"Whitebeard!" Sengoku glared at him through gritted teeth.
Every one of their Marine Vice Admirals was an elite. Reaching that rank took untold hardship, perseverance, talent, and effort. None of those could be missing.
The Marines were nothing like the pirates, whose numbers dwarfed theirs. In any world, few people wanted to live under rules and discipline. In the Pirate World, people still yearned for freedom.
But for most pirates, that freedom eventually turned into ambition. Very few stayed true to why they had set sail!
Unlike the pirates, the Marines had poured countless resources into every one of their strongest fighters. Pirate powerhouses were another matter. With such a vast pool to draw from, they could simply let the strongest survive. The Grand Line served as a series of trials; anyone who made it far enough would naturally become powerful. Who knew how many pirates died along the way? Yet there were still so many of them it was absurd!
That was why Sengoku was so furious. Some of the Marines' elite soldiers had died in the battle, but hardly any of their top fighters had fallen. A few had been wounded, though.
The Whitebeard Pirates had fared differently. Many of their top fighters had died on the battlefield. Jozu was a prime example!
It made sense. From the start of the war until now, the Marines had held the initiative. They had the advantage in both numbers and fighting strength!
"That damned old man!" Garp muttered as he watched Whitebeard act so unlike himself.
Whitebeard would never have taken the initiative against someone at the level of a Marine Vice Admiral before. Kings fought kings, soldiers fought soldiers. He only struck a Vice Admiral if they attacked him first.
But now Whitebeard had attacked a Marine Vice Admiral