155. White Sea
Marie Joie, Room of Authority, Pangaea Castle.
Five elderly men with distinct appearances took their seats one after another. Across from them sat Sengoku, donning frog-shaped glasses and a braided beard. However, the atmosphere between the two groups didn't seem very harmonious.
"Shiki is dead? Why didn't you, Marines, report it to the World Government immediately?" Saint Saturn, wearing a black hat and sporting white hair, inquired of Sengoku.
The other Five Elders remained silent, their questioning gazes fixed on Sengoku.
Since Kong retired from the scene, Sengoku has assumed control of all Marine affairs. Although the man before him seemingly follows the World Government's orders, in recent years, the Marine he leads has exhibited signs of defiance against the World Government's discipline.
"I came here this time solely to report this matter to you..."
Sengoku remained neither humble nor arrogant, maintaining his composure despite Saint Saturn's probing.
"Then why did the World Economy News find out before we did?"
Saint Saturn wore an unpleasant expression.
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. Let's discuss. Do you have any specific business with us, Sengoku?"
Saint Nusjuro interrupted Sengoku just as he was about to speak.
He knew in his heart that Sengoku, acclaimed as The Resourceful General, must have come prepared with numerous excuses for their meeting. Interrogating him further here would only widen the gap between the Marine and the World Government.
"I came here primarily to discuss the promotion of Canos Atlas."
"Oh? Is this Canos Atlas you're referring to the Marine who defeated Shiki?"
There is no fool among the Five Elders. When Sengoku mentioned a name that was unfamiliar to them, it surely had something to do with the recent events involving Shiki.
"Yes, Atlas's merits have been considerable for a while. He also apprehended Crocodile, the former Shichibukai."
"Oh? Is that so?" Saint Saturn narrowed his eyes and suddenly realized, "Isn't he the Marine who stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago?"
Saint Saturn still remembered that a considerable number of Celestial Dragons had complained to them. However, at that time, they were preoccupied with handling the aftermath of Tiger's attack on Marie Joie, so they delegated the task to the World Government officials below. Unexpectedly, Sengoku vehemently resisted all the pressure...
"There should only be three Admiral positions in the Marine, correct?"
"He's merely a candidate for Admiral, not a confirmed Admiral. But his achievements are indeed noteworthy!"
Sengoku didn't back down at all, maintaining direct eye contact with Saint Saturn.
Silence!!!
The silence persisted!
The five elderly men carefully pondered it in their hearts, exchanging glances afterward. Saint Nusjuro then spoke calmly, "Sengoku, concerning the promotion of Admiral Candidate Atlas..."
"The five of us have reached an agreement, but..."
"We don't want a repeat of this incident!"
"You can rest assured that Marine will always fulfill our responsibilities."
Sengoku assured him calmly, then turned and left the seat of the world's highest authority. (T/N: He's unaware of Imu, isn't he?.)
"Damn it, the Marines under this Sengoku's command are getting increasingly defiant. On the surface, he's following our orders, but his covert maneuvers are becoming more and more frequent!"
"Yes, he appears discontented with us ever since we compelled him to issue a Buster Call on Ohara," Peter Saint, who had not spoken until now, remarked.
Nusjuro said, "But currently, Marine cannot function without Sengoku, and we can only postpone his ascent to power. However, Marine is merely the face of the World Government, and there are limits to what Sengoku can achieve."
They are just candidates for Admiral, and they are well aware of it. The actual authority of the Alternate Admiral is not significantly greater than that of an ordinary Vice Admiral, so they don't attach much importance to adding an extra position.
...
Grand Line, nearly 7,000 meters above the sea.
The warship, influenced by Atlas' ability, sailed at a leisurely pace. For now, there was no rush to return. They simply complied with the three brothers' desires and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery from high in the sky.
At such high altitudes, ordinary individuals would typically experience a significant reduction in their physical capabilities due to thin oxygen. However, the soldiers on the warship were all chosen after rigorous training. Even the three kids only felt slightly uncomfortable.
"Report to Vice Admiral! It looks like there's a sea ahead... right ahead!"
The Marine on the watchtower suddenly reported down to Atlas.
"Sea area? How is that possible! We're 7,000 meters above the ground. Are you kidding me?"
Even though Smoker had witnessed numerous peculiar occurrences in the Grand Line, he couldn't help but be skeptical upon hearing such an outrageous piece of news.
"Don't get too worked up, Smoker. What he said is true. If my guess is correct, there should be the legendary White Sea ahead."
Atlas was also surprised. He hadn't intentionally steered toward Skypiea; he always followed Marineford's permanent pointer. Occasionally, he would take a detour to satisfy the curiosity of the three young ones. He didn't expect it to be such a coincidence, bringing them to the White Sea.
"Mr. Atlas, what is the White Sea?"
Sabo has a habit of asking questions when something perplexes him. Suddenly, encountering a term he had never heard before, he couldn't help but become very curious.
Atlas didn't disappoint them. Drawing from what he had heard and remembered, he explained, "The White Sea is created by sea clouds, formed from an element called pyrobloin that rises to the sky through volcanic explosions. Ships can sail freely on it. The sea we are on is called the Blue Sea by them, and the legendary Skypiea is located on the White Sea, tens of thousands of meters above the Blue Sea."
"Most of you have probably heard the fairy tale of North Blue's 'Liar Noland,' right? In fact, Noland didn't lie. The city filled with gold does exist, but it was just washed away by the Knock Up Stream into the White-White Sea."
"Eh!!!??"
Above the White Sea, there is more than one Sky Island. The largest among them is called Skypiea, primarily composed of Angel Island and Upper Yard. It should still be under the rule of the so-called God's Gan Fall. Under his governance, Birka, where Enel is situated, is just a smaller Sky Island in the southeast.
To be honest, if the place ahead was the so-called Skypiea, Atlas would not hesitate to take a detour. He had not assisted Gan Fall in resolving the long-standing dispute between the Shandians and the Skypieans.
However, his Haki did enable him to 'see' an intriguing image.
----------
Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari