72 The Reason
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When Kong made his announcement, over half of the marines in the room rose to their feet, shock written all over their faces as they looked at him.
"Why?!" Kuzan was the first to speak up, his voice filled with confusion and disbelief.
"Kuzan, sit down!" Brontes commanded with a stern frown and a firm tone.
"But, commander, this new assignment will take you out of the Marine system!" Kuzan protested loudly, unable to hide his concern.
It was obvious to everyone that even though Roy had been given the title of Fleet-Admiral, his real duty was now to guard the World Nobles.
This meant he would be stepping away from his Marine duties. His main responsibility would be the safety of the World Nobles and overseeing military operations between countries.
This change seemed like a direct hit on Brontes. Kuzan, who had been Brontes's subordinate for many years, knew very well how strong Brontes was.
Brontes had the capabilities to be an Admiral, perhaps more than anyone else, but now he was put in a difficult spot.
From this point forward, Brontes would have nothing to do with Marine affairs, unless Sengoku passed away.
Only then might Brontes have a chance to come back and lead the Marines. This was a big hit to Brontes's reputation and could even lead to him being pushed out of the Marines, making him more a part of the World Government.
...
The Vice-Admirals who were close to Brontes couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
More than half of the people in the room had been under Brontes's command at some point. They owed him a lot for the help and training he had given them.
"Damn it! this is the decision of the Five Elders. Kuzan, do you think what you say matters?" Sakazuki glared at Kuzan and snapped at him with a cold voice.
"Shut up, I don't need you to tell my people what to do!" Brontes responded sharply, turning to face Sakazuki with a cold look.
"Hmph!" Sakazuki just snorted and looked away after meeting Brontes's icy gaze.
"Enough, sit down. This decision was made after talks between the Marine and the World Government. Are you all planning to ignore direct orders? Sit down." Brontes said, his eyes scanning the Vice-Admirals who were still standing.
"But, Sir!" Kuzan tried to argue further.
"Sit down, Kuzan. This is an order from the World Government, and it shows they trust Brontes's abilities by giving him such an important position. Your new duties have been set by Marineford. This isn't something you can change just because you want to. That's all. Now, let's move on to the other matters." Kong said, letting out a weary sigh.
...
As the meeting was nearing its end, Kong spoke up: "Sengoku, Garp, Zed, Brontes, come to my office."
The others watched the five men leave and then quietly exited the conference room themselves.
Once outside, they formed small clusters, some sharing their excitement over promotions, while others debated the implications of the recent changes.
No one, however, brought up Brontes's new role. It was a surprise to everyone and not what they had anticipated.
Brontes's rank might be on par with the Fleet Admiral, acknowledging his formidable strength, but it meant he would have to depart from the Marine and relocate to Mariejois.
In essence, his title of Fleet Admiral was in name only. His real job was to safeguard the World Nobles, which effectively made him a part of the World Government.
And even with his move to Mariejois, it was obvious that they wouldn't give him control over the OP agency, adding to the peculiarity of his appointment.
.....
In Kong's office, the atmosphere was tense. Kong sat behind his desk, with Sengoku and Garp on one side, Zed and Brontes on the other, all in silence.
Moments later, Tsuru walked in and broke the quiet: "You're all sitting here in silence waiting for me to explain, aren't you?"
"Tsuru, what's the meaning of this sudden order?!" Garp asked, his frustration was evident.
"Indeed, the decision regarding Brontes was quite unexpected." Zed added, his voice calm but his anger was matching Garp's.
"It has to do with the World Nobles," Tsuru said as she handed a document to Garp.
"Just because of this damn paper!" Garp exclaimed, standing up abruptly after reading the document.
"The World Nobles are known for seeking vengeance for even the smallest slights. Brontes, when you're there, try to keep your distance from them; they're likely looking for a chance to target you." Tsuru advised with a sigh.
"What's happening?" Brontes asked, clearly confused.
"It's because of Saint Rosward." Tsuru revealed.
"Saint Rosward?" Brontes said, seeking clarification.
"Yes." Tsuru confirmed with a nod.
...
The root of the issue went back to an event from a year prior.
Saint Rosward, despite his old age, yearned for an adventure in the New World and set out with his subordinates.
Bored of the peaceful life in Sabaody, he craved the thrill of the New World. Protected by his status as a World Noble, he was untouchable, as any aggression towards him would provoke the wrath of both the Marine and the World Government.
Rosward, full of pride, declined the Marine's offer of an escort and journeyed into the New World with his personal guards and slaves.
However, not long after they ran into pirates. The pirates were initially scared, knowing there was a World Noble among them, but their desperation, living on the brink of death, drove them to take a risk.
They abducted Rosward, demanding a ransom of five billion Berries from the World Government.
The World Government, predictably, refused to pay and instead sent Brontes, who was already in the New World, to resolve the crisis.
Brontes took swift action, and the small pirate crew was completely annihilated.
Despite the successful resolution of the kidnapping, Rosward pointed fingers at Brontes, blaming him for the incident.
He criticized the Marine for failing to provide him with secret protection and harbored a deep resentment towards Brontes, demanding his removal from the Admiral position and relegating him to trivial duties in Mariejois.
The Five Elders saw this as a chance to suppress Brontes's influence, assigning him to the World Nobles to guard them.
The event was so minor that Brontes had almost forgotten about it, but to his surprise, it was now being used as leverage against him.
...
"So, you're telling me I just have to hang around in Mariejois and take it easy?" Brontes asked, his tone light and seemingly indifferent to the entire ordeal.
"It won't exactly be relaxing, but it's not too different from that. You'll have my company." Kong responded.
"That's alright then. At least I won't be by myself. Just make sure I get some vacation time; I haven't had a break since I started with the Marine." Brontes said with a smile.
"You'll have your vacation. This is just a minor setback, nothing to worry about. It's better if you see it that way." Kong assured him with a relived smile.
Kong felt relieved seeing that Brontes accepted the new position without making any problem. With Brontes content, his subordinates and allies were less likely to cause a stir.
Garp and Zed, though visibly upset, recognized their inability to alter the decision.
It was, after all decision of the World Government, and they are foolish enough to dismiss an Admiral, regardless of their personal feelings towards Brontes.
"In a few days, the World Conference will take place. Sakazuki and the others will manage security, but we still need to be there." Kong informed them.
"I'm not going." Zed immediately refused.
"Hmph! I won't go either." Garp grumbled.
"Then you can remain here at Marineford." Kong nodded in understanding.
"I was thinking of heading to the East..." Garp began, but Sengoku cut him off, raising his voice in anger:
"You just had a three-month break in the East Blue. Three months off every year, you're slacking more than Borsalino!"
Indeed, Garp had recently taken time off to visit the East Blue, particularly after hearing rumors of Shanks in the vicinity of his hometown.
This news had sent him hurrying home, only to discover that his grandson Luffy had consumed the Gum-Gum Fruit and to him of his intention to become the Pirate King, making Garp swear to catch Shanks and throw him into Impel Down in anger.
With no other option, Garp left Luffy in the care of Dadan and returned to his duties, to attend the coming World Conference.
