Decision in the Room of Authority
"Expansion requires a long period of time to accumulate experience; it's a case of 'distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.'"
The Four Emperors of the New World are eyeing us covetously, each with their own ulterior motives. If we were to divert all our main forces from the first half of the campaign to blockade the West Blue, it would be tantamount to abandoning our own defenses and opening the gates to allow Kaido and Linlin to expand at will."
"Moreover, the Revolutionary Army continues to secretly incite influence and win over people around the Four Blues, eroding the foundations of the World Government's rule."
The navy's forces are limited, making it impossible to concentrate all resources on a single front and relentlessly target the Uchiha Clan.
"The Revolutionary Army ultimately operates in secret, daring not to directly challenge the absolute authority of Mary Geoise." The Five Elders, wielding swords, snorted coldly, their tone sharp.
"But the Uchiha are different. Natsu had already personally killed Celestial Dragons, breaking the rules that had been in place for a thousand years."
If he were to reappear and wreak havoc in the Sabaody Archipelago, who in the entire first half of the sea would be able to stop him then?
An aged, calm voice slowly rose, and Saint Saturn finally spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the confidence of supreme authority, firmly suppressing the dispute within the room.
"Expanding the navy is feasible, but the purpose is definitely not proactive blockade, but strategic deterrence."
"The Uchiha dared to recklessly send its new generation into the New World because the naval presence in the first half of the region was weak and insufficient to form an effective deterrent."
"As long as we maximize the density of our fleet patrols and lay a tight net across the entire first half of the sea, we can shackle their expansion and make them hesitant to take any action."
"The more fear we have, the more hesitation we face. Every second we gain is a chance for the World Government to regroup and reverse the situation."
He paused briefly before setting his final bottom line.
"The details of the expansion will be decided entirely by Sengoku, but the bottom line cannot be crossed— the Uchiha will absolutely not be allowed to establish any base or take root in any force in the first half of the Grand Line."
"What should we do with the Uchiha Chunwu and the other new generation?" the Long-Bearded Five Elders pressed.
Saint Saturn gazed into the distance at the clear sunlight outside the window, his tone deep and serious. "Continue monitoring, but never provoke conflict."
"Behind those teenagers was never Uchiha Kei, but Uchiha Natsu, who had been silent for over a year and had vanished without a trace."
No one knows where he's hiding, no one knows how many cards he holds, and no one knows when he'll reappear.
"On this vast sea, the most terrifying enemy is never the one in plain sight, but rather the hidden, unpredictable, and lurking sharpness."
The Five Elders, knife in hand, finally folded the newspaper and placed it firmly on the corner of the table, finalizing the decision for the entire meeting.
"Execute accordingly. Order Sengoku to immediately begin naval expansion, with a focus on strengthening patrols and surveillance across the entire frontal zone."
"Order CP0 to closely monitor the actions of the new generation of Uchiha, recording their movements and combat strength in detail."
He paused, then added a cold, authoritative statement.
"Without a supreme order, no one may initiate combat with the Uchiha Clan in open waters."
This is not a sign of weakness or retreat, but a pragmatic and patient strategy.
We should wait until the navy has fully recovered and its combat power is back to be discussed before talking about blockade and reckoning.
A deathly silence descended once more Room of Authority.
The bright sunlight outside the window bathed the sacred land of Mary Geoise, yet it could not penetrate the depths of this hall, nor conceal the fear and panic in the hearts of these supreme rulers.
The atmosphere in the Fleet Admiral's Office at the New Marine Headquarters, G-2 Fortress, was oppressively somber.
Sengoku sat upright at his desk, his gaze fixed on the encrypted instructions that had just been urgently delivered from Mary Geoise.
He had been staring at this document for the entire duration of an incense stick's burning, his pipe accumulating a half-inch layer of ash between his fingers, which he showed no interest in brushing away.
Outside the window, on the training ground, the shouts of the new recruits as they drilled rose in waves, clear, youthful, and full of vibrant energy.
But to him, it sounded like a tightness in his chest, a heavy, stagnant feeling stuck in his throat, something he couldn't spit out or swallow.
Expand the navy, double the patrol density in the first half of the Grand Line, and completely lock down the Uchiha Clan's sphere of influence expansion.
The entire text is cold and rigid, leaving no room for compromise. The bright red seal of supreme authorization at the end of the text demonstrates the unyielding will of the Five Elders.
Sengoku gently placed the document back on the table, leaned back in his chair, and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.
The pale white smoke slowly dissipated, obscuring the complex expression in his eyes.
He understood all too well the true nature of this order.
Mary Geoise was afraid. The World Government, which had dominated the seas for eight hundred years, finally developed a deep-seated fear.
For eight hundred years, they have witnessed Rocks ' madness sweeping Four Blues, experienced Roger's legendary ascent to the top of the ocean, and suppressed countless challengers who attempted to overthrow the order.
But no other force has ever instilled such deep-seated fear and unease in the Uchiha as they do now.
Rocks's hegemony always relied solely on his tyranny and power.
He was incredibly powerful during his lifetime, but once he died, his massive pirate crew instantly disintegrated, and his so-called hegemony vanished in an instant.
The Uchiha is completely different.
Even though Uchiha Natsu been in hiding for over a year without a trace, the clan system, combat structure, and expansion plan he had personally built were still operating steadily, even more steadily, more efficiently, and more difficult to deal with than when he was in charge of the front lines.
This is the most deadly threat.
The terror of the Uchiha was never the power of a single individual, but rather the steady rise and enduring vitality of the entire clan.
After a moment of silence, Sengoku bent down again, picked up the document, and wrote two neat and powerful characters in the comments column: Approved.
The pen had just touched the paper when the wooden door to the office was gently pushed open, and Vice Admiral Tsuru walked in, holding a thick stack of draft revisions. His gaze fell precisely on the line of instructions.
"Are we really going to launch a full-scale expansion?" She gently placed the draft on the table and asked softly.
Sengoku put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and stretched his shoulders. His tone was tinged with unconcealed weariness, yet it also revealed an unwavering determination.
"This is the only way out right now."
The navy does not need to provoke conflict, but it must maintain a sufficient deterrent force.
The patrol and defense lines in the first half of the sea area were doubled, not for war, but for containment.
This forces the Uchiha to carefully consider the Navy's bottom line before each expansion and infiltration of its influence, preventing them from acting recklessly.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his voice even lower, concealing the clarity and helplessness of decades of fighting.
"When I read through the reports of the Rocks War, I thought it was the most terrifying chaos in the world."
Looking back now, Rocks was ultimately just a violent storm.
It came on strong and swept across the land, but after the storm passed, everything settled down and the world returned to order.