In the year 1520 of the Sea Circle Calendar, the G-1 Marine Base in the New World was officially designated as the new Marine Headquarters.
Handling the relocation of Marine Headquarters was a significant undertaking, marking Sakazuki's first major achievement as Fleet Admiral. Moreover, with his prior position as an admiral granting him considerable prestige, and the backing of Claudius, Sakazuki firmly secured his seat as Marine Fleet Admiral.
The current Three Admirals are Borsalino, Gion, and Fujitora—one Logia, one Paramecia, and one Zoan. This balance makes for a well-rounded trio, and their combined strength is unparalleled in Marine history.
As for the Marine Admiral known as "Ryokugyu," who should have appeared by now, Claudius had never heard of such a person—or perhaps he had, but without the title "Ryokugyu," he never paid attention to him.
Since there was no World Military Draft, none of those powerful individuals from outside Marine ranks had been recruited. As a result, Marine retained a high level of internal purity and discipline.
Due to Claudius' various interventions and influence, Marine currently maintains a strong sense of unity. Sakazuki holds absolute authority over the organization, eliminating any of the internal conflicts that had plagued the force in a different timeline.
For example, in the previous world, Fujitora openly clashed with Sakazuki, leading to the absurd situation where Sakazuki refused to let a sitting Marine Admiral return to Headquarters or even enter other Marine bases.
Kuzan's departure did not result in a divide between Marine's hawks and doves, nor did it create a faction that could rival Marine Headquarters' power. There were simply too many forces supporting the Fleet Admiral's office.
The former Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had not strongly backed Kuzan's bid for the position. This meant that Sengoku's presence did not threaten Sakazuki's authority. On the contrary, he had even helped smooth the transition, ensuring a stable succession of Marine leadership.
The handover between the new and old Fleet Admirals was exceptionally smooth. While it might not seem like a major issue on the surface, the stability of this transition had a profound impact on Marine's overall cohesion.
Another significant change was that Ace—who, in another reality, would have been killed by Sakazuki, was now a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. This averted any major fallout between Sakazuki and the Marine hero, Garp, which in turn prevented a fracture within Marine ranks.
Now, with Ace aligned under the Seven Warlords system and Garp living a peaceful life, there was no bad blood between him and Sakazuki. In fact, their relationship remained relatively amicable.
From every angle, Sakazuki's leadership over Marine's upper echelon was stable. He governed fairly as Fleet Admiral, ensuring a balanced and impartial rule.
At this moment, in the corridors of Marine Headquarters' Justice Building, Admirals Gion, Borsalino, and Fujitora were walking together toward Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's office.
Gion had seemingly developed a smoking habit. She walked through the corridor with a lady's cigarette between her lips, dressed in her signature pink outfit with the Justice cloak draped over her shoulders, and Admiral epaulets on her uniform. Her heels were modest, but her presence was commanding—exuding an aura befitting a high-ranking officer.
Borsalino, as usual, had his hands tucked into his coat pockets. His signature orange sunglasses rested on his face, lips slightly pursed, and the deep wrinkles on his expression made him look even more eccentric.
Meanwhile, Fujitora, dressed in his signature purple kimono with a simple wooden staff and katana at his waist, wore his Marine justice cloak over his shoulders. Unlike in another timeline, where he had blinded himself, his eyes remained their natural dark color—giving him an unexpectedly gentle appearance.
As the three Admirals walked together, every Marine they passed quickly stepped aside, standing at attention and saluting.
"Hey, Borsalino, you're on good terms with Sakazuki," Gion asked, taking a drag of her cigarette. "Any idea why he called us in?"
Borsalino kept his hands in his coat pockets and drawled lazily, "The old man doesn't know… But judging from the situation, it's probably related to the pirates of the New World?"
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is determined to eradicate the pirates in the New World," Fujitora said with a calm smile. "Due to the relocation of Marine Headquarters, he's been delaying this operation. Now that the move is complete and the necessary administrative matters are settled, he likely wants to shift focus back to the New World. That would be the natural course of action, wouldn't it?"
"That makes sense," Gion nodded after a brief moment of thought.
However, when they considered the four major pirate factions of the New World, the so-called Emperors of the Sea, the three Admirals were not overly optimistic.
One-on-one, Marine Headquarters feared no one. Even Whitebeard had been forced to retreat before. In fact, among the current Emperors, two of them had already suffered past defeats.
However, if the balance of the New World was shaken too drastically, there was always the risk that these Emperors might band together. If Marine engaged two at once, they could still manage. They were even confident of victory.
But a one-versus-three situation would be far trickier. And a full-on four-versus-one scenario? That would be an extremely difficult battle to win.
"I suppose Sakazuki is also concerned about backing those bastards into a corner and wants to plan a proper strategy," Borsalino said with a smirk.
"I think so too," Gion nodded.
Soon, the three Admirals arrived at the Fleet Admiral's office. Gion knocked on the door, and Sakazuki's deep voice responded from inside.
They pushed open the door and entered.
At that moment, Sakazuki was speaking into a Den Den Mushi.
"Please rest assured, Commander-in-Chief. We will formulate a suitable strategy as soon as possible and provide you with an answer," Sakazuki said in a deep, firm voice.
The voice that replied from the Den Den Mushi was one they all recognized—it was none other than Sengoku, the former Fleet Admiral.
"Sakazuki, His Highness has already coordinated this matter with us. In the next phase, the World Government will prioritize the eradication of the New World pirates," Sengoku said. "I'll be blunt—this is an extremely important matter. His Highness, as the highest authority in the World Government, needs to make a strong statement. Whether it's me or other departments, we will provide full support. The resources of the World Government will be at Marine Headquarters' disposal but only if you don't disappoint us."
Sakazuki immediately responded, "I guarantee the mission will be completed."
"Good. Coordinate with the necessary parties and devise a concrete plan. His Highness will review it, and then we'll hold a meeting at Mariejois to finalize the operation," Sengoku instructed.
With that, the conversation concluded, and the call ended.
Sakazuki grabbed a cigar from his desk, placed it between his lips, and took a breath. Without needing a lighter, the tip of the cigar ignited on its own.
Borsalino, Gion, and Fujitora made themselves comfortable on the office's sofas, skipping any unnecessary formalities.
Blowing out a stream of smoke, Sakazuki spoke, "You all heard what Commander Sengoku just said. Our next objective is the New World. The smaller pirate factions aren't an issue—but the Four Emperors… how do you think we should handle them?"
"A joint operation?" Gion asked first.
Sakazuki didn't deny it and responded directly, "Yes. While Marine Headquarters is powerful, coordinated operations will be necessary. Spandine will be liaising with us as well."
"That means we can utilize the Seven Warlords of the Sea," Gion mused. "That strengthens our position in the New World, but finding the right entry point will be tricky."
"If we can eliminate one swiftly, the remaining three will be much easier to deal with," Fujitora suggested with a quiet smile.
Borsalino smirked and asked, "Where's Chief of Staff Tsuru? Isn't she involved in this?"
Sakazuki's expression shifted slightly before he replied, "She's in Mariejois."
Hearing that, the three Admirals exchanged knowing glances.
After all, Sengoku was there as well…
Those two had been entangled in this power game for a lifetime.
(To be continued.)
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