As Roy and the others left, Sengoku knew pursuit was no longer possible.
"Roy, you injured my headquarters' Admiral and Vice Admirals. Do you really think you can leave that easily?"
"Don't get too full of yourself!"
Muttering those words, he immediately gave an order.
They were to wipe out the remaining pirates, including Crescent Moon Hunter, as quickly as possible.
Once the order came, the Marine Vice Admirals and soldiers, already seething over the devastating blow Roy had dealt them, struck even more fiercely.
In mere moments, Crescent Moon Hunter's group of criminals, originally numbering nearly seven hundred, fell apart.
Among them, Crescent Moon Hunter and Big Barrel were defeated by the absolute strength of the furious Admiral candidate Chaton.
The two fought with everything they had, pushing themselves to their limits, but still proved no match for him.
In this battle, Chaton displayed strength that truly approached an Admiral's.
Even against a genuine Admiral, he could have traded several blows head-on.
As for great pirates such as Corrupt King and World, Sengoku personally suppressed them.
The Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters fully displayed his fighting strength, his Haki surging.
Combined with his top-tier Mythical Zoan Buddha Form ability, a vast shock wave swept out the moment he struck.
Corrupt King and the others had no way to resist and were subdued on the spot.
Even World, who had eaten the More More Fruit and unleashed his ability at full power, could not withstand a single shock wave from Sengoku.
Having vented some of his fury, Sengoku ultimately did not execute Crescent Moon Hunter and the others on the spot.
Impel Down was now an empty shell. Someone had to be imprisoned there.
Otherwise, it would no longer be Impel Down.
But the Marines had suffered devastating losses, and anger still simmered in Sengoku's heart.
Thus, under his effective direction from the sidelines, nearly half or more of the criminals were executed on the spot.
In the end, fewer than three hundred criminals remained, including Crescent Moon Hunter and Big Barrel, shackled in Seastone Handcuffs and utterly bedraggled.
They understood that their final chance had been lost for good.
What left them even more bitter and regretful-
and even filled them with resentment-was... why had Roy and his people been able to escape?
Clearly, the criminals blamed Roy for everything.
After dealing with all this, Sengoku regrouped with Zephyr and the others.
The Marines were all silent, their fists clenched tight, filled with frustration.
They had prepared in advance, leaving Zephyr in the rear to guard against unexpected developments.
Yet Roy and the others had still escaped in the end.
They had even lost two Giant Vice Admirals.
How could such an outcome not leave them disheartened?
When Sengoku saw his old friend Zephyr suffering after losing his arm, he seemed to age considerably in an instant.
Weariness filled his face, and several streaks of white had even appeared at his temples.
Not a single strand, but several streaks.
"Sengoku, you've already done very well."
Fighting through the intense pain, Zephyr tried to reassure him:
"I don't blame you. If anyone's to blame, it's Roy for being too cunning and too strong."
"You're the Fleet Admiral! Roy has just escaped, Garp is severely injured and unconscious, and Kuzan is... missing. You mustn't fall!"
Sengoku remained silent, still offering no response.
The Marine Vice Admirals and soldiers present all began trying to reassure him.
"That's right, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! You're the pillar of the Marines! We're facing a crisis unlike any in a hundred years. You mustn't fall!"
"You did everything you could in this battle. You risked sailing in the dead of night and had Chief Instructor Zephyr ready to provide support at any moment...
All those arrangements were made to protect the hostages. They were excellent plans. If anyone's to blame, it's Roy!"
"Sengoku, they're right. Marine Headquarters is now at its most dangerous and difficult moment.
You're the Fleet Admiral. If even you collapse, the Marines really will be finished. Do you want everything the Marines have built over all these years to fall into decline?"
In the end, only when Staff Officer Tsuru spoke did the silent Sengoku rally.
"Don't worry. I'm the Fleet Admiral. How could I give up on myself at a time of such peril?"
"This little difficulty won't bring me down. I still haven't seen Garp alive, haven't seen Zephyr's arm repaired, and haven't found that brat Kuzan..."
As he spoke, Sengoku's eyes began to redden.
He felt that the wind was truly strong today, blowing so hard it had reddened his eyes.
Staff Officer Tsuru and the others wore complicated expressions, anger pent up in their chests with nowhere to vent it.
How could they not understand Sengoku's pain at that moment?
As Fleet Admiral, he was the mainstay of the Marines.
Yet now, of his two old friends who had risked their lives alongside him, one had been beaten to the brink of death by criminals.
Even Zephyr had lost his arm again.
That mechanical arm had long since become joined to his flesh and bone. The agony of having it forcibly torn off was no less than losing an arm all over again.
And Kuzan, whom he had intended to recommend as his successor upon retiring, was still missing, his fate unknown.
Over ten thousand Marines had been killed or wounded.
Most importantly, the culprit behind all of this had actually escaped.
Every single one of these things stabbed at him, as though silently mocking his incompetence as Fleet Admiral.
Brring, brring!
Just as Sengoku's emotions were on the verge of slipping out of control, a Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
After he answered, a hint of joy crossed his grim face.
At last, his spirit returned, and he swiftly issued a series of orders.
First, Vice Admirals including Chaton and Yamakaji were to lead one giant warship, ten small warships, and ten thousand Marine soldiers, including Rear Admirals, in immediate pursuit of Roy.
At the same time, he called Enies Lobby and ordered its garrison to assist in intercepting them at sea.
Beyond the Calm Belt lay the route toward Enies Lobby and Water 7, making Water 7 the most likely destination for Roy's group.
Second, the personnel aboard the remaining warships, from Rear Admirals and Captains down to corporals, were to work together to transport everyone wounded in the operation to Marine Headquarters at Marineford for treatment as quickly as possible.
At the same time, Kuzan, who had been frozen in Impel Down, was to be sent back to headquarters for treatment as well.
If headquarters could not treat him, he was to be given a nutrient infusion and transported to Bullet Island as quickly as possible, to be treated by Vegapunk.
Third, he and Staff Officer Tsuru would return to Marine Headquarters with some of their personnel to convene an emergency meeting.
They would also notify the Five Elders and discuss how to handle the aftermath.
Fourth, they were to confirm the latest developments in the Revolutionary Army incident in the Kingdom of Phil and Dragon's attack on the World Government.
Fifth, they were to assess Impel Down's casualties and damage, and tally the Jailers and Marines killed in action so that death benefits could be paid afterward.
It could be said that only once he regained his composure was Sengoku the wise Fleet Admiral.
Every order he issued addressed a pressing need.
Whether contacting Enies Lobby to assist in the pursuit, treating the wounded, convening a meeting, notifying the Five Elders, or paying death benefits,
every arrangement demonstrated Marine Headquarters' stance toward escaped criminals such as Roy, as well as toward the World Government and the dead.
"Roy, we'll see about this. You won't be gloating for long!"
After issuing his orders and watching the officers leave to carry out their tasks, Sengoku also boarded a warship to return to headquarters.
Before leaving, he murmured those words, his voice filled with coldness and murderous intent.
But what Sengoku did not know was that after they left, a grayish-white bird kept circling in the sky.
Stranger still, what appeared to be a Den Den Mushi camera hung around the bird's neck, as though it were recording something.
No, perhaps that News Coo had already been recording ever since they were at Impel Down.
That included the earlier battle, as well as his loss of composure just now.
Caw, caw!
The News Coo soon flapped its wings excitedly and flew away.
And just as the News Coo departed, as the Impel Down incident came to an end,
the battle between the Revolutionary Army and the World Government in the Kingdom of Phil was likewise being fought to its final moment.
Before you continue