The Marines and the Holy Land

The conference room at Marine Headquarters was unusually quiet.

Most of the Marines seated around the long table wore gloomy expressions and said nothing. Others sat in silence with their heads bowed.

A newspaper lay before each of them, its garish, multicolored headline cutting deep into the heart of every Marine officer.

No one had expected something like this to happen. Nothing like it had occurred since the Marines were established.

Today, they had finally broken new ground.

"Let me say a few words."

The man seated at the end of the long table rested his crossed hands beneath his chin, his elbows on the table and his body leaning slightly forward. Shadows fell across his face, giving him a solemn air.

Everyone turned to look at him when he spoke. He was the leader of the Marines in this era.

Fleet Admiral Maxson Sha Adam!

"I was the one who sent Kong on that mission. I bear full responsibility for what happened."

Adam's voice was low and full of self-reproach.

This had been a grave mistake on his part... That damned bastard Ochoku!

He had never imagined that the World Government's intelligence was wrong. Ochoku had never intended to make a deal at all. He had thoroughly screwed the Marines over!

The money they had used to bribe the pirates was gone, and that was that, but they couldn't just lose a Marine Admiral!

Kong was the junior he had held in the highest regard, the man who was supposed to take his place when he retired. Yet this time, he had nearly had to bury him.

"Fleet Admiral, I want to know what deal we made with the pirates that required Admiral Kong to go in person!"

Someone seated at the side of the table suddenly spoke up.

Adam looked up at him, narrowing his eyes as an inscrutable expression appeared on his face.

Sengoku? Kong seemed to have met with him before he left...

Under Adam's gaze, Sengoku sat expressionless in his chair, his back perfectly straight.

Sengoku's words made quite a few people's expressions change.

The Marines had made a deal with pirates?

That alone was something they couldn't bring to light. If it succeeded, that was fine; no one else could possibly find out anyway.

But now that something had happened to Kong, everyone naturally wanted to know why he had suddenly led a team to Pirate Island.

"This was my fault. I thought it was a chance to bring Hachinosu down from within." Adam sighed. He could only tell them what the mission had been.

After hearing him out, the Marines present all had a big question mark hovering over their heads.

Who did you say? Shakky?

We specifically sent a Marine Admiral on a mission just to pick up one woman?

We even paid out nearly a billion for it!

"Ahem, ahem, ahem~"

Noticing the Marines' gazes turning strange, Adam coughed lightly a few times to hide his embarrassment.

Of course, it had nothing to do with him. No matter how beautiful Shakky was, he would never have done something so ridiculous.

But he had no choice. It was what the World Government wanted.

He might have been the Fleet Admiral, but, to put it bluntly, weren't the Marines just the World Government's armed forces?

Could he really disobey the orders of the big shots above? As for why, that wasn't something a soldier should ask.

"Now the pirates want to execute a Marine Admiral. How can we allow that?!"

"I propose we respond to the pirates publicly!"

"We'll denounce them in the strongest terms! And tell the whole world that the Marines are determined never to tolerate any force of evil!"

"Justice will prevail!"

"Justice will prevail!!!" ×N

Seeing that everyone had been fired up by his words, Adam finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They certainly had to fight, not only to save Kong, but because the Marines couldn't yield an inch when it came to their stance toward pirates.

Come to think of it, wasn't Hachinosu territory dominated by the Rocks Pirates?

At that thought, Adam pondered for a moment, then abruptly changed tack. "Where's Bright?"

"Admiral Bright is guarding the Holy Land..." A Marine stood up and asked tentatively, "Should we recall him? Should we ask the Celestial Dragons for their opinion first?"

"His comrade was gravely wounded by Rocks in the Holy Land more than ten years ago and ultimately died of his injuries! If he doesn't go now, who will?!" Adam roared.

"Yes, sir!" The Marine jolted.

"Recall him and have him take ninety percent of Headquarters' forces to the New World to bring Kong back!"

"Yes, sir!!"

With the Fleet Admiral's words, the matter was settled.

Sengoku sat nearby with his arms folded. After confirming that Adam himself only intended to remain at Headquarters, he lowered his head slightly, hiding his expression.

After the meeting, Marine Headquarters prepared its troops and checked its weapons and equipment, an atmosphere of tension settling over it.

Meanwhile, in the Holy Land Mary Geoise.

"Everyone, I request that the Hunting Competition begin ahead of schedule!"

Several sofas had been arranged in the lavishly furnished sitting room. Elderly men in well-tailored suits sat upright on them, their polished leather shoes gleaming.

A young man stood before them.

The man had a peculiar hairstyle: his blond hair formed a crescent that curved sharply forward, with two locks of fringe hanging over his forehead.

He wore luxurious clothes in a predominantly red-and-gold color scheme, with a fur cape draped over them. On the left side of his clothes were two gold badges bearing the World Government's emblem.

Of the Holy Knights, Saint Figarland Garling!

Faced with Garling's sudden visit, the Five Elders exchanged glances, their expressions seeming to change.

"Are you sure? The last competition only ended a short while ago," Saturn said unhurriedly.

"You're really impatient, Saint Garling." Nusjuro, dressed in a white kimono and holding a long sword in his arms, leaned against the side of a sofa.

"According to the schedule, the next one should be a year from now. Besides, you already reported on that country last year," Ju Peter said coldly.

"These are special circumstances. Didn't you see today's newspaper?" Garling's expression was ugly. "Those useless Marines failed! They didn't bring Shakky to me!"

"So?" Warcury's eyes were half-lidded.

"I want to destroy God Valley! There are members of the Davy Clan there whom I discovered! To make that lord happy." Garling's voice rose without him realizing it.

But as soon as he finished, he noticed the silent stares the old men were directing at him.

His heart jumped, and he lowered his head.

"...Hmph, we agree." Mars was very satisfied with Garling's reaction. He said coldly, "But nothing can be allowed to go wrong this time."

"I agree. That country once refused to join the World Government. Their continued existence is a sin." Warcury's tone was flat.

"I agree." Nusjuro closed his eyes.

"I'll go along when the time comes," Saturn said. "Bring the slaves we originally prepared as well, and have the Marines send people to serve as guards."

"Many thanks!" Garling beamed with delight. After bidding the Five Elders farewell, he turned and left the Room of Authority.

The moment he stepped outside, his expression turned vicious.

"You won't let me have Shakky? Fine, then. You can all die with her!"

Garling's plan to win Shakky as his wife before the eyes of the world could no longer be carried out, because he had never gotten his hands on her. She was still on Hachinosu.

Even in the future, his chances of doing so were slim.

That was why he was so furious and had decided to make God Valley his target, using the blood of lowly commoners to display the might of the gods!

One could only say...

The God Valley Incident arrived in an unexpected way, and this time, the eyes of the entire world were drawn to another unparalleled battle.

Three days remained until it all began.