"Do any of you have objections?"
When Yas's cold, calm words, seemingly laden with the crushing weight of the stars of the universe, echoed softly through the Fleet Admiral's Office, it felt as though all the air had been sucked from the room.
Sengoku, Garp, and the senior Marine Headquarters officers outside the door, who had just been heatedly discussing the battle, all abruptly stopped breathing.
Everyone's gaze instinctively focused on those three figures.
The Marines' future Three Admirals-Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino!
"Hmph!"
A cold snort, like volcanic lava churning in a throat and brimming with utter disdain and arrogance, broke the deathly silence first!
Sakazuki, a man with "absolute justice" carved into his very bones, slowly raised his hard-featured face, which seemed forever shrouded in shadow. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Yas, burning with undisguised, almost tangible jealousy and hostility!
"The G-1 Branch is the most important gateway to the New World. Borsalino and I take turns overseeing its defenses. Now that trouble has arisen there, we should naturally be the ones to handle it."
Sakazuki's voice was low and oppressive, every word like steel forced through clenched teeth. "You're a newcomer who only just took office and hasn't even formed his own unit, yet you want to interfere in military affairs in the New World? Yas, you have far too little regard for the Marines' rules!"
His words sounded high-minded and entirely reasonable, grounded firmly in Marine regulations and traditions. But everyone present clearly heard his undisguised emphasis on "newcomer," along with the contempt of "who the hell do you think you are?"
This was provocation! Naked provocation!
It was a public attempt by one of Marine Headquarters' long-established greatest fighting forces to suppress an "upstart" who had reached the top through a single battle!