Sengoku's Helplessness, the Shortage of Admiral-Level Power
Sengoku clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, but ultimately did not refute.
"As for an exchange of lives?" The Five Elders ' voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an undeniable authority and chilling tone. "Does a mere pirate dare to negotiate with the Celestial Dragons?"
Tell Uchiha Natsu the Celestial Dragons will not die in vain. For every Celestial Dragons he kills, the World Government will use the entire Uchiha Clan to pay the price. This is not a threat, it is a notification."
The Golden Den Den Mushi clicked shut and closed its eyes.
Communication ended.
A long, deathly silence fell over the office.
Sengoku slumped in his chair, supporting his forehead with one hand, his shoulders slightly hunched, as if half of his body had been crushed by an invisible mountain.
The tea in the teacup had long since gone cold, and the setting sun outside the window was slowly sinking into the Marineford Harbor, casting a murky blood-red hue over the entire Marine Headquarters.
He sat there for a long time, so long that He thought he wouldn't speak again.
Then he slowly raised his head, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper were grinding against rotten wood.
"Tsuru, I want to eat a donut."
Vice Admiral Tsuru paused for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.
She knew that Sengoku only craved sweets in one situation—when his headache was at its worst and he had no other recourse.
The last time he acted like this was after the Rocks Pirates were destroyed and the news of Roger's conquest of the New World arrived.
"I'll get it for you," she said softly.
"No need." Sengoku waved his hand, slowly stood up, walked to the French windows, and looked down at the harbor of Marineford.
On the dock, several wrecked warships were bringing up the shore. They were a patrol fleet that had just withdrawn from Sabaody, and the hulls still bore the marks left by Susanoo's blades.
He gazed at the battered ships, his eyes swirling with complex emotions—resentment, anger, exhaustion, and a hint of powerlessness he himself was unwilling to acknowledge.
"Pass on my orders." His voice regained the composure and authority befitting Fleet Admiral. "First, the Headquarters Intelligence Department shall immediately assess the complete battle damage and combat details of the Sabaody Battle, and submit a detailed report to the Staff Headquarters within three days."
Second, I order all Marine Branch in the West Blue to advance again to within 300 nautical miles of Origin Island and establish a normalized surveillance and blockade line. Without my order, no one is allowed to provoke us, but no one is allowed to retreat even half a step.
Third, notify the World Economy News Paper that Uchiha Natsu's bounty has been updated, and the new bounty notice will spread Four Blues within two days.
He paused, and in the last sentence, there was a hint of weariness that even he himself didn't realize.
"Fourth, inform Sakazuki and Kuzan that there can be no slackening in the defense of the New World. I will handle matters at headquarters."
Vice Admiral Tsuru picked up her notebook and wrote everything down. She didn't say anything more, but before turning to leave, she whispered, "Sengoku, you haven't taken a vacation in a long time. Take a break after this is over."
She paused, then gave a rare, almost imperceptible smile. "Before your beard turns completely white, before you can bite into your donuts."
Sengoku did not turn around; he simply raised his right hand and waved it gently.
Outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun sank into the sea, and the lights of Marineford gradually came on.
The Fleet Admiral's figure was reflected in the floor-to-ceiling glass, overlapping with the harbor lights, the wrecked warships, and the dark sea in the distance, lonely and stubborn.
He gazed in the direction of the Sabaody Archipelago, as if he could pierce through thousands of miles of ocean and see the black-haired boy who had stirred up the entire sea, and see the scarlet Sharingan in the Kakkō.
"Even Borsalino couldn't stop you," he muttered to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it. "Then who else can go to headquarters besides me? We can't really let that old bastard Garp chase after you while munching on senbei."
He gave a wry smile, turned around and went back to his desk, picked up the cup of tea that had long since gone cold, and drank it all in one gulp.
Then he picked up his pen and began to personally draft the bounty notice that would soon spread throughout the entire ocean.
The pen tip glides across the paper, making a soft, scratching sound, like a dull knife slowly carving out the future of a certain name.
Uchiha Natsu.
Four billion Beli.
The crime is compounded— Godslayer.
The smoke of war has cleared in Alabasta.
The desert kingdom welcomed the long-awaited rain, and the people cheered on the ruins. The Straw Hat Pirates' young man quietly left with his companions, while Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Sand-Sand Fruit user who once dominated the first half of the Grand Line as the "King of the Desert," was handcuffed with Seastone handcuffs by the Navy and taken to a warship bound for Impel Down.
When the news reached Mary Geoise, the Five Elders were in the council chamber reviewing an urgent assessment report from Marine Headquarters —the complete battle damage statistics for Sabaody No. 1 Island.
The two events combined made the already oppressive room even more stifling.
"Crocodile, that bastard, what a piece of trash." The white- Five Elders, sitting on the far right, closed the Alabasta Report in his hand. His tone contained no anger, only an almost icy indifference.
"A dignified Shichibukai was defeated by a rookie who had been at sea for less than a year, and even the entire Baroque Works was wiped out. Does this kind of person deserve to sit at the same table with us?"
"Whether he's worthy or not is no longer important," the long- Five Elders said calmly, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table. "He's in Impel Down now. What we need to discuss is who will replace him."
"The Shichibukai cannot remain vacant for too long," the Five Elders with swords replied, their voices deep. "The balance of power among the three major forces is the cornerstone of maintaining stability in this sea."
The Four Emperors, the Marine Headquarters, and the Shichibukai —if any one of them is missing, the balance will be tilted.
Now, Whitebeard is stirring up trouble, Kaido is recruiting in Wano Country, Big Mom's Totto Land is expanding, and the Navy just suffered a defeat in the West Blue... Once the balance is completely broken, the New World will inevitably descend into chaos.
"Speaking of the West Blue," the Five Elders said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the assessment report at the end of the long table. "You've all seen Borsalino's report. Sabaody No. 1 Island has been erased from the map, and the culprit is still at large. What does Sengoku say?"
"The bounty has been raised to four billion, and the charge has been expanded to ' Godslayer '." The bald Five Elders threw a document on the table; it was the draft bounty order that had just been sent from Marineford.
"But Sengoku also said that headquarters currently doesn't have any extra Admiral Level combatants available. Sakazuki and Kuzan are both tied up in the New World, Garp is on leave and hasn't returned, Kizaru needs rest—he really can't control that Uchiha brat by himself."