Chapter 201

At Marine Headquarters, the atmosphere was tense. Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at his desk, the weight of the world bearing down on his shoulders. The recent reports from the New World had thrown the entire organization into disarray. In front of him sat Amiral Zephyr, Vice Admirals Garp, Kizaru, and Akainu, their faces reflecting a mix of concern and determination.

"Shiki's audacity knows no bounds," Akainu growled, slamming his fist onto the desk. "First, he escapes Impel Down, and now he dares to attack Big Mom's territory. This chaos cannot continue. We must restore order."

Garp, chewing on a senbei, looked thoughtful. "Shiki's a wild card, always has been. But attacking Big Mom directly… That's not just recklessness. There's a plan behind this."

Kizaru, lounging against the wall, chimed in with his usual laid-back demeanor. "Garp-san, you don't suppose he's trying to destabilize the balance of power among the Emperors, do you? It's quite the gamble."

"I am not currently worried about Shiki," Sengoku said, his voice as firm as steel. "With the chaos he's causing in Linlin's territory, it's inevitable that the two will come to a full-scale clash. We just need to be ready to take advantage of the situation. What concerns me more right now is the pirate alliance called the Zodiac. As we speak, they are currently laying siege to G9."

Garp chuckled, a sound that seemed out of place given the gravity of the situation, causing Sengoku to frown deeply and raise his brows, curious about Garp's apparent nonchalance.

Garp swallowed another senbei and grinned. "Sengoku, you don't have to worry. Raylene was near the G9 base area, so she's already been informed. I'm just wondering if those pirates will give her a decent challenge."

Zephyr, who had been quietly observing, nodded with pride. "Yes, Garp is right. With Admiral Raylene reinforcing the G9 base, the situation should be under control. And don't forget, Vergo is stationed in G10. He'll be moving to assist as well."

Sengoku's eyes widened in surprise, then relaxed as the tension left his shoulders. He hadn't been aware that Garp had already informed Raylene about the matter. "Raylene… Wasn't she taking care of things near Sabaody? Why is she in the New World? I haven't given her any missions there."

He started getting a throbbing headache as he realized who had recommended her to the Admiral post. "Garp! You… you! Am I not the Fleet Admiral? Why am I only being told now that an Admiral was dispatched to the New World without orders? This was your doing, wasn't it?"

He looked at his friend, fuming, as if wanting to swallow him whole. Sengoku already had enough tension dealing with one rogue Marine like Garp; now there was a second one, even more unruly, and Garp seemed to be endorsing her.

The recent matter of bringing down all the auction houses and shutting down the slave trade had already put Sengoku in hot water with the World Nobles. All those slavers and related groups were mentioned as collateral damage, while her original target was a pirate worth 30 million belly, and she had blatantly stated in her report how difficult it was to subdue the pirate.

Who in their right mind would believe such an absurd lie? From how much Garp had praised the Mythical Zoan-using Admiral, Sengoku knew Raylene was using Garp's modus operandi. His friend must have been teaching her all the loopholes he had been exploiting for years.

Garp grinned, unbothered by Sengoku's anger. "Well, Sengoku, the situation was dire, and I made a judgment call. Raylene was the best choice for handling certain matters. Besides, she's proven herself more than capable, hasn't she?"

Sengoku rubbed his temples, trying to quell the headache. "You can't just make these decisions on your own, Garp. There's a chain of command for a reason. Raylene is an Admiral, not a lone wolf."

Zephyr interjected, attempting to defuse the situation. "Sengoku, Raylene's actions, though unconventional, have yielded results. The slave trade has been significantly disrupted, and her presence in the New World might be something that can help us gain some control. Her methods may be unorthodox, but her effectiveness is undeniable."

Sengoku sighed deeply, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. "I understand that, Zephyr, but we need to maintain order within our own ranks as well. Garp, you need to communicate these decisions. We can't afford to have Admirals going rogue."

Garp chuckled, taking another bite of his senbei. "Fine, fine. I'll make sure to keep you in the loop next time. But trust me, Sengoku, Raylene is exactly where she needs to be right now."

Sengoku shook his head, a small smile breaking through his frustration. "You and your proteges, Garp. Always causing me more trouble than anyone else."

Akainu, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. "Admiral Raylene's presence in the New World will give us a strategic advantage. We should focus on leveraging this situation to our benefit. With her and Rear Admiral Vergo handling the Zodiac alliance, we can concentrate our efforts on the fallout from Shiki and Linlin's clash."

Sengoku nodded, his resolve strengthening. "Very well, in that case, Akainu, I am going to redeploy you in the New World. We'll monitor the situation closely and be ready to deploy our forces at a moment's notice. The Marines must be prepared to restore order and maintain our dominance over the seas."

As the rest of the officers cleared the office to carry out their respective orders, only Sengoku, Garp, and Admiral Zephyr remained. Sengoku had specifically asked them to stay back.

Garp, who had been jovial all this time, turned serious. "Sengoku, are you going to tell us what's really bothering you? You were already aware that with Vergo there, the Zodiacs weren't going to be much of a problem." He even set aside his senbei, a sign of the gravity of the situation. As his closest friend, he knew how Sengoku was, and the way Sengoku was acting meant the matter was dire.

"Sigh!" Sengoku couldn't help but sigh deeply as he pulled out a large folder and placed it on the table. "These orders came in earlier, and they came directly from the Five Elders. I'm sure neither of you are going to like this," he said cryptically.

Even Zephyr now showed seriousness. For something to make the Fleet Admiral so hesitant, the order had to be significant. Garp didn't stand on ceremony and reached out, picking up the folder. As he read, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. The ominous Haki exuding from the Marine Hero made even Zephyr and Sengoku flinch.

"Sengoku!!" Garp growled in a low tone. "Tell me you didn't agree to this madness."

"Garp! We don't have a choice. Even I wasn't aware that the Elders would pull such a stunt at such a time," Sengoku replied, frustration clear in his voice.

Zephyr, confused about what was going on, reached for the folder, but Garp, in his anger, crumpled the file.

"Bastards!" Garp smashed his fist into the table, shattering it into pieces. "Sengoku! Have you gone crazy? Don't you remember what happened at God's Valley?" Garp roared, standing up from his seat.

"Garp! Calm down. Let's first understand what's going on. Getting angry at Sengoku isn't going to solve anything," Zephyr intervened, realizing Garp was truly furious. He turned to the Fleet Admiral for an explanation, as he still didn't know what exactly was in the folder that made Garp so angry.

Garp took a deep breath and sank back into his chair in disbelief, his eyes closed, trying not to look at Sengoku because, with how angry he was right now, he might beat Sengoku to a pulp.

Sengoku struggled to explain to Zephyr, knowing his reaction might not be very different from Garp's. "The Native Hunting Competition... the World Nobles want to reinitiate the Native Hunting Competition, and they've already decided on the venue for this year's hunt. They picked the Sorbet Kingdom in South Blue, which is currently undergoing a revolution," Sengoku finished with difficulty.

For a moment, Zephyr thought he was hearing things. His blood froze in shock, and it took him a few moments to realize the seriousness of the matter. He launched himself from the chair.

"Sengoku! You cannot allow this. This is madness, pure madness!" Zephyr roared. He knew of the Native Hunting Competition. He was an Admiral candidate back then, and the events at God's Valley had shaken him to his very core.

Normally, as an event exclusive to the World Nobles, the Marines were not aware of such atrocities. But Rocks D. Xebec had taken it upon himself to challenge the might of the World Nobles back then, and because of the danger, the Marines were deployed.

Garp had to team up with Roger to bring an end to the wanton slaughter by Xebec, who wanted to change the world's order. Since then, the World Nobles have not shown any inclination toward their so-called triennial ritual.

But now, after all these years, they wanted to conduct the Native Hunting Competition, and by the looks of things, it seemed like the World Government wanted the Marines to dip their hands in this matter.

Sengoku looked at both of them, his eyes heavy with the burden of his position. "I didn't agree to it. But refusing directly would mean defying the Five Elders, and you know what that would entail. We need a plan, and we need it now."

Garp's fists were clenched tightly. "Those damn World Nobles! They think they can do whatever they want. We need to protect those people, Sengoku. We can't let history repeat itself."

Zephyr, still fuming, nodded. "We need to find a way to stop this. We can't let innocent lives be used for their twisted games."

***********

Meanwhile, at the G9 base, the fleet of the Zodiacs clashed relentlessly with the Marine defenders.

"Where are the damn reinforcements? We cannot hold them off for long!" The Vice Admiral in charge of the base roared, demanding an update from his subordinate as he fought three pirates simultaneously, all proficient in Haki.

Originally, they had the numbers to mount a proper defense, but then the pirates split up, targeting the nearby inhabited islands. The Vice Admiral had rerouted the majority of their forces to intercept the pirates who had branched off.

"Buhahaha! Is this the standard of a Marine Vice Admiral currently? So pathetic," a burly man cackled as he observed the ongoing fight, casually seated on the ship's railing. He carried a massive war axe, its blade glinting menacingly in the sunlight.

His muscular frame was adorned with numerous scars, a testament to countless battles. His thick beard and wild, unkempt hair added to his fierce appearance. This was Taurus, one of the 12 Zodiacs. He was a pirate from the Rock's era, infamous and feared, with a bounty of 1.4 billion berries.

"Soru!" The Vice Admiral pushed back the three pirates and appeared in front of Taurus, determined to finish him with a single blow. He swung down his cutlass, infusing it with Haki.

"Busoshoku Koka!" The blade descended rapidly, but Taurus chuckled and raised his arm casually, catching the blade.

"Clang!" The clash of blade and arm was fierce, sending a ripple of energy through the air. The Vice Admiral's eyes widened in shock as his blade, reinforced with Haki, was halted effortlessly.

"Is that all you've got, Marine?" Taurus sneered, his grip tightening around the blade. With a flick of his wrist, he shattered the cutlass, sending shards flying. "You can't hope to stand against the might of the seas with just your puny strength."

The Vice Admiral staggered back, his hand trembling from the impact. "Damn you," he growled, summoning all his strength to keep fighting. "I won't let you take this base!"

Taurus stood, his massive frame towering over the Vice Admiral. "You're out of your league," he taunted, swinging his war axe with devastating force.

The Vice Admiral dodged, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike, but the sheer power of the swing created a shockwave that knocked him off his feet. As he scrambled to regain his footing, the three pirates he had been fighting earlier closed in, their weapons ready.

"Is this the end of the Marines' pride?" Taurus mocked him, raising his axe for another strike.

Just then, Taurus's observation Haki picked up an incoming threat. Instinctively, he swung his axe upward.

"Boom!!" With a deafening sound, two weapons clashed, and the sheer pressure made the warship sway dangerously. The deck groaned and cracked as a metal pole, infused with Haki, collided with Taurus's war axe. Taurus squinted to look at his attacker, feeling the weight of the blow in his arms. He knew immediately that the newcomer was the real deal.

Vergo, with a steely determination, launched a barrage of attacks, forcing the zodiac to change targets. His movements were precise and relentless, his metal pole whirling expertly as he pressed the assault. Each strike was aimed with lethal intent, pushing Taurus back step by step.

"Sir, I will take care of things here. Please leave this to me," Vergo said confidently, not taking his eyes off his opponent. Since coming to the New World, he had been fighting and honing his skills non-stop, and he was confident in taking down the formidable foe before him.

The Vice Admiral, still transfixed, watched the scene unfold. He knew of Rear Admiral Vergo, Admiral Zephyr's protégé. Many hailed him as the second coming of the Marine Hero. Just looking at Vergo's back, the Vice Admiral felt immense pressure despite his higher rank. He immediately moved to carry out Vergo's request, trusting in the younger officer's prowess.

Vergo's pole struck like lightning, each hit echoing across the battlefield. "You won't get past me, Taurus," he declared, his voice steady and full of resolve.

Taurus snarled, his war axe swinging in wide arcs as he tried to overpower Vergo. "You think you can stop me, boy? I've crushed stronger marines than you!"

But Vergo was unfazed. His Haki-clad pole met each of Taurus's strikes with equal force. "This isn't about thinking," Vergo retorted. "It's about knowing. And I know you won't win."

Their weapons clashed again, sending shockwaves through the air. Vergo's focus was unbreakable; his strikes were precise and unyielding. Taurus, despite his brute strength, found himself being pushed back, his confidence wavering.

The surrounding marines watched in awe, the sight of Vergo standing firm against such a formidable opponent boosting their morale. "Rear Admiral Vergo!" they cheered, rallying behind him with renewed vigor.

*********

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Currently updated until Chapter 259.

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