Marine Headquarters, Marinford.
In the conference hall, everyone from the Admiral Sengoku of the Naval Headquarters to the junior warrant officers gathered on this day.
The last time the officers of the Naval Headquarters gathered together was to reward them for their successful public execution of Roger.
After so many years, the officers' meeting of the Navy Headquarters was held again.
The culprit that caused the Navy Headquarters to make such a big fuss was the newspaper that was scattered all over the world.
"clatter--"
The lights in the conference room dimmed. On the podium at the front, Brannew, then a rear admiral of the navy, walked to the side of the light curtain and pressed the remote control in his hand.
A newspaper was suddenly projected onto the giant screen on the rostrum.
The headline on this side of the newspaper was called - "BIG MOM is defeated, and the path to becoming the Pirate King is revealed!"
Below the huge title is a photo of the archipelago.
The photos were taken not too far from the archipelago. From the photos, you can see that the surface of these islands is covered with gravel, rubble, and some ashes left after plant growth.
The archipelago in the photo is a dead place with no life at all.
"This is Big Mom's territory, Cake Island among all nations."
"According to reports, former Admiral Tsugukuni Yoriichi has invaded Cake Island. His goal is to obtain the historical text in Big Mom's hands."
As Brannew spoke, he lightly pressed the remote control in his hand. On the screen, the photos of the archipelago published in the newspaper were enlarged. At the same time, a new photo appeared in the lower right corner of the screen.
The photo shows the Cake Island before it was destroyed. It was taken from the high seas. Although the details of the island were not very clear, the Cake Island in the photo looked "grand" and "dreamy". The cake towers standing on the island were brightly colored, and the vegetation on the island was lush, creating a vibrant scene.
And more importantly, the original Cake Island only had one island.
As the two photos were compared, the hall was filled with gasps and exclamations. Sitting in the front row, Karp watched the scene and couldn't help but twitch his lips. He was shocked and couldn't help but whisper,
"It doesn't look like that boy's work!"
"That guy is a swordsman! Even if he could really defeat Big Mom, he wouldn't create a battlefield like this."
Garp is a veteran with rich experience. He will not make hasty judgments based on some inexplicable information.
Beside him, Vice Admiral Tsuru, with his hands behind his back, was carefully examining the Cake Island battlefield on the screen. Upon hearing what Garp said, he also shook his head slightly:
"He is a swordsman, yes, but he is more than just a swordsman now."
"He is also a Devil Fruit user, and according to our intelligence, he is a mythical beast."
"As for specific abilities, he already showed some of them when he was on the sixth floor of Impel Down. But that probably wasn't the full extent of his Devil Fruit abilities."
"This kind of battlefield might have been created by him."
Hearing He's rebuttal, Garp's eyes flashed, and he said nothing more.
On the rostrum, Brannew was systematically sharing the information from the newspaper, explaining the content of the newspaper while combining it with some of the intelligence currently obtained by their navy.
The Navy is not completely without influence in the New World. They have always had someone closely monitoring large pirate groups like BIG MOM.
When Brannew was giving his speech, he also released some images of Cake Island taken by their navy.
There is a terrifying scene of thunder descending on Cake Island, and a scene where Big Mom uses Prometheus to drop "fire from the sky" on the island.
Although the places where these photos were taken are quite far away from Cake Island, they can illustrate one thing, that is, there really was a fierce battle between strong people on Cake Island.
"These photos were all taken that night."
"The photo in the newspaper should have been taken the next morning."
"What can be confirmed is that a fierce battle did indeed take place between powerful individuals on Big Mom's territory."
"The newspaper reported that the person who invaded Cake Island was Tsugikuni Yoriichi. This should be correct."
As Brannew spoke, he lightly pressed the remote control in his hand, and then the image on the screen flashed, leaving only a new photo.
The background of this photo is a night sky. Under the night sky, there is a phoenix surrounded by golden flames, hovering in the air with its wings spread.
"This was taken from the sky above Cake Island. Although the image isn't very clear, it can be confirmed that this is Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Devil Fruit ability."
"Animal type, mythical beast-type Bird-Bird Fruit."
The Navy's investigation into Yoriichi Tsugakuni's devil fruit abilities was incomplete, and Brannew did not expand on this aspect when introducing him.
I have said so much just to convey the same message to the navy members at headquarters.
That was the first report published in the newspaper, and it was most likely true.
"The intelligence we have received so far from the navy is sufficient to verify the authenticity of this report."
"So, Tsugikuni Yoriichi really did invade Bankoku, defeat the Big Mom Pirates, and get something!"
As Brannew spoke, he pressed the remote control in his hand, and the picture on the screen changed, turning into a red stone tablet. In front of the stone tablet, there were two figures standing.
They are Katakuri and Cracker from the BIG MOM Pirates.
"This is the historical text published in the newspaper."
"That's the purpose of Tsugikoku Yoshiichi's invasion of the Bankoku."
"Legend has it that a pirate named Roger collected four of these red stone tablets, deciphered the text on them, and discovered the route to Raftel."
"I don't know how the media got hold of this photo, but I can confirm that with the widespread distribution of newspapers, it's become public knowledge!"
After Brannew finished speaking, the navy's discussions were heard in the conference room.
"So, this stone tablet is the signpost leading to Raftel?!"
"Does ONE PIECE really exist?!"
"Is this Yoshiichi Tsugakuni's goal? Is he going to Raftel? To become the Pirate King?"
There were many young sailors attending the meeting. They had always thought that things like the historical text of the signpost and Raftel were just legends. After all, no one had successfully reached Raftel after Roger for so many years.
Moreover, after Roger became the Pirate King, he did not seem to "dominate the sea" or show wealth beyond people's imagination.
In the eyes of many people, something like ONE PIECE is simply a legend, and its authenticity remains to be verified.
"Quiet!"
The buzzing sound of discussion made Zhan Guo frown slightly in his seat. He grabbed the microphone in front of him and shouted loudly.
The conference hall suddenly became quiet, and the restless hearts of the people were slightly stabilized by the majesty of the Warring States.
Seeing that the officers of the Naval Headquarters had the same attitude after hearing the news, Zhan Guo could already foresee how crazy the ordinary people and the insatiable pirates would become after hearing the news.
Zhan Guo, with a worried look on his face, spoke in a serious tone:
"ONE PIECE, of course it doesn't exist!"
"But there is no shortage of people with fantasies in this world."
"Are pirates setting out to sea in pursuit of some ONE PIECE?"
"That's just a slogan, a synonym for wealth, power, and women!"
"Pirates go out to sea just to take shortcuts and get these things!"
"Whether ONE PIECE is real or not is not important to the pirates at all!"
Zhan Guo's words made the meeting place quiet. The officers thought about Zhan Guo's words carefully and their eyes became clear again.
Sensing that the atmosphere had calmed down, Zhan Guo continued:
"This kind of thing is nothing more than a historical artifact endowed with a 'story'."
"But there are many ambitious people in this world who hope to disrupt world peace!"
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi is definitely not the kind of naive guy who would believe in the existence of ONE PIECE."
"Don't forget, he was the one who captured Roger who arrived at Raftel!"
"Tsugikoku Yoriichi has embarked on an evil path. His only goal is to disrupt the world!"
"He knows very well that the bigger the wind and waves, the more valuable the fish. Fishermen like him who can catch fish in strong winds and waves are also more valuable."
"It is foreseeable that the world will become more turbulent because of these newspapers."
"What we, the navy, must do is to do our job well in this turbulent world, protect ordinary people, fight against pirates, and prevent civilians from being harmed by pirates!"
Zhan Guo spoke in an excited tone, his expression firm as he said this.
The tone of the meeting had actually been set long before it even began. How could the Warring States period use a large-scale meeting to determine the future direction of the navy's operations?
There was only one purpose for holding this meeting. As the newspaper spread, he needed to stabilize the morale of the troops.
Is it true that something like ONE PIECE is only attractive to ordinary people and pirates?!
The navy has a systematic intelligence system, and officers above the rank of lieutenant in the headquarters have the great power to lead a team out to sea alone as long as they leave the Grand Line and enter the Four Seas.
There are ships, intelligence, and people.
If they want to pursue ONE PIECE, these navy officers have more prerequisites than ordinary people and pirates.
Internal power corruption and bribery were not new to the Warring States Period, and not all navy members were saints. In the face of huge temptations, it was hard to say what they would do.
Zhan Guo's purpose is to use this conference to dispel the unrealistic ideas of the navy.
He didn't know how much use it would have, but if nothing was done, the problem would become very big.
Zhan Guo's righteous words were extremely inflammatory. After hearing these words, some young people felt that their sense of justice was ignited and their blood boiled for a moment.
"Marshal, can't we completely block this news?"
"Our navy can see through such a conspiracy, but ordinary people and pirates may not be able to distinguish the truth from the false."
"As you said, if this news gets out, the world will be plunged into turmoil!"
"Why can't we solve these problems at the source?"
A young officer asked loudly, and his words attracted some people to echo him.
In the front row of the venue, Gion, who was sitting behind Vice Admiral Tsuru, turned his head to look in the direction of the voice, shook his head and muttered to himself:
"It's impossible!"
After hearing his subordinates' questions, Zhan Guo also said loudly:
"Our navy has no way of stopping the spread of news!"
"But that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do."
"While using our media to dispel rumors, we also need to apprehend the rumormongers as quickly as possible!"
"Brannew, issue a wanted order for Morgans, with a reward of 300 million berries!"
"Of course, if that's all we do, it's far from enough!"
"If we want to completely resolve this matter, we still have one thing to do!"
"Defeat the Big Mom Pirates and seize that red stone tablet!"
"This is a war between the navy and the pirates!"
As soon as Sengoku finished speaking, the meeting room erupted in discussion. The Big Mom Pirates had been a force to be reckoned with for years, and the younger generation of marines had grown up hearing about their fame. Hearing that the marines were planning to attack that pirate group, they were all a bit uneasy.
However, this anxiety was soon overwhelmed by huge benefits.
Of those who volunteer to join the navy, and even become officers in this headquarters, how many are afraid of fighting? War is a meat grinder, but it is also the driving force of soldiers. After winning this battle, power, reputation, money, and other such things will all come to you!
"war!"
"war!!"
"war!!!"
Several loud cheers rang out from the crowd, and after a few, all the generals in the audience cheered together.
Zhan Guo looked at the officers with high morale, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
"War?"
"That boy Yunyi really caused a big commotion!"
Zefa listened to the loud cheers in the venue, folded his hands over his chest, closed his eyes, and sighed in his heart.
Garp smiled and did not object to Sengoku's decision. It was only natural for the navy to attack pirates, even if the opponent was the Big Mom Pirates. So what?
The three admirals of the navy sitting in front of their seats each had their own considerations at this moment.
Kizaru looked indifferent; Aokiji looked a little dull, with a hint of worry between his brows, and he was not optimistic about the prospects of this war; and Akainu had a cold face, and seemed to be somewhat dissatisfied with Sengoku's decision. In Akainu's opinion, Sengoku's actions still had flaws, and he should order the people not to spread such rumors, and anyone who spread them should be arrested.
Akainu despises Sengoku's radical behavior, saying it's not radical enough.
The Five Elders, through some means, watched the entire "performance" of Warring States at this officers' meeting at the Navy Headquarters. It was impossible for them not to pay attention to such a large opportunity at the Navy Headquarters.
The actions of the Warring States period were not discussed with them in advance.
So when Sartan heard that Sengoku was actually planning to go to war with the Big Mom Pirates, his face immediately changed: "Asshole!"
"How dare he?! How dare he make such a decision without us?!"
"Does he know what kind of impact a war with the Big Mom Pirates will have?!"
"Even if we win, the navy will suffer heavy losses, and its control over the four seas will inevitably decline."
“And if you lose”
Saint Satan didn't even dare to imagine the consequences of losing.
Unlike Satan's anger, Saint Marcus Maz pondered for a moment before nodding slightly and saying in agreement, "Although there are some issues with the Warring States approach, there are no problems with the overall strategy."
"We can't let anyone lead us by the nose. Now that we know the location of the signpost text, we need to 'get it back'!"
"From this perspective, I support Zhan Guo's approach."
"Defeating the Big Mom Pirates would, on the one hand, demonstrate our strength and intimidate ordinary people, and on the other hand, allow us to recover the historical text."
Although the Five Elders have a common title, they are five people with five heads after all, so it is inevitable that they will have disagreements.
Saint Makas Maz's words silenced Saint Satan. After a long while, he slowly spoke:
"Since we're going to do it, we have to give it our all!"
"There must be no mistakes!"
"Call the Seven Warlords of the Sea to join the crusade!"
"By the way, Saint Macas Maz, could you please go with the navy?"
There was a divine light in Saint Satan's eyes. He tilted his head slightly, opened his mouth, and directly lifted up Saint Macas Maz.
Don't you support and agree? Then give your full support!
"certainly!"
A gentle smile appeared on the old face of Saint Marcus Maz, and he answered casually.
The Navy Headquarters began to assemble in large numbers. At the same time, all the giant ships with a displacement of more than 7,000 tons located in the four seas were mobilized back to the Navy Headquarters.
Don’t underestimate the thousand-ton ships in this world. Most ships in the One Piece world are made of wood and iron. The proportion of wood can even reach 70%-85%, and the displacement can reach 7,000 tons. They are real giant ships!
At the same time, the navy was also actively recruiting shipbuilders to inspect and repair all of its warships.
The Navy Headquarters has been taking frequent actions, but the people don't feel it very deeply.
All they knew was that the world was in chaos again.
Ever since that newspaper spread around the world, countless people have abandoned their wives and children to go to sea, and countless shipwrecks and human corpses have been found on the Upside-Down Mountain leading to the Great Journey.
Of course, there are many brainless people, but there are also many people with brains.
If you want to go to Raftel, you have to decipher the text on the stone tablet. Many people focused their attention on this and began to find ways to decipher the text.
In order to decipher the text on historical relics, pirates inevitably need to study the history in this area.
And "O'Hara", which had long been wiped out by the Navy and the World Government, was also remembered by people again. It was called the signpost of "historical text", which is naturally related to the "archaeological holy land"!
Some smart people secretly speculated that the destruction of O'Hara might be related to these texts.
The more the World Government wants to hide something, the more people want to explore it, especially the pirates who are obsessed with treasure. They think they have found the answer buried by the World Government!
The road sign that was made public also set off a wave of "archaeology".
For a time, the already chaotic West Sea became even more chaotic.
The world situation changed, and Long and his revolutionary army were naturally the first to feel it. He realized that the navy was hindered by something, and took this opportunity to vigorously develop the power of the revolutionary army. For a time, the flames of revolution were ignited all over the world.
Although it was just a spark, Long was full of expectations for it.
In such an environment, Yoshikazu Tsugakuni also quietly returned to Thunder God Island.
The storm has already started. Now it depends on how the world government steers the ship. If the direction is not right, the ship will capsize!
Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't know what was hidden in the blank hundred years, but he knew that it was a taboo of the World Government.
With ONE PIECE as bait, the number of people studying history will inevitably increase many times more than before.
There are so many talented people in the world, and you never know which genius will be able to find some clues from the limited information.
What Tsugikuni Yoshiichi has to do now is to quietly watch the World Government, develop his own strength, and give the other party a fatal blow the moment the other party reveals a flaw.
Thunder God Island, in Tsugumi Yoshiichi's office.
The Den Den Mushi on the desk made a soft chime.
What came was not a phone call, but a fax document. With just a few words, it told Ji Guoyuan a big news.
"Just as I expected!"
"So they're going to take action against the Big Mom Pirates after all."
"But is Wan Guo really easy to deal with?"
Ji Guoyuan glanced at the fax document in his hand, whispered, and suddenly a golden flame ignited on his hand, instantly turning the fax into ashes.
(End of this chapter)
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