A great victory

The soldiers who had spotted the warship returning early immediately sent word down the line.

All the Marines stood in solemn formation, awaiting the return of a new legend.

They already had the legend of the hero Kabu, and now the Marines had given rise to another legend.

Lofan, a Marine Vice Admiral of just eighteen, had defeated the arrogant Strongest Creature, Kaido of the Four Emperors!

They had been fortunate enough to take part in this event and shared in its glory.

Lofan stood proudly at the bow, bare-chested.

His 1.9-meter frame received the admiring gazes and salutes of everyone at the Marine Branch.

He adjusted the black, square-framed glasses Ain had just brought him.

Once the warship entered the harbor, he raised his right hand high.

"Everyone! A great victory!"

"A great victory!!! A great victory!!! A great victory!!!"

The thunderous roar resounded across the sea and spread around the world with the rising wind.

King's plans had completely lost their foundation.

But his lack of timely intelligence had resulted in Queen being captured and him fleeing with serious injuries.

After receiving Sengoku's notification, Akainu and Kizaru stopped conserving their strength and launched an all-out offensive.

They had originally held back in case something went wrong on Lofan's end.

But once Kaido's defeat was confirmed, the two set out to wipe out the Beasts Pirates.

Against an Admiral and a Vice Admiral fighting without restraint, the All-Stars simply could not compete.

In just over an hour, Queen was gravely wounded and captured, while King fled with injuries.

Half of the Flying Six were killed or wounded; the specifics were unknown.

All their ships were destroyed. This time, the Beasts Pirates had almost been annihilated.

But as long as Kaido remained alive, the Beasts Pirates would continue to exist.

According to Lofan, both of them had suffered serious injuries, but Kaido still had enough strength to flee.

By the time he had received treatment from the fruit and wanted to give chase, he could no longer find any trace of him.

The conditions at the scene had also been documented and reported.

After seeing the traces left behind by the destruction of more than half an island,

no one had any attention to spare for scrutinizing Lofan's report. Instead, they were completely won over by his strength.

The Marines, who had already intended to promote Lofan, had sent people to arrange news coverage, loudly publicizing their achievements.

And Lofan.

In Dressrosa, Doflamingo had already gathered all his officers to await the outcome.

"Is that so? Understood, Vergo."

Crushing the glass of red wine in his hand, Doflamingo burst into wild, unrestrained laughter.

"Fufufufufu!"

Doflamingo kept laughing uncontrollably, even smashing straight through the room.

Sugar hid behind Trebol, wanting to approach but not daring to go near Doflamingo in his furious elation.

No one in the Donquixote Family stepped forward to ask.

"Hahaha, so this is the Marines' most gifted man in eight hundred years!

Cut off all cooperation with Kaido, then use every resource to search for soul-type Devil Fruits!"

Upon hearing the news, Doflamingo issued his orders without even the slightest attempt at an explanation.

But everyone quietly withdrew and began carrying out his wishes.

He was afraid.

It was not because of ambition, nor was it because he was a fence-sitter.

His first reaction upon hearing of Kaido's defeat had been an icy chill.

Just like the day Lofan's Reiatsu had pressed him to the ground.

Alone on the balcony, his mouth was still stretched in a broad laugh, but thick veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"I have to take my position immediately! Otherwise..."

Recalling his deal with Lofan, he could no longer extricate himself. There was not the slightest possibility.

Now, he could either die or firmly take his place.

"Is this what you meant when you said the strong use fear? So that was what you meant!"

Lofan had not been recalled to Marineford, contrary to what he had expected.

At this point, Sengoku should have needed him to return to receive recognition for his military achievements.

But strangely, after issuing a single order to stand by, there had been no further word.

Yet because his intelligence capabilities were indeed lacking, Lofan could only construct various possibilities in his mind ahead of time.

"I really do need to prioritize improving my intelligence capabilities."

But establishing a new intelligence organization would not only cost money; the key issue was the time it would take.

It was not a good option.

"Knock! Knock!"

Someone knocked on the door. It should have been Ain and Binz, whom Lofan had called over.

The two entered, carrying a large quantity of medical supplies.

Since Sengoku did not intend to recall him, Lofan wanted to undo the Return-Return Fruit's effects.

Although, if he waited six months or a year before undoing them, his injuries would have almost healed.

But he still had plans and needed to use his injuries as an excuse to recuperate.

Only by treating them now could he avoid affecting what came next.

When Ain undid her fruit's ability, Binz was utterly stunned by the charred injuries covering Lofan's body.

To have survived like this-Binz thought Lofan was the one who truly deserved the title of Strongest Creature.

That savage pain bored into Lofan's brain once more.

He received treatment without a word, beads of sweat dripping down and splattering into eight pieces on the floor.

"This will leave scars even after it heals... I wonder if it'll affect the foundations of your health."

After watching Ain finish bandaging him, Binz spoke with some concern.

Ain had not said a word throughout, merely fulfilling her duty to treat him in silence.

"Then I'll just have to trouble Ain when the time comes."

His face pale, Lofan replied with some difficulty.

But Ain still gave no response. Sensing something wrong with the atmosphere, Binz cautiously left the room.

Though he did not know exactly what had happened, he knew how to read the room.

"I need to trouble you with one more thing. Help me find a girl, and don't let anyone know."

"Including the Marines...?"

Lofan gritted his teeth and nodded slightly. The pain had already begun to blur his vision.

"Make preparations first. I'll give you the details later."

Ain left with lowered eyes, her face expressionless.

By then, Lofan had fallen onto the bed and lost consciousness.

She truly did not understand. She did not understand Lofan's intentions.

Why had he let Kaido go when he was so badly injured, and why did he want to hide his search for a girl from the Marines?

"But all I can do is choose to trust him..."

Watching the seagulls fly over the peaceful harbor, Ain once again faced a situation in which she had no choice.

The Five Elders.

On the surface, they were the World Government's highest leaders, commanding all its armed forces.

They remained year-round in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, entrenched at the pinnacle of power.

Now, Kong's request for an audience had been approved, and the five sat in their respective seats, awaiting the commander-in-chief.

"Kong, what matter requires all five of us to be present?"

Among the Five Elders, an old man with curly white hair and a thick wooden staff spoke.

He also gestured for Kong to sit down and talk.

"This matter could affect the state of the Marines for centuries, which is why I'm treating it so seriously."

Kong's presence matched that of the five as he sat squarely in the spacious chair.

"Will it upset the balance of the Marines?"

"The balance of the Marines is tied to the stability of the world. You should know that."

The other elders spoke in succession.

Anything discussed here at the pinnacle of power was approached with the world's stability as its foundation.

Otherwise, it would not warrant their involvement.