On the wood dragon's back, on the second floor of the villa.
Nico Robin sat on the wooden chair, her expression extremely awkward, her earlobes red.
She quickly deactivated her fruit ability, dispelling the ears in the corner of Luo Chen's room.
"Mr. Captain is really fast," Nico Robin spat lightly.
The sounds from Luo Chen's room made her heart sway and her mind flustered.
Come to think of it, Luo Chen and Boa Hancock had only just met for the third time.
For them to be 'communicating' so quickly... It was a bit unexpected for Nico Robin.
'His only flaw... is probably his lechery, right?' Nico Robin thought with a strange expression.
Nami, the Pirate Empress, Vivi, Kalifa, and herself. All women.
Adding Luo Chen's actions today, Nico Robin noticed something wasn't quite right.
"Am I really here to be Luo Chen's assistant?" Nico Robin muttered to herself, pinching her scalding earlobe.
She pressed her lips together, took out a book, and began to read. Only then did her mood gradually calm down.
...
Unlike Luo Chen's carefree leisure, the Marines and the World Government were gloomy and miserable.
First, Marine Headquarters, Marineford, had completely sunk into the sea.
Tens of thousands of Marines were homeless and could only head to the nearest Grand Line Marine branch bases.
This war, for the Marines and the World Government, could be called a complete and utter failure.
Ace was not executed and was successfully rescued.
The Whitebeard Pirates were not annihilated; only some less important pirates were killed.
Two Marine Admirals were captured alive by Luo Chen.
Warlord of the Sea, Boa Hancock, had defected.
The great underwater prison Impel Down had fallen, and several vicious prisoners from Level 6 had escaped.
Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku was the main culprit who slandered and framed Luo Chen.
The entire Marine organization had become a laughingstock because of this, losing its prestige and public trust, ridiculed by the world.
From the Marine soldiers in the Four Blues up to the Headquarters Vice Admirals, everyone was struck by this series of setbacks, their expressions dazed, their convictions shaken.
Starting from this day, Marines stationed all over the world began to resign one after another.
Bolder citizens blocked the entrances of Marine branch bases, cursing loudly.
Reporters swarmed the Marine bases on various islands, practically shoving their microphones into the mouths of the branch commanders.
The Den Den Mushi of the World Government and the Marines were practically ringing off the hook.
They were mainly interview requests from various newspapers and calls for help from numerous Marine branch bases.
A temporary island for the defeated Marines from Marineford.
Smoker stood on the beach, a cigar in his mouth, gazing at the distant sea.
Hina stood beside him, also smoking.
After a long silence, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Thinking about the Marines' justice." Smoker's brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion, disappointment, and indignation.
"Are we really upholding justice?"
Smoker said in a deep voice, "The things we see are what the higher-ups let us see."
"The 'just actions' we believed in are also what the higher-ups made us believe."
"What the truth of the matter is, whether the mission target is right or wrong, we low-ranking Marines have no way to judge."
Hearing this, Hina fell silent again. She felt the same way.
Luo Chen, in the propaganda of the Marines and even the World Government, had always been a pirate guilty of heinous crimes.
But today, they saw a completely different truth.
Luo Chen didn't seem like a pirate.
Instead, it was Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Onigumo whose actions were no different from pirates.
Even more detestable than some pirates.
Smoker said in a deep voice, "I want to leave the Marines, but I don't know where to go."
Hina thought for a moment and suggested, "How about we go find Teacher Zephyr?"
Smoker's gaze hardened, and he fell into deep thought.
Former Marine Admiral, "Black Arm" Zephyr.
He hated pirates to the extreme because his family and students were slaughtered by them.
He has now formed a "Pirate Hunter" unit, which specializes in hunting pirates.
This team is considered part of the Marines, but it exists on the fringes of the Marine organizational structure and does not listen to orders from Marine Headquarters. It has only one purpose: to hunt pirates.
"We can try that," Smoker nodded.
...
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders sat in the palace, discussing the aftermath of this war.
Their expressions were all heavy, hiding deep anger.
"How should Sengoku be handled?"
"If this isn't resolved properly, no one will want to join the Marines in the future."
"If the Marines decline, our rule will also be shaken."
Under the World Government, the Marines are one of the most crucial forces.
If the Marines' reputation isn't handled well, fewer and fewer people will join.
Once it reaches a point where no one is available, they might even need to step in personally.
Saint Saturn said grimly, "My opinion is, we cannot let Tsuru's statement be confirmed as fact."
"Sengoku represents the entire Marine organization, and to a certain extent, the authority of the World Government."
"If he is disgraced, the negative impact will be too great."
The tall, thin Five Elder with blond hair and beard frowned. "Tsuru admitted the facts on a live broadcast to the whole world. How can this be done?"
Jaygarcia Saturn was concise: "Sacrifice Tsuru, save Sengoku."
"Push everything Sengoku did onto Tsuru."
"As for the reason, it's also very simple."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku is a man of great loyalty. Out of consideration for decades of comradeship, or perhaps even a youthful crush, he covered for Vice Admiral Tsuru, took all the blame upon himself, and did not argue in front of the camera."
"After subsequent investigation, it was found that Sengoku knew little about the Luo Chen matter and was deceived by Vice Admiral Tsuru."
"At most, he'd be guilty of lax governance and failure of supervision."
The other four pondered for a long time.
The bald Five Elder said, "This rhetoric can deceive the common people and the low-ranking Marines."
"But the people around Sengoku, the Marine Admirals, Garp... they can't be fooled."
"In handling the Luo Chen matter, Sengoku was overly emotional multiple times. This point cannot be hidden."
Saint Saturn said in a deep voice, "I think it's enough. Send people to order Sakazuki and the others to keep quiet about this."
He thought for a moment and added, "As for Garp, threaten him with his grandsons."
The Five Elders fell silent, considering if this was feasible.
After a moment, the other four agreed.
The Warrior God of Justice, the bald Five Elder with the handlebar mustache, said slowly:
"Vice Admiral Tsuru has committed a grave error. Arrest her, imprison her in Impel Down, and after a trial at Enies Lobby, execute her publicly."
He looked at his four colleagues. "I believe it is necessary to sentence Tsuru to death."
"Mm, only this way can we quell the public's anger." Saint Saturn agreed.
The others had no objection.
The bald Five Elder brought up the next topic.
"Luo Chen, how should he be handled?"
"This man's abilities are bizarre. In the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, not a single fruit can be found that matches his abilities."
He had personally checked the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
The result was that Luo Chen's abilities could not be explained by a single or even a few Devil Fruits.
"The most likely scenario is that Luo Chen has consumed multiple Devil Fruits."
"For example, the Forest-Forest Fruit's control over natural forces."
"The Gravity Fruit's summoning of meteors."
"The Teleport-Teleport Fruit's teleportation."
"But thinking this way, Luo Chen must have eaten at least five or six Devil Fruits."
"This has never happened in the records of the World Government."
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