder snail resting on the coffee table before him.
Behind him, the Warrior God of Finance, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, dressed in a Daoist robe and clutching a Katana, stood before a massive window. He watched the increasing figures gathering at Pangu Square, letting out a bored yawn.
The Warrior God of Agriculture, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, dressed in a suit, wore a serious expression as if pondering something important, his eyes fixed intently on the newspaper in front of him.
The Warrior God of Environment, Marcus Mars, leisurely carried a cup of coffee and took a seat on a single sofa, occasionally glancing at Shepherd reading the paper and Saturn lost in thought.
"It seems we're late today,"
At that moment, a voice abruptly broke the silence in the Chamber of Authority.
Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice marked by a birthmark on his forehead, pushed the door open and quickly strode to sit on the central long sofa. He looked toward Saturn, who was still absentmindedly staring at the transponder snail, and asked,
"Is there anything urgent to handle today?"
Saturn shook his head, puzzled.
"Until now, that transponder snail hasn't rung even once. Not only have the various CP organizations reported no information, but Marine Headquarters has also been unusually quiet. Usually, by this time, many reports would have piled up in front of us, and Marine Headquarters would have already relayed updates through the transponder snail."
Hearing this, Topman decisively shifted the topic.
"No intel from the New World either?"
It wasn't that he trusted Marine Headquarters blindly, but daily reports were not always sent to the Chamber of Authority immediately. Even if there were reports, they first went to the Fleet Admiral of the entire Marines, who reviewed them before forwarding to the Chamber.
Saturn shook his head again.
"The only two things happening recently in the New World are the Elbaph incident and Red-Haired Shanks rising to the rank of an Emperor of the seas. But neither of those is our concern, they're handled by God's Knights."
Topman's eyes brightened.
"I didn't expect Shanks to grow so much. Not only did he suppress Prince Loki of Elbaph, but he also became a new Emperor. If Figarland Garling were to intervene now, would there be a chance to bring Shanks under our command?"
"Didn't Shanks live in the Holy Land for a while?" Saturn looked at Topman helplessly.
"At that time, his twin brother Shamrock pleaded him to stay, but he ultimately chose to leave."
With no urgent tasks to handle, the Five Elders began chatting casually, gossiping like ordinary civilians.
Before they knew it, they had spent a fairly pleasant morning in the Chamber of Authority.
Just as they were about to get up and head to the dining hall, the transponder snail that had been silent all morning suddenly rang.
Then, a voice with a deliberately disguised, somewhat neutral tone came through,
"Are the Five Elders present?"
The sudden voice caused all Five Elders' faces to darken.
They rose in unison and bowed respectfully toward the transponder snail,
"Lord Imu!"