The Navy's Crushing Losses, Choosing a Site for the New Marine Headquarters
Hōshō, with an unlit cigar dangling from his lips, leaned back in his chair and shook his head Doberman finished speaking.
"Choosing a location nearby is certainly more convenient, but don't forget that the ripples shed a layer of seabed rock around Marineford."
Leaving aside the stability of the geological structure, the storm surges brought about by the change of ocean currents alone could keep the engineering team busy for several years.
Furthermore, that area of sea is now the focus of the entire world; every passing merchant ship points to that empty sea and says, 'Look, the Marine Headquarters used to be right there.'
He took the cigar out of his mouth, twirled it between his fingers, and said, "Expand the New World G2 Branch and move it directly to the gates of the Four Emperors."
We were badly hurt this time, but the navy cannot back down. It's precisely at times like these that we must plant our flag in the most prominent place."
Before the words were even finished, the Momonga interrupted, his tone neither hurried nor slow, yet unyielding.
"The G2 Branch is positioned too far forward. In this war, nearly 20% of the headquarters' elite forces were lost, and seven lieutenant Vice Admiral were killed in action. With such a shortage of troops, placing the headquarters in the heart of the New World means that if the Four Emperors join forces to launch a counterattack, there will be no room for maneuver."
He stood up, pointing his finger to the very center of the first half of the Grand Line, "Placing headquarters here will allow us to build a triangular defense line based on the existing Enies Lobby and Impel Down, and also enable us to respond promptly to requests for assistance from the Affiliated Nation of the Four Blues."
The Navy's existence isn't just about fighting the Four Emperors; the World Government's reason for allocating funds to us is to protect the Affiliated Nation that pay Heavenly Tribute.
The three parties remained deadlocked.
Generals advocating for the original site emphasized tradition and the convenience of rebuilding the defense line; generals advocating for G2 insisted on the offensive strategy and the symbolic significance of boosting morale; while generals advocating for the central hub of the Paradise repeatedly reiterated the realistic considerations of the confidence of Affiliated Nation and their financial foundation.
As the conversation progressed, the voices of the Vice Admiral were already seething with anger, grew louder and louder. They slammed their fists on the table, and no one seemed to care when tea was spilled.
Akainu remained silent throughout the argument. He leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, his baseball cap pulled low, and only spoke coldly when the arguing gradually subsided. His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire conference room.
"The problem now is not where to build the headquarters. With Commander-in-Chief Steel Bone Kong dead, Marineford destroyed, and the compensation for the fallen soldiers still pending, pirates from Four Blues will pounce on us like mad dogs tomorrow."
Clean up the mess first, then talk about rebuilding. Without enough troops, no matter where you place your headquarters, you'll be a sitting duck.
A long silence followed in the meeting room.
No one objected, not because he was Admiral, but because he was telling the truth.
Vice Admiral Tsuru remained quietly seated beside Sengoku until everyone had finished expressing their opinions before slowly speaking.
"Then compile all the opinions from all sides into a formal proposal and submit it to the Staff Headquarters within three days. Each proposal should include a geological survey estimate, a construction period budget, and a defense configuration plan. Let the data speak for itself; stop banging on the table."
She stood up, her gaze calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. "Before that, prioritize inventorying the belongings of the fallen, distributing compensation, and stabilizing morale. As for the headquarters location—"
She paused for a moment, then said, "We'll decide after Garp and Sengoku return from Mary Geoise."
The air in the meeting room had just settled down from the argument when Sengoku's Den Den Den Mushi suddenly emitted a low "blur blur" sound.
All eyes fell on his chest at the same time—the Den Den Mushi was entirely golden, with ancient and cold patterns on its shell, a secure line directly connecting to the Five Elders.
Sengoku's expression changed slightly, but only for a moment. He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, took out the Den Den Mushi and placed it in the center of the table, then pressed the answer button.
The Den Den Mushi's face rapidly shifted, transforming into an aged and indifferent one, its voice devoid of any warmth. "Sengoku. Casualty situation."
Sengoku took a deep breath and reported the casualty figures one by one.
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
The Five Elders already knew roughly the numbers on that casualty list through CP0's secret reports before they even spoke, but hearing them directly from the Fleet Admiral carried a different weight.
After a long silence, the aged voice rang out again, but this time it was no longer a question; it was a command.
His tone was calm, yet every word carried an undeniable air of authority.
"First, the navy should immediately withdraw from the West Blue."
All personnel and equipment of the West Blue were to be evacuated within the specified time. CP0 would take full control of subsequent intelligence gathering and covert surveillance of the West Blue, and the Navy was prohibited from sending a single soldier into the West Blue area.
Second, abandon the plan to build a new headquarters at the Marineford or in the first half of the Grand Line, and instead expand the G2 Branch in the New World into a new Marine Headquarters.
The World Government will allocate a special fund for the comprehensive militarization of the G2 base.
Third, the World Government approved the Navy to launch a large-scale recruitment drive globally. This recruitment is not subject to the usual promotion regulations, allowing those with the corresponding strength to be directly granted the corresponding military rank without accumulating merits.
Fourth, the limit of three Admiral at the Marine Headquarters has been lifted.
Additional positions can be added, but the final appointment of each new Admiral must be made by the individual himself in Mary Geoise, reporting to the Five Elders, and only after approval by the highest levels of the World Government can it take effect.
The meeting room was so quiet that you could hear the muffled sound of waves crashing against the ship's hull.
Sengoku tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, his eyes swirling with extremely complex emotions.
Withdraw from the West Blue —these words were like a blunt knife, cutting into his dignity as Fleet Admiral.
The Navy's network of branches in the West Blue, built up over decades, is now being abandoned with a single order, handing over that sea area to a group of Red Eye "God Race" and the Whitebeard Pirates, who have just completely broken ties with the World Government.
This was undoubtedly a slap in the face for the navy in front of the whole world.
But the conditions that followed—G2 being upgraded to headquarters, world-class recruitment, and the lifting of the ban on the Admiral —were things that he and Garp had spent years trying to get from the Five Elders.
The World Government used to strictly control the number of Admiral, ostensibly to maintain balance, but in reality, it was to prevent the navy from becoming too powerful and slipping out of its control.
Now that Steel Bone Kong dead and Marineford is destroyed, the World Government has finally been forced to relent.
This is an unexpected boon for the long-term development of the navy; it is the window that generations have been waiting for has finally been cracked open.
As for the appointment of Admiral requiring Mary Geoise's approval, although it is conspicuous, now is not the time to concern ourselves with such details.