"Come back, Sengoku!"
"Hawke is the hope of the new generation of Marines, that's true!"
"But if you keep him locked up here at Headquarters, how is he supposed to grow?!"
Tsuru's voice wasn't loud, but it made Sengoku slam on the brakes.
"What he wants is to cleanse the seas of sin and slaughter, not sit in the Fleet Admiral's office sorting through paperwork!"
"If you force him to stay here now, you'll only wear down his edge… and crush his future!"
"..."
Sengoku fell silent.
Of course, he knew Tsuru was right.
But still...
"Tsuru…!"
Sengoku's chest rose and fell violently, his voice carrying restrained emotion.
"That brat Hawke!"
"His strength, I don't even need to explain!"
"Physique, Haki, combat instinct — he has no weaknesses!"
"That alone would already be astonishing, but…"
"He also has the mind for it — a top-tier strategic mind!"
"He was just promoted to Commodore, and yet he can already read the tides of this sea more clearly than many veteran Vice Admirals!"
"Yonko, Shichibukai, Revolutionary Army… his analysis is sharp, thorough, and spot-on!"
"How many years has it been since the Marines had a talent like this?!"
"I'm scared, Tsuru!"
"I'm scared that one mistake out there… and he'll be gone!"
"Even Vice Admirals at the Branch Commander level have fallen on the Grand Line before — it's not unheard of!"
He paced irritably across the office, then finally slumped back into his Fleet Admiral's chair, his tone heavy with worry over losing such rare talent.
"..."
Tsuru listened quietly, then spoke softly: "Sengoku, I understand your concern."
"With Hawke's strength, he doesn't need to worry about ordinary pirates."
"As long as the emperors of the New World themselves don't make a move, the chance of the Navy's hope being snuffed out is slim."
Her tone shifted slightly. "But you're right — the forces around him are a bit thin."
"Most of the people he brought from East Blue's 16th Branch are ordinary soldiers."
"They're spirited, yes, and loyal enough."
"But in a place like the Grand Line…"
"That force isn't solid enough. It can't support the G-3 Branch as a strategic stronghold."
"..."
"So, Tsuru, you mean…?"
"Hawke's current rank is Headquarters Commodore, and for now, he can't be promoted further."
"We also can't just send a Rear Admiral or Vice Admiral to G-3 directly. That would break protocol and stir up unnecessary criticism."
"However, we can transfer some elite forces below Commodore rank to reinforce G-3, to bolster his wings."
"Hmm… go on."
Tsuru raised two fingers.
"Headquarters Captain Smoker."
"Headquarters Petty Officer Tashigi."
Tina — back when she was a Lieutenant Commander.
"..."
Sengoku blinked in surprise.
Tsuru continued calmly: "That brat Smoker is a genuine Logia user, with a strong sense of justice. He's crossed paths with Hawke before in East Blue — they know each other somewhat."
"Placing him under Hawke's command will strengthen G-3's combat power and also give Hawke a chance to polish Smoker into something greater."
"As for Tashigi… she's also one of Headquarters' standout Petty Officers — clear-headed, efficient, and decisive."
"Her addition won't just help Hawke, but also balance the overall strength structure of G-3."
"And more importantly…"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's gaze swept over Sengoku, her tone carrying deeper meaning.
"Hawke, Smoker, and Tashigi — they represent the new generation of the Marines."
"Giving them more opportunities to work together and mesh as a unit will benefit their growth and the Navy's long-term plans alike."
"Huuhhh—"
Sengoku let out a long breath after listening.
"Alright!"
"That settles it."
Once his mind was made up, Sengoku's decisiveness returned in full.
He grabbed the pen from the desk, its nib scratching rapidly across the Fleet Admiral's directive.
Headquarters Captain Smoker and Tashigi, along with their respective subordinates, were to be fully reassigned under G-3 Branch.
"One brand-new battleship isn't enough!"
Sengoku muttered to himself as he wrote, "Make it three!"
"Three large battleships — expand that to five!"
"And add ten medium-sized warships!"
Finally, Sengoku pressed his pen down hard, staring at the written order.
With this, G-3 Branch's military power would surpass any other Marine branch.
Yet even with all this, Sengoku still felt… it wasn't enough.
He suddenly yanked open the bottom drawer of his desk and retrieved something wrapped in velvet from deep within.
Unfolding the cloth revealed a golden Den Den Mushi, its shell reflecting dazzling light beneath the lamp.
"..."
For the first time, Tsuru's eyes showed clear surprise.
"Do we really need to resort to that?"
Her voice carried a rare solemnity.
"If we've decided to give Hawke external support, then we'll go all the way."
"After that… the rest is up to him."
Sengoku cradled the golden Den Den Mushi in his palm as though holding the Marines' future itself.
"Haahhh—"
Tsuru glanced at him and suddenly chuckled softly.
There was both relief and nostalgia in her smile.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you this decisive, Sengoku."
This was a Fleet Admiral-level Buster Call — its authority was three times that of an Admiral-level Buster Call.
Once activated…
Thirty Headquarters battleships and fifteen Vice Admirals would mobilize!
Since its creation, this order had never been used.
But this time, Sengoku had decided… to grant it to Hawke.
The new directive was swiftly issued. Sengoku stood by the window, gazing down at orderly, majestic Marineford, murmuring to himself.
"Hawke, you brat… don't disappoint this old man."
...
Marine Headquarters — Senior Officers' Mess Hall.
Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows stretched Marineford's endless blue horizon.
The tables were covered with pristine white cloth, and silver utensils gleamed under the morning light.
On the plate before Hawke lay a tender slice of Sea King tenderloin, perfectly juicy and glistening.
Beside him, Aokiji was lazily working on a plate of pancakes drizzled with fruit syrup, a steaming cup of coffee sitting nearby.
"Hawke-san!"
A bright, cheerful voice called out.
Hawke turned and saw Hibari jogging over, holding a small wooden box in her arms.
The girl's cheeks were flushed pink from running.
"Hibari, good morning. Have you eaten?"
"I did… but I could eat a little more."
Hibari's eyes darted toward the Sea King tenderloin on Hawke's plate, and she stuck out her tongue shyly.
"Hah—"
Hawke chuckled and pulled out the chair beside him.
Hibari slipped into the seat and pushed the small wooden box forward.
"By the way, father said to give you this."
Setting down his knife and fork, Hawke curiously took the box.
When he opened it, inside lay a Den Den Mushi made entirely of gold.
"..."
Hawke froze slightly.
A Buster Call?!
This thing… he just got one from Kuzan a moment ago.
And now… Admiral Akainu had sent him another?
Don't tell me… there's more coming?!