With the battle plan finalized between Diarmuid and Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the latter no longer hesitated.
Quickly, under the pretext of bolstering Mariejois's security and ensuring the stable operation of the Reverie, Sengoku began increasing troop deployments to the Holy Land. A massive fleet of warships, packed with Marines, started making their way toward Mariejois. They didn't scatter; instead, they stationed themselves at the port below the Red Line, coordinating to protect the harbor and the safety of the various royal families from the affiliated nations.
Simultaneously, under the guise of launching a sweeping extermination campaign against New World pirates, the Marines began funneling large numbers of troops toward the New World.
Now, a question arises: when the Marines enter the New World for combat, which route do they usually take?
Without a doubt, they transit through Mariejois.
While enough warships had been built at the New World gateways, they lacked manpower. Consequently, a massive influx of Marine soldiers entered Mariejois once more, crossed the Red Line, and stationed themselves at the New World-facing port of the Holy Land.
Publicly, the announcement was clear: as soon as the Reverie concluded, the Marines would immediately launch an all-out war to purge the New World pirates.
Admittedly, it was an excellent excuse. Even the Whitebeard Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, and the Beasts Pirates played along perfectly. After all, no sane person would suspect that this military maneuver was actually a blade aimed directly at the throat of Mariejois.
Furthermore, Whitebeard, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin had been meeting frequently in the New World, leading to increased coordination between their crews. To any well-informed observer, it was obvious these three were planning an alliance. Given that context, it was only natural for the Marines to react swiftly upon receiving the news.
No one suspected a thing.
As for Mariejois, the Gorosei truly failed to realize anything was amiss. First, the Marines and Mariejois had worked together for over eight hundred years; despite the ups and downs, there was a deep-seated level of trust. Second, the Marines had always been a principled organization; there was no logical reason for them to suddenly turn on Mariejois, and the Five Elders didn't think they were capable of such a move.
Third, the Five Elders had indeed received intelligence regarding the New World pirates and knew the three Yonko were about to join forces. The Marines making a countermove at this juncture was perfectly logical. Fourth, this particular Reverie was unique. Held after an eight-year gap, it gathered a hundred kings and their families from across the globe. Security at Mariejois needed to be overwhelming to ensure the meeting ran smoothly, especially with pirates becoming active in the outer seas.
In this environment, the Marines increasing their presence in Mariejois, partly to prepare for the upcoming pirate war and partly to guard the Holy Land, was entirely reasonable!
The final nail in the coffin was the fact that Commander-in-Chief Kong and the Director-General of the CP organization, Stussy, were actually secret partners of the Marines.
Flanked on both sides, the Gorosei were essentially blind. Their only remaining eyes capable of tracking true movements were the Chief of Staff in Mariejois. However, the Chief of Staff focused on internal administration; his military intuition wasn't sharp enough, and due to years of habit, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary.
Under normal circumstances, the Marines would have no valid reason to mass troops in Mariejois. But now, with the Reverie approaching, the Holy Land was heavily guarded and strictly fortified, looking utterly secure.
The Five Elders were actually quite pleased.
While Marine Headquarters was a hive of activity, Diarmuid didn't have much to do. These preparations were for Sengoku to handle. Diarmuid's job was to "slacker" around Marineford and wait for the Reverie to start, at which point he would head to Mariejois in his capacity as an Admiral. It was that simple.
During this period, Garp's "idiot grandson" Monkey D. Luffy, under the watchful eyes of Garp and Zephyr, consumed the Paramecia-type More-More Fruit, officially becoming an ability user. Subsequently, Zephyr personally approved his enrollment into the Marine Academy, making him a Marine reservist. Finally, he could happily don the Justice jacket and become Ace's comrade.
Additionally, Nami completed a short but intensive navigation course on Weatheria, becoming an excellent climatologist. Her time there was only a little over a year, but her foundation was different. Before going to Weatheria, she had already passed the Marine navigation exams with Diarmuid's full support, making her a certified professional. Having been interested in the field since childhood, her basics were rock-solid.
Thus, while her time on Weatheria wasn't long, she absorbed plenty of knowledge. Upon her return, Nami joined the Marine Academy alongside Luffy, also becoming a reservist.
At this point, of the four youngsters under the wing of the Hero of the Marines, Garp, excluding Nojiko, who insisted on running a tavern in Marineford to inherit the family business and become a wealthy socialite, Nami, Ace, and Luffy had all officially stepped onto the path of the Marines.
This made Garp incredibly happy. Three of them! I refuse to believe all three "accounts" will fail! From today on, my Garp lineage is officially a Marine dynasty!
Following this, Vice Admiral Nico Robin took a leave of absence to escort her mother, Olvia, to Amazon Lily on Island of Women in the Calm Belt. This ensured that Olvia, a potential source of instability, was safely settled in the Island of Women. Once finished, Robin returned to Marineford, accepted a mission from the Intelligence Division, and led troops to station in Mariejois.
It was during this time that a relatively significant event occurred.
Borsalino, leading members of the Special Science Group, made his move against Bartholomew Kuma.
Kuma was unfortunate; he was caught in a ruthless trap set by Borsalino. He was first invited for a modification session—hardly surprising, as he was already mostly a cyborg and was used to the process. Consequently, Kuma naturally lay down on the operating table. Once his movements were restricted, Borsalino immediately led a team to arrest him.
Afterward, Borsalino announced to the world in his capacity as an Admiral that Warlord of the Sea Bartholomew Kuma had been secretly in contact with the criminal organization known as the Revolutionary Army, intending to assist them in staging an uprising during the Reverie to plunge the world into chaos.
Under this charge, Borsalino forcefully stripped Kuma of his title as a Warlord of the Sea.
This wasn't just a baseless accusation. Mariejois was stunned for a while, but as Borsalino swiftly delivered evidence of Kuma's communications with the Revolutionary Army, they became convinced. After all, the evidence wasn't forged. Bartholomew Kuma was a member of the Revolutionary Army.
Thus, Mariejois quickly approved Borsalino's actions. Once again, a seat in the Seven Warlords was vacant; following Sir Crocodile, "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma had also fallen.
While this caused some ripples worldwide, it wasn't considered a world-shaking event. For the most part, it was a outcome that pleased everyone, except the Revolutionary Army.
Dragon was beyond furious when he learned the news. He saw clearly that the Marines were "burning bridges." However, there was nothing he could do. In terms of public opinion, no one was speaking up for him. Back in the Gold City, he had specifically reached out to Morgans, the President of the World Economy News Paper.
But that "bird-man" Morgans was immune to both threats and bribes. No matter how much Dragon talked, he wouldn't budge. It was a joke, given the Revolutionary Army's reputation, who would dare try to clear their name? Especially since the Revolutionary Army had just suffered a major defeat in Alabasta, their deterrent power had plummeted.
In short, even if Dragon wanted to reveal that this was actually a joint project between the Marines and the Revolutionary Army, there was nowhere for him to say it. And even if he did, no one would believe him; they'd likely see it as an act of retaliation.
The Marines arrested Kuma and locked him in Impel Down. Beyond that, they made no further moves and didn't actually open fire on the Revolutionary Army. In truth, that didn't even fall under the Marines' jurisdiction.
Dragon felt like he had thrown a stone into a bottomless pond. He had originally arranged for Kuma to join the Warlords to maintain contact with the Marines, a deal approved by the previous Fleet Admiral, Kong. On the other hand, he coveted the results of the Marine Special Science Group, especially after Dr. Vegapunk joined.
Kuma participated in the cyborg project because the Revolutionary Army knew it was actually a "war machine" project: the PX-Pacifistas. Dragon salivated over this technology; if he could get his hands on it, their operations worldwide would achieve a major breakthrough.
In the end, it was all for naught! He had even lost a powerful fighter like Kuma in the process.
In Diarmuid's office, the Admiral was sitting at his desk drinking tea. He distastefully moved the Den Den Mushi a bit further away because it was too loud. Dragon was currently screaming at the Marines through the receiver.
"Shameless! This is betrayal! You Marines always preach Justice, yet you do something like this!" Dragon cursed furiously.
Diarmuid didn't care at all, continuing to sip his tea slowly. Once Dragon had vented enough and regained his composure, he asked, "Can Kuma-kun be released?"
"No," Diarmuid said calmly.
Dragon went silent, not pushing the point. The Marines had already labeled Kuma as a Revolutionary. It was impossible for them to release him right after an arrest. He had only asked as a formality.
Soon, Dragon asked in a low voice, "Diarmuid, are you Marines turning against us now?"
Diarmuid paused for a second, then said softly, "You could interpret it that way."
"You people are truly heartless!" Dragon mocked. "Doing this means you're about to make a move on Mariejois, aren't I right? To secure more of the spoils, you want to kick us out of the game first? But are you sure you can really avoid the Revolutionary Army?"
Diarmuid took a sip of tea and said placidly, "We never actually planned to avoid you."
The Revolutionary Army had grown into a formidable force; otherwise, the World Government wouldn't have struggled for years to eliminate them. Dragon was indeed a troublesome opponent. Even Diarmuid had to admit that with the world order about to undergo a radical shift, it was impossible to completely bypass the Revolutionary Army. That was a fact.
However, for Diarmuid and the Marines, "unable to bypass" was one thing; weakening their influence was another. Turning against the Revolutionary Army now was Sengoku's decision. According to the Fleet Admiral's logic... the "cake" of the world would definitely be divided. Not just the Marines, but the affiliated nations would want a piece. Even the Revolutionary Army would get a slice, whether they liked it or not.
If they didn't give the Revolutionary Army a piece, they would just inherit the "mess" left by Mariejois and end up in a war of attrition with Dragon, which would be a headache. So, once Imu was made the scapegoat, they could completely reshape the "identity" of the Revolutionary Army.
But, while the cake was being divided, they certainly couldn't give the Revolutionary Army too much, lest they become a new threat to the Marines. Therefore, Sengoku's intention was exactly this: suppress the Revolutionary Army before the division began. That way, when the time came, they could give them as small a piece as possible.
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