After the proclamation was finalized, the Marine commanders read through it and raised no objections.
To be honest, the document itself was fairly average, nothing particularly outstanding. But then again, most of the commanders present were straightforward, no-nonsense types. Having a proper, formal declaration of war was already more than enough for them. What more could they really ask for?
So once they finished reading it, every commander present expressed their approval.
Among them, Sakazuki still wore his usual rigid expression, yet the faint trace of satisfaction between his brows was impossible to miss.
He hadn't expected his name to appear in the proclamation.
That carried real weight. Once this battle concluded and the Whitebeard Pirates were wiped out, it would undoubtedly leave a mark in history.
This proclamation was almost guaranteed to be recorded among major historical events, compiled into official chronicles by historians of all stripes.
Having his name engraved on a document destined to be written into history, a proclamation calling for the suppression of pirates, greatly satisfied Sakazuki's sense of pride.
Of course, he knew very well that his arrival at Ortoren's side had been a last-minute decision. Even if Ortoren hadn't included his name in the proclamation, Sakazuki wouldn't have had anything to complain about.
The fact that his name appeared in it today was clearly a favor Ortoren had done him.
And that was exactly the case.
Ortoren understood perfectly well that an Admiral like Sakazuki lacked nothing. Wealth, authority, status, power—so long as he had no intention of turning himself into some independent warlord, Sakazuki truly wanted for nothing.
So if you wanted to give someone like Sakazuki a "gift" to draw closer or smooth relations, it couldn't be something crude or material.
Adding his name to a proclamation calling for the extermination of pirates cost nothing at all, yet it struck right at Sakazuki's core, making him owe you a favor.
The results spoke for themselves. Ortoren's judgment had been spot on. Sakazuki was so pleased he practically didn't know where to put himself.
"Well written. Very well written," Sakazuki said with clear satisfaction. "I have no objections."
No one else raised any objections either. Seeing this, Ortoren didn't waste any time. He lifted his hand and said,
"Alright then. Since that's settled, this proclamation is finalized. Once our war preparations are complete, distribute it to all major media outlets and have it published immediately across the newspapers."
After a brief pause, Ortoren added,
"One more thing. Until our preparations are fully in place, do not release any information about this operation to the outside world. We don't want the Whitebeard Pirates lashing out in desperation."
"Understood."
"Yes."
"No problem."
After the commanders responded, Ortoren spoke again,
"Although Hina mentioned earlier that this was the final agenda item, I'll still ask once more. Does anyone have any further opinions to share? Or any ideas that need to be discussed together? If so, bring them up now. We'll prioritize them and resolve them as quickly as possible."
As he spoke, Ortoren's gaze swept across the conference room, moving slowly from one commander's face to the next.
In the end, no one raised any further opinions or matters. Ortoren nodded once more and said,
"It seems none of you have anything else to add. In that case, the meeting is adjourned. Begin operations immediately. Implement everything discussed here and aim to complete preparations within three months. Then we will move to suppress the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Yes! For justice and loyalty!"
Momonga and the other New World Marine commanders stood up in unison and saluted upon hearing Ortoren's final order.
There was no delay. Momonga and the others quickly dispersed, leaving the conference room to attend to their respective tasks.
Only Sakazuki, Hina, and Lucci remained behind.
Hina and Lucci stayed to gather up the documents from the meeting, while Sakazuki, as an Admiral, naturally maintained a certain air of dignity. If he was leaving, it would be alongside Ortoren.
Ortoren picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. Watching Hina sort through the documents, he said,
"Hina, don't forget to send the meeting report, the operation plan, and this proclamation to headquarters for the Fleet Admiral to review."
As he spoke, Ortoren turned to Sakazuki.
"I haven't really been paying attention these past few days. The Reverie should be over by now, right? Has the Fleet Admiral returned to headquarters?"
Sakazuki paused briefly, then shook his head.
"I haven't been following it either, but judging by the timing, the Reverie should have ended."
Ortoren smiled.
"Our plan this time is quite solid. On top of that, it carries the joint endorsement of two Admirals. I've already given the Fleet Admiral a heads-up. As long as the plan isn't completely unreasonable, it'll pass. So just wait. We'll be going to war with Whitebeard very soon."
Sakazuki curled his lips into a grin.
"I'm looking forward to it… putting an end to the remnants of the old era."
Yes. The remnants of the old era.
Although Charlotte Linlin and Kaidou had also once sailed under Rocks, the general consensus on the seas was that they were not counted among the same generation as Whitebeard, Shiki, and Roger.
Perhaps it was because when Shiki, Roger, and Whitebeard ruled the seas, Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin had not yet truly grown into great pirates. Back then, they could only be considered runners-up.
Naturally, Roger, Shiki, and Whitebeard came to be regarded as pirates of the previous era, while Kaidou and the others were seen as pirates of the new era.
Now, among the pirates of that older generation, Roger and Shiki were already gone. Only Whitebeard remained. So Sakazuki calling him a "remnant of the old era" was perfectly accurate.
As Sakazuki and Ortoren chatted casually, Hina quickly carried out Ortoren's instructions.
...
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The Reverie had indeed concluded, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku had returned to Marineford.
Inside his office, Sengoku was chatting idly with Admiral Kuzan.
"The Reverie's over. Ortoren and Sakazuki should be just about finished with their plan to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates. Any interest in heading over there to take a look?" Sengoku asked casually while sorting through the documents on his desk.
Kuzan leaned back on the sofa, still looking like he hadn't fully recovered from the exhaustion of the Reverie. His tone was lazy and unhurried.
"We'll see. It's not like it needs to be settled immediately. I'm dead tired right now. I'll think about it once I've recovered."
"Suit yourself," Sengoku replied, not pressing the matter.
Just then, the fax machine beside his desk came to life, rattling as pages were printed one after another.
Sengoku raised an eyebrow, picked up the documents, and began reading. As expected, it was the plan regarding Ortoren's impending war with the Whitebeard Pirates.
He skimmed through it briefly before his gaze settled on the proclamation.
Kuzan leaned over as well, glancing at it with curiosity.
"Looks pretty ordinary to me. Why are you staring at it so seriously, Fleet Admiral?"
"Didn't you notice?" Sengoku murmured.
"Notice what?" Kuzan scanned it again, puzzled. "There aren't any typos, are there?"
"No. It has nothing to do with typos," Sengoku said in a low voice. "This proclamation doesn't mention Mary Geoise or the World Government at all."
Kuzan froze for a moment, then swallowed lightly.
"That does seem to be the case… but does it really matter?"
"Whether it matters depends on whether someone decides to make an issue of it later," Sengoku sighed.
Kuzan thought it over for a moment, then said,
"Maybe Ortoren and the others just overlooked it. Shouldn't you point it out to him, Fleet Admiral? Have him issue a revised proclamation? It's not exactly a big hassle."
Sengoku shot him a glance.
"You really think Ortoren would make a mistake like that?"
"Everyone slips up sometimes," Kuzan replied matter-of-factly.
"Maybe in other situations," Sengoku said slowly, "but when it comes to political matters, he's far more meticulous than you think. That proclamation deliberately avoids any mention of Mary Geoise or the World Government… hm."
Sengoku shook his head and didn't continue.
He knew Ortoren too well. He might be careless elsewhere, but not in matters like this. Never.
Which meant that this proclamation had been intentional from the very beginning. As for the reason why, Sengoku hadn't yet figured it out.
Moments later, his eyes landed on the name "Sakazuki" within the document.
For an instant, a realization seemed to strike him.
…No way. Could Ortoren really be that devious?