The vast Marine Headquarters fell into sudden silence.
Everyone felt as if an invisible hand had gripped their hearts.
Sengoku, sensing the weight of the stares around him, found himself uncertain.
Just then, the tightly shut doors creaked open.
"Heh… What's wrong? Looks like your Marine HQ has run into a bit of trouble."
A figure in a white robe and mask strode confidently into the room.
At the sight of this uninvited guest, the hearts of the gathered Marine officers skipped a beat.
In recent days, with the Navy declaring war on two Emperors simultaneously, the pressure on HQ had been immense.
As a subordinate force of the World Government, some had already attempted to request reinforcements.
But the responses had been feeble at best.
If the World Government had truly offered full support, Sengoku—renowned as a master strategist—wouldn't be in such a bind.
Seeing the man enter, Sengoku's expression darkened. He said coldly:
"Mahā, what are you doing here? I doubt you bring good news."
At those words, the room tensed.
With only two or three days left before the Summit War, the pressure of facing two Emperors was crushing.
Even maintaining a stalemate seemed out of reach.
If there was any opening within the World Government, it would be a welcome relief.
"Heh, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, if outsiders heard you say that, they might think the World Government isn't supporting the Navy."
Mahā chuckled dryly, pulling a scroll from his robe and handing it over.
"This is a tactical proposal and support plan from the Five Elders. Take a look."
"Tactical support?" Sengoku's eyes narrowed. The sudden shift from the Five Elders caught him off guard.
He had tried multiple times to gauge their stance, even visiting Marineford repeatedly to speak with Commander-in-Chief Kong.
As the former Fleet Admiral, Sengoku believed that if Kong were willing to commit forces, they might not only avoid defeat but even overpower one of the Emperors.
But every request had been firmly rejected.
The main reason? To prevent the Revolutionary Army from exploiting the opportunity to assassinate the Celestial Dragons in Mariejois.
That excuse had been quickly endorsed by the World Nobles.
And so Sengoku's plea for reinforcements had died before it could take root—even Kong claimed he couldn't change the decision.
Now, with Mahā of CP0 appearing out of nowhere, Sengoku was clearly unsettled.
And when he unrolled the scroll, his expression changed drastically.
Garp and the others noticed the shift and leaned in. Their faces darkened as well.
"Two battlefronts? Divide our forces to split the pressure from the Emperors? Are the Five Elders insane?"
"Just facing one Emperor is enough to put us on full alert. Splitting into two fronts will only lower our chances!"
Sengoku slammed the scroll down, his voice rising in anger.
The other officers were equally shaken.
With 100,000 troops and over a hundred elite commanders, they already felt overwhelmed facing Whitebeard alone.
If they truly split into two fronts—who would go to the second battlefield?
No—more accurately, anyone sent away from Marineford would be walking into certain death.
All eyes turned to Mahā, filled with urgency.
He chuckled again, unfazed by the stares.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you're being too harsh."
"The Five Elders are doing this to prevent Marine HQ from collapsing under the pressure of two Emperors. If that happened, the Navy would become a laughingstock."
"By dividing the battlefield, we can lure Whitebeard and Kaido to separate locations. That way, they won't join forces. If we can defeat one quickly, we can reinforce the other front and catch them off guard—maybe even wipe them both out."
His low, amused voice echoed through the hall.
But to the others, it sounded like a death sentence.
CRACK!
Sengoku crushed his teacup in his hand.
As a strategist, he had considered many scenarios—including splitting the battlefield.
But no matter how he simulated it, the outcome was always the same.
He glared at Mahā, who had barged in and started issuing orders like he owned the place.
"Mahā, it's easy to talk big. But facing two Emperors, splitting our forces—where exactly is this second battlefield?"
"We don't even know when we'll defeat Whitebeard. And now you want us to divide our strength without any reinforcements?"
"Go back and ask the Five Elders for a list. Let's see who they want to send to die."
"If the World Government has no real intention of helping, then they don't get to dictate how we fight this war."
The officers were stunned by Sengoku's bluntness.
But he wasn't wrong.
Marineford had already been designated as the site for Ace's public execution.
That meant the Whitebeard Pirates were guaranteed to attack here.
The top priority was to defend this location—with the Fleet Admiral and Admirals stationed here.
So who would be left to face Kaido?
Even if the second front's only goal was to stall for time, who could guarantee it wouldn't fall before reinforcements arrived?
The idea of a "second battlefield" now felt like a death sentence.
The officers had accepted the possibility of sacrifice—but not of being sent to die in vain.
Rather than splitting their forces and being picked off one by one…
Most of them now believed: better to fight on one front, head-on.
At least then, they could die with honor.
Tension gripped the room.
Everyone stared at Mahā, hoping—desperately—for a change in the plan.