Chapter 189: Sengoku: Do You Really Take Me for a Puppet?
"What?!"
"Sengoku!"
All the vice admirals present shot to their feet, their brows furrowed in anger as they glared at the Fleet Admiral who had just uttered those shocking words.
A long-bearded vice admiral dressed in a navy-blue aristocratic suit spoke gravely, "Sengoku, you actually intend to sell off the World Government's property?"
"Vice Admiral Strawberry."
"Remember your identity—you are part of Marine HQ, not a dog of the Celestial Dragons!"
Sengoku didn't hold back in the slightest, casting a cold glance at the indignant vice admiral.
All his life, his loyalty had been to the World Government as a system that maintained peace and justice across the seas—not to the Celestial Dragons who paraded around like emperors.
"Without the World Nobles, what World Government would even exist?"
Strawberry shot back, "Sengoku, you're hopelessly naïve!"
His loyalty to the World Nobles was unshakable. He couldn't stand by while the Fleet Admiral made such heretical decisions.
Even though he wasn't Sengoku's match in strength, he had to take a stand.
Besides—
With Sengoku's personality, there was no way he'd attack a subordinate. That would be tantamount to openly severing ties with the World Government.
If it were Garp—a man who only thought with his fists—Strawberry wouldn't have dared. But he knew Sengoku far too well.
The smarter a person was,
the more they understood how vital the World Government was to the Navy.
Without the funding and logistics that the Government provided, a global force like the Navy would collapse in an instant.
That was the source of Strawberry's confidence.
Suddenly—
The seagull atop Sengoku's head, a symbol of peace, flapped its wings as if sensing a shift in the air, and took flight with a loud flutter.
Boom!
The wall of the conference room dented deeply, spiderweb cracks spreading across it.
Golden light radiated from Sengoku's body, making him resemble an unapproachable Buddha.
His right arm raised—
Strawberry was slammed against the wall, gripped by the throat, unable to resist even for a second.
A transparent shockwave field began to form.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, please stop!"
"Do you want to destroy the HQ building?!"
"Strawberry acted impulsively—"
The other vice admirals were on the verge of panic. They shouted in protest but made no move to intervene. Not one dared step in to stop the golden-armored Sengoku.
All the admirals were already en route to the East Blue. The admiral candidates and senior vice admirals were out dealing with the rebellious Warlords.
Right now—
Even if all of HQ's remaining forces attacked together, they couldn't stop Sengoku at full power.
At the mention of the building—
Sengoku hesitated slightly, then dissipated the shockwave and released his grip on Strawberry's throat.
His expression blank, he spoke slowly, "I have always followed the justice of the Navy."
Navy Justice—a phrase long debated,
and a principle held sacred by rank-and-file Marines.
Admirals and Fleet Admirals each had their own interpretations,
defining different behaviors and moral standards.
"But in truth…"
"Whether it's Kuzan, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Garp, Zephyr… or even me—our justice is the same."
He ignored Strawberry, who lay slumped and unconscious from a single blow.
Sengoku slowly returned to his seat at the head of the room.
Flap, flap, flap.
The seagull landed back on his head, calmly preening its tail feathers as if nothing had happened.
Sengoku scanned the room, observing every facial expression in silence.
Then he whispered, "Justice… in chains."
Even with limited autonomy,
the Navy remained subordinate to the World Government and had to obey its commands.
But even shackled justice could maintain surface-level peace.
As long as they could eradicate evil pirates,
and give the majority of civilians some semblance of safety within Navy-established order,
then Sengoku didn't mind Garp mocking him, or playing lapdog to the Celestial Dragons.
However—
If the whims of the Celestial Dragons made even that shackled justice impossible,
if the order bound by those chains collapsed—
Then there was no point wearing them anymore.
Strawberry wasn't stupid.
He knew Sengoku was a brilliant man.
And the smarter a person is,
the more they overthink. The more they hesitate. The easier they are to control.
But what he forgot was—
Smart people are also the first to notice the changing winds of the future.
Just like how, back when the Pirate King Roger turned himself in, Sengoku immediately reinforced defenses in anticipation of chaos.
He was the one who captured Golden Lion,
who dared to assault Marineford in a frenzy.
And now—
The Sengoku watching from behind the Den Den Mushi had sensed a new future.
Even if the idea seemed absurd, something no sane person would believe—
If there was enough evidence, a clever man would make his move faster than anyone.
Decisively. Ruthlessly. Without hesitation.
Just like now—
Sengoku foresaw the collapse of the pirate world's current order.
If a new order was to rise, it would be through the Reincarnation Game and its mysterious merchant.
His decision?
At all costs—even if it meant breaking from the World Government—he would ensure the Navy's core powers stood at the top of this new order.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku…"
A few vice admirals tried to invoke the Government again, hoping to halt his next steps.
But one glance at Strawberry's condition made them bite their tongues.
They quickly found excuses to leave the room, planning to report this to the Five Elders.
"No need."
Sengoku's voice was icy as he watched the vice admirals trying to sneak out.
He pulled from his pocket a golden Den Den Mushi—his direct line to the Five Elders.
Under their stunned gazes—
Crack.
He crushed it in one hand.
…
"Awesome!"
Luffy's eyes bulged wide.
He was used to getting punched by Garp, so he knew he was strong. But this was on a whole new level.
"The Marines are that powerful? I haven't even finished my Grand Map of the Seas…"
Nami's face turned pale.
She still hadn't gotten over being labeled a criminal—the "Orange Devil." That kind of nickname screamed "priority target" for the Marines.
In the past,
her opinion of the Navy was awful. During her darkest days, she had begged them for help, hoping they'd drive out Arlong.
But they'd coldly refused.
Worse—Captain Nezumi had leaked everything to Arlong.
Because of that, Arlong raised the bounty on Cocoyasi Village, and Nami had nearly died trying to gather enough Berries to save it.
To her, the Navy had always been drunken, corrupt cowards.
But Garp had just shattered that impression.
"That sword aura…"
Zoro stood silent, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his blades.
He could feel it—Mihawk, the man who held the title of the strongest swordsman, had just become even stronger.
If this continued, he'd be left farther and farther behind.
"Luffy, let's go!"
Zoro shouted, unwilling to fall behind. He clenched his oath-bound blade and unleashed a ghostly slash through the air.
"Weird green-haired guy…"
Sanji puffed on his cigarette, one curly brow twitching with unease.
He'd heard stories that true chefs could protect the women they loved, and gather ingredients from the deadliest places.
He turned his gaze toward the Soul Reaper.
If he could defeat that thing—
He might just earn a mountain of rare ingredients and legendary recipes.
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