Sakazuki's shock was entirely understandable. What he was hearing was downright absurd.
If Ortoren merely commanded an army of 280,000 ground troops, Sakazuki wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest. He probably wouldn't even have bothered reacting.
Take the desert nation of Alabasta as an example.
Alabasta's standing Royal Army numbered a staggering 600,000 soldiers.
Was that force large? Absolutely.
Because of that, Alabasta was known worldwide as a "military powerhouse." Yet in reality, the Marines had never truly taken Alabasta seriously.
Why?
Because all of that manpower belonged to the army.
In this world, armies and the Marines were two entirely different concepts. You might be able to support an army of a million men, but sustaining even a hundred thousand Marines was another matter altogether.
For a ground army, all you needed was to keep them fed, hand them a blade, and train them for a week. At the current level of society, that was more than enough to produce an ordinary soldier.
Moreover, the world's geography was dominated by seas and islands. Most nations existed on isolated islands, and typically, a single ruling power controlled each one. As a result, so-called national armies had almost no real combat experience, at best limited to internal security operations.
Alabasta was a perfect example. Its 600,000 troops were stationed across its vast territory to guard cities. Without rebellions or extraordinary incidents, how much real combat experience could they possibly accumulate?
The entire Sandy Island was home to only one nation: Alabasta. Its army had no capacity for external warfare and could only conduct internal suppression and policing.
That was why, once turmoil broke out, Alabasta's so-called 600,000-strong army, despite having slightly better equipment, was hardly more experienced than the peasant rebel forces it faced. Defeat followed defeat. The "military powerhouse" was pushed all the way back to its capital and came perilously close to total collapse.
And throughout all of this, Crocodile never once personally entered the battlefield.
In this world, turning an ordinary person into a basic infantryman required little more than a weapon, enough food to keep them strong, and the ability to swing that blade. Improve them further by issuing armor, and they could already be called elite infantry.
But turning an ordinary person into an elite Marine was a completely different matter. It required repeated participation in real battlefield engagements, advanced weapons and equipment, warships capable of carrying them into battle at sea, and sufficient logistical support such as ammunition and supplies.
The cost of cultivating Marines was something no ground army could ever compare to.
That was why Sakazuki was so shaken.
Ortoren, relying solely on his own resources, was able to sustain 200,000 elite Marines at the New World frontline level. How could that not be terrifying?
If those numbers were applied to a ground army instead, the fact that Ortoren could support 200,000 Marines meant he could support at least two million soldiers on land. Even a ten-to-one ratio was a conservative estimate.
These thoughts churned through Sakazuki's mind.
But the meeting continued regardless.
After Hina finished her briefing on the New World Marines, Momonga tapped the table and spoke.
"Based on the Admiral's strategic intent, the objective is the complete eradication of the Whitebeard Pirates. He specifically used the word 'annihilate,' which means we are to crush all fifty thousand of them."
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping the room.
"So we must find a way to force them to concentrate their strength. In the end, that means we will be facing head-on fifty thousand of the New World's most vicious, first-tier pirates."
No one raised any objections. The others remained silent, listening intently to Momonga's words.
Momonga paused briefly before continuing.
"Earlier, Captain Hina explained that we currently command nearly 280,000 elite Marines, giving us an absolute advantage in overall military strength. However, everyone here should not take that at face value and assume we can actually deploy all 280,000 troops on a single frontal battlefield."
As soon as his words fell, Yamakaji nodded in agreement.
"That's right. For both sides to commit over three hundred thousand troops to a head-on confrontation, we would need an exceptionally vast combat zone. That alone requires a large, open island with expansive plains. Second, the Whitebeard Pirates aren't fools. Do you really think they'd agree to fight fifty thousand against two hundred and eighty thousand? And finally, if we pull every single New World force into this operation, how are the major bases supposed to function?"
His tone grew sharper as he continued.
"What about daily security operations, pirate suppression missions, and garrison duties? How do we respond if something unexpected happens? The New World doesn't suddenly become free of enemies just because the Whitebeard Pirates are gone. If we leave our rear completely hollow, we're practically placing a slab of meat on the enemy's table."
Stainless glanced sideways at the young Marine major general beside him and spoke quietly.
"Do you understand now? Even though we have 280,000 troops, the forces we can truly deploy in this operation won't be many. That's the fundamental difference between the Marines and pirates."
Whitebeard had fifty thousand pirates under his command. Once he declared war, he could rally every last one of them and throw them straight into the fight.
They had nothing to protect. They were brutal, but they were also nothing more than roaming fighters, burdened by no responsibilities beyond combat itself.
But Ortoren was different.
He might command 280,000 Marine troops, but if he truly went to war with the Whitebeard Pirates, being able to field a hundred thousand would already be considered extraordinary.
Because they were Marines.
Aside from exterminating the Whitebeard Pirates, there were countless constraints on their deployment. Naval bases needed protection. Surrounding sea routes had to be secured. And beyond that, there were endless other obligations.
Otherwise, why in the original timeline did an organization as massive as the Marines only manage to field a hundred thousand troops from headquarters to fight Whitebeard at Marineford?
The most important reason was simple. Marine Headquarters at Marineford couldn't accommodate a larger force. The battlefield itself didn't allow for it.
But factors like those Yamakaji had just mentioned also accounted for a significant part of the decision.
"So," Isshō said as he tapped the table, formally setting the first topic of discussion, "the first item on today's agenda is determining how many troops we should commit to this operation for it to be most effective."
Ortoren turned toward Sakazuki with a faint smile.
"Sakazuki, do you have any good ideas?"
Sakazuki met his gaze and replied calmly.
"I'll listen first."
Earlier, he had been too shocked to think clearly. Now, his emotions had mostly settled. Sitting here, his mind was occupied not only with the Whitebeard Pirates, but also with Ortoren himself.
That thought he had deliberately pushed aside earlier now resurfaced, impossible to suppress.
Ortoren knew Sakazuki was coming. He knew Sakazuki would be attending this meeting. And yet, he had openly revealed information that should have remained concealed.
That alone was a signal.
There was no doubt about it. Ortoren was testing Sakazuki.
Sakazuki was fully aware that this was both a probe and a message. However, his own position had yet to solidify, so he couldn't give Ortoren a definitive response.
While the two of them quietly tested each other, the commanders in the conference room had already begun an animated discussion.
"Before we even talk about troop numbers, shouldn't we determine the battlefield first? We need to consider the combat environment…"
"Idiot. Even if the Admiral didn't say it outright, the implication is that we likely hold the initiative. That means we can choose the battlefield instead of rushing to surround the Whitebeard Pirates. So we should decide how many troops to deploy first, then select a suitable location based on that."
"So what exactly is the Admiral's trump card?"
"How would I know? I'm just a major general."
"That's not part of this discussion. Can you stay on topic?"
"In my opinion, maritime patrols and security duties don't tie down too many troops. The real issue is the forces needed to defend naval bases and hold the front lines."
"From that angle, if Totto Land could help shoulder some of the frontline defensive pressure, we'd be able to free up a lot more troops."
"Manpower is our greatest advantage. Even if we can't deploy all of it, we still need to establish that edge. Compared to the Whitebeard Pirates' fifty thousand men, deploying a hundred thousand New World Marines sounds about right."
"Wouldn't a hundred thousand be too few?"
"I think Maynard's suggestion of a hundred thousand is just right. Any more than that would become bloated and would negatively affect both combat effectiveness and command efficiency."
"There's another issue. Have we really decided that this operation will be an island-based annihilation? What if it ends up being a naval engagement?"
"Are you stupid? Do you know who we're dealing with? That's Whitebeard, the Gura Gura no Mi user. You want to fight him at sea? Forget a hundred thousand. Even two or three hundred thousand wouldn't guarantee a win."
"Headquarters has had operational reference plans against the Whitebeard Pirates for a long time now. Among all of them, not a single proposal ever suggested engaging them in a naval battle."
"The Whitebeard Pirates rose to the top of the pirate world for two reasons. First, Whitebeard's unparalleled personal strength. Second, their overwhelming advantage in naval combat."
…
That was exactly the point.
If you wanted to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates, you couldn't even consider fighting them at sea.
Whitebeard's power in naval warfare was simply too terrifying. He didn't need to make contact at all. One punch was enough to trigger a massive tsunami. And as long as he kept generating waves without end, it didn't matter how many forces came. They would all be sent to their deaths.
That was why, to this day, the Marine high command had never seriously considered resolving the Whitebeard problem through large-scale naval warfare.
It was nothing short of ridiculous.
...
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