At Marine Base G-8, inside Vice Admiral Jonathan's office, Admiral Sengoku sat at the desk. Chief of Staff Tsuru, along with Diarmuid, Gion, Sakazuki, and Jonathan, sat on the sofas. After the battle at St. Poplar, they all gathered at G-8 to discuss the situation.
Admiral Sengoku held a document, his face visibly grim and full of rage.
"Twenty-one thousand six hundred and twenty-three!" Sengoku suddenly announced. He then slammed the document on the desk, his voice full of fury. "In the entire St. Poplar incident, the Marines lost twenty-one thousand six hundred and twenty-three personnel! Twenty-seven warships were sunk! St. Poplar, the first defensive barrier of Enies Lobby and a crucial hub connecting the North and South Calm Belts, was utterly destroyed. The giant tsunami brought severe disaster to nearby Water 7, Gourmet Island, and Long Ring Long Land, indirectly causing over 30,000 civilian casualties and economic losses in the hundreds of billions of berries! Are you not ashamed!?"
Diarmuid, Gion, Sakazuki, and Jonathan all sat with their heads bowed, taking the dressing-down. There was nothing they could do. A Marine couldn't always earn merit; when it was time to take punishment, they had to take it.
This incident was a major, or even a total, defeat for the Marines, and it triggered a series of chain reactions. The situation on the seas can be unpredictable.
Initially, everyone, including Diarmuid, thought it was just a big fight between Douglas Bullet and Crocodile at St. Poplar. This was nothing unusual; those two had been old rivals, fighting countless times from the first half of the Grand Line to the New World and back.
But because Douglas Bullet was starting to go crazy, his threat level was extremely high. So when the situation was discovered, Admiral Sengoku immediately ordered a Buster Call fleet and had the Marines near St. Poplar assist in carrying it out, making it a priority to take down Douglas Bullet there.
Up to the moment Diarmuid and the others arrived on the island, no mistakes had been made.
But then, an individual who seemed almost inconsequential at first caused the subsequent great retreat, which then turned into a total rout.
This person was Marco the Phoenix. His appearance instantly shifted a manageable situation for the Marines into one they couldn't control.
True to form, the Whitebeard Pirates' fleet then appeared, and the World's Strongest Man, Edward Newgate, who was supposed to be in the New World, was also at St. Poplar. His presence showcased the destructive power and influence of a top-tier pirate in this era.
Even though he didn't target the Marines' forces and simply fought Diarmuid, his presence alone caused over 20,000 Marine casualties, the devastation of four or five islands by a tsunami, over 30,000 civilian casualties, and economic losses in the hundreds of billions of berries.
This was the power and influence of a top-tier pirate. In fact, this battle at St. Poplar was not even Whitebeard's full power; he held back.
A man like him could truly, with every move, affect the world's balance of power. This time, to look at it in a more positive light, he only affected a few islands near the St. Poplar sea region.
To be frank and look at the whole world, it was almost insignificant. But as Sengoku said, as Marines, they failed to protect the public and instead brought disaster. They, as high-ranking officers, were sitting here, alive and well. Weren't they ashamed? Were they worthy of the Marines who sacrificed their lives and the innocent civilians?
After his tirade, Admiral Sengoku covered his eyes with his hand and said in a slightly pained voice, "You shouldn't be ashamed. You were only following my orders. I am the one who should be ashamed! I am the one most responsible for this defeat! On the contrary, Diarmuid kept his cool in a time of crisis, Tsuru's rescue was swift, Jonathan's command was excellent, and Sakazuki was brave and fearless in the Buster Call. All of you should be commended!"
When he said this, Diarmuid and the others quickly interjected, "Admiral, it was our mistake!"
"Silence!" Sengoku slammed his hand on the desk, glaring at them. "A mistake is a mistake! The lives of those 20,000 Marines and the 30,000 civilians rest on my shoulders! Do you think I can't bear it!?"
Sengoku's fury made Diarmuid and the others fall silent again. But in that moment, Diarmuid saw that Sengoku's eyes were slightly moist. He was truly heartbroken.
To be honest, Diarmuid hadn't felt much remorse before today. He was even in a good mood to comment on Newgate's strength to Vice Admiral Jonathan after they crossed the tsunami. But today, seeing the enraged Sengoku, he suddenly seemed to understand something. It was a truth that was hard to explain, but he understood.
At that moment, Sengoku looked at Diarmuid and Sakazuki. "Diarmuid, Sakazuki, I want you two to remember this incident and never forget it. I hope you understand the true meaning behind it!"
When Sengoku said this, Diarmuid and Sakazuki were stunned, and their expressions changed as if they had both come to some realization.
Diarmuid wasn't sure what Sakazuki understood, but he understood.
The power and position he had been pursuing, the titles of Admiral and Fleet Admiral, didn't just come with the prestige of "commanding a million soldiers." It also came with the heavy responsibility of a million lives resting on his shoulders!
Just like Admiral Sengoku, who had a glorious and distinguished career, but a single mistake cost the lives of over 20,000 Marines!
That was 20,000 lives!
Diarmuid and Sakazuki were both moved, but neither of them spoke.
Just then, Tsuru spoke. "The primary responsibility for this deployment failure lies with me. As the head of the Intelligence Division, I failed to even detect that the Whitebeard Pirates had left the New World. I should bear the main responsibility!"
Sengoku was unsparing. Even though he and Tsuru were close and there were rumors among the Marine officers that they had a secret relationship, Sengoku didn't hesitate. "Tsuru, you cannot shirk your mistake. You will receive a severe demerit, have your Vice Admiral pay reduced for two years, lose your title of Chief of Staff, and your Intelligence Division will be investigated to find the source of the failure. You and your subordinates will also have to go before a military tribunal. The trial will be held at Enies Lobby in two weeks, and the Fleet Admiral will personally preside over the hearing!"
This punishment was almost a total demotion for Tsuru. She lost her Chief of Staff title and her Vice Admiral salary for two years, meaning she would only keep her title without the pay or the benefits of a high-ranking officer.
But the worst part was the military tribunal. While Tsuru might not be executed, many in the Intelligence Division would likely be sent from the courthouse to the execution grounds.
Although Sengoku said he was responsible, if you looked closely, he had made no mistakes. He made a flawed judgment based on flawed intelligence from the Intelligence Division. From a strategic perspective, all of his previous decisions were sound. Thus, the real mistake belonged to Tsuru.
Gion clearly wanted to intercede, but when she moved, Diarmuid grabbed her hand and said with a solemn and serious expression, "Don't."
Gion was stunned and said, unwillingly, "Tsuru-nee..."
"Do you think you're the only one who has a relationship with her?" Diarmuid glared at Gion.
Gion paused, sighed, and said nothing. She knew he was right. This was not a situation for pleading.
As Diarmuid said, was Gion the only one there who considered Tsuru a sister? Diarmuid himself was once trained by the Chief of Staff. And there was a possibility that Admiral Sengoku had an affair with her.
Why didn't they say anything to plead for her? It wasn't just because of the gravity of the situation, but because speaking up would be an insult to Tsuru, as if to say she was a person without conviction!
"Understood," Tsuru said softly. After saying that, she seemed to sigh in relief. The self-blame in her heart seemed to have lessened, but she also looked much older.
Then, Sengoku didn't say what punishment he would accept, nor did he continue to pursue the guilt of Diarmuid and the others.
Diarmuid and the others were truly not guilty and had performed well in the crisis. But Sengoku himself would definitely face consequences, not at Enies Lobby, but from the immense pressure of the World Government. He just didn't say it.
Diarmuid and the others were not so tactless as to ask, as they weren't as reckless as Garp.
"Putting that aside for now, the most urgent matter is the aftermath of this incident. It's a good thing you managed to capture Douglas Bullet so the Marines aren't left with nothing from this defeat." Sengoku said, calming his emotions. No one spoke or tried to take credit.
"Desert King Crocodile's whereabouts are unknown, and he wasn't captured. We can't rule out that he died there, but we believe he's still alive. That guy is cunning. But he's not the main focus for now. We won't worry about him for the time being, Diarmuid..." Sengoku said.
"Sir!" Diarmuid answered quickly.
"The geographical advantage of St. Poplar is clear. Our strategic layout can't be changed randomly. After this, you will be in charge of placing a new island there. We need to rebuild St. Poplar. Any problems?" Sengoku asked.
"No problem!" Diarmuid nodded. It would just be a lot of work. It was indeed not a problem.
Sengoku nodded again, looking at Jonathan. "Jonathan, your G-8 and G-7 bases will need to cooperate closely on this matter to rebuild the Marine base at St. Poplar. After this, I'll put Dalmatian in charge of Base G-16. You two help him rebuild G-16."
Jonathan had no objections. He said, "Understood."
Diarmuid, of course, had nothing to add. It was the right thing to do.
Sengoku then gave out more orders for the aftermath, and the temporary meeting finally came to an end. As everyone was about to leave, Sengoku said, "Diarmuid, you stay behind. I want to talk to you."
Diarmuid was a bit confused but sat back down on the sofa. After a while, Sengoku put down the documents in his hand and looked at Diarmuid. "After fighting with that bastard Whitebeard, what are your thoughts?"
Diarmuid scratched his head slightly, then said, "At least for now, he seems to be unbeatable?"
"That's right..." Sengoku murmured softly, then said, "We just received news that Fish-Man Island has submitted to the Whitebeard Pirates. As one of the key hubs connecting the two halves of the Grand Line, Fish-Man Island being taken over by the Whitebeard Pirates... you understand the implications, don't you?"
"The Whitebeard Pirates will grow stronger. They now have the power to choose the first wave of promising new pirates entering the New World," Diarmuid said softly.
"That's right," Sengoku nodded. "Do you have any good ideas?"
Diarmuid shook his head. "No..."
Sengoku was silent for a while, then waved his hand. "Okay, I just wanted to talk to you. You can go now."
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