Chapter 17: Meeting of top marine executives
The headquarters of the Navy, Marineford, an emergency meeting is being held.
The meeting includes many figures familiar to Nicholas, as well as many Navy commanders he hasn't encountered before.
Among them are the young Navy Vice Admirals, Sengoku, Iron Fist Garp, Black Arm Zephyr, and a beautiful and slender Navy staff officer named Tsuru.
These four individuals are contemporaries in the Navy and are considered the most outstanding Navy commanders of their generation, even being identified as the successors to the next generation of Navy Admirals.
At this time, the Navy headquarters has only one Admiral, who is Kong, the future supreme commander of the World Government's armed forces.
The other two Navy Admirals, one is stationed at the G1 Branch in the New World, while the other is sweeping through pirates in the New World. It's more like waiting on the outskirts of the Mary Geoise area for pirates venturing out of this unpredictable sea to fall into the net. They also stand by to support G1 at any time. After all, it's quite inadequate to have only one Admiral stationed at the G1 Branch against the Rocks Pirates.
Therefore, the Navy headquarters only has Admiral Kong on duty.
As for the Navy Marshal of this generation, he was killed by the stubborn Rocks several years ago, a battle that solidified Rocks' reputation as the strongest and most ruthless pirate in the world.
The Navy Marshal led the Buster Call, with two Admirals assisting, in a fierce battle with the Rocks Pirates in a certain sea area of the New World. The two Admirals were intercepted by Whitebeard and Golden Lion respectively, while the remaining Navy forces were blocked by other members of the Rocks Pirates and affiliated pirate groups.
That battle could be described as a heavy loss for the Navy, with the Navy Marshal being killed in a direct confrontation with Rocks. If it weren't for the timely support from the Navy and the World Government, the other two Admirals might have been left in that sea area.
Because of that battle, Rocks' name resounded throughout the world, even weakening the influence of the World Government and the Navy in the New World. The World Government deliberately issued a policy.
That is, it's crucial for the Navy Marshal to remain at the Navy headquarters and not to venture into the New World without the World Government's orders!
After all, news of a Navy Marshal's death has shaken the prestige of the World Government. If it were to happen again, the Navy and even the World Government would lose all credibility in this vast sea.
Even the haughty Celestial Dragons regard the New World and the increasingly turbulent sea as a fierce beast, reluctant to leave the sanctuary of Mary Geoise easily.
For them, the presence of Navy, World Government, and Celestial Dragon security forces in Mary Geoise provides relative safety. However, once outside, they are truly vulnerable to attacks.
For those pirates, crossing paths with the Celestial Dragons means death, but they can always flee to the New World to seek refuge under Rocks, the man known as the enemy of the world.
At this moment, Kong looked at the news that just came from the New World with a worried expression and sighed, "The Rocks Pirates' actions are getting bolder. They've even begun to engage with various factions. The situation is becoming increasingly grim. G7 and G11 have also been captured by pirate groups led by Charlotte Linlin and captain John respectively. What are your thoughts, everyone? Please speak up."
"Admiral Kong, I wanted to ask when we'll receive reinforcements?. With the Rocks Pirates' actions increasing, our personnel and logistics are getting strained," Tsuru asked Kong, as a candidate for the next Chief of Staff of the Navy. Currently, the Navy headquarters has deliberately delegated some authority to Tsuru.
"The headquarters informed us that it will take some time for the World Government to discuss. Of course, we all know that this is just a stalling tactic. For now, I will temporarily assume the position of Navy Marshal on behalf of the headquarters. This appointment is not public yet, as they cannot afford another blow of losing a Navy Marshal.
As for supplies and personnel, the World Government has stated that there are no restrictions. There's no limit on our military spending, recruitment, and losses," Kong said, chuckling sarcastically afterward. Naturally, the Navy is a crucial asset for the World Government to counter Rocks, so resources are readily available.
After Kong finished speaking, he looked at Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, Tsuru, and others. These individuals will soon assume the positions of Navy Admirals and Navy Staff Officers.
With the abilities of Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and others, they are fully capable of becoming Navy Admirals.
The reason they haven't become Navy Admirals yet is simply because the number of Navy Admirals is sufficient.
However, Navy Admiral positions should open up soon.
Garp noticed the solemn expressions of others in the meeting room and casually said, "Since those parasites have opened up the supply of resources, can I get three years of free doughnuts?"
Seeing Garp's nonchalant attitude and disrespectful demeanor, Kong slammed the table and shouted, "Garp, show some respect! We're facing the Rocks Pirates, not ordinary pirates! Whether it's Whitebeard or Golden Lion, they are not easy opponents! If we're not careful, we'll end up dead!"
Despite hearing Kong's serious tone, Garp remained indifferent and stuffed a handful of crackers into his mouth, laughing carelessly, "Dead? Haven't we made the decision to join the Navy from the day we enlisted? What does death matter for maintaining peace on the seas? We're all going to die eventually. Isn't that right, Sengoku?"
As Garp spoke, crumbs sprayed out of his mouth, leaving Sengoku looking annoyed.
"Garp! Be serious, and no more bringing food to the meeting room!" Kong looked at his favorite Navy disciple, Garp, feeling a headache. If things go as expected, Garp will become one of the strongest Navy Admirals in history.
Then he turned to Zephyr, Sengoku, and Tsuru. Obviously, Kong no longer holds high hopes for Garp's behavior.
"I personally think the threat posed by the Rocks Pirates is too great. Their top-tier strength even surpasses that of the Navy," Zephyr said, adjusting the Goldenen wire glasses on his nose seriously.
"If we let this pirate group go unchecked, it will seriously endanger world security. So I believe we must eliminate them before they do anything more dangerous," Sengoku added.
"But the Rocks Pirates' strength is comparable, if not superior, to that of the Navy headquarters. And whether it's intelligence from CP or our Navy's intelligence system, Rocks has been recently making contact with some dangerous individuals. Once a real battle breaks out and those monsters join in, victory may not be ours. Unless the World Government dispatches top-tier forces to assist, our entire Navy may collapse. So the current issue lies with the intentions of the World Government," Tsuru expressed after sharing her opinion. The communication between Kong and the World Government is quite close within the Navy.
"The World Government is still deliberating," Kong said tactfully.
Upon hearing this, silence fell in the meeting room.
Garp poured the remaining crackers into his mouth, the sound echoing in the room.
However, this time, Kong didn't mind. After all, the actions of the World Government indeed left people speechless.
"Heh, it seems those guys' suspicions are quite heavy," Zephyr chuckled and didn't say anything more.
Tsuru also took out several wanted posters and placed them on the table.
"Take a look, everyone. Apart from the Rocks Pirates, another group of pirates has emerged in the past two years and is gaining momentum on the seas. Their strength can even be said to be second only to the Rocks Pirates."
She analyzed this pirate group and felt that their threat was no less than that of the Rocks Pirates. After all, the Rocks Pirates were essentially gathered together by Rocks' powerful strength, but this Roger Pirates group's cohesion was evidently incomparable to that of the Rocks Pirates.