Chapter 116: Marine’s Gradual Freezing Plan?

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Marine’s Gradual Freezing Plan?

Despite putting up a fierce fight, Bullet was unable to turn the tide on his own. The coordinated attacks from Claudius and the others became increasingly overwhelming, leaving Bullet struggling just to defend and dodge. Eventually, exhaustion and the weight of his injuries caught up to him. With one final punch from Sakazuki, the mighty Bullet was struck on the head, his blonde hair singed and turned to ashes. He collapsed to the ground and did not rise again.

On the flagship of Admiral Sengoku, anchored near Cyborila Island, Claudius and the senior Marines gathered for a debriefing.

"Even though the results of this mission were perfect, the plan was indeed disrupted, not due to any force majeure, but because some individuals took it upon themselves to change the course of action. Yes, it worked out this time, but that doesn't make it acceptable. If it had failed, who would take responsibility?" Sengoku said, his tone tinged with disapproval as he sat at the round table in the conference room.

Claudius, always quick on his feet, put on an innocent expression and said, "Well, I sensed that something felt off at the time. The plan didn't seem necessary as originally outlined, but Garp told me not to dwell on such details and to just follow his lead. Considering his experience, I figured he knew best, so I went along with it..."

Garp, who had been sipping tea, almost spat it out. Sure, his plan was shaky, but he hadn't intended to skip the original goal of luring Byrnndi World to the island, it was Claudius who had suddenly suggested capturing World directly.

"Hey, Claudius, you—" Garp began, but Sengoku cut him off with a sharp reprimand.

"Garp! You were the one in command, not His Highness Claudius. Isn't that right?" Sengoku's voice echoed through the room, silencing Garp immediately.

Caught off guard by Sengoku's outburst, Garp shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, but—"

"No 'buts'!" Sengoku snapped.

Sengoku knew well enough that both Garp and Claudius had likely made that decision together. But Claudius was a Celestial Dragon, placing him out of Sengoku's reach for reprimands. Besides, Claudius wasn't technically part of the Marine chain of command; his status as a member of CP-X and his rank in the World Government hierarchy made him administratively higher than Sengoku himself. As an Admiral, Sengoku had no real authority to chastise Claudius, so he focused his frustrations on Garp, who, despite being a Marine hero, still held the rank of Vice Admiral and thus was under Sengoku's purview.

Sengoku looked around the room. "If there are no objections, we'll move forward with these arrangements. Now, let's discuss how we're going to announce the results of this mission—the capture of Douglas Bullet and Byrnndi World."

Claudius leaned forward. "CP-X has plans for this announcement and would like Marine's cooperation."

"Oh? What kind of plans?" Sengoku raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"We intend to use this event to promote the implementation of the Seven Warlords of the Sea program. The first candidate we've selected is Crocodile, so we'd like Marine to emphasize his involvement in this mission," Claudius explained.

At the mention of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the room's atmosphere shifted. Sengoku and the other senior officers remained composed, while Garp said nothing, perhaps remembering the favor he owed Crocodile. Sakazuki, however, visibly stiffened, his face set in a disapproving frown. As a hardliner, the idea of "fighting pirates with pirates" grated against his principles. But at this moment, he was only a Vice Admiral. His objections, for now, carried little weight, so he sat in silence with a scowl.

Sengoku sighed, nodding. "Given what we've seen, including Doflamingo's involvement in capturing the Red Count and Crocodile's role in this mission, we can't deny that the Seven Warlords of the Sea plan holds some merit. If it benefits Marine operations, we'll cooperate with CP-X's initiative."

Claudius noted the slight unease in the room but pressed on. Unlike the original Seven Warlords of the Sea concept, which felt like a reluctant compromise, this iteration had been carefully crafted. It was more akin to embedding trusted operatives within the ranks of pirates, shifting the nature of the arrangement and making it more palatable for some of the senior officers.

With the major players on board, the plan was ready to move forward.

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