"Apologies for not informing you beforehand. We announced it directly to immediately calm the waves of public opinion across the seas."
The Elders felt it was necessary to give Orin a heads-up since most of the individuals involved were actually his people.
Even though Orin had already agreed and promised he would support the decision, delaying the announcement by even a single day would only cause rumors to spiral and pirates to set sail in greater numbers.
A swift response was crucial, which was why they didn't wait for Orin's confirmation.
In truth, Orin didn't care about such trivialities.
What concerned him more was the actual implementation of the Seven Warlords of the Sea system.
"There's no need for empty pleasantries, everyone. I'm not someone who worries about these things."
He paused briefly, his tone growing casual.
"However… if I remember correctly, the confirmation ceremony for the Seven Warlords is to be held at Marineford, right?"
Hearing this sudden question, the Elders exchanged subtle glances, their expressions turning slightly unusual.
"Indeed," one of them replied. "Marine Headquarters has a dedicated reception hall for this purpose."
Much like the eventual prelude to the Summit War, where the Seven Warlords would gather at Marineford for a formal dinner, there were many occasions when Mary Geoise wasn't suitable for hosting certain events.
In those cases, Marineford would take over the responsibility.
After all, they already had the manpower and facilities prepared and with Admirals stationed there permanently, there was little risk of any unexpected trouble.
"In that case… I'd like to pay a visit and take a look around. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Orin stroked his chin; he was, frankly, feeling a bit bored anyway.
The Elders didn't object in the slightest.
In fact, they welcomed the idea — as long as Orin wasn't there to cause trouble for the Marines, it was fine.
His presence might even boost the prestige and influence of the Seven Warlords as a whole.
"Then… we will inform Marine Headquarters of Orin-sama's arrival."
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
At this moment, the Marine officers were also busy preparing for the establishment of the Seven Warlords system.
After all, it involved several powerful, high-profile pirates.
Sengoku was presiding over a meeting:
"…So, this time, the Marines must be thorough — extremely thorough. The eyes of the entire world will be upon us."
However, as Sengoku's gaze swept the room, it seemed like no one was truly invested in the matter.
First, there was Zephyr. His dissatisfaction was written all over his face — understandable, considering pirates had recently destroyed his family.
Tsuru, at least, was taking things seriously.
As for Garp… Sengoku decided to skip over him entirely.
Sakazuki sat with a grim expression, the killing intent radiating from him barely contained.Letting someone like him — who hated pirates to his core — manage this event? Clearly unrealistic.
Borsalino… well, he was far too laid-back, likely to dump the workload onto his subordinates.
And Kuzan? Absolutely not.
Most of the Warlords were Orin's subordinates, and putting Kuzan in charge would be like lighting a match on a powder keg.
After thinking it over, Sengoku realized there was only one solution: he would have to handle it himself if they wanted everything to go flawlessly.
The meeting ended, and Sengoku slumped into his chair, visibly fatigued.
In the background, he could still hear his officers murmuring among themselves:
"Seriously? We're supposed to entertain pirates?"
"There's no choice — this is an order from the World Government."
"Don't tell me we'll have to sit politely while they swagger around. And we can't even lay a hand on them…"
Particularly among the higher-ranking officers, resentment was growing:
"Pirates should be eradicated. They'd better not cause trouble this time."
"Ohhh~ so scary, huh? Those are Orin's subordinates we're talking about…"
"Crack… crack… crack…"
Someone stayed silent, frost spreading from his body as the temperature in the room dropped sharply.
While many officers didn't understand the bigger picture, Sengoku — the man upholding the "Justice That Rules Over the World" — knew exactly what this represented.
The World Government planned to leverage Orin's influence to deliver a heavy, decisive blow to the morale of pirates everywhere.
"You've got it rough, Sengoku."
Tsuru remained in the office after the meeting, sipping her tea as she addressed Sengoku, who was still sorting through preparations.
"They don't understand yet, but someday they will."
"I know, Tsuru," Sengoku replied, waving dismissively.
"In times like these, when piracy is growing rampant, launching a system with seven infamous, high-profile pirates demonstrates to the entire world the strength of the World Government and the Marines."
He leaned forward, his tone solemn.
"As long as the world sees that even Orin's subordinates submit to the authority of the World Government — and that these ties are strong and coordinated…"
Sengoku's gaze sharpened.
"All I hope… is that nothing goes wrong. If the Seven Warlords system is established successfully, my achievements should be enough to secure the Fleet Admiral position."
Tsuru nodded in agreement.
In her view, Sengoku truly was the best — and only — candidate to succeed as Fleet Admiral.
Rubbing his temples, Sengoku sighed deeply.
Aside from organizing Marineford's reception work, he also had to coordinate and notify the Warlords themselves.
Taking out a Den Den Mushi, Sengoku began making calls — starting with a flamboyant flamingo wearing sunglasses.
"Fuffuffuffuffu… I know. Marineford, three days from now, right?"
"Shishishishishi… I'll be there."
"Don't worry. As long as I've got a map, this god only needs a dozen minutes to reach Marineford."
"…"
After successfully notifying several of the pirates, Sengoku hesitated for a moment, just as he was about to contact Crocodile and Mihawk.
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi rang.
Sengoku's expression stiffened instantly — he recognized this line.
It was the one the Elders had given him for direct contact.
"Moshi moshi, honored Elders!"
"Sengoku."
"Regarding preparations for the official confirmation ceremony of the Seven Warlords, how are things progressing?"
Saint Saturn was the first to speak, making a routine inquiry.
...
"Everything is proceeding smoothly," Sengoku reported.
"Marine Headquarters is notifying each of the Warlords to ensure their timely arrival…"
The Elders nodded, visibly pleased with Sengoku's efficiency.
They had no objections to him taking over Kong's position as Fleet Admiral; in fact, they were quite satisfied overall.
"There's one more matter we need to inform you of."
"Please, go ahead."
"Three days from now, during the Warlords' confirmation ceremony, Orin will also be attending. Make sure you handle things carefully."
Sengoku froze on the spot, his mind briefly blank.
Orin-sama… would be attending personally?!
Even if countless thoughts flooded his mind, Sengoku could only bow his head and reply respectfully.
This wasn't something he had any authority to oppose.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's face remained clouded.
Beside him, Tsuru had overheard everything.
"This can't be helped, Sengoku," she said gently.
She'd expected this day would come sooner or later.
"Orin is, after all, a Celestial Dragon now — and the leader of most of these Warlords.Whether officially or privately, it was only a matter of time before he visited Marineford.This isn't something we could have avoided."
Sengoku fell silent at her words, then finally nodded helplessly.
"It just feels… surreal. I still remember, years ago, when Orin came to Marineford and was repelled by the combined efforts of us old men."
"But now, only a few years later… we're preparing to welcome Orin-sama's visit to this sacred ground…"
He exhaled heavily, his voice laced with mixed emotions.
"What a turn of events…"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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