Chương 11: 11. Headquaters has sent a wife for everyone
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On the podium in the conference room, Vice Admiral Tsuru lowered her head and sorted through the documents.
There were only three people sitting in the front row below.
They were Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, and Akira.
Sengoku, being the highest-ranking officer under the Fleet Admiral, naturally occupied the foremost seat.
Although Garp only held the rank of Vice Admiral, his strength was unmatched, earning him the title of "Hero of the Marines," so there was no issue with him sitting at the front.
As for Akira, in addition to holding the rank of Vice Admiral, he also had the title of "Acting Fleet Admiral," qualifying him to sit alongside the other two.
A few days ago, someone might have stirred up trouble, but outside the door, Akira had already made it clear with his fists that no one dared to cause any problems now.
Moreover, the three Marine Admirals—Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino—sitting behind them, didn't voice any objections.
Behind these Admirals were Vice Admiral Momousagi and several other Vice Admirals in their fifties to seventies, whose names were lesser-known.
At the very back were the Rear Admirals and Commodores.
It's worth noting that more than 20 years later, Vice Admirals who would become well-known in the original story, like Momonga, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Strawberry, were still just Rear Admirals at this time.
The position of Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters is limited. If officers like Momonga succeed in the future, it means the current batch of Vice Admirals will be actively or passively replaced.
Given the chaotic era of the Great Pirate Age, it's highly likely that many current Vice Admirals will meet their end at the hands of pirates.
Akira himself was once among this group of Vice Admirals who could have died at any moment.
That's why he was willing to accept Fleet Admiral Kong's proposal to compete with Sengoku. After all, at that time, he hadn't yet unlocked his full potential, and his strength was still lacking.
"Ahem..."
After organizing the documents, Tsuru coughed a few times to capture everyone's attention and revealed the purpose of this emergency meeting.
"The 150 member countries have jointly pressured the World Government, demanding that the endless wave of pirates be dealt with swiftly and that more soldiers be dispatched to protect them."
"The Five Elders have tasked us with developing a feasible plan and implementing it as soon as possible."
Akira frowned.
No surprise, out of the 170 countries that are members of the World Government, 80% must have reached a consensus. No wonder the Five Elders gave personal instructions.
It's clear that the current situation at sea is dire; otherwise, the group of princes and nobles who typically treat their subjects like livestock wouldn't be so anxious.
Vice Admiral Tsuru continued:
"The Five Elders also stated that the rise of the Great Pirate Era stems from our public execution of Roger. If we can't stem the tide of pirates setting sail soon..."
"The World Government will hold the Marines accountable, punishing us from top to bottom, and provide an explanation to all affiliated countries."
Wow.
As soon as these words were spoken, the room erupted in anger.
The officers were furious.
"What is this? We did our job and caught the pirates, and now we're in the wrong?"
"Exactly! We captured the first Pirate King in history, and the Five Elders agreed to broadcast the execution worldwide. Why should we take the blame for what's happening now? I refuse to accept this."
"Damn Roger! If I'd known, I would've sewn his mouth shut so he couldn't say a word!"
"Do we Marines want the world to be in chaos like this? How can it all be our fault?"
"..."
Being held accountable and punished was not just harmful but also deeply insulting to all the Marines.
Even Garp, usually good-natured, looked pale with anger.
Sizzle.
Akira suddenly felt heat on his back, followed by the sound of magma dripping onto the floor.
He looked back curiously... Oh, it was just the furious Sakazuki. That made sense.
Every Devil Fruit user's personality is influenced by their fruit, to some extent.
Zoan users are the most affected, followed by Logia users with more distinct abilities.
For instance, Mera-Mera Fruit, Ice-Ice Fruit, Glint-Glint Fruit... these Devil Fruits have strong, intuitive powers.
Sakazuki's Lava-Lava Fruit also makes him quick to anger.
And at just 31 years old, still young, it's understandable for him to have a short temper.
Knock, knock, knock.
Once the room calmed down a bit, Tsuru knocked on the podium, her expression serious.
"We have no choice in the matter. Everyone needs to recognize their position. If you have the energy to waste on useless anger, you'd better use it to take action."
"Don't forget, every minute and every second, the world remains under the threat of pirates."
"Now, let's focus on brainstorming how to quickly contain this era."
Her words silenced the room.
The Marines are just the World Government's enforcement arm; no matter how angry they are, they can't influence the decisions of their superiors, the Five Elders.
And after all, the Great Pirate Era did indeed start with Roger's execution.
The world wouldn't be in such a difficult situation if that execution hadn't been broadcast worldwide.
They could have taken down all the top pirates, but it's a bit humiliating to be blamed for the aftermath.
Most of the generals looked forward subconsciously.
Sengoku, as expected, stepped up and said:
"Let's ensure that every Marine base at sea is more active, prioritizing the safety of the allied countries, and getting those kings to calm down first."
"When necessary, station soldiers locally to minimize the loss of towns."
The Resourceful General lived up to his name, coming up with a solution in such a short time.
—If you can't solve the problem, then start by solving the person who raised it.
Even Akira couldn't find any faults in this plan.
In an era where everyone seems to have turned to piracy, it's impossible to contain the chaos quickly.
So, to make a difference, the priority is to protect the allied countries that have the most influence.
Once they're secured, the Marines will have the time and energy to address other issues.
"Sengoku, the situation is worse than we imagined; we can no longer afford to move slowly."
"During this time, the staff has actually suppressed a lot of news and warned the newspapers not to publish it."
"In order to help everyone understand the gravity of the situation, I've compiled the news. Let's take a closer look..."
There was a rare trace of sadness in Tsuru's eyes as she stepped aside, using a device to project the newspaper onto the wall.
News that had never been seen before appeared before everyone's eyes.
- Urgent! Marine bases everywhere are in desperate need of support, with a significant reduction in soldiers. Immediate reinforcement is required.
- Overnight, the branch base in West Blue was wiped out, with the commanding officer killed by soldiers who defected to become pirates.
- This newspaper's reporter was invited to investigate and found the families of soldiers killed in battle begging on the streets, with Marine's promised pensions not being fulfilled.
- With such meager pay, how can anyone live? Salaries are delayed, and my wife relies on me—interview with a deserter.
- By day a Marine, by night a pirate! This branch has truly embraced a new form of justice for the new era.
- Three meals a day as a Marine, but as a pirate, you feast on fish and meat. Is it really a hard choice? —Interview with pirates.
- I think this life, where you don't have to work hard and can just wake up and plunder, is the One Piece I've been searching for—interview with a former civilian who turned to piracy.
Hiss...
The room filled with gasps.
Sengoku stood up abruptly, pointing at the shocking news, struggling to find words: "This, this, this..."
"That's right," Tsuru confirmed, her tone heavy. "Our global forces are rapidly dwindling. Some soldiers have been killed by pirates, some have retired due to injuries, and some have even deserted willingly."
"There are too many pirates, overwhelming like a tidal wave. Soldiers on the front lines, watching their comrades fall one after another, are the first to lose hope."
"In contrast, the number of pirates keeps rising."
"Civilians who have lost their homes and countries are banding together, forming large gangs that fuel this chaotic era."
"Even well-trained soldiers are joining them."
As Tsuru's somber words sank in, Sakazuki couldn't contain his rage and said murderously, "Soldiers deserting at such a critical time and even killing their commanders—where is their sense of justice?"
"Sakazuki, justice also needs to be fed first," Tsuru sighed. "Many soldiers haven't been paid in months."
"Didn't the World Government distribute the funds?"
"Since the number of pirates has increased, communication between islands, kingdoms, and territories has been disrupted. No one has the money to pay taxes anymore."
"The Celestial Dragons receive vast amounts of Heavenly Tribute every year, why not have them use it?"
Tsuru paused before responding, "That's a topic we can't touch. Let's focus on what we can do in this situation!"
Sakazuki fell silent, unable to sit back down. The conference room was wrapped in an eerie silence.
Everyone knew the biggest challenge they faced was money. Even if they were asked to fight Whitebeard right now, they'd roll up their sleeves and charge in with the main force, but when it came to raising funds, they were completely at a loss.
Snap.
Someone lit a cigarette irritably, taking a deep drag.
Others followed suit, and soon the conference room was thick with second-hand smoke.
Vice Admiral Momousagi frowned. She hated the smell of cigarettes and would usually stand up to call for a stop, but she knew everyone was under immense pressure. So, she sighed quietly, covered her nose with her hand, and endured it.
"Sengoku, do you have any ideas?"
After a long silence, Tsuru broke the tension by asking.
Sengoku exhaled a cloud of smoke and shook his head helplessly.
"What about the rest of you?"
Tsuru glanced around the entire room.
It was like a teacher asking a question in class, and every general who made eye contact with Tsuru quickly looked away, afraid of being called upon and embarrassed.
Tsuru couldn't hide her disappointment.
But then, she noticed Akira, who seemed hesitant to speak, as if he had thought of something.
In a room full of defeated faces, suddenly spotting someone with a potential solution was like finding hope in despair.
Tsuru's eyes lit up.
Akira, known as the "Shinma," was the only Marine who had risen to the rank of Vice Admiral purely through his intellect, not just his strength. If anyone could find a way out of this situation, she believed it was him.
"Akira, if you have a plan, don't hesitate."
"I and everyone else here will support you as long as it's feasible."
Akira had no intention of holding back. After all, as the acting Fleet Admiral, he needed a big success to secure his position permanently.
With that in mind, he stood up from his seat, walked to the podium, and looked down at everyone.
Under the gaze of hopeful, anxious, and confused eyes, he finally spoke:
"If there's no money, then we'll give everyone other benefits."
"Tell the serving, the wavering, and the fleeing soldiers this—"
"Come back and continue upholding justice, because the headquarters has sent a wife to each of you."
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