For the first time, Nero truly understood the importance of strength.
Yet even now, it wasn’t enough.
There were too many powerful people in this world.
The moment you let your guard down, an unexpected threat could appear from anywhere.
Looking at the smiling faces of his people, Nero felt an indescribable sense of pride rise from the depths of his heart.
⸻
At the same time…
Far away from the Tru Kingdom stood a vast complex of densely packed buildings.
At its center rose a massive structure over a hundred meters tall, with the word “MARINE” prominently displayed across its facade.
The Marine emblem—a seagull holding a scale in its beak—hung proudly above it, symbolizing absolute justice.
Watchtowers stood everywhere.
Heavy cannons lined the coastline.
The entire island resembled an impregnable fortress.
This was Marine Headquarters.
The future cornerstone of one of the Three Great Powers and the strongest military force in the world.
Everyone living here was either a Marine or a Marine family member.
Naturally, only families of high-ranking officers were permitted to reside within headquarters itself.
The place radiated authority.
Even a single glance was enough to make ordinary people feel awe and fear.
At this moment, inside the central building, more than a dozen people sat around a large conference table.
Their expressions were serious.
Their behavior was not.
Some were picking their noses.
Some were eating.
The atmosphere resembled anything but a formal meeting.
“Garp, can you stop eating, you bastard?”
The sharp sound of biscuits crunching echoed throughout the room.
In the otherwise quiet environment, it was impossible to ignore.
The man seated at the head of the table finally snapped.
He wore glasses, had his hair tied back, and looked thoroughly irritated.
This was Sengoku, the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
One of the strongest men in the world.
Beside him stood a goat.
Upon hearing Sengoku’s outburst, even the goat seemed to stare at Garp in disapproval.
“Sengoku, what does my eating have to do with you?”
Garp casually stuffed another biscuit into his mouth.
“You still have the nerve to ask that?
We’re discussing important matters here!
Can you be serious for once?”
Sengoku felt a headache coming on.
The rest of the room simply watched the exchange unfold.
Nobody seemed surprised.
“Can the two of you stop arguing over something so trivial?”
Vice Admiral Tsuru sighed helplessly.
“Fleet Admiral Sengoku, let’s continue.
We all have work to do.”
Otherwise, she knew the argument could easily continue for another half hour.
This sort of thing wasn’t unusual.
Sengoku took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
There was no point arguing with Garp.
He turned his attention back to the meeting.
“Garp.”
Sengoku looked directly at him.
“This time, I want you to become an Admiral.”
“You’re the most suitable candidate in the entire Marine Corps.”
“Don’t refuse again.”
“Forget it.”
Garp waved his hand dismissively.
“Being an Admiral comes with too much responsibility.”
“Vice Admiral suits me just fine.”
“If you’re so desperate, let Tsuru do it.”
“Garp, you old fool!”
Tsuru immediately glared at him.
“Stop throwing your problems at me.”
Then she looked toward Sengoku.
“Besides, there are already several Admiral candidates.”
Her eyes shifted toward three men seated nearby.
“Vice Admiral Sakazuki.”
“Vice Admiral Borsalino.”
“And Vice Admiral Kuzan.”
“Are the three of them not enough?”
Sakazuki remained stern.
The other two looked entirely indifferent.
“Forget the Admiral issue for now.”
Sengoku waved his hand.
“We’ll discuss that later.”
His expression suddenly became serious.
The atmosphere in the room changed immediately.
A photograph appeared behind him.
The image showed Nero’s face alongside detailed information.
Everyone became noticeably more attentive.
Even Garp stopped eating.
After confirming that the room had quieted down, Sengoku began speaking.
“The person behind me is Nero, King of the Tru Kingdom in the South Blue.”
“Historically, the Tru Kingdom was an extremely poor nation.”
“Yet within the last few years, this young king has completely transformed the country.”
“Garp.”
Before Sengoku could continue, Garp interrupted.
“If the country’s improved, doesn’t that just mean the kid is capable?”
“Why bring something like this to Marine Headquarters?”
Sengoku’s forehead twitched.
“Garp, can you let me finish before speaking?”
“He’s right, though.”
Tsuru nodded thoughtfully.
“If you’ve called this meeting, there must be another reason.”
“Let’s hear it first.”
“Exactly.”
Borsalino lazily leaned back in his chair.
“Fleet Admiral Sengoku, please continue.”
“I still have work to do afterward.”
With that, Sengoku activated a Den Den Mushi.
The creature’s eyes lit up.
A projection immediately appeared on the wall.
The footage showed the battle in Loguetown between Nero’s guards and the pirates.
Projection Den Den Mushi were extremely rare.
Only major nations and powerful organizations could afford them.
The moment the footage appeared, the entire room fell silent.
Everyone stared.
Even Garp’s expression became serious.
What they saw shocked them.
The King’s Guards of the Tru Kingdom were using the Six Powers.
The Marines’ Six Powers.
“Zephyr?”
Garp immediately looked at Sengoku.
The Six Powers had only recently been spread throughout the Marines.
Seeing them appear in another nation’s military was deeply alarming.
The reason Garp mentioned Zephyr was simple.
The former Admiral had created the system and trained countless Marine elites.
If anyone could have leaked it, Zephyr seemed the most likely candidate.
Sengoku slowly sat down.
“I don’t think it’s Zephyr.”
“The Six Powers were officially distributed throughout the Marines only two years ago.”
“However, judging by their proficiency, these people have likely been training in them for even longer.”
“That’s why I called this emergency meeting.”
“We need to determine exactly what’s happening.”
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded.
“The Finger Pistol.”
“The Moonwalk.”
“There’s no mistake.”
“They’re definitely using the Six Powers.”
“And many of them appear capable of using more than one technique.”
Her expression became thoughtful.
“What’s more concerning is how well-trained they are.”
“If we don’t investigate this carefully, it could become a major problem.”
“Fleet Admiral Sengoku.”
Sakazuki suddenly spoke.
His voice was cold.
“If they truly possess Marine techniques, then we should eliminate them immediately.”
“If they’re allowed to continue developing, they’ll become a threat.”
“Let’s investigate first.”
Sengoku immediately rejected the suggestion.
“We still don’t know the full situation.”
“First, we need information.”
His gaze swept across the room.
“Who wants to handle this mission?”
Silence.
No one answered.
Even Garp remained quiet.
In truth, he had met Nero once before.
At the time, he had already felt that something about the boy was unusual.
Now he finally understood why.
Sengoku looked around helplessly.
Finding a suitable candidate wasn’t easy.
Then Sakazuki slammed a hand onto the table.
“If nobody else is willing, I’ll go.”
“I’d like to see what kind of person this King of Tru really is.”
“No.”
Sengoku rejected the idea instantly.
“This isn’t a pirate suppression operation.”
“We’d be dealing with the internal affairs of another nation.”
“If you get involved, the World Government will be breathing down our necks.”
Everyone understood why.
Sakazuki’s sense of justice was absolute.
And because it was absolute, it often became extreme.
Sending him would be asking for trouble.
The room once again fell silent.
Gradually, everyone’s attention shifted toward a single person.
Kuzan.
The man was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, seemingly uninterested in the discussion.
“Kuzan.”
Sengoku finally spoke.
“Everyone else is occupied.”
“You’re free.”
“I’ll leave this mission to you.”
“Don’t act rashly.”
“Investigate the situation first.”
“Fleet Admiral Sengoku…”
Kuzan opened one eye.
“That’s a pretty troublesome assignment.”
“Can you not give boring jobs like this to me?”
“This mission comes with a reward.”
Sengoku smiled.
“The internal Admiral recommendation is yours.”
The room immediately became quiet.
Marine Headquarters currently had no active Admirals.
Zephyr had left two months ago.
Among the candidates, Kuzan was already considered one of the strongest contenders.
This was simply an opportunity to finalize the decision.
Kuzan let out a long sigh.
A cloud of cold air escaped his mouth.
“For the sake of Marine Headquarters…”
“I guess I’ll go.”
The most dissatisfied person in the room was Sakazuki.
He was also a candidate.
Yet a simple assignment had effectively secured Kuzan’s position.
No one voiced any objections.
The decision had already been made.
“Kuzan.”
Sengoku’s expression became serious again.
“Yesterday, reports confirmed that the Kingdom of Roya launched an invasion of the Tru Kingdom.”
“When you arrive, do not interfere.”
“No matter what happens.”
“You are there to gather information.”
“Nothing more.”
The Marines could not become involved in conflicts between sovereign nations.
The consequences would be difficult to control.
“Fleet Admiral Sengoku.”
Kuzan scratched his head lazily.
“What if they know the Six Powers?”
“What if they know Haki too?”
“What if I end up in danger?”
He delivered the most cowardly words in the most casual tone imaginable.
Of course, everyone present knew exactly how strong he really was.