They Actually Took It Seriously

In the spacious, brightly lit hall of the military headquarters, every high-ranking official of the World Government's armed forces had assembled.

At the head sat the commander-in-chief of all three services, Saint Chester Nimi, an old man who looked too frail to walk properly. He clearly did not think much of Saint Jalmack's Son, that oddity among the Celestial Dragons. He wore a tall hat, and beneath his chin hung a snowy white beard so long it nearly reached his feet. It had been groomed until it gleamed silver, clearly something he treasured dearly.

"Saint Sanming." He wheezed like a goat. "Although you are also a World Noble, military matters must still be decided by the military. You only need to voice your opinion when you are permitted to speak. After all, this old man's beard represents justice. If anyone wishes to breach this old man's defenses and attack Mary Geoise, that is absolutely impossible!"

Seeing him throw his seniority around, Miming irritably picked his nose. Then, while taking his seat and catching the old man off guard, he flicked the booger onto his beard with a snap. Saint Chester Nimi failed to notice entirely and continued his grandstanding. "They actually took a child's dream seriously. Honestly." Every word conveyed his unwillingness to make the entire armed forces go to such trouble over such a ridiculous reason.

The surrounding marshals, admirals, and vice admirals all felt deeply uncomfortable staring at the booger hanging from Saint Chester Nimi's snowy beard, but no one dared show it.

There were Navy Admiral Sengoku, Black Arm Zephyr, Navy Hero Vice Admiral Garp, as well as Army marshals, Army generals, members of the CP Police Agency, and Spandine, the commander of CP9, who served as secret spies. There were dozens of people in total. Among the vice admirals seated in the rear were several young, beautiful women, all nauseated by the booger and frowning tightly.

Saint Chester Nimi finally noticed everyone's gazes. Looking down and seeing the booger dangling from his beloved "Beard of Justice," he immediately cried out, "Wah! So filthy—!" As though he had been shot, he completely panicked.

Miming looked out the window and whistled as though it had nothing to do with him.

Saint Chester Nimi shoved back his chair and stormed off. "There is absolutely no need for this commander-in-chief to attend such a meeting!"

The meeting room fell silent, and everyone wore a dark expression.

Thus, the responsibility of presiding over the meeting fell onto Navy Commander-in-Chief Kong.

"Basically everyone above vice admiral is here." Kong, however, wore an entirely different expression of eager attentiveness as he pulled out the large chair beside him and invited Miming to sit.

"This is Saint Sanming's first time attending such a meeting. Please give us an address." As the meeting host, Kong cleared his throat.

"What?" Miming's eyes widened. No one had told me about this before. I have to give an address too?

"Yes." Kong quietly reminded him, "Before a meeting begins, the person of highest status gives an address and emphasizes what justice is. This has always been the tradition of the three services. Saint Chester Nimi used to give the speech, but since he is absent now, Saint Sanming should naturally address us."

Miming saw cunning beneath Kong's seemingly honest expression. Without question, the military was also unwilling to be mobilized at random for some inexplicable reason. After all, putting the entire military on alert just because someone dreamed that Mary Geoise was on fire was utterly absurd. It was a naked insult to the military's defenses. Therefore, most of the military shared the same wish: that he would recognize the difficulty and retreat rather than interfere in the specific details of military defense.

Miming swept his gaze across the long conference table, where the seats had been arranged according to rank. Since he sat on the Navy side below the commander-in-chief, the closest person to him was Navy Admiral Sengoku. He had a drooping mustache and round glasses on his face.

Sengoku stared straight ahead, sitting upright as he looked at him with a solemn expression.

Opposite him, Navy Hero Garp, a man so excessively muscular that his broad shoulders made his head look somewhat small, was dozing off with his head bobbing dangerously. His temples had begun to gray. Though he only held the rank of vice admiral, he sat alongside the admirals, and no one would question his place there.

Black Arm Zephyr, having dealt with him before, was currently looking at him with an extremely complicated expression.

No one had expected that Saint Jalmack's Son, who had been swallowed by a Sea King and then brought back to life, would now be so tall and burly. In less than two years, the contrast was simply enormous. Had he been frightened by that accident?

Behind them sat a group of Navy vice admirals, the backbone of the Navy's combat strength. Led by Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru, they all focused sharp gazes on him. Put nicely, they were fully attentive. More bluntly, they were glaring at him. Every one of them stood around three meters tall, staring down at him from above. It could not be called respectful.

The Army's gazes, on the other hand, were much calmer. They had seen plenty of Celestial Dragons and were used to them.

Besides the Navy and Army, the three services also included the CP Agency. CP1 through CP8 were known to the world as the world police, and their loyalty to the Celestial Dragons was naturally exceptional. CP9 handled dirty work, an espionage force comparable to an intelligence bureau or investigative bureau. As for Spandine, the commander of CP9, Miming had happened to encounter him at the harbor while he was pursuing Nico Robin, so they could be considered acquainted. At this moment, he already wore an expression that said, "This subordinate has long admired Your Excellency and has finally had the honor of meeting you today."

The moment Miming took the microphone, he felt an invisible pressure surge up from beneath the table.

Miming slapped the table and struck a pose.

The military commanders below also widened their eyes one after another. Most of them had experienced the consequences of Celestial Dragons meddling in military affairs and ordering them around.

Miming slapped the table and shouted, "How can we talk about justice when we haven't eaten our fill? Today's meeting is important, so bring out the food first!"

"Bring out the food?!" The crowd below was dumbfounded.

"Yes, I haven't had breakfast yet." Miming wore a serious expression. "We can talk while we eat."

Navy Hero Garp suddenly perked up. He even stopped picking his nose and shouted, "Good—! Bring out the food—! This old man will be the first to support Saint Sanming's justice!"

"Then... bring out the food—!" Kong's eye twitched several times. Garp, you traitor!

The head chef of the military headquarters displayed astonishing skill. The moment the doors opened, a team of cooks pushed in food carts. Hamburgers, fried chicken, and pastries were laid out first, after which they immediately rushed back to the kitchen to prepare a grand meal.

Miming grabbed a roast chicken and, in just a few bites, chewed even the bones to pieces and swallowed them. While chewing, he pounded the table and shouted, "What justice are you talking to me about on an empty stomach? Can there be justice when you're hungry? Munch munch... There is no justice in this world on an empty stomach—!"

"There is no justice on an empty stomach—!"

Following tradition, the officers around him shouted in unison, repeating their superior's guiding motto. Deep down, they all thought, This works too? Yet after considering it carefully, they all felt that the words were remarkably profound.

Soon, chewing sounds blended together below. The previous solemn atmosphere vanished completely, and their wariness toward Miming silently faded away.