[East Blue, Upon The Great Sea]
"You two sure you've thought this through?"
Sengoku sat inside the spacious command room, staring at Garp and Kuzan who stood before him.
At his side sat Tsuru, her expression calm.
"What's there to think about? Slaughtering civilians, can you believe they'd even come up with something like that?", Garp picked at his nose, looking completely indifferent.
But looking closer into his eyes, one could see a trace of sorrow.
He had been in the Marine for decades now. How could he just leave without feeling anything?
And besides, this wasn't something they wanted themselves. It had already reached the point where they had no choice but to leave.
In just three short years, the number of times the World Government had issued a Buster Call had risen again and again.
This time, though it wasn't called a Buster Call in name, the order from above was that they destroy all the islands where Dragon had appeared.
How could they possibly carry out something like that?
"Admiral Sengoku, only by shedding this cloak of so-called justice, perhaps then can we seek true justice," Kuzan took his hands out of his pockets, slipped off the "Justice" cloak of a vice admiral from behind him, gently folded it, and placed it neatly on the command table in front of him.
In his eyes there was reluctance, determination, helplessness, sadness, and also a sliver of expectation for the future.
Leaving the Marine did not mean the end. Instead, it meant a new beginning.
Sengoku gazed at the two in front of him, falling into silence.
'Leave the Marine, huh?'
It was a bold idea, but ever since Sakazuki became a candidate for fleet admiral, the thought had suddenly appeared in his mind.
The Marine now was no longer the Marine of the past.
Roger had opened the Great Age of Pirates, and the World Government's interference in the Marine had now reached its peak.
Outwardly, the fleet admiral was Sakazuki, but everyone knew, standing behind him, Rosse was the true ruler of the Marine.
The entire Marine was now shrouded under that man's shadow.
If that man were righteous, Sengoku would never utter a word of complaint.
But unfortunately, Rosse wasn't. He was an extremely dangerous man.
A person like that in charge of the Marine would only make the Marine lose its justice completely, turning it into nothing but a tool for maintaining dominion.
The Marine was never meant to be like this.
"Tsuru, do you think I should stay, or leave with you?", Sengoku suddenly asked.
He said he would stay, but that didn't mean he was unwilling to leave. It was more that he was considering whether to stay behind as an inside agent.
With his rank as admiral, as long as he didn't do anything excessive, the World Government wouldn't do much against him.
"You won't be able to stay."
Tsuru gently shook her head, "With his style of doing things, if you stay, most likely he'll personally bring you to hunt us down, and force you to kill us one by one. Would you be willing to do something like that?"
"This...", Sengoku fell silent.
That was, indeed, very likely.
Just like this time, having Garp chase down Dragon. Only Rosse would ever issue such an order.
Otherwise, no matter which fleet admiral, none of them would do such an inhumane thing. More likely they'd have someone else carry it out.
Even for the sake of appearances, they shouldn't have involved Garp.
'No... not every fleet admiral would avoid it.'
Thinking of Sakazuki's ideals, Sengoku's face darkened further.
'That one is also a complete madman.'
"I'll leave with you," Sengoku took a deep breath, making his final decision, "Have we counted the numbers?"
As he spoke, Sengoku's gaze turned toward Tsuru.
This time when they came to hunt Dragon, they had brought only their most loyal forces, personally handpicked.
If these men were willing to go with them, of course they wouldn't be abandoned.
But if they weren't, they wouldn't force them either.
"All of them are willing to leave with us, including the governor of East Blue, Gake. Seems like our years in the Marine haven't been in vain after all."
Tsuru said cheerfully. To receive such support at the time of departure, it was proof enough that their years in the Marine had not been wasted.
"After leaving this time, we must immediately head to the New World. Only there, working with Whitebeard and moving between islands, do we have any chance of developing further," Tsuru continued.
"That's our only option," Sengoku nodded lightly.
In terms of strategy, Tsuru was far stronger than him.
As for the other two. Together they still couldn't make a whole brain, so asking them was pointless.
The World Government's grip on the Four Seas was too firm.
If they went to any inhabited island to resupply, the World Government would immediately know, and quickly arrive.
Precisely because they had lived within the system of the World Government, they understood best how terrifying it was.
"What about the families of the others on board? Who's responsible for taking them out of Marine Headquarters?", Kuzan suddenly asked.
Ever since Zephyr's incident, most Marine families had been relocated to Marine Headquarters or nearby affiliated islands.
This time, when they came to subdue Dragon, there had been no way to move their families in advance.
"They're no longer at headquarters," Sengoku frowned, "Not long ago, some Marine families were conscripted by Sakazuki, sent to the new allied kingdom, Fishman Island, to help prepare for a stationed Marine force."
"What kind of joke is this? That never happened before. Sending families to the New World, has that Akainu gone insane?"
Garp slammed his fists down on the table with a bang, eyes wide with fury. He truly hadn't known this. Otherwise he would've cursed them out long ago.
Fishman Island was in the New World.
Even if it was close to the Red Line, it wasn't a place for Marine families to be.
The Marine fought on the seas, while Headquarters sent their families to die, what kind of nonsense was that?
"Quiet! He's thought it through better than you," Sengoku shot Garp a dissatisfied glance. All these years, and he was still the same rash temperament.
If it had truly been something malignant, he would have told the others long ago. No need to wait until now.
Once Garp calmed down, Sengoku explained, "Sakazuki wants to establish a new Marine branch in the New World. This branch will be permanently stationed by two admiral-level powerhouses, with several candidates at present, but the exact location is not yet set."
"This group of people was sent ahead as the vanguard. That man allocated a huge sum for them. As soon as they reach the New World, they will receive a settlement fee of one million Berries. If a family member holds rank, then depending on the rank, the subsidy is even higher."
Hearing this, Kuzan couldn't help but say, "At least one million Berries? What's that man playing at?"
"That's not important. All Celestial Dragons are rich, and he indeed followed through. The problem is, this selection wasn't voluntary. Yet somehow, all of our crew's families were chosen," Sengoku said heavily.
Aside from Garp, the rest of them were basically loners, so they had no such concerns.
As for Garp, his family had long left the Marine, and even turned against it earlier.
But with Sakazuki and Rosse arranging things like this, the intent was already very clear.
"Isn't this clearly showing they don't trust us, trying to control people?", Garp snorted, picking his nose.
He despised such underhanded methods the most. And the World Government's people loved playing this way.
But just as Kuzan and Garp were seething with anger, Tsuru suddenly shook her head, her voice heavy, "No, things might not be that simple!"
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