Chapter 103: The Aftermath Continues
Marine Headquarters - Marineford.
Marine HQ High-Level Conference Room.
A meeting that had lasted for two days came to a close. The sealed doors opened with a crisp sound. One by one, high-ranking officers in suits and "Justice" capes, each exuding the aura of a powerhouse, walked out.
These famous flag officers, who held sway over the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, now had grave expressions. They left in silence, disappearing around the corner. Their faces were written with gloom, for all to see their worry for the future.
A moment later, a man in a light blue suit with a head of black, curly hair stepped out of the conference room. He yawned and headed down the corridor toward the military port. At the same time, his warship received its orders. One by one, soldiers emerged from the taverns of Marineford and hurried to the ship. The logistics department quickly moved weapons and ammunition from the armory, preparing to transport the cannonballs to the warship in the shortest possible time.
After the tall, curly-haired man had disappeared down the corridor, Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Marine Hero Garp also emerged from the conference room. Under the respectful and adoring gazes of the officers, the two walked side-by-side down the wide corridor.
Marine Hero Garp had shed his usual unreliable demeanor. He frowned slightly, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "It's only been a few years, and he's already defeated the armed forces of those guys? As I thought, that little brat will become a great enemy of the Marines."
Although Garp had known that something like this would happen one day back when he failed to find Louis a few years ago, this incident had come too quickly. It was so fast that even Garp, who had lived through the rise of Charlotte Linlin, was caught somewhat off guard. The method he had found to possibly eliminate Louis after their battle had gradually lost its meaning.
The fact that Louis could defeat that Cabanha with an absolute advantage meant that his Haki had already grown to a considerably high level. In this situation, even the power of a Paramecia user would find it difficult to affect him. The Marines didn't have many special Paramecia users, and the World Government's answer was that the ones they had hadn't grown up yet. This meant that the plan to kill Louis with a special Paramecia user had failed before it even began.
Louis no longer had a weakness in his Haki. The strategy had shifted from "can be defeated by a special Paramecia user" to "can possibly be defeated only after his stamina and Haki are completely depleted." But what was the success rate of that? No one knew.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face was grim, his heart heavy. Ever since Roger had played them before his death and started the Great Pirate Era, the number of pirates had rapidly increased to an unimaginable degree. The pressure on the Marines in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line had increased dramatically, and they had gradually lost their grip on the New World.
Furthermore, a large number of talented young people emerged from the pirate side every year. In contrast, the number of talented young people in the Marines had been dwindling in the past decade, and they were relying entirely on a few middle-aged and elderly powerhouses to hold the line. An embarrassing situation of having no successors had appeared, which filled Sengoku, as the Fleet Admiral, with deep worry.
After a long while, Sengoku stopped in front of a window and quietly looked down at the new recruits training with great passion below. He muttered to himself in a somewhat uncomprehending tone, "Why don't we Marines have as many gifted individuals as the pirates? Does the great treasure that Roger spoke of really hold such an attraction?"
But soon, the trace of bewilderment on Sengoku's face was swept away, replaced once again by firm determination. "No matter what, order must be restored to the seas. The chaos that Roger expanded must be set right."
In the depths of the New World, Whole Cake Island.
The great pirate at the pinnacle of the world, Charlotte Linlin, sat high on her throne, her hands gripping the armrests as she sternly reprimanded her children below.
"You still haven't found any trace of Dorry and Brogy?"
"They are the legends of the giant race! Once I get them on my ship, with their prestige, I can definitely win over the giants of the world's number one powerhouse nation!!"
"My Totto Land is only missing the giant race, the Buccaneer race, and the Lunarian race!!"
To this, the many干部 (executives) of the Charlotte Family in the hall all lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at their mother's face, which held a hint of simmering rage. This included even Charlotte Snack, one of the Four Sweet Commanders. He knew that when it came to the only three rare races missing from Totto Land, Mama would become more and more radical, and terrifying.
In the end, it was the second son of the Charlotte Family, Katakuri, who stepped forward and replied in a deep voice. "Mama, our people have already set up a considerable number of lookouts at the entrance to the New World. As soon as Dorry the Blue Ogre and Brogy the Red Ogre appear, we will definitely be able to spot them. With their size and ship, it's impossible for them to hide at sea."
Charlotte Linlin heard him, and her expression softened considerably, but her eyes were still blazing as she shouted, "You'd better not disappoint me! Otherwise..." Charlotte Linlin's gaze became extremely terrifying. It passed over Katakuri and fell on her other children.
"You know the consequences!"
"Yes, Mama!" Hearing her words, a chill ran down their spines. They dared not defy their mother's will.
Charlotte Linlin gave a cold laugh, temporarily letting her children off the hook, and turned to look at her second son and eldest son.
"Hey, Perospero, Katakuri! Has that little brat whose bounty shot up to 1.8 billion entered the New World yet? I'm really looking forward to our meeting~"
"A little brat who reached that level at such a young age... it reminds me of when I was young." A hint of memory flashed in Charlotte Linlin's eyes. That little brat named Louis was definitely the same as her. He was a being born strong!!
If she could bind him to her faction, she could defeat Kaido, and even Whitebeard! Moreover, he was also connected to the giant race. She could use him to bring the giants under her command as well. At that time, she would sweep through the New World, ascend to the highest throne on the sea, and even rule the world!
To this, Perospero's body froze. A few drops of sweat appeared on his forehead, and even the tongue hanging in front of him trembled slightly. "Ma-Mama, that guy named Louis has not yet appeared. As soon as he enters the New World, Katakuri and I will immediately go and invite him to Whole Cake Island with your will."
Charlotte Linlin lowered her eyes, staring straight at her eldest son. This action made Perospero break out in a cold sweat, his pupils trembling violently.
However, the next moment, Charlotte Linlin spoke with deep meaning. "Just the two of you? That's not enough. Take your sisters with you. And remember to be polite to our esteemed guest."
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