Volume 4 Chapter 6

A black badly damaged ghostship-looking battleship was slowly making its way onto land. The level of damage to the vessel could only be imagined. Its main mast was cut cleanly off the ship. There were several patched-up holes on the body of the ship. Scars left from sword strikes covered the deck in random patterns. The figurehead along with half of the bow of the ship had been sliced off. The only undamaged thing on the ship was the black flag carrying a jolly roger with two hourglasses to the sides, next to a skull with sideburns on its cheekbones.

"Land Ahoy!" a weak yet desperate voice yelled across the deck.

"Food!"

"Drink!"

"Women!"

As if revived, people who were hidden below deck crawled out to the surface. They looked malnourished, hungry and very desperate.

"Gin, lead the men into Conomi Island for a good meal," a large, muscular man, with short purple-grey hair and distinct sideburns said calmly while sitting in the shadows of the destroyed deck. He had a thick layer of gauze wrapped around his scalp. He wore a fur-lined golden armour; consisting of a full-torso carapace, massive shoulder plates, and armguards.

"Yes Don!" a reply came from behind him.

***

On the top level of a silver tower standing at the centre of Mary Geoise a meeting of utmost urgency was being held.

"We have received directions from Im, the stars have aligned and the signs are very clear. The appointed time is near! We must take action." a samurai-looking elder with a bald head said. "I have been following Rose D. Ezra's progress from his registration at the Academy until he became a commodore. I must say if he were to join us, that would have been a very important asset for us. His growth has been exceptional. Speaking about growth, from my investigations it could be said that his disappearance after he was denied a promotion was a turning point because he seemed to have grown stronger in this period but we don't understand how."

"Are you saying he found a relic of the past? Or he made contact with higher powers?" an elderly man with a scar on the left side of his face said. He was wearing a black suit and a white shirt, a hat over his grey dreadlocks and held a walking cane even while seated.

"I don't think higher powers are involved, remember the agreement" another tall, thin bearded elderly man with long white hair added. He was wearing a black suit and a white shirt.

"I think he must have found some type of inheritance. He does have that power, there is no way Uranus would not reach out. It's been 700 years and now he finally has an heir." the samurai-looking elder replied.

"There is no point in discussing Rose D. Ezra, too many secrets have been exposed. We need to remove this light from history." A bald elder with a large birthmark spot on his forehead said loudly. He had a large white moustache. He was also wearing a black suit and white shirt

"I am in favour of that. A new force has been created already. Let's discuss what the next steps will be. The Marine Corps will be wiped out of history as the villains of this Era." the youngest looking of the Five Elders said; he had blonde hair and beard, as well as a scar on his chest. He also wore a black suit without a tie, leaving the buttons of the white shirt open.

"Ok, let them in!" the samurai elder instructed

The large double doors slowly opened revealing the disgraced former Fleet Admiral Kong who was responsible for the massacre at Oykot Kingdom. Beside him was the now-resigned former Admiral of the Marine Corp Akainu whose real name was Sakazuki.

"Now let us start the real meeting," the samurai elder said as soon as both officers were seated.

"Kong you will be the Commander in Chief of the Celestial Navy. Everything has to go through you before getting to us. I know you will do a good job in this area. Sakazuki, you made the correct decision by taking up our offer. One thing you should know: History is nothing but stories written by the victors. You will be the new Fleet Admiral for the Celestial Navy. I want you to use the next year to train your staff. We need to get a new navy up and running about the same size as the previous Marine Corp." the samurai elder spoke uninterrupted by the others.

"Elder, just above half of the Marines defected to joining this navy. We just need to go on a recruitment campaign" Sakazuki mentioned

"I don't think you understand the situation. Firstly, recruitment will not work as too many people will sympathise with the current Marines. What we need is a common enemy. That is why I suggest you should free all the prisoners in Enies Lobby and Impel Down who have a great enmity with the Marines. Those are the people you need in your new force. There must be places where we have muted corruption caused by some marines. Go to those places and manipulate the people to join the navy. Let's use the enmity as a driving force to wipe them out" the bald elder with the birth said plainly.

"So we have to work with Pirates?" Sakazuki was not impressed but there was nothing he could say. He had to do everything possible in achieving a better situation for the World. This was his sense of justice.

"Don't belittle those guys, there are some very powerful prisoners down in Level 6 who have a very strong enmity with the one praised as a hero for placing them there, Monkey D. Garp" the elder with the dreadlocks mentioned.

"You do your part. It is time we told you about our trump card. An army the size of corps which we have been training for years. It is too early to reveal this card to the world, when the Celestial Navy has taken over the seas, we will be adding this force of 100,000 soldiers into your ranks." the samurai elder asked

"Elder, are they here on Mary Geoise? How come we have never seen an army of that size?" Kong asked curiously

"No, they are training on the MOON." the elder replied.

***

"Congratulations Garp, you are now the highest-ranking officer in the Marine Corps. I am tired of all this so I will be resigning also. I think I make a better vigilante than a Marine. I will be paying attention to the War, so don't you lose badly." Vice-Admiral Tsuru said jokingly.

"Don't worry, I actually think we can win this fight. We just need to think outside the box." Monkey D. Garp said with a smile. "Ok Tsuru, don't worry about paperwork, I will get someone to complete it for you. You just have to leave as soon as possible. We don't know when the Celestial Navy will be attacking."

"Goodbye old friend," Tsuru said with a teary smile.

"Goodbye oldie" Garp replied, to which he received a punch in the belly.

'Now that she has gone, I can start my plans. Things are happening as Roger predicted. When the power of the sea grows to a certain level, the hidden forces will begin to move. It's time to activate all the plans we have carefully put in place over the years.' Garp thought to himself as he made up his mind on the direction the Marines will be taking.

Ring Ring

"I knew you would Call father. It is exactly as Teacher predicted" the voice on the line mentioned

"You don't even greet your old man or let alone ask about your son, DRAGON!" Garp shouted down the phone.