Chapter 76: The Gathering Shichibukai

"What the hell is going on? What in the world are you Marines doing? Why did you let this guy come to the Holy Land to capture the Celestial Dragons?"

Sengoku wasted no time. He soon received a call from the Five Elders, who had already been briefed on the situation by Kong.

Upon hearing the news, the Five Elders were utterly stunned. Incredulity quickly turned to anger, and they directed their fury at Sengoku.

"His ability is far too strange! We weren't prepared to deal with a clone!" He exclaimed.

Sengoku responded with a single sentence, unbothered by their tirade. He knew these old men rarely took him seriously.

In the eyes of the Five Elders, the Marines were nothing more than a tool and a convenient scapegoat.

Sengoku's response did little to quell their anger. They continued to berate him. He simply held the Den Den Mushi away slightly, pretending it was nothing more than a bunch of pigs snorting.

Finally, after a lengthy scolding, the Five Elders' rage subsided somewhat, and they regained a semblance of composure.

"News of this has spread throughout the seas," they declared. "Summon the Shichibukai. This madman will surely be brought down by our combined forces!"

With that final decree, the Five Elders ended the call. They saw no need to dispatch Kong, the CP organizations, or any other combat forces. After all, the Marines were already a formidable force.

The notion that the combined might of the Marines and the Shichibukai couldn't handle one man was simply inconceivable to them.

The Shichibukai, however, still had one vacant seat. Luo Ning had previously encountered Ace before he entered the Grand Line. Ace's devil fruit power, the Mera Mera no Mi, had quickly driven his bounty skyrocketing.

An invitation to join the Shichibukai was subsequently extended, but Ace declined. Following his refusal, the position was filled by another, and the current Shichibukai roster had only just been finalized.

The time frame for gathering the Shichibukai is indeed a major issue. Jinbe became a Shichibukai eight years ago in the original story, which coincides with Arlong's rise to power and his eight-year enslavement of Cocoyashi Village. However, even after five years, there are still vacant seats among the Shichibukai.

The recruitment process only reached completion after Ace's refusal.

Watching the Five Elders finally hang up the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku finally exhaled a sigh of relief.

While he had done his best to ignore the Five Elders, their harsh scolding still left him feeling somewhat disgruntled.

But such is the nature of hierarchy; high-ranking officials hold immense power. The Five Elders, however, are far more than just high-ranking officials.

"How is the situation? It seems like..."

Tsuru noticed Sengoku leaving the room and began to speak, but she trailed off mid-sentence. She, too, was aware of the Five Elders' nature and likely assumed Sengoku had been reprimanded again.

"I'm accustomed to it," Sengoku replied, shaking his head and dismissing her concern. "Now, call the Shichibukai and assemble the headquarters' forces. Since this situation is grave, we will utilize the full might of the Marines."

Despite feigning composure, Sengoku acknowledged the need to gather most of their strength. He understood that low-level Marines would be ineffective against Luo Ning, but the Five Elders' public announcement left them with no choice.

This battle would attract the attention of all major world powers, and the Marines needed to demonstrate their capabilities. At the very least, they could surround Impel Down with their warships.

Even a victory achieved under such circumstances wouldn't be ideal. One could say Sengoku was prioritizing the Marines' public image to a significant degree.

"Calling the Shichibukai? That's certainly their style," Tsuru sighed. The mere mention of the Shichibukai rankled every Marine, even Akainu and the others. It wasn't a matter of loyalty, but a general point of contention the Marines were powerless to address.

After all, the Shichibukai answer to the World Government, not the Marines. The Marines are only responsible for contacting them and assigning tasks.

Zephyr certainly caused a stir when the Shichibukai system was established, but was it effective? Let's not even mention his shortcomings as Admiral.

On the Marine side, elite forces were swiftly assembled, and a large number of warships were mobilized.

Meanwhile, the Shichibukai also dispatched themselves upon receiving the order. This time, the notoriously difficult-to-summon Shichibukai complied seamlessly, with no refusals, not even from Hawkeye.

Luo Ning's audacious, high-profile attack on the Celestial Dragons had piqued Hawkeye's interest.

The only silver lining for Sengoku at this point was Magellan's report that the Celestial Dragons remained unharmed. However, extracting them was another issue entirely.

Sengoku understood perfectly. Impel Down alone wouldn't be enough of a challenge for Luo Ning. In this case, keeping the Celestial Dragons captive was the wiser move. However, he dreaded pushing Luo Ning further.

***

"Never thought I'd see the Marines laying siege to Impel Down. Fascinating!"

As the Marine warships set sail towards Impel Down, Doflamingo couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the impenetrable fortress.

"Hehehe, attacking the Celestial Dragons and prompting such a massive Marine deployment... This guy must be incredibly strong. I wonder if I can snag his body after he's done for!"

Moria's mind was already preoccupied with securing Luo Ning's body. With his power to create zombies, the stronger the corpse, the stronger the shadow it yielded, and thus the stronger the zombie he could create.

While Moria may not be the strongest, he wasn't foolish. The near-total mobilization of the Marine forces was a staggering display. Pitting such a lineup against a single individual was utterly outrageous.

"Celestial Dragons!"

Jinbe's anger flared upon hearing the name "Celestial Dragons." He fought to contain his rage. After all, Otohime was assassinated following the Celestial Dragons' visit to Fishman Island.

While Hody Jones was ultimately responsible, only Shirahoshi possessed the full truth. At the time, everyone believed Princess Otohime to be a victim of the Celestial Dragons.

However, retaliation against the Celestial Dragons was out of the question; it would only invite disaster.

Hody Jones' actions were simply those of a deranged individual. There will always be a few oddballs amongst the Fishmen who, instead of seeking revenge on the true culprit, choose to lash out at society through figures like Arlong.

What kind of avenger is Hody Jones, attacking humans while dwelling within his own territory? A group of cowards who submit to outside threats yet violently lash out internally.

***

"Is the Den Den Mushi connected?" Sengoku inquired.

"It's connected, but are you sure about the live broadcast?" A group of Vice Admirals asked doubtfully.

"We have no better options. There are only two outcomes this time: victory or defeat."

"If we lose, the Marines' reputation will be tarnished regardless of a live broadcast. Broadcasting the battle can potentially mitigate some of that damage. It will show the world we put up a valiant effort. Of course, this outcome is highly unlikely."

"However, a victory broadcasted live would significantly bolster the Marines' reputation. There's no harm in trying!"

Tsuru echoed the sentiment. Similar to the Whitebeard Pirates' battle during the Summit War, the Marines needed to utilize this method to regain some of their lost prestige. After all, things couldn't get much worse. Besides, a horde of reporters was already watching intently. While they wouldn't dare to broadcast live themselves, they would certainly take pictures. Why not broadcast the truth themselves rather than allowing these reporters to distort the narrative?