In the captain's cabin, William retrieved the decoded and translated letter from the last of his officers present. The atmosphere was tense as each person's expression revealed their divergent thoughts on the grave matter at hand.
Tony broke the silence first. "We're talking about Golden Lion Shiki—a man who once stood as an equal to the Pirate King Roger himself. Even in his advanced years, he remains a formidable opponent. We've never even ventured into the Grand Line; how could we possibly stand against such a legend?"
"So Harden's torture was meaningless?" Edmond shot back, his voice sharp with indignation. "And those who died aboard our ship—their lives count for nothing?"
"That's not what I meant," Tony frowned, his brow furrowing. "I'm suggesting we employ the same strategy we used against Barbarossa—feign submission, pledge allegiance to Shiki's banner, and patiently wait for the perfect moment to usurp his empire from within."
Before Edmond could launch another retort, Dampier shook his head and interjected: "This situation bears little resemblance to our confrontation with Barbarossa. According to Kuro's intelligence, Shiki harbors profound contempt for East Blue natives. His interest in recruiting Harden—or even William—stems purely from pragmatic considerations. He desires a seamless transition of power over our assets—the shipyards, Four Seas Trading Company, Flash Gold Bank, and other holdings. He wishes to avoid destabilizing these enterprises."
Dampier continued, his analysis cutting to the heart of the matter: "Before arriving, he specifically recalled former lieutenants to bolster his forces in this region. Your proposed submission would play perfectly into his hands, providing him with both the pretext and opportunity to appropriate everything we've built. William might retain some ceremonial position in Shiki's hierarchy, but he would be effectively neutralized. As for the rest of us—" he gestured around the room, "—we would be discarded according to Shiki's whims."
Edmond couldn't resist a contemptuous glance at Tony. "If we did surrender, you'd likely be among the first deemed expendable."
The animosity between Edmond and Tony was longstanding. Despite both being high-ranking officers from Maple Leaf Village, they had never developed any rapport. What particularly rankled Edmond were recent rumors that Tony had been organizing exclusive gatherings for officers with Maple Leaf Village origins—a transparent attempt at faction-building that Edmond viewed as both petty and dangerously shortsighted.
"You—!" Tony's complexion darkened at the public humiliation.
William, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, raised his hand in a subtle gesture for restraint. Tony immediately checked his anger, and all eyes turned expectantly toward their leader.
"Golden Lion Shiki seized one of our vessels without warning, executed our people, and now seeks to appropriate everything we've painstakingly constructed," William stated, his measured tone belying the gravity of his words. His penetrating gaze swept across each officer present. "If we continue to absorb such provocations silently, he will perceive us merely as clay to be molded or crushed at his discretion."
William's fingers drummed lightly on the polished table surface. "Should this pattern persist, our leverage will steadily diminish, and with it, our chances of successful resistance. Each advance of theirs will force our retreat—step after inexorable step—until we find ourselves cornered with no escape route. The stark reality confronting us is this: despite the vastness of the East Blue, we have nowhere left to retreat."
A profound silence descended upon the room. Even those who had initially opposed direct confrontation with Shiki, including Tony, now stared downward in contemplation.
William harbored no resentment toward Tony for his perspective. Indeed, through William's leadership and personal strength, he had forged remarkable cohesion among officers of vastly different temperaments.
As William had once confided to Koushirou, finding companions of similar disposition was merely fortune's gift, but unifying individuals of contrasting characters required genuine skill.
His officers represented diverse backgrounds and personalities—they were not automatons programmed for uniform responses. Disagreement was inevitable, even healthy.
"Therefore, our discussion must focus not on whether to fight," William declared, tapping his index finger deliberately against the table to recapture everyone's attention, "but rather on how we fight."
Sherlock, who had remained thoughtfully quiet, retrieved Kuro's letter from William's desk and scanned it again. "According to Kuro's intelligence, Shiki commands substantial forces—his original crew, recently recalled veterans, and troops stationed across numerous floating islands beyond Merveille. Factor in the engineered beasts we'll likely encounter, and it's clear we'll need to mobilize significant manpower ourselves."
"And the battlefield?" Dampier inquired pragmatically. "Do we engage them on land? At sea? Or..." he gestured skyward, "in the aerial domain?"
"We'll bring the fight to their territory," William responded without hesitation. "A conflict on our soil would reduce everything we've built to ashes. With our hot air balloons and airships, we're well-equipped for aerial combat."
"That would require a considerable fleet of aeronautical vessels," Sherlock noted, adjusting his spectacles. "We cannot predict when Shiki will strike, nor how much preparation time we'll have. Our factories must operate around the clock—every moment is precious."
"I intend to issue a mobilization declaration through the newspapers," William announced. "Shiki threatens not merely our organization but the entire East Blue. Its inhabitants deserve to know this truth and bear responsibility for defending their homeland."
Notably, no one mentioned how Kuro had persuaded Shiki to abandon his plans for East Blue's destruction in favor of conquering it instead.
Aramis moistened his lips thoughtfully. "Should we deploy the Fifth Division of Public Affairs for the propaganda campaign?"
William nodded decisively. "Absolutely. At minimum, East Blue citizens should know who stands between them and annihilation."
"Won't such public mobilization attract unwanted attention?" Sherlock questioned, massaging his temples. "The World Government and Marine Headquarters will surely take notice."
"Which is precisely why we must prepare not only to confront Golden Lion Shiki but also for the worst-case scenario—fighting alongside Marine forces," William explained. Noting the concern evident on several officers' faces, he elaborated: "Currently, the powers that genuinely threaten World Government hegemony are concentrated within the Grand Line. They cannot afford to divert substantial forces to the East Blue—historically their least problematic sea. Yet neither will they dispatch token resistance. It's a battle we can win, and one we must win."
William's voice hardened with conviction. "We cannot indefinitely avoid World Government scrutiny. This principle guides us: strike decisively once to prevent a hundred retaliatory blows."
"The East Blue is universally regarded as the weakest of the four seas. Without this decisive confrontation, figures like Shiki will emerge with increasing frequency. Moreover, at present, we neither possess the intention nor capability to challenge World Government supremacy. This battle will demonstrate to both the World Government and Marine Headquarters that negotiation with us promises greater efficiency than all-out suppression."
William withheld certain strategic considerations from his officers. In the absolute worst scenario—if the World Government and Marines irrationally diverted their primary forces from the Grand Line, Mariejois, and headquarters to crush William's organization—he would initiate a protracted guerrilla campaign throughout the East Blue. Such a campaign would continue until anti-government factions within the Grand Line capitalized on the power vacuum, forcing the World Government and Marines to withdraw from the East Blue to address more pressing threats.
This contingency explained William's insistence on newspaper propaganda—guerrilla warfare required popular support as its foundation.
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