The air within the grand conference room of Marineford was thick, heavy enough to stifle the breath of any ordinary man. It was a tension so palpable it felt as though the very walls might begin to weep. At the head of the massive table sat Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the man known throughout the world as the "Buddha." His eyes were squeezed shut, and his fingers pressed firmly against his temples, trying in vain to massage away a headache that had been brewing since dawn.
Resting on the polished wood before him was an urgent report, its ink barely dry, delivered via Transponder Snail from the treacherous waters of the New World. The contents were catastrophic. Portgas D. Ace and his entire Spade Pirates crew had been captured following a brutal skirmish with the Beasts Pirates.
The news had sent a shockwave through the Marine high command, turning the usually orderly room into a cauldron of unrest. To the world, Ace was a rising star, a Marine Supernova with boundless potential. He was an officer whose strength and charisma had led many to hail him as the very "Future of the Marines." +1
However, the source of Sengoku's mounting migraine was far more personal than mere rank or potential. Ace was the grandson of Vice Admiral Garp. While the two shared no biological bond, Garp's fierce, paternal affection for the boy was common knowledge within the ranks. It was that very affection that had allowed Garp to pull strings, fighting tooth and nail to secure Ace the autonomy to lead his own independent squad in the field.
"Fleet Admiral, we cannot sit on our hands! We must dispatch our forces immediately and rescue Ace!" a Vice Admiral shouted, his fist slamming onto the table with a dull thud. He was a younger officer, a protégé of Vice Admiral Tsuru, known for a hawkish temperament and a relentless desire to crush any pirate threat with overwhelming force.
"He's right!" another Vice Admiral chimed in, his voice rising to match the fervor of the first. "Ace is one of the most brilliant graduates the Marine Academy has produced in years. His talent is a rare gift to the Government. If we let Kaido keep him, whether he lives or dies, our prestige will be dragged through the mud! Think of the recruits; every young Marine in the world will lose heart if they see us abandon one of our own to a Yonko!" +2
The room erupted into a chaotic symphony of arguments, voices clashing as officers debated the merits of a rescue mission versus the risks of a global conflict.
"Hmph. You are all fools."
A voice, cold and sharp as a guillotine, sliced through the noise. The room fell into an instant, suffocating silence. Sakazuki sat perfectly upright, his arms crossed over his chest, his face a mask of stony indifference.
"Do you really intend to mobilize the bulk of the Marine's military might for a single soldier?" Sakazuki asked, his eyes Narrowing. "You want to march into a war against Kaido of the Beasts over one man? Tell me, is your brain filled with magma, or is it just empty?"
His words were blunt, dripping with a sarcasm that made the younger officers flinch.
"Have any of you actually considered the logistics?" Sakazuki continued, his tone clinical. "Wano Country is Kaido's personal fortress. It is a natural stronghold where we have zero tactical advantage. Furthermore, we know that Kaido and Big Mom have maintained an alliance. If a war breaks out, we won't just be fighting one Emperor; we will be facing two. We would be hopelessly outnumbered in enemy territory. Which of you is prepared to take responsibility for the total annihilation of our fleet?" +3
The questioning left the previously passionate Vice Admirals staring at the floor, their tongues tied. The reality was grim. Confronting two of the Four Emperors simultaneously was a gamble that could shake the very foundations of the World Government and plunge the world into a dark age. +1
"So... what? Are we just supposed to stand here and watch?" someone asked, their voice weak but laced with a refusal to accept the situation.
Sakazuki snorted, a sound of pure derision. "This is a necessary sacrifice. It is the price we pay for the sake of Absolute Justice."
"You heartless...!" The radical Vice Admiral's face turned a deep, angry crimson, his jaw trembling.
"That's enough! Both of you, stop this bickering!"
Sengoku finally reached his breaking point. His roar echoed off the high ceilings, instantly quenching the fire of the argument. He looked toward Sakazuki and felt a heavy sigh escape his lungs. While Sakazuki's brand of "Absolute Justice" was often extreme and lacked any semblance of empathy, the man wasn't wrong. From a strategic standpoint, starting a world war for a single squad—even one as talented as Ace's—was an incredibly reckless move.
Sengoku felt his stomach turn. Just as he braced himself to make the most difficult decision of his career, the heavy double doors of the conference room were kicked open. A Marine intelligence officer stumbled inside, his uniform disheveled and his face pale with terror.
"Report, Fleet Admiral! Sir, something terrible has happened!"
Sengoku's heart skipped a beat. "What is it now? Speak clearly!"
"It's Vice Admiral Garp, sir! He... he's gone! He commandeered a warship and set sail alone! Our scouts report he is heading straight for Wano Country!"
"What?!"
The entire room stood up as one, chairs scraping harshly against the floor. Sengoku felt the world tilt. His vision blurred, and he had to steady himself against the desk to keep from fainting.
"That complete idiot!" Sengoku bellowed.
His worst nightmare had manifested. He knew Garp better than anyone; he should have anticipated this. Garp was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and there was no way he would ever sit idly by while his grandson was in peril.
"Move! Send an intercept course immediately! Use every fast-ship we have and bring that old fool back before he starts a war!" Sengoku ordered.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Fleet Admiral," the officer stammered, his body trembling. "He had too much of a head start. He's already reached the inner currents."
Sengoku collapsed back into his chair, the strength leaving his limbs. He knew Garp's stubbornness better than anyone. Once that man set his mind on a path, not even ten Sea Kings could pull him back. Now, the choice had been taken out of the Marines' hands. Garp was going to drag the entire organization into a bloodbath whether they liked it or not.
But the tide of bad news had not yet reached its peak. Before Sengoku could even process Garp's desertion, another intelligence officer burst into the room. This one was moving even faster, his eyes wide with a level of fear that bordered on insanity.
"Urgent intelligence! Emergency report!"
The officer tripped over his own feet, sliding across the floor before scrambling toward Sengoku's desk on all fours. He thrust a crumpled document upward with shaking hands.
"Fleet Admiral! In the skies above the Sabaody Archipelago... a massive flying object has been sighted!"
Sengoku's brow furrowed. "A flying object? Is it a ship from Sky Island?"
"No, sir! Multiple eyewitnesses and our top undercover agents have confirmed it. It is an incredibly massive, black flying battleship! Our analysts have cross-referenced the design... sir, that ship belongs to the 'Wave Guiding King,' Aaron Kyle!"
"Aaron Kyle?!"
The name hit the room like a physical blow. It was a name spoken only in whispers, a forbidden title that made the blood of even the most seasoned veterans run cold. Sakazuki's pupils contracted into tiny pinpricks, and his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists.
"Where is that ship now?" Sengoku asked, his voice coming out as a raspy whisper.
"Fleet Admiral, it is moving at a speed we've never recorded before! It's heading directly toward Wano Country!"
The room went silent. A coincidence? No one in that room was naive enough to believe in coincidences of this magnitude.
"Could it be... that Kyle and Kaido have formed an alliance?" a Vice Admiral whispered, his voice shaking as he gave breath to the most terrifying thought imaginable.
The suggestion caused a collective gasp to ripple through the chamber. The idea of a Transcendent power joining forces with a Yonko was enough to signal the end of the current world order. +1
"No..." Sengoku whispered, forcing his mind to find a thread of logic. "If Kyle is going to Wano, he must have a different motive."
A sudden, absurd thought flashed through Sengoku's mind—a connection he hadn't considered until this very moment.
"You! Get to the archives!" Sengoku roared at the intelligence officer. "Find out everything! I want to know the exact nature of the relationship between Aaron Kyle and Portgas D. Ace! Do it now!"
Marineford was no longer a place of peace; it was now shrouded in the heavy, dark clouds of an inevitable war. With various legendary powers converging on the island of Onigashima, a storm was brewing—one capable of tearing the world's power structure apart and rebuilding it from the ashes.
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