With Xayuki's calm proclamation, "The tides of attack and defense have turned," the globally anticipated live broadcast came to an end.
Those who heard his words through the broadcast or its retransmissions—be it the Revolutionary Army, the various factions of the Grand Line, or even the Chamber of Authority and Flower Room in Pangaea Castle—were left scratching their heads in confusion.
The reason was simple. Despite the ever-intensifying Great Pirate Era and the increasing number of pirates, the Marines had always been the aggressors. Whenever pirates were spotted, the Marines would immediately launch a pursuit.
Most pirates, especially in the first half of the Grand Line, known as Paradise, would avoid direct confrontation with the Marines at all costs. Their first instinct was to flee as far as possible.
This meant that the Marines had always been on the offensive. So, when Xayuki declared that "the tides of attack and defense have turned," did he mean the Marines would now adopt a defensive stance? Would they simply guard their bases and headquarters, allowing pirates to pillage and plunder the Grand Line?
Holy Land, Pangaea Castle - Chamber of Authority
After the broadcast ended, the Five Elders sat in silence, exchanging puzzled glances.
The Financial God of War, Izanbaron, who always carried a katana, was the first to break the silence. "What exactly did Xayuki mean by his final words?"
The Judicial God of War, Topman, pondered for a moment before waving his hand dismissively. "While I don't fully understand, it's certainly not what we're imagining. Instead of making wild guesses here, let's wait and see what he does next. One thing is clear: since Imu-sama has chosen to let him act freely, we should refrain from interfering. Angering Xayuki is one thing, but upsetting Imu-sama... I trust you all understand the consequences."
After a brief pause, Topman shifted his gaze to the Agricultural God of War, Shepherd Ju Peter, and the Environmental God of War, Marcus Mars, with a resigned expression. "You two should prepare yourselves. Sengoku and Zephyr have already arrived in the Holy Land."
Upon hearing this, both Shepherd and Marcus showed a flicker of discontent in their eyes, but they stood up decisively and left without hesitation.
Watching the two leave the Chamber of Authority, Topman turned his attention back to their empty seats and spoke to himself. "Once our subordinates, now equals. Izanbaron, Saturn... have you two thought about how you'll deal with them?"
World Government Headquarters - Supreme Commander's Office
In the Supreme Commander's office, Kong sat alongside Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru, watching the live broadcast to its conclusion.
Letting out a long sigh, Kong turned to Sengoku and Zephyr. After a moment of hesitation, he reminded them, "You two should head to the Chamber of Authority now."
"Not so fast, not so fast~"
Sengoku, holding a box of rice crackers in his arms, waved his hand dismissively. "We're Five Elders now. What's the rush? Let Topman and the others wait for us! Back when I was Fleet Admiral, every time I wanted to meet with them, they'd always make me wait. Now that we're equals, it's only fair they get a taste of their own medicine!"
"Speaking of which—"
Sengoku tossed a rice cracker into his mouth and turned to Zephyr with a grin. "I have to thank you, Zephyr, for taking in such an excellent student! With a student like Xayuki, what more could a teacher ask for? Hahaha!"
Zephyr ignored Sengoku's teasing, but the expression on his face betrayed his inner thoughts.
Indeed, both Sengoku and Zephyr had benefited from Xayuki's rise.
Of course, becoming a Five Elder was of little importance to Zephyr. What truly mattered to him was that Xayuki had addressed his long-standing grievance shortly after taking office. Not only had Xayuki captured the pirate who had attacked the Marine Cadet Ship years ago, but he had also publicly executed him.
With this burden lifted, Zephyr had initially planned to continue serving as an instructor at Marine Headquarters, helping Xayuki train the next generation of outstanding Marine officers. However, Xayuki had instead pushed him into the position of Five Elder.
Zephyr understood the reasoning behind Xayuki's decision. For the sake of his most promising student, he couldn't afford to falter now. He needed to stand as a pillar in the Holy Land, supporting Xayuki's larger plans.
"Hey, don't ignore me!"
Garp, still wrapped in bandages, suddenly spoke up, his voice filled with frustration. "Zephyr only taught Xayuki for a short time in the Marine Cadet Training Camp. After he left, I took care of him just as much. By that logic, I'm practically half his teacher too. So why is Sengoku the one benefiting from this? Shouldn't it be me and Zephyr rotating as Five Elders?"
Sengoku retorted sharply, "If we're going to compare, you and Zephyr should both take a back seat to Tsuru! Isn't that right, Tsuru?"
Turning to Vice Admiral Tsuru, who sat quietly beside Kong, Sengoku continued with a smirk. "Others might not know, but Garp, Zephyr, and I are well aware. All these years, you've been treating Xayuki like a grandson-in-law!"
"That's right! I almost forgot about that!"
Garp, seizing the opportunity, snatched a rice cracker from Sengoku's box and asked curiously, "How's Peacock doing? Is she still in the Sharp Blade Unit? She could return to Headquarters now. After all, rumors about her and Xayuki have been circulating for years. Even if they're just rumors, we could always turn them into reality! Ahahahaha!"
"You two old fools!"
Tsuru shot them a glare and scolded, "Stop bringing up things that shouldn't be mentioned!"
"Enough!"
Kong, seated at the Supreme Commander's desk, glanced at Tsuru, then at Sengoku and Garp, before finally fixing his gaze on Zephyr. With a stern expression, he declared, "One man's rise, and all of you benefit! What am I now, an outsider?"
The room fell silent.
For a moment, the four of them stared at Kong in surprise.
"Pffft—Haha! Someone's feeling left out!"
Sengoku couldn't hold back his laughter. Grabbing the box of rice crackers, he called out to Zephyr, "What are you waiting for, Zephyr? Let's go!"
As Sengoku and Zephyr left the office, the room grew quiet once more.
Tsuru glanced at Kong, then at Garp, her expression serious. "Based on the intelligence I've gathered, Kazha had deep ties with Kaido. By publicly executing Edward Weevil and then beheading Kazha in front of the entire world, Xayuki has undoubtedly set the stage for a new war."
"My impression of Xayuki is that he's not simply trying to establish himself as a ruthless Fleet Admiral through this broadcast. He intends to completely dismantle the current balance of power!"
Kong nodded in agreement. "His final words about the tides of attack and defense weren't directed at the pirate forces in the first half of the Grand Line. They were a warning to the Four Emperors in the New World."
"Over the years, the Whitebeard Pirates have expanded their territory, even bringing the Ryugu Kingdom under their protection. While Kaido has remained entrenched in Wano Country, his Beasts Pirates have significantly influenced the surrounding nations. Charlotte Linlin and her Big Mom Pirates have expanded outward from Whole Cake Island, establishing a kingdom spanning dozens of islands. Even the newly ascended Red Hair Pirates quickly claimed territory after rising to power."
"In contrast, the Marines have virtually no control in the New World due to the growing strength of the Four Emperors. Only the First Branch remains as a foothold."
Hearing Kong's analysis, Tsuru stood up decisively and addressed Garp. "Garp, forget about retiring for now. Xayuki will undoubtedly need us old-timers in the coming days. From what I know of him, he won't sit idly at Headquarters like Sengoku did. If he leads the Marine fleet into battle, Headquarters can't afford to be left shorthanded."
"Let's go. Back to Headquarters."
"What?! I just got here!" Garp protested, his eyes widening in disbelief.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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