"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman catches both?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru repeated Taro's words, gradually understanding his meaning. "Who is the fisherman you're talking about?"
She paused, then came to a sudden realization. "Is it that Blackbeard you've been warning us about?"
Taro nodded, his expression grave. "Fleet Admiral, Grand Staff Officer, and Admirals, Blackbeard is a very dangerous man."
Akainu smiled contemptuously. "Are you going to repeat that old story again?"
Given the critical situation, Taro didn't bother with Akainu's mockery. "Blackbeard won't help the Marines at all; he just wants to use the Marines' hands to kill Whitebeard."
"Even so, eliminating the Whitebeard Pirates aligns with the Marines' interests," Sengoku said dismissively.
"We go through all this trouble, even risking an all-out war with the Whitebeard Pirates, only for an even more violent Blackbeard to rise. What's the point of us paying such a high price?"
Taro still tried to persuade Sengoku.
"Does Blackbeard deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Whitebeard?" Akainu remained disdainful. He was very confident in his own strength and looked down on almost everyone.
"What if he obtains Whitebeard's Devil Fruit Ability?" Taro gritted his teeth and finally dropped a bombshell.
"Pfft, absolute nonsense!" Akainu sneered.
The others also looked at Taro in disbelief. Vice Admiral Tsuru walked over to Taro and said softly:
"Don't talk nonsense. How could one person possibly possess two Devil Fruit Abilities!"
Seeing that even Vice Admiral Tsuru didn't believe him, Taro sighed helplessly. "I don't know how to explain it so you'll believe me, but Blackbeard really can. His body is different from ordinary people."
"My, how scary. Could there really be someone who can possess two Devil Fruit Abilities at the same time!"
Kizaru exclaimed again, though the look behind his sunglasses was clearly skeptical.
Taro looked at the people in the room. Seeing that none of them believed him, his heart sank instantly. It seemed impossible to change Sengoku's mind.
Sure enough, he immediately heard Sengoku speak.
"I know now that you are very wary of Blackbeard. However, don't mention such ridiculous reasons again."
Taro pondered for a long time before speaking again. "Fine, Fleet Admiral. I give up on my previous idea and support your plan!"
The Marine big shots in the room looked at Taro in surprise. They didn't seem to understand how Taro, who had been so vehement a moment ago, suddenly switched to supporting Sengoku's plan.
Taro noted everyone's reaction and continued, "But Fleet Admiral, if you deploy heavy forces at the headquarters, how will you respond if a major upheaval occurs at Impel Down?"
"Impel Down?" Sengoku fell into thought for a moment, and the others began to think as well. Finally, Sengoku broke the silence and shook his head.
"There will definitely be no problem with Impel Down. You don't understand Warden Magellan's strength. With him there, Impel Down is impregnable!"
I understand Magellan's strength, but you don't understand the strength of the escapees, Fleet Admiral!
Taro looked intently at Vice Admiral Tsuru. He could only hope that this Navy Grand Staff Officer would think a bit more.
Vice Admiral Tsuru noticed Taro's gaze. She lowered her eyes and considered for a short while.
"I will discuss the issue of Impel Down with Fleet Admiral Sengoku later."
"What we're discussing now is just the response of Marineford. If there are no other questions, let's leave it at that for now."
Taro wanted to argue further, but seeing Vice Admiral Tsuru stop him with a look, he could only nod helplessly in agreement. "Alright."
Marineford Meeting Hall.
The meeting resumed. Sengoku once again emphasized that the contents of the meeting must be kept strictly confidential. Then he picked up a stack of documents and spoke solemnly:
"First, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace, was captured yesterday and is now being escorted to Impel Down!"
This first piece of news shocked all the Vice Admirals present except for Onigumo. The room immediately became a bit rowdy as they began to whisper among themselves.
"Quiet!"
"Second, Marshall D. Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard, has officially become a Shichibukai. After this meeting, someone will be sent to notify the other Shichibukai!"
This had been rumored before, so everyone's reaction was relatively calm.
"Third, I order all Marine fortresses on the Grand Line and all Marine elites from the Four Seas Branches to assemble at Marineford within five days!"
As soon as Sengoku finished speaking, the officers realized that something big was about to happen. Amidst their shock, they exchanged glances.
"Fourth, the Marine Headquarters will dispatch officers of Vice Admiral rank or higher to summon the Seven Warlords of the Sea to Mary Geoise. A clear response must be given within five days as to whether they will comply."
"Finally, Portgas D. Ace will be publicly executed at the Marine Headquarters, Marineford, in ten days. This will be reported in the newspapers three days from now to announce it to the world!"
Sengoku's final sentence completely ignited the Meeting Hall. Some Marine officers were excited, others were shocked, and they began to discuss intensely.
Taro listened carefully to their discussion. Almost everyone was optimistic about the upcoming war.
Yes, with the Marine Headquarters concentrating all its elite forces to deal with a single pirate crew, the Four Emperors' Whitebeard, how could they not be certain of victory?
Even if he was known as the strongest man in the world, it would be impossible for him to win against the full mobilization of the Marine Headquarters.
"In this battle, the Marine Headquarters will gather 100,000 Marine elites to completely destroy the Whitebeard Pirates."
"The Marines will win! Justice will prevail!"
Sengoku slammed the table and stood up, shouting loudly.
"The Marines will win! Justice will prevail!"
For a moment, the officers' morale was high, and they shouted back in unison... Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Sengoku, about Garp..." Vice Admiral Tsuru's gaze swept over the three Admirals one by one before stopping on Sengoku, and she spoke softly.
"Don't worry, I'll tell him later." Sengoku waved his hand.
"The World Government is very concerned about the contact between Whitebeard and Red Hair. Let Garp stay there for now; I'll recall him before the final battle."
Aokiji pulled down the sleep mask on his head to cover his eyes. "True, if we sent anyone else, those guys still wouldn't be able to sleep!"
"How scary, after all, it's contact between two of the Four Emperors." Kizaru said it was scary, but his expression was exceptionally relaxed.
"You two, the great war is imminent, pull yourselves together!" Akainu said in a stern tone.
Aokiji and Kizaru acted as if they hadn't heard him. One continued to sleep, while the other pulled out a small knife and began trimming his nails.
Sengoku looked at the two of them helplessly, his tone somewhat reproachful. "Kuzan, after the disastrous defeat at Enies Lobby, the World Government didn't hold the Marine Headquarters responsible. You should put in at least some effort."
"The Marine Headquarters' mission was to destroy Enies Lobby. Arresting Nico Robin was CP9's mission. What responsibility would the World Government hold me to?"
Kuzan rolled over, his tone very flat.
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