"That's not necessarily a bad thing."
Compared to Tsuru's complaints, Garp's indifference, and everyone else's concerns, Sengoku was thinking much further ahead.
"This will also allow the Marines to completely unify internally."
Sengoku knew very well what would happen inside the Marines after he stepped down.
If this was enough to silence some of the unnecessary factions, then it would serve a purpose.
As for losing at least one Admiral...that was still within an acceptable range.
"My departure will inevitably cause conflict within the Marines."
"The battle between Akainu and Aokiji can also serve as a display of power."
"Let everyone see just how strong the future Fleet Admiral truly is."
"While it may not have much effect on the higher-ups, it will at least serve as a deterrent to the Marine branches stationed throughout the world."
Tsuru glanced at Sengoku.
She could not understand why he had become so accommodating.
Back in the day, Sengoku had been the type to charge directly at legends like Whitebeard and the Golden Lion with his fists raised.
The current Sengoku could not really be called cowardly.
But he was not far from it either.
"You old fool."
"When did you become this cautious?"
The words reached her lips, but she ultimately held them back and gave Sengoku some face.
"You want to say I've become timid, don't you?"
Sengoku did not care.
At his age, with one foot already in the grave, what was face worth?
What he cared about now was ensuring that the transition of power within the Marines happened as smoothly as possible.
That was his final mission as a Marine.
"It doesn't matter."
"What I'm thinking about now is how to make the transfer of authority within the Marines as safe and stable as possible."
Power transitions had always been among the most troublesome periods for major organizations.
And the Marines were not just any organization.
They were a force that spanned the entire world.
If cracks appeared during this process, the consequences would be unimaginable.
And if the Revolutionary Army managed to exploit those cracks...
It could bring disaster to the world.
Looking at Akainu and Aokiji, who had already entered combat stance, determination flashed through Sengoku's eyes.
"No matter what happens, I absolutely cannot allow this transfer of power within the Marines to become an opportunity for others to exploit."
On the Moby Dick.
After hearing the news, a trace of interest appeared in Renji's eyes.
A battle between Marine Admirals?
That sounded rather interesting.
At that moment, Renji was training the Whitebeard Pirates' crew members.
[You picked up a Strength attribute!]
"Your horse stance needs to be more accurate."
"If your form is wrong, doing it a hundred times won't improve anything."
The Moby Dick was far more crowded than before.
The sixteen division commanders had all replenished their forces.
Combined with the more than one thousand members of Renji's Seventeenth Division, there were now over two thousand six hundred people aboard the ship.
Renji genuinely acted like an instructor, training the pirates every day.
[You picked up a Busoshoku Haki Comprehension Attribute!]
At Renji's current level, the attributes dropped by ordinary crew members could only be described as better than nothing.
However Renji had no intention of giving up.
After all, training was like rowing against the current if you did not advance, you fell behind.
Only by constantly improving could he ensure that he never regressed.
The attributes dropped by the Whitebeard Pirates' crew members allowed Renji to maintain his strength while making steady, incremental progress.
Moreover no matter how strong an individual became, there was no way they could defeat tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of enemies alone.
Strengthening the members of the Whitebeard Pirates was, in a sense, strengthening himself.
[You picked up an Agility attribute!]
"Good. Keep up that level of focus, understand?"
Renji enjoyed teaching.
The Whitebeard Pirates enjoyed learning.
After all...this was personal guidance from a man who had defeated Kaido.
And it cost them nothing.
All they had to do was listen carefully and follow instructions.
Anyone who genuinely wanted to grow stronger would never pass up an opportunity like this.
"Instructor, am I doing this right?"
"Instructor, come take a look over here!"
To outsiders, Renji was someone on the same level as the Four Emperors.
No.
He was already being hailed as the Fifth Emperor of the Sea.
Yet aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, he was more like a kind and approachable older brother.
"Not bad."
[You picked up a Busoshoku Haki Comprehension Attribute!]
"No, yours isn't right. Pay attention to the direction of your feet and how low you're squatting, got it?"
[You picked up a Kenbunshoku Haki Comprehension Attribute!]
"That's right. Everyone should learn from him. That's a textbook horse stance."
[You picked up an Intelligence attribute!]
The morning training session came to an end.
Everyone went off to eat and rest.
Renji leaned against the mast and fell into thought.
In less than two months, the Whitebeard Pirates had fought two major wars in succession.
The perilous Marineford War.
And the dangerous battle between Emperors.
Renji had gained enormous benefits from both.
His current strength had already surpassed the vast majority of people in the world.
While he had certainly "fed himself well," the Whitebeard Pirates had paid a heavy price.
Before all this, excluding the sixteen division commanders, Whitebeard, and himself, there had been around sixteen hundred crew members aboard the ship.
Now, among those familiar faces, only two or three hundred remained.
As for the ones whose names he could actually remember...
Most of them had died in the wars.
Those men had been his comrades.
His brothers.
"You're still here?"
At that moment, Marco flew back from outside.
The instant he spotted Renji, a surprised expression appeared on his face.
Renji looked at him in confusion.
"If I'm not here, where would I be?"
"Obviously at Punk Hazard, where the Admirals are fighting."
Marco's answer was simple and direct.
"Over the past two days, the Marines have already finished their deployment."
"In at most three days, the battle between Akainu and Aokiji will begin."
"For someone who loves watching the excitement, you're really not going?"
I like watching the excitement?
Since when?
Renji looked at Marco with a strange expression.
"Of course you do."
As if sensing Renji's confusion, Marco replied with a completely serious face.
"Think about it. Ever since you first came aboard, you've always been like this..."
The examples Marco gave were simple and straightforward.
Whenever Marco, Jozu, or any of the ship's stronger fighters sparred, Renji was almost never absent.
That's because I'm picking up the attributes you guys drop, not because I enjoy watching the fun!
Renji protested silently in his heart.
Still, he had no intention of explaining himself.
After all, even among his brothers in the Whitebeard Pirates, he had no plans to reveal the existence of his cheat.
At that moment, his thoughts drifted toward Punk Hazard.
"A battle between Marine Admirals..."
A look of anticipation appeared in Renji's eyes.
"That does sound pretty interesting."
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