A Marine Admiral Returns
Marineford, Fleet Admiral's office.
The atmosphere in the room was as oppressive as the dead silence before a storm. Smoke billowed—a mix of cigar and cigarette fumes—making the entire space seem hazy. The highest echelons of the Marines, led by Fleet Admiral "Buddha" Sengoku, were all gathered here. Every face was etched with a grim, strained expression.
They had just received a humiliating piece of news, one they absolutely refused to believe: the top-secret raid on Ambury Island, spearheaded by CP9 and executed with the assistance of Admiral candidate Aokiji (Kuzan)... had once again ended in a crushing defeat1.
And this time, the defeat was more thorough than any before! Not only were CP9's elite agents completely wiped out, but even Aokiji Kuzan himself was... captured alive by the enemy2!
Humiliation! This was an unprecedented disgrace in the history of the Marine's establishment3! It was even more unbelievable than the death of an Admiral long ago.
The room was silent for a long, long time; no one spoke.
Finally, Sengoku broke the suffocating atmosphere. He cleared his throat and spoke in an extremely serious tone, even attempting to pass the blame: "Ahem... According to the latest news I received, the reason this operation escalated to its current state... is primarily because Satan Saint, one of the Five Elders (Gorosei), personally intervened4."
He paused, emphasizing his words. "But the result was still... a failure. Therefore, this failure has no direct relation to us, the Marine5."
With the Fleet Admiral taking the lead, the others in the room finally dared to voice their opinions.
"Sigh..." The "Marine Hero" Monkey D. Garp, who was usually informal and rarely not eating senbei, let out a long sigh. Kuzan was one of his favorite disciples, so he couldn't be oblivious to the situation at a time like this. "These youngsters nowadays... Each one is more monstrous than the last. I don't want to admit I'm getting old... but I have to."
"Indeed." "Black Arm" Zephyr, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. His iron arm, made of Sea Stone, was tightly clenched. "After so many failures, that youngster called Strange Tail Takero has fully matured. In a short time, I'm afraid... no one will be able to do anything to him anymore."
The Marineford's Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Tsuru, analyzed calmly, "No matter what, one thing is certain. We absolutely cannot easily make a move against that Takero again6."
And Kizaru, the "Glittering Man" who had personally experienced the "Wrath of the Giant Ape," spoke in the tone of an "experienced person," filled with weariness and lingering fear: "That monster... everyone... just get used to it."
Sengoku listened to these disheartening and useless comments, feeling his head ache more and more! He slammed his hand on the table, roaring, "Enough! Everyone! Stop talking about these meaningless things! Kuzan is still in the enemy's hands! I need everyone to come up with a plan! We must bring him back safely, no matter what7!"
Everyone immediately launched into a heated discussion.
Kizaru timidly brought up the most pessimistic possibility: "Uh... judging by that monster's way of doing things... Kuzan... is probably in grave danger right now."
"The World Government probably won't get involved in this matter anymore," Vice Admiral Tsuru calmly analyzed. "So, we'll have to rely on ourselves. My suggestion is, it would be best... to initiate formal negotiations with the Golden Group. See if we can... ransom Kuzan back8."
"I'm afraid... the cost will be very high," Zephyr said seriously.
"No matter the cost!" Sengoku declared, making the final decision. "Kuzan must return safely! This is not just about the Marine's reputation! It's also to prevent countless Marine soldiers from losing heart9!" If a comrade is captured by the enemy, and Marineford remains indifferent... would that be acceptable?!
Thus, everyone began a new, even more headache-inducing discussion, revolving around how to contact the Golden Group and... what kind of "compensation" would satisfy that monster's appetite.
Just then—
"Creak—"
The heavy wooden door of the office was slowly pushed open from the outside. A tall, languid figure swayed in from outside the door.
Inside the room, all discussions ceased abruptly! Everyone's gaze, as if they had seen a ghost, collectively turned towards the uninvited guest! Then, expressions of disbelief and extreme astonishment appeared on everyone's faces!
The newcomer scratched his messy black curly hair and, looking at the eerie "all eyes on me" scene in the room, said somewhat awkwardly: "Oh my... Uh... I saw the door wasn't locked, so I just came in. What's going on? Did I... come at a bad time?"
"Ku—zan—!!!" Garp's signature, thunderous roar was the first to erupt! "You brat! You're not dead?!"
"...Kuzan was speechless. 'Is he... even speaking human language?' He could only wave his hand helplessly at everyone. "Sorry to... make everyone worry. I'm back."
"How did you get back?!" Sengoku immediately asked, eagerly.
Kuzan thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "Oh, I just... rode my bicycle back."
Sengoku: "..." He felt his blood pressure starting to spike again. He suppressed his anger and rephrased his question. "I'm asking! How did you escape from the Golden Group?!"
Kuzan thought again and replied in an even more matter-of-fact tone, "Oh, they just... let me go, and then I came back."
"It was... that simple?!" Sengoku asked incredulously.
"Yes, that's right." Kuzan nodded.
Seeing that Sengoku still wanted to press for more details, Vice Admiral Tsuru, however, interrupted him at the right moment. "Alright, Sengoku. It's good that he's back safely, everything else is irrelevant. Now, what we really need to discuss is how to deal with that monster named Takero in the future."
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