-Real World-
As Artoria devoted her full attention to explaining timeline theory, the Marine officers began to grasp the profound implications of their situation. Their actions wouldn't merely affect pirates—they could fundamentally alter the Marines' own future development. Whether a "New Marine" would even emerge remained an open question.
"The Main Timeline and Future Timeline originally existed in sequence," Artoria continued, her voice carrying the weight of scientific certainty. "But with our intervention, the Main Timeline has deviated toward a far more uncertain future. You must prepare yourselves mentally for this reality."
She paused deliberately, allowing the assembled officers time to absorb and discuss her revelations. The timeline concept had triggered intense brainstorming among the Marine leadership. Some theories, however, became more terrifying the deeper one examined them.
"Then there's a high probability the twelve future Admirals will never appear," observed one Vice Admiral grimly.
"We'll prioritize stopping Eren Yeager before he can trigger a world-destroying crisis like the Rumbling," added another.
"We've discovered Doflamingo's plans early. The catastrophic events he orchestrates won't happen now," a third officer noted. "Sometimes advance knowledge isn't beneficial."
The assembled officers spoke over each other, each imagining the darkest possible scenarios. However, their vision remained limited—they were underestimating the deeper implications of timeline theory.
Artoria drew a longer, thicker white line above her previous two lines, pointing to it with academic precision. "If you completely accept my scientific advisor's theoretical framework, the Sky Screen's appearance becomes easily explicable. The Main Timeline we currently inhabit may simply be a tributary of another, greater timeline. I call this the Sacred Timeline."
She gestured expansively at her diagram. "The Sacred Timeline projects phenomena like the Sky Screen into the past, causing our Main Timeline to diverge from the Future Timeline and eventually merge with the former to create an entirely new temporal branch. This represents scientific intervention on a cosmic scale."
The room fell silent as officers struggled to comprehend the implications. Several began frantically taking notes, recognizing that this theory would reshape Marine strategic planning for decades.
"As for how many branches the Sacred Timeline possesses," Artoria continued, her voice taking on an almost philosophical tone, "I believe they could be infinite. Eventually, all timelines will intersect with the Sacred Timeline, because only the Sacred Timeline can interfere with the past from the future through Sky Screen projections. All other timelines are mere by-products of this primary interference."
A chill settled over the Operations Room as the implications became clear.
"When you consider this carefully," Artoria said, her voice dropping to an almost whisper, "it becomes rather horrifying. Everyone present—all of us—may simply be appendages of the Sacred Timeline. Certain events may be predestined, and excessive contemplation will only increase our psychological burden."
She straightened, her voice regaining its authoritative tone. "Therefore, I'm telling the entire Marine organization this: whether future changes produce negative outcomes, everything in our Main Timeline exists under the Sacred Timeline's influence. Our destinies may already be marked. We should proceed boldly without feeling constrained by temporal anxieties."
Artoria moved to the center of the platform, commanding every officer's attention. "Without reforming our current Marine structure, discussing a 'New Marine' becomes meaningless. Progressive systems don't materialize from nothing—the future must be built by our own hands."
When she concluded her presentation, thunderous applause erupted throughout the Operations Room. Despite her youthful appearance, Artoria had removed the most paralyzing uncertainty facing the Marines. Without her intervention, the organization would have remained perpetually paralyzed by fears of temporal consequences, constraining their ability to act decisively.
Vice Admiral Tsuru had researched Artoria's claimed homeland extensively, discovering that the "Great Britain" was merely an obscure, historically insignificant island nation. Such countries appeared and disappeared regularly across the ocean without discernible patterns.
That this minor island had somehow produced two exceptional talents simultaneously seemed remarkable. Tsuru posed a careful question: "Artoria, I'd like to know your science teacher's name. Such extraordinary intellect deserves remembrance by all."
"His named was Einstein," Artoria replied smoothly. "An elderly gentleman with gray hair who habitually protruded his tongue. He was a brilliant theoretical scientist."
The name Einstein was immediately committed to Marine institutional memory. Such a gifted individual's death in a pirate raid represented a tragic loss—had he been recruited into Marine service, his contributions could have been immeasurable.
Artoria had undeniably stolen the spotlight today. Her confident, self-assured presentation had impressed senior Marine officials, while her natural charisma made her genuinely likeable rather than merely respected.
The assembled officers began understanding why the Future Timeline Marines would support Artoria's ascension to Fleet Admiral. Her personal magnetism made her worth following—she had completely won over most attendees through a single scientific lecture.
Having resolved the Marines' most pressing theoretical dilemma, discussion shifted to the three pseudo-Admiral fishmen. How had Caesar Clown acquired the lineage factors of Sakazuki, Kizaru, and Kuzan? Were there additional traitors within Marine ranks beyond Vergo?
Anyone capable of obtaining Admiral lineage factors necessarily held high-ranking Marine positions. A Vice Admiral like Vergo couldn't have accessed such classified materials alone. This realization spread panic throughout the organization—identifying these additional traitors would prove extremely challenging.
At Punk Hazard, Borsalino was conducting preliminary interrogations of Caesar Clown. The cowardly scientist had revealed everything he knew under pressure. His human gigantification research and artificial Zoan Devil Fruit projects had been progressing simultaneously, but he hadn't yet obtained any Admiral lineage factors or contacted higher-level infiltrators. He had no knowledge of how to create the pseudo-Admirals designated SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward.
Caesar Clown, the mad scientist, blamed the Marines for arbitrarily interfering with the future. He suspected that this temporal intervention would prevent him from creating those "perfect artistic masterpieces." He possessed no relevant technical knowledge and felt completely lost.
After Vergo's capture, Borsalino had personally interrogated him as revenge for Corazon's murder. The hardcore spy had maintained complete silence afterward—he understood that the Marines wouldn't execute him immediately, making it unrealistic to expect him to reveal higher-ranking conspirators.
All these connections traced back to the Donquixote surname. The Celestial Dragons of this bloodline demonstrated remarkable capabilities, causing the Five Elders to suspect whether this particular World Noble family intended to overthrow the Twenty Kings' rule.
Doflamingo, the traitorous Heavenly Yaksha, was destined to nearly destroy the world within five years. His biological parents had been exceptionally rare saints among Celestial Dragons—they'd voluntarily abandoned their World Noble status to live among common people, ultimately meeting tragic ends.
His younger brother Corazon had become Fleet Admiral Sengoku's adopted son, volunteering for undercover work against his own sibling. Doflamingo had discovered and murdered him—a tragic irony where a family of virtuous individuals had raised a vicious predator.
After being saved by Fish-Man Queen Otohime, Saint Mjosgard had undergone profound transformation. Not only had his appearance changed, but he'd ceased participating in typical Celestial Dragon atrocities, releasing all slaves under his ownership. Other World Nobles considered him an aberration.
Five years hence, this reformed Celestial Dragon would kneel before ordinary Marines to express gratitude for saving his life. When had Celestial Dragon knees become so worthless? How could the supposed gods prostrate themselves before "commoners"?
Furthermore, a Celestial Dragon would become a Marine Admiral. Current intelligence indicated her codename was "Admiral Tenryu", and she was Saint Mjosgard's sister. Their relationship was so strong that she would storm an execution ground to save her brother, publicly humiliating the Holy Knights in the process.
Investigation of Saint Mjosgard's immediate family revealed no female Celestial Dragons possessing strength to challenge the Holy Knights. The future Celestial Dragon Admiral might not currently reside in Mary Geoise.
This situation possibly related to traditional Celestial Dragon practices. Saint Mjosgard's father might have violated and impregnated some female slave before abandoning her, allowing the child to roam free.
Eventually, these siblings would recognize each other, leading Future Timeline Marines to sacrifice themselves for Saint Mjosgard while Admiral Tenryu assumed crucial importance in the New Marine structure.
The prospect of twelve Marine Admirals had made the Five Elders cautious. They desperately wanted personnel lists to attempt preemptive interception. Other major powers shared similar concerns.
The prospect of twelve Marine Admirals had made the Five Elders cautious. They desperately wanted personnel lists to attempt preemptive interception. Other major powers shared similar concerns.