Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
With the war concluded, the reconstruction of Marine Headquarters, Marineford, was put on the schedule.
Most of the Marines passing by had bandages of varying sizes wrapped around their bodies.
In a battle of this magnitude, whether it was the lowest-ranking officer or Fleet Admiral Sengoku, it was impossible to escape unscathed.
Wait, hold on, Sengoku doesn't seem to be injured much?
However, none of these Marines were injured so severely that they couldn't walk. They knew very well—
This was all thanks to Captain Atlas's ability. Even some Marines who were on the verge of death were lively and jumping around immediately after his treatment.
After all, they weren't monsters with super self-healing abilities.
It could be said that Atlas's prestige within the Marines was currently unmatched.
Except for Marine Hero, Mr. Garp.
Knock, knock—!!
"Hey! Atlas, we're in a meeting. Stop looking out the window."
Seeing the distracted Atlas, Sengoku knocked on the conference table and scolded him with a smile.
As Atlas was the greatest contributor to this war, Sengoku naturally cared for him deeply, and even found the brat much more pleasing to the eye.
"Holding this kind of meeting is completely unnecessary. No matter how much we Marines object, the World Government won't adopt our suggestions. After all..."
"In their view, there isn't much difference between Marines and pirates. Both are just important tools for maintaining balance on the seas."
Atlas withdrew his gaze and leaned back lazily in his chair.
He had long seen through the faces of those World Government politicians, including the Five Elders.
"..."
Hearing Atlas's blunt words, all the high-ranking Marines present fell silent. As veteran Marines, they knew all too well that Atlas was right.
But understanding was one thing. Some things couldn't be done just because you wanted to.
"...Oh my, Admiral Sakazuki, do you really not need me to give you a hand with your injuries?"
Seemingly oblivious to the heavy atmosphere in the room, Atlas joked with Akainu, who was sitting opposite him.
Akainu's condition was indeed quite tragic.
—His arms and torso were covered in white bandages, and dozens of messy white scars were visible on his exposed chest.
Clearly, in the battle against Rayleigh...
He hadn't gained any advantage.
Conqueror's Haki infusion was truly terrifying.
Gurgle—!!!
Hearing this, a large amount of magma rapidly emerged from Akainu's hand, dripping onto the desk and emitting wisps of blue smoke.
"Sakazuki!!"
Sengoku quickly shouted to stop him.
If he didn't stop this guy, the entire conference table would likely vanish before their eyes.
"Arara, no need to be so angry, Sakazuki!!"
Aokiji, sitting next to him, also comforted him gently.
"Although Rayleigh got away, didn't Atlas make him leave an arm behind too?"
With Aokiji's remark, Atlas also slowly shifted his gaze.
Did this guy play an exhibition match with Gaban?
Compared to Akainu's sorry state, Aokiji's condition was undoubtedly much better; he basically hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
"Alright, enough messing around. What action should we Marines take regarding those pirates who escaped from Impel Down?"
Sengoku tapped the table again, interrupting what Akainu was about to say.
"The directive from the Five Elders is for the Marines not to make a fuss, and not to publicize their bounties widely," Vice Admiral Tsuru added.
"...I told you, there's no need for us to discuss this kind of thing at all," Atlas emphasized again.
Many of the prisoners who escaped from Level 6 of Impel Down were notorious and powerful great pirates.
Some were even erased from existence by the World Government because they were too heinous.
According to the World Government, they didn't even plan to restore those people's files.
One could imagine how many people would pay the price for this.
"The World Government..."
Akainu's face darkened, and magma emerged from his clenched fist again.
"Acting just like those disgusting Celestial Dragons!! Hahahaha!!"
Garp also laughed loudly.
"Before the Summit War, those five old geezers even wanted to trip us Marines up," Atlas added fuel to the fire, looking like he didn't mind the chaos.
"..."
Hearing this, Sengoku and the others present fell even more silent.
With the development of the Marines, the high-ranking officers present increasingly felt that...
The existence of the World Government was like a guillotine hanging over the Marines' heads. As soon as they showed signs of raising their heads, the blade would drop a little.
Under the rule of the Celestial Dragons, Marine Justice was like a joke!!
"...This is a telegram sent by Warden Magellan. It contains information on some Level 6 pirates."
After a long silence, Sengoku ordered Brannew, who was standing by, to distribute the intelligence.
Yes, Magellan had now been officially appointed as the Warden of Impel Down.
The old Warden took sole responsibility for Impel Down being breached, quickly incurring the wrath of the Five Elders and ultimately resigning in disgrace.
Personnel changes in Impel Down weren't as public as those in the Marines, so the handover was very rapid, basically finalized within a few days.
[Crescent Moon Hunter] Catarina Devon, [Colossal Battleship] Sanjuan Wolf, [Heavy Drinker] Vasco Shot, [Red Count] Patrick Redfield...
Scanning these names one by one, the atmosphere in the room inevitably became heavy.
"Redfield? That guy is out too..."
Garp was no longer his usual laughing self.
Although this man wasn't well-known to the people on the seas...
Garp knew full well the terrifying extent of his strength, which was in no way inferior to the three legendary pirates of that time—Whitebeard, Roger, and Golden Lion Shiki.
Even Kong had once been defeated by him.
If Garp hadn't arrived in time, that guy would probably still be roaming the seas freely.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Meeting Room.
The atmosphere was somewhat somber, broken only by the occasional rustling of turning pages.
Perhaps Atlas, who had joined the Marines not long ago, couldn't feel it, and even Akainu and Aokiji didn't feel it as deeply as Sengoku and the other two veterans.
A title like [World Destroyer] was enough to explain the terrifying nature of Byrnndi World.
At that time, the three Admirals were just young men who had recently joined the Marines. They hadn't dealt with these great pirates much and weren't the main force in the encirclement campaigns.
However—
"Since the World Government has already decided, let these bounties circulate internally among the high-ranking Marines. Once traces of these guys are found, initiate support immediately."
Sengoku spoke slowly, finally setting the tone.
He knew very well in his heart that Atlas's words were not empty.
But someone had to do these things after all.
"Next, we should discuss the merit assessment within the Marines for this time."
The muscles on Sengoku's face gradually relaxed; they were finally getting to the main topic of this meeting.
The atmosphere was no longer so tense. Vice Admiral Tsuru exchanged a glance with Sengoku and said calmly:
"Atlas's achievements and strength are fully sufficient for promotion to the position of Admiral. I propose asking the Five Elders for a fourth Marine Admiral slot."
"Seconded! It should have been done long ago. Having one more Admiral will have an unparalleled deterrent effect on the pirates," Akainu said in a deep voice.
"Arara, little Atlas is very strong. The whole world saw him defeat Whitebeard with his own hands. It would be unreasonable not to promote him to Admiral," Aokiji agreed loudly.
As for Kizaru?
He would probably agree with both hands and feet. With one more Admiral, his workload might decrease significantly while he still got the same salary—wouldn't that be awesome?
"Hahahaha! Atlas, you brat, you'd better think it through. Becoming an Admiral means dealing directly with that trash, the Celestial Dragons. Don't lose your temper and chop that trash up!!"
Garp laughed while warning him.
Promotion to Admiral meant serving the Celestial Dragons directly.
Once a Celestial Dragon was attacked and requested support from a Headquarters Admiral, they couldn't refuse.
That was why Garp had always refused promotion to Admiral; he didn't want direct contact with that trash.
Anyway, as the Marine Hero, Garp lacked neither authority nor power.
"Oh, that makes sense. Then I'll try to use a little more force? Save them from suffering? After all, they are the 'noble' World Nobles..."
Atlas patted his forehead, pretending to be distressed.
"...You brat, you're getting more and more interesting, hahahaha!"
Garp was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily.
"You two, enough is enough!!"
Veins popped on Sengoku's forehead.
Only Garp and Atlas would dare to verbally attack the Celestial Dragons so boldly in a Marine conference room.
Even he, despite harboring a bellyful of resentment toward the Celestial Dragons, wouldn't comment so loudly in public.
"Gah—!!!"
Seeing Sengoku angry, Garp and Atlas tacitly stopped their banter.
"Apart from Atlas, the performance of other Marines was very good. We need to tally the combat merits internally. Also..."
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled slightly, paused, and continued:
"Issho, whom Atlas brought back, is indeed powerful. A regular position is no longer suitable for him. moreover, in this campaign, he not only gave Whitebeard a warning shot but also captured Whitebeard's 1st Division Commander, Marco, alive. According to Atlas, he should at least be given the position of Admiral Candidate."
"But... is it against the rules to promote someone directly from a civilian to Admiral Candidate? I'm afraid it will cause a lot of dissatisfaction within the Marines," Sengoku said hesitantly.
"Did you forget Whitebeard's dying words? In the coming era, compared to after Roger's death, the number of pirates will only increase."
Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head, her mind exceptionally calm.
She could basically foresee that there would likely be many on the seas now raising the banner of pursuing dreams, abandoning their wives and children, and setting sail recklessly.
"Moreover, Issho's strength was witnessed by all the Marines who participated in the war. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The only difficulty is the Five Elders."
"Hmph, our Marines' own affairs don't need those five old geezers meddling," Atlas snorted coldly, slightly dissatisfied.
"Some things aren't as simple as you think. Originally, I planned to start a worldwide conscription after the Summit War."
Sengoku sighed lightly. "But looking at the current situation, it would be good if the World Government doesn't cut our Marine budget for this year."
Although on the surface, the Marines won a great victory in this battle.
But the losses were equally immeasurable. Even though most of the Whitebeard Pirates' combatants were cannon fodder...
They were cannon fodder who had survived the New World; their strength was worlds apart from ordinary small fry.
The Marines couldn't be unscathed.
At the very least, a large portion of the mid-level combat power was lost, and that was with Jinbe's rescue efforts and Atlas's special healing ability.
"Let's report it first. Just facing those criminals who escaped from Impel Down Level 6 is enough to give us a headache, not to mention the skyrocketing number of pirates that will follow. The Five Elders can't possibly fail to consider this."
"The so-called balance has long been quietly achieved in a subtle way."
Vice Admiral Tsuru calmly analyzed the current situation and the psychology of the Five Elders.
As the Great Staff Officer of Marine Headquarters, she had always been stronger than Sengoku in strategy and situational analysis.
But when it came to playing various conspiracies and overt plots, Sengoku was far superior to her.
The two complemented each other, allowing the Marines to develop to their current power.
"Alright, then we'll do as Tsuru says. As for the Roger Pirates..."
"Although we promised when Roger turned himself in not to pursue them, the condition was that they behave themselves and not jump out to cause trouble."
"Since they made their choice this time, we Marines won't show mercy. Next, we will reactivate the wanted orders for the Roger Pirates. Once clues are found, pursue with full force."
A fierce light flashed in Sengoku's eyes.
Clearly, he was angered by Rayleigh and the others' actions. Letting them go originally was already the greatest concession of Justice.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!!"
Atlas's voice rang out, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
"Hm? Do you have something to report?"
Sengoku turned his head to look at Atlas.
Waiting at ease, he wanted to see what kind of trouble this brat was going to stir up.
"I want to report that Rayleigh is hiding in the Sabaody Archipelago!! Shakky's Rip-off Bar! I've seen him."
Although the Marines likely knew Rayleigh's hiding place, that guy had once slashed him.
And let's be honest, it was a pretty ruthless slash.