Chapter 189: Warring States: Do You Really Take Me for Someone Made of Mud?

"What?"

"Sengoku!"

All the Vice Admirals present could no longer sit still; they stood up one after another, glaring with fury at the supreme commander of the Navy who had just uttered those words.

The long-bearded Vice Admiral, dressed in a blue-green Noble suit, said in a heavy voice: "Sengoku, you actually want to sell off the assets of the World Government?"

"Vice Admiral Strawberry!"

"Please remember your identity; you are the Navy of the Headquarters, not a dog of the Celestial Dragons!"

Sengoku did not show the slightest mercy, casting a cold glance at the indignant Vice Admiral.

All along, the entity he had been loyal to was the World Government, which could maintain the stability of the Si Hai and protect the order of justice, not the Celestial Dragons who acted like Emperors.

"Without the World Nobles, where would the World Government come from?"

Strawberry retorted tit-for-tat: "Sengoku, you are truly pedantic!"

Loyal to the World Nobles, he absolutely could not sit by and watch the Fleet Admiral commit such a rebellious act.

Even if he was no match for Sengoku, he had to make his stance clear.

Moreover,

given Sengoku's temperament, it was certainly impossible for him to attack, as that would be equivalent to a complete falling out with the Celestial Dragons.

If it were a guy like Garp, whose head was full of Iron Fist, Strawberry certainly wouldn't do this, but he knew Sengoku's temper too well.

The smarter a person is,

the more they understand the importance of the World Government to the Navy.

Without the financial support and logistical guarantees behind the World Government, a massive armed group like the Navy, which is spread across the Si Hai, would be all the more likely to collapse in an instant.

This was the source of Strawberry's confidence.

Suddenly,

the seagull that had always rested on Sengoku's head, symbolizing the will of peace, flapped its wings; seemingly sensing a change in the atmosphere, it flew up with a flutter.

Boom!

A huge dent appeared on the wall of the conference room, and spiderweb-like cracks extended across the entire wall.

Sengoku's whole body radiated a golden light, making him as impossible to look at directly as a Buddha.

He raised his right arm,

and Strawberry was grabbed by the throat and embedded into the wall behind him, restrained without even a chance to resist.

A field of transparent shockwaves gradually condensed.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, stop!"

"Do you want to destroy the Headquarters building?"

"Strawberry was just acting on impulse..."

The remaining Vice Admirals were nearly scared to death and hurriedly spoke up to dissuade him.

But these were only words; no one dared to take action to stop the Fleet Admiral, who was now a golden Buddha.

The Headquarters Admirals had all rushed to the East Blue, and the Admiral candidates had also left in a hurry.

Right now,

even if the entire Navy of the Marine Headquarters were to mobilize, it would be impossible to defeat Sengoku at full power.

Hearing the mention of the Headquarters building,

Sengoku hesitated slightly before withdrawing the shockwave and loosening his hand, which had been tightly gripping Strawberry's throat.

He said expressionlessly: "All along, I have followed the justice of the Navy."

The Justice Will of the Navy has always been an enduring topic.

It is also a symbol for ordinary Navy soldiers to emulate.

The justice of the Headquarters Admirals and the Fleet Admiral differs, representing different principles and patterns of behavior.

"But in fact..."

"Whether it is Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino, or Garp and Zephyr, including myself, the Navy's justice is the same."

Ignoring Strawberry, who lay limp on the ground, having been knocked unconscious by a casual strike.

Sengoku slowly returned to the Fleet Admiral's seat.

Flutter, flutter.

The seagull landed familiarly on the top of his head, as if nothing had happened, preening its somewhat ruffled tail feathers.

Sengoku scanned the room, taking in the expressions of the Navy generals, and said softly: "It is all justice wearing shackles."

Even with a degree of autonomy.

Overall, the Navy remains a subordinate of the World Government and must obey the administration of the World Government.

But even justice wearing shackles can maintain a superficial peace.

As long as one can eradicate the Pirates who commit all kinds of evil, and allow most civilians to be sheltered under the order established by the Navy,

it would not matter if Sengoku were mocked by Garp every day, or even if he acted as a dog for the Celestial Dragons.

However,

if, because of the World Nobles, even the justice wearing shackles cannot be executed, and the order bound by the shackles collapses...

Then there is no need to continue wearing these meaningless shackles.

Strawberry is not stupid;

he knows that Sengoku is a smart man. The smarter a person is, the more they think, and the more they think, the easier it is to be overly cautious and be manipulated.

But he happened to forget that,

the smarter a person is, the better they can capture the trends of the future from the slightest clues.

It was just like back when the Pirate King Roger turned himself in, Sengoku had taken precautions by sending men to reinforce the defenses to prevent restless Pirates from acting up, and sure enough, he managed to capture Jin Shi Zi, who had lost his mind and attacked Marineford.

And now,

Sitting before the Image Den Den Mushi, Sengoku had likewise already caught a glimpse of that future.

When a clever person like him senses a conclusion that feels absurd—one even he dares not believe—

as long as there is sufficiently solid evidence, a clever person will make a decision faster than anyone else.

Ruthless, decisive, without a shred of hesitation!

Just like now,

Sengoku senses that the order of the Pirate World is about to collapse, and to establish a new order, he can only rely on the Samsara Game of that mysterious game merchant.

Therefore, his decision is:

At all costs, even if it means breaking with the World Government, he must ensure the Navy's core strength stands at the very pinnacle of the Samsara Game.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku..."

Some Vice Admirals wanted to continue bringing up the World Government to obstruct Sengoku's upcoming actions.

But upon seeing the miserable state of Strawberry, they wisely shut their mouths, found excuses to leave the conference room, and prepared to report this matter to the Five Elders.

"No need to bother."

Sengoku's expression was solemn as he looked at the Vice Admirals who were finding excuses to withdraw from the meeting one after another,

and he took the Golden Den Den Mushi used for direct contact with the Five Elders out of his pocket.

Amidst the horrified gazes of everyone,

Bang.

He crushed it in his hand.

"So strong!"

Luffy's eyes were practically popping out of their sockets.

Although he was always being beaten by Garp and knew Garp was extremely strong, he never expected him to be strong to this degree.

"The Navy is actually this powerful? It's over, I haven't even drawn the map of the heavens yet..."

Nami's delicate face turned pale with fright.

She was still brooding over her status as a wanted criminal; "Orange Devil" sounded like the kind of thing the Navy would specifically target.

In the past,

she had a very poor impression of the Navy because, in her most desperate moment, she had actually sought help from the Navy, hoping to use their power to drive away the Arlong Pirates.

But she was heartlessly rejected, and even had her information leaked by Colonel Nezumi.

At that time, because of this, Arlong increased the head tax on the villagers of Kokoyashi, which led to Nami nearly dying on a pirate ship while trying to earn enough Beli to make up the difference.

Good-for-nothings, despicable and shameless.

That was Nami's fixed impression of the Navy, until the appearance of Garp just now, which shattered that impression.

"That Jiangji..."

Zoro remained silent, his knuckles gripping the hilt of his sword trembling slightly and turning white.

He could feel that the one who had always occupied the throne of the strongest Sword Master, Hawk-Eye, seemed to have become even more powerful.

If this continued, he would only be left further and further behind.

"Luffy, let's go!"

Zoro roared in frustration, bit down on the Oath Blade, and swung his swords with both hands, unleashing bursts of Ghost Qi Jiangji into the air.

"Strange moss-head."

Sanji puffed on the cigarette at the corner of his mouth, his curled eyebrows slightly furrowed, revealing the unrest in his heart at this moment.

It is said that a truly powerful chef can protect the woman he loves and find ingredients in all sorts of dangerous situations.

As long as he continues to hunt Pollution Monsters,

his gaze fell upon the Pollution Source, the Soul-Hooking Envoy; if he killed this guy, he should be able to exchange it for a pile of rare ingredients and recipes, right?

(End of chapter)