The Clamorous Meeting, Futile Rage!

The moment those words were spoken, the entire war room erupted.

The long, oppressive silence was ignited in an instant, then exploded with a roar!

"A war meeting?"

A rough voice suddenly thundered out. Lakyo, Captain of the 7th Division, slammed his chain-wrapped morning star heavily onto the floor!

Boom—!!!

The solid floor let out a deafening crash. A shallow crater was smashed into the ground, and countless cracks spread wildly from the point of impact.

"What's there left to discuss?!"

Lakyo's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his neck. Like an enraged lion, he roared at everyone present.

"Those Marine bastards have already put a blade to our family's throats!"

"What fucking meeting are we supposed to hold?!"

He swung his arm sharply, pointing at the island on the sea chart that represented Marine Headquarters, spittle flying from his mouth.

"We should Gather All Fleets right now and kill our way over there! Wipe Marineford off the map completely! Grind every last bastard who dares touch Ace into pulp!!"

That roar completely opened the floodgates of fury.

"That's right! Lakyo's right!"

Bluenheim, Captain of the 9th Division, a hulking man built like a giant, pounded a fist against his chest, producing a muffled boom like a war drum.

"Why the hell should we talk tactics with those Marine scum? We have Little Oars Jr.! Let him smash through the harbor defenses, and we'll follow behind him and charge straight in!"

"Charge in, and then what?"

A calm voice cut in.

It was Izo, dressed like an oiran and holding twin pistols. He crossed his arms, his expression icy.

"Marineford's inner bay is crescent-shaped. Once we charge in, we'll be surrounded on three sides. All the Marines need are a few sturdy walls, and we'll become beasts trapped in a cage—sitting targets for every artillery battery!"

"Then we'll go in from beneath the sea!"

Namul, the Fish-Man Race Captain of the 8th Division, offered in a deep voice.

"I can lead the fish-man forces underwater, sneak in, destroy the bottoms of their ships, and create chaos behind their lines!"

"No!"

This time, it was Vista, Captain of the Fifth Division, who rejected the idea.

"The waters beneath Marine Headquarters must be covered in Seastone Nets! Those were specifically prepared to deal with Devil Fruit users and pirates like us! If the fish-man forces go down there, they'll be marching to their deaths!"

"Then we'll concentrate the firepower of every ship!"

"That's right! Aim every cannon at the Execution Platform!"

"We have dozens of ships and hundreds of cannons! One volley will blast that place flat!"

"Even if we can't bring him back alive, we'll take Ace's body back!"

"Kill them all!"

"Kill Teach, that Traitor!"

"And avenge Captain Thatch while we're at it!"

The meeting room had completely turned into a clamorous Vegetable Market.

No.

It was even more chaotic than a Vegetable Market.

It was filled with the most primal fury, the most direct Killing Intent, and the most reckless madness.

Suggestions were shouted out one after another, only to be rebuffed by even louder roars.

Everyone was venting.

Venting their anger over their comrade's capture.

Venting their bone-deep hatred for that Traitor.

These suggestions were full of courage, but they were also full of reckless bravado without thought.

Chen Ye stood at the back of the crowd without saying a word.

He simply listened and watched quietly.

He watched these legendary pirates of the sea, now like a pack of helpless, enraged beasts, venting the violent emotions they had nowhere else to put.

He knew better than anyone else.

Not a single one of those plans could succeed.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford, was the strongest fortress the World Government had built by gathering a century of wisdom and strength.

It was itself a massive trap.

A vast graveyard carefully prepared specifically to welcome Challengers like them.

The captains' fury was certainly terrifying.

But in the eyes of Sengoku, the Marine Tactical Genius, that chaotic anger was merely the easiest weapon to exploit.

"Everyone... quiet down!!"

A low growl suppressing rage drowned out all the noise.

It was Marco.

He pressed both hands heavily against the table. His blond hair stirred despite the absence of wind, and those eyes that always seemed half-asleep now appeared to be burning with fury.

His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority that instantly silenced the entire room.

Every captain's gaze turned toward him.

Marco took a Deep Breath, his eyes slowly sweeping over every face, every brother.

His voice seemed to squeeze through the Gap between teeth, cold and clear.

"Underwater infiltration? A force led by Giant Vice Admirals is stationed beneath Marine Headquarters year-round. Their sole duty is to guard against attacks from below."

"Concentrate our firepower on the Execution Platform? Do you think the Marines would leave it sitting there without any protection? The Three Admirals are the best shields in front of it! Our Cannonballs can't possibly get past them!"

"Send Little Oars Jr. to smash through the defenses?"

Little Oars Jr.'s enormous body would be a living target for the Marines!

Marco paused. Looking at Bluenheim, he spoke one word at a time.

"If we do that, Little Oars Jr. will become the first casualty! He'll die right in front of everyone, and we won't be able to do a thing!"

Those words were like a bucket of cold water thrown over them, but they also gradually pulled everyone out of their desire for revenge.

Marco's hands pressed against the table, his knuckles squeezed white.

"I know everyone is furious. I know you all want to save Ace immediately! So do I!"

"But!"

He Suddenly Looked Up, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"This is exactly what the Marines want! They want us blinded by rage, charging headfirst into the trap they've laid like a pack of brainless beasts!"

"If we do that, not only will we fail to save Ace, we'll bury every single one of our lives at Marineford!"

"We're going up against the Marines, one of the Three Great Powers of the sea! Not some street thugs in a brawl!"

"Use your heads and think! Who are the enemies we'll be facing? Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Navy Hero Garp! Three monster-like Headquarters Admirals! And the Shichibukai!"

"Maybe even people from the World Government!"

"If we charge over there in our current state, we're just going to our deaths!!"

His words completely woke everyone up.

They doused everyone's fervor and rage completely.

The meeting room fell into dead silence once more.

But this time, it was no longer the calm before the storm. It was the suffocating weight that came after facing reality.

The captains who had just been shouting about flattening Marine Headquarters all lowered their heads.

Some viciously drove their fists into the walls, leaving cracked fist marks behind.

Others slumped helplessly against their chairs, covering their faces in anguish.

Futile rage.

Yes.

Other than rage, there was nothing they could do.

That immense sense of helplessness washed over every one of them like a tide.

Whitebeard, who had remained silent all this time, slowly lifted his eyelids.

His gaze passed over face after face filled with pain and unwillingness, finally settling on his newest son in the corner—the one who had not spoken a single word from beginning to end.

Amid the room's clamor and fury, that young man's silence seemed so out of place, yet so... conspicuous.

Whitebeard's deep, authoritative voice, resonant as a great bell, slowly rang through the deathly silent room.

"Anger is the most useless thing on this sea."

His massive hand gently brushed across the crescent-shaped island on the sea chart.

"We need a perfect plan."

"Only then can we save Ace."

Anger and brute force alone could not save Ace!

Everyone's hearts jolted.

Whitebeard's gaze passed through the crowd and locked precisely onto Chen Ye.

"Chen Ye."

In an instant, every gaze in the meeting room converged on Chen Ye.

"You—what do you think?"