In the highest conference room of the Marine Headquarters.
At this moment, the silence was absolute.
Even their breathing was barely audible.
Whether it was Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the three Admirals Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino, or even the Director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Victor Seiji, and the hero Garp, they all seemed to hold their breath.
after all.
No one expected that what was supposed to be a discussion, or rather, a meeting to announce Rosen's promotion to Admiral, would escalate into a matter of world order and destiny due to Sengoku's defiant stance and Rosen's assertiveness.
Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
Whether we were prepared or not, it has already happened.
There are essentially two scenarios now facing us.
It was the independence of the Marine that made justice pure, and then the Marine Headquarters transformed from a direct agency of the World Government into a force that could engage in dialogue with the World Government on an equal footing.
Or perhaps a full-scale conflict erupted between the Marine Headquarters and the World Government, shattering the world order.
Everything was revealed at this meeting.
Time was ticking away, second by second.
The Five Elders remained silent for a full ten minutes, without uttering a word.
However, no one urged them on.
After all, no matter what choice is made, it is a decision that could affect the fate of the world.
Five more minutes passed.
The deathly silence of the power hall, which was so profound that you could hear a pin drop, was finally broken.
"We are not backing down, it's just that you chose the Marine."
"So, this time we will stand by your side."
"However, the matter of Zephyr shall end here."
"Do you understand?"
"The Shinigami".
"Rosen."
He pondered for a long time.
Finally, the elder of the Five Elders, Saint Warcury, broke the silence and gave their answer.
A simple statement: We stand by your side.
One line: Death Admiral.
Any answer would mean that the Five Elders have backed down.
Even though Saint Warcury's first words emphasized that they had not backed down, everyone present understood and was familiar with the Five Elders' character and style.
That's the truth.
He violated the taboo of the Celestial Dragons by using the name of God as his codename as an admiral.
The Five Elders backed down.
To prevent the World Government from interfering in the affairs of the Marine Headquarters, and to declare the independence of the Marine Headquarters to the World Government in a dignified manner.
The Five Elders also backed down.
The Admiral cannot force the supreme ruler of the world government to back down.
Even a Marine admiral cannot force the supreme ruler of the world government to back down.
But the Marine king is above Admirals, Fleet Admirals, and emperors.
Can.
That's the weight of Rosen.
This is an influence that only an existence surpassing the Great Buddha Sengoku and the Hero Garp possesses.
Snap
After the Five Elders made the decision to back down and acknowledge that Rosen was qualified to hold the Admiral codename "Shinigami," they ceased participating in the highest-level meetings of the Marine Headquarters via video call.
Once a move is made, there's no going back.
Firstly, I feel that this decision is detrimental to the dignity of the world government's supreme ruler and also undermines the Celestial Dragons' supreme authority.
Secondly, as just announced, they will no longer interfere in the affairs of the Marine Headquarters, at least not openly.
Then there's no need to continue participating in the meeting.
Anyway, they will find out everything about the meeting through other channels and methods.
They lost both face and substance.
Instead of continuing to embarrass ourselves, we should focus on the present and plan for the future.
"The Five Elders have actually backed down."
Sengoku stared blankly at the video call that had ended, his eyes slightly dazed, his expression as if he had just woken up from a dream.
As the Fleet Admiral of the Marine, he was well aware of just how powerful the Five Elders were.
Over the years, he had never seen the Five Elders back down.
Not even once.
At least publicly, they have not backed down.
When it comes to the dignity of the World Government, the face of the Celestial Dragons, or even the justice of the Marine Headquarters, they will trample on it at will.
Just as the other party said.
The Marine is nothing more than a facade for the world government.
But now, Rosen has trampled on the Celestial Dragons' dignity and the World Government's authority right in front of the Five Elders, and even brazenly seized the Marine Headquarters, a subordinate organization.
The Five Elders' decision was...
To yield.
Then, he stood next to Rosen.
"Ah la la la la la".
"Even though I saw it with my own eyes, I still find it unbelievable!"
"The Marine and justice can actually be completely independent."
Kuzan leaned back in his chair, his face a mixture of surprise and delight, yet his heart felt as if it were a dream.
The main problem is that all of this happened so suddenly.
Suddenly, without any warning or preparation, the Marine Headquarters became independent.
Justice for all people will no longer be subject to the jurisdiction of the world government, thus avoiding corruption.
"I see."
"Rosen."
"Is this why you insisted on taking on the Four Emperors' pirate crews one-on-one back then?!"
At this moment.
Through the video call, Sakazuki noticed that everyone looked shocked, except for Rosen, who remained calm.
It seemed as if they had expected this to happen.
A thought struck him, connecting Rosen's earlier decision to challenge the Four Emperors one-on-one with the Five Elders' decision.
What was originally untrue suddenly became reasonable and well-founded.
Upon hearing Sakazuki's words, everyone in the conference room turned to look at Rosen.
"That's one of them!"
"Secondly, I want to assess the strength of the Four Emperors' pirate crews."
"And my own share."
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Rosen nodded slightly:
"If the Four Emperors' influence exceeds my expectations, then the independence of the Marine Headquarters will have to be postponed."
"On the contrary, there is no need for the Marine and justice to continue to be controlled by the World Government."
"No matter what kind of justice it is, no matter how steadfast the Marine is, living under the control of the world government will eventually corrupt both the Marine and justice."
After listening, everyone was deeply moved and expressed their strong agreement.
"Sure!"
"Sengoku, I didn't expect you to have such a long-term vision, seeing through Rosen's intentions so early on."
"That's why we used this combination of moves against him, launching an attack on the Five Elders by using Shinigami as Rosen's codename for his Admiral, catching those five old guys completely unprepared."
"This time, even I have to admit defeat."
Garp looked at Sengoku in the conference room, his voice full of admiration.
"As expected of you."
"The Sengoku".
Tsuru also looked at the Sengoku with a look of amazement.
However,
Faced with Garp and Tsuru's praise, Sengoku showed an unusual shyness.
What kind of expression is that?
Are you shy?
Is it really necessary?
"This isn't the first time we've complimented you."
Seeing that Sengoku was acting all coy, Zephyr couldn't help but ask.
"Although I felt very comfortable with Garp and Tsuru's flattery, the truth is, how could I have such foresight to see Rosen's intentions in advance?"
Although he was a little embarrassed, he still chose to tell the truth.
"ah?"
Upon hearing Sengoku's words, not only Garp and Zephyr, but also the high-ranking Marine officers present stared at Sengoku in astonishment.
After all, in their minds, the Sengoku was known as a wise Admiral.
With such a long-term vision and outstanding mind, it's quite normal for him to work with Rosen.
"If you didn't see through Rosen's purpose, then why did you use Shinigami as Rosen's codename for his Admiral?"
Garp was stunned.
"Although I am the Fleet Admiral, there is actually very little I can do when facing the Five Elders."
"The Zephyr affair, the Five Elders' filth."
"As a Fleet Admiral, this is all I can do."
Sengoku first glanced at Zephyr, then looked apologetic and spoke in an ashamed tone.
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
They all understood the meaning of the Sengoku.
Sengoku was furious about the Five Elders concealing the truth about the murder of Zephyr's family, which led to his act of confronting the Five Elders during the meeting.
...
POWERSTONE! POWERSTONE! POWERSTONE!! 🔥🔥🔥