423. New Year

Sea Circle Calendar 1514.

As the New Year approached, the Marine base was not adorned with lights and decorations, but it was much more lively than usual. The bustling warships docked at the crescent-shaped port were a sight to behold. The most conspicuous among them was a massive island ship hovering above all the warships.

The broad shadow it cast symbolized its status.

It was the Ryusen!!!

Although the Marine Admiral's ship rarely appeared in normal naval battles, it shone during the Summit War. Its all-encompassing aerial firepower was devastating for pirate ships still using crude artillery. 

Of course, using the cannons was expensive. Normally, the Ryusen would not be dispatched unless absolutely necessary due to the high costs involved.

Marines landed in twos and threes from the port, led by Atlas, who had the highest military rank. The G-5 base was under construction in an orderly manner, and due to numerous casualties, the Marines, at Atlas's suggestion, provided double the pension to their families. Many troops were also transferred from the headquarters to reinforce the base. 

After all, this was the bridgehead between the Marines and the New World, and it could not be left undefended.

According to regulations, Marineford held a work report meeting every year to strengthen the relationship between the headquarters and major bases. Except for the New World, there were usually no major issues that required leaving the base.

Except for Atlas. With his speed, he could reach the G-5 base in no time. The man in the Marines who was faster than Kizaru lived up to his reputation.

"Yo! It's Admiral Atlas," came a gentle voice from behind, calling out to Atlas.

Atlas turned back instinctively.

A Marine Vice Admiral wearing a Marine cap and sporting a thick black beard stood behind him, smiling at Atlas. It was Jonathan!

"Vice Admiral Jonathan? Long time no see, hahahaha!" A smile appeared on Atlas's face. "You can just call me by my name. I was at the G-8 base thanks to your care, senior."

Atlas never got entangled in issues of superiority and inferiority, and Jonathan was a senior who had taken great care of him. Naturally, he could not pretend to be a leader.

"Hahahaha! Okay, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Jonathan, usually pretentious, now showed a proud look. He had watched Atlas grow step by step from a humble recruit to now guarding one base and being classified as a Marine Admiral, capable of fighting two emperors alone!

Thinking of this, Jonathan asked, "How is the reconstruction of the base going? Do you need more manpower?"

"No need, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has selected enough elite soldiers for me."

Sengoku's support for Atlas was strong. Without much ado, he allocated one-third of the headquarters' troops to him.

At Marineford, not only did Kizaru go back and forth between the headquarters and Mariejois, but there were also older Marines like Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Zephyr guarding the place. Along with Atlas and Garp, who occasionally returned to fight, this formidable combat power configuration made even the stubborn Kaido wary of invading.

The World Government had no choice but to make small moves. The relationship between the Marines and Mariejois was now very delicate. It was like a tightly strung wire, with both sides being very restrained.

This was the consequence of the balance being broken. The pirates' power couldn't completely drain Marine's energy, which directly threatened the World Government's control.

"That's right. Marshal Sengoku really thinks highly of you," Jonathan said with a meaningful look.

"Let's not talk about it anymore. I got a good scolding from the old man Sengoku last time. Hasn't Jessica followed you?" Atlas waved his hand and looked around at Jonathan.

The last time he was with Akainu, Sengoku had scolded him thoroughly over the Den Den Mushi. It was as if he was saying, "You are Marine's hope. Do you still want to do it?"

"Jessica is cleaning up the kitchen at the base. Last time there was a fly in the soup, and she's still training the staff," Jonathan said with a bitter smile and shook his head. As the rule enforcer at the base, Jessica had very strict standards for canteen hygiene. As her husband, he fully supported her efforts.

"Sakazuki won't come this time, right?"

"Yes, New World can't be left too empty all of a sudden. Vice Admiral Garp has been staying at headquarters and hasn't returned," Jonathan replied.

Atlas sighed. Garp's stay at the headquarters was indeed longer than expected.

"Hahahahaha! Same old Garp."

"By the way, Marshal Sengoku seems to have something to discuss with me, so I'll take the first step," Atlas said, suddenly remembering the instructions Sengoku gave him before he left. 

'Really, mysterious, and the tone seems quite serious', he thought as he walked towards the office, cursing under his breath.

————

New World, G-7 Base.

Akainu stood at the port with a cold look on his face, staring sharply at the long-lost base. If Sengoku hadn't said that he would have remote meetings these days, Akainu would have spent the whole time at sea. Meetings couldn't compare to the satisfaction of having his fist penetrate a pirate's body.

World Government...

He walked slowly towards the base director's office, chewing these words silently in his heart. Atlas's words from their previous conversation echoed in his mind. Akainu was rarely distracted by external matters, but those words lingered.

Time goes back to a month ago.

On the warship, Atlas and Akainu had a long talk.

In the bright office, the two men frowned deeply.

"What do you think of the World Government?" Atlas raised the topic, heavy and well thought out.

Akainu was a very pure person, willing to sacrifice everything to eliminate the pirates. Therefore, he was easily impressed but hard to convince.

"Now the balance of the sea has reached the edge of fragmentation. It can even be said that the Marine is the dominant force, but we still can't eliminate the pirates," Atlas continued when Akainu remained silent.

"World Government?"

Akainu suddenly thought of the phone call he received in the waters of Totto Land. It was a call from the top of the World Government.

Atlas smiled brightly, "The Marine is like a knife in the hands of the World Government, a sharpened knife. But now the scabbard is almost gone, the blade is looming, and the knife holder is also very afraid of it."

Although the metaphor wasn't very elegant, Akainu understood. This was the current situation of the Marines.

"You're thinking..."

"That's right, just as you thought, it's not just people's thoughts that are rotten in this world, but also..."

————

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

In the marshal's office.

"Hey! What's the matter, old man Sengoku?" Atlas sat down next to Garp, leaned back, put his right leg on his knee, and suddenly looked stunned. There seemed to be something wrong with these guys...

Whether it was Sengoku, Garp, or Vice Admiral Tsuru, they had all shifted from their usual relaxed and carefree demeanor to one of seriousness.

"Ahem, what's the matter, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?" Atlas asked, straightening up and winking at Garp as a hint.

Garp, not in the mood for Atlas' antics, replied calmly, "The World Government is targeting Luffy."

"Luffy? Did he do something wrong?" Atlas looked puzzled. Why was the World Government suddenly interested in that little brat Luffy? Was it because of the Devil Fruit?

He speculated silently. Apart from the Rubber-Rubber Fruit, he couldn't think of any other connection between Luffy and the World Government. The whole situation with Who's-Who transporting the Devil Fruit was suspicious. After the fruit was taken by Red Hair, the Five Elders were furious and threw Who's-Who into the underwater prison.

Was it just a Devil Fruit worth all this trouble? Atlas found it hard to believe. The lack of information left him in the dark about the real reason.

As for Dragon's Revolutionary Army, while the World Government was searching for traces of them, they hadn't shown enough interest to kidnap Luffy.

There was only one possibility left: Luffy's value was significant enough for the Five Elders to risk Garp's potential rampage.

"So, old man Garp, what do you want to do? Fight Mariejois?" Atlas looked amused. Luffy must be safe at the headquarters now, otherwise Garp wouldn't be here so calmly. 

Angry as they were, reason still prevailed. The Marine had been loyal to the World Government for hundreds of years, despite having its own stance on justice. Claiming no loyalty to the World Government would be a lie.

Even Zephyr, despite being repeatedly betrayed by the World Government, had to leave Marine only after being stabbed in the back. His influence was huge, yet he couldn't rally the senior management to leave with him.

When the injustice directly affected Marine's senior management, public anger would ignite. Key figures like Garp, Akainu, Sengoku, and Aokiji could determine Marine's future direction.

"..."

Garp's expression froze, and the veins on his forehead bulged. This was not a simple choice between justice and injustice, but a struggle between justice and evil. In the original story, even when facing Ace's execution, Garp didn't break with the World Government because he knew the justice he upheld wouldn't allow it. Ace was a pirate, and he was a Marine; their positions were different.

But now, the situation was different. The three Luffy brothers were Marine reserves. Being betrayed by their own people negated the need to choose between justice and family.

"Judging from this incident alone, Marine should consider its future relationship with the World Government," Sengoku said, pursing his lips, taking a sip of hot tea. "I want to transfer Rosinante back to the headquarters."

He remembered that Rosinante once told him about a secret concerning the Celestial Dragons he learned from Doflamingo.

"Rosinante? Okay, I haven't seen him in a while," Atlas said. Since their last meeting in North Blue, Rosinante had been stationed there, happily serving as the base's colonel.

But why was Rosinante, whose identity is somewhat sensitive, suddenly recalled to headquarters? Atlas felt a little uneasy.

The discussion among the group continued, revolving mostly around the World Government.

Frankly, the threat posed by current pirates to the Marines was very limited. Fujitora guarded the Sabaody Archipelago, and the number of pirates pouring into the New World had greatly decreased in recent years.

The New World was under strong Marine supervision. Although some Level Six escapees were still at large, most had fallen under Atlas's fist or Akainu's magma.

In addition, Aokiji liked to ride his bicycle on the sea from time to time, often encountering and casually dealing with pirates.

Charlotte Linlin was now very low-key, with her sphere of influence constantly shrinking. The territory she originally occupied from the Whitebeard Pirates had been completely abandoned, and she was now huddled within the waters of Totto Land.

While there was a steady stream of pirates pouring into the Grand Line from all over the world, it could be said that as long as the New World was pacified, Atlas alone could wipe out all the pirates in the four seas, given enough time.

————

East Blue, Kingdom of Goa.

A ship quietly arrived in the nearby waters, with a spotless white canvas hanging on the thick mast, lacking any pirate skull and crossbones flag.

The hull of the ship was completely black, with a bow shaped like a dragon's head.

Wind Granma!

At the edge of the ship's side stood a man wearing a green robe, with a hood covering most of his face, and red tattoos peeking out.

Behind him was a tall man, six to seven meters in height, with two cute bear ears holding up his hood, and an expressionless face.

If there were pirates present, they might recognize this man.

One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Tyrant-Bartholomew Kuma.

Next to Kuma was an unknown individual with a head as big as a bullfight and a broad grin on his heavily made-up face.

Almost everyone on the boat was dressed in green robes and hoods, looking expressionlessly at the approaching coastline.

"Is it necessary to follow me? This will increase your risk of exposure to the Marines, Kuma," the leading man in a green robe said, raising his head. Bright light hit his face, revealing a ferocious face without eyebrows.

Monkey D. Dragon!

"I just heard that you found the true path of revolution, and I wanted to witness how the seeds of the New World were sown," Kuma said with a gentle smile, his face full of yearning and longing for the New World that Dragon described.

"Hehe, how did you suddenly find the right path, Dragon?" the big-headed man asked with a smile.

They were all companions Dragon had met while traveling around the world, attracted by the world of equality and freedom that Dragon described.

However, since the establishment of the Revolutionary Army, members, including Dragon, were still confused and unable to find the right path.

A year ago, Dragon suddenly gathered them together with excitement, saying he had found the real revolutionary path. He then shared a burst of various ideas, leaving them confused.

Finally, they agreed that practice is the only criterion for testing truth.

After many discussions, they decided to test their ideas in Dragon's hometown.

East Blue, Kingdom of Goa.

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