The Desolate Stronghold of Baldego!

The closed-door meeting at Marine Headquarters was ultimately incapable of producing any practical results. Ever since Tsugikuni Yoriichi had left, this military organization, founded alongside the World Government itself, had seen everyone's lives and paths undergo enormous changes.

The breakaway New Marines would exert a substantive influence on Marine Headquarters from every angle, whether in terms of the broader situation or the soldiers' way of thinking.

As the World Government's control over Marine Headquarters weakened drastically, and as veteran officers such as Garp and Zephyr—men who possessed nearly "absolute" prestige within Marine Headquarters—died or departed, the split within Marine Headquarters had, in a sense, already become inevitable.

Sengoku, who had returned to the position of Fleet Admiral, had also undergone a tremendous change in mindset. The disastrous defeat at Starting Island years ago had cost him a dear friend, and afterward, Zephyr and Kuzan had successively walked away from Marine Headquarters.

The experiences of recent years had rapidly worn away at Sengoku's already limited energy. This Fleet Admiral, who had always sought to uphold "justice that rules the world," now wished for nothing more than to lead Marine Headquarters steadily into a new era.

For Marine Headquarters to continue operating stably was already the best outcome Sengoku could hope for.

With that mentality, Sengoku turned a blind eye to the divisive stance his subordinates displayed during the meeting. He had no intention of using any means to mend such internal conflicts.

Or rather—

In Sengoku's view, this internal division within Marine Headquarters might actually be a good thing.

Such a major incident had occurred at Mary Geoise. The Celestial Dragons had suffered a devastating blow from an unknown powerful figure. Sengoku had never seen an incident targeting the Celestial Dragons that was this serious. Yet strangely, after suffering such a