Saint Shepherd Ju Peter stopped and turned to face the other Five Elders.
"Do as Lord Imu orders. Straw Hat Luffy is the priority. All CP intelligence resources should focus on tracking his movements, and report back immediately once his location is confirmed."
He paused, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.
"But Hachinosu can't be completely ignored—the Navy needs to accelerate its deployment in the New World. Who has G-1 and G-2?"
"It's currently unclaimed territory." Saint Mars flipped through the documents in his hand. "After the Paramount War, the Navy withdrew from most of its bases in the New World. G-1 and G-2 have been abandoned for over two years."
"Let Akainu take it back. We don't need a full-scale war with Hachinosu, but at least we need to have a foothold in the New World."
When the order was relayed back to Marine Headquarters, Akainu immediately convened a high-level meeting.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense.
Akainu sat in the Fleet Admiral's seat, with a giant sea chart of the New World hanging behind him, marking the distribution of all known forces in red and blue.
The red area represents Hachinosu and its affiliated forces, which cover almost 80% of the New World and look quite alarming.
Admiral Kizaru, Ryokugyu, Fujitora are all present.
Kizaru's injuries hadn't fully healed yet, and he had a new bandage on his side, but he was in much better spirits than when he first returned.
Fujitora sat upright in the chair with his eyes closed, his cane resting horizontally on his knees, his expression as calm as if he were meditating.
Ryokugyu leaned back in his chair, his lazy eyes half-closed, his fingers tapping silently on the table.
Senior Vice Admiral still in service, such as Vice Admiral Tsuru and Yamakaji, also attended the meeting.
Sengoku, in his capacity as Grand Inspector, sat in a corner with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his wrinkles much deeper than they had been two years ago.
Garp leaned against a more secluded corner.
He had already semi-retired, but he couldn't miss a meeting of this level, and at that moment he was casually munching on a bag of rice crackers.
" The Five Elders ' order: Prioritize monitoring Straw Hat Luffy's movements."
Akainu got straight to the point, without any preamble.
"But the naval power of the New World must be strengthened."
G-1 and G-2, the Navy's forward operating bases in the New World, it's time to reclaim them.
Vice Admiral Tsuru He frowned.
She had fought countless battles in her life, but even this veteran, known as the "chief strategist," felt a deep sense of powerlessness when facing Hachinosu.
"G-1 and G-2 are close to the entrance to the New World, so their strategic significance in being recaptured is limited."
If the goal was simply to monitor Straw Hat Luffy, they could easily use the CP intelligence network—"
"It's not just for surveillance."
Akainu interrupted her, stood up, and walked to the sea chart.
His finger touched the positions G-1 and G-2, then slowly moved upwards along the direction of the ocean currents in the New World.
"I intend to use G-1 and G-2 as springboards to gradually relocate the Marine Headquarters to the New World."
An uproar erupted in the conference room.
Sengoku jumped up, his chair sliding backward with a screeching sound.
"Are you crazy! Moving Marine Headquarters to the New World?"
Leaving aside the reaction from Hachinosu,
The kingdoms of the New World have all sided with us, leaving us completely isolated and helpless. Moving the Marine Headquarters there would be tantamount to suicide!
Upon hearing Sengoku's objection, Akainu abruptly turned around, his face grim.
" Sengoku "
"Without a foothold in the New World, the Navy can never truly contain Hachinosu."
We already know about Roy's danger, and now, according to the information brought by Kizaru, Hachinosu may also possess the ability to eat a second Devil Fruit.
As far as I know, Roy secretly went to the abandoned laboratory of Punk Hazard some time ago.
This island is precisely the base where Doflamingo created Artificial Devil Fruit.
This is probably why Roy stole Vegapunk.
Akainu paused, glanced around, and said solemnly.
Roy likely wants to use Vegapunk's technology to replicate Devil Fruit.
If we don't send troops now
At that time.
We are about to face a Hachinosu that has absorbed all of Vegapunk's technology.
"By then--"
Akainu's voice suddenly turned cold.
"It's not a question of whether we can win, it's a question of whether we even have the right to fight anymore."
Sengoku opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to find a reason to do so.
He's right—in this era teeming with monsters, it's either progress or regression.
If the navy continues to cling to outdated strategies, it will be completely crushed by Hachinosu sooner or later.
Garp rarely speaks.
He placed the bag of senbei on the table, looked up at Akainu, and a complex light flashed in his cloudy but still sharp eyes.
" Akainu, is the information you received accurate?"
"Snort!"
Akainu snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene.
"I had the intelligence department compile this information after Kizaru returned. Moreover, the anomalies that occurred on Hachinosu some time ago were very likely due to Hachinosu testing Devil Fruit abilities."
"You must have heard about that colossal beast that towers over the heavens!"
Akainu took a deep drag on his cigar, slowly exhaling, the thin smoke obscuring his face.
"The navy has been expanding for two years, and its strength has been restored to pre-war levels. The newly recruited Admiral have also completed their integration."
If we don't act now, and wait until Hachinosu completely absorbs Vegapunk's technology, we'll never be able to move again.
Choose—do you fight while there's still time, or wait to die?
Sengoku and Garp exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke.
They knew Akainu had a point, but the risks of this decision were too great for them to accept calmly.
If they fail, the Navy will lose its last chance to establish itself in the New World, and the latter half of the Grand Line will become Paradise for pirates.
The crane sighed, breaking the silence:
We need more intelligence.
The G-1 and G-2 are now obsolete.
But our entry into the New World will surely not be hidden from Hachinosu.
How many troops are deployed around Hachinosu?
If we enter the New World, will it provoke a massive attack from Hachinosu?
Will Kaido and Red Hair intervene?
What kind of combat force should we deploy to ensure we can firmly occupy both bases?
"I've already thought these things through!" Akainu's tone was resolute.
"At that time, Kizaru, Fujitora, and Ryokugyu will lead their respective teams to simultaneously enter the New World to ensure the base's successful reconstruction. Once the situation stabilizes, the Navy will gradually relocate to the New World."
"I will report the plan to the World Government and have them send CP to contain Hachinosu, ensuring the Navy's plan proceeds smoothly."
After hearing Akainu's arrangements, everyone in the conference room nodded repeatedly, clearly quite satisfied with Akainu's plan.
Only Garp and Sengoku, two semi-retired high-ranking naval officers, showed a hint of worry in their eyes.
The two exchanged a glance; their years of unspoken understanding allowed them to immediately know each other's feelings. Sengoku stood up and looked at Akainu.
"In that case, Garp and Garp will also participate in this operation, setting off alongside the Three Admirals to ensure the stability of the navy."
Akainu looked at the two in silence for a moment. Although he was somewhat annoyed by Sengoku's previous opposition, he still nodded in agreement.