Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the bay, warships stood in dense formation, like a forest of steel.
This was the highest sanctuary of justice.
And at this very moment, it was preparing to face a war capable of overturning an entire era.
A flash of golden light appeared in the corridor outside the Fleet Admiral's office.
Kizaru materialized casually, hands tucked into his pockets, eyes sweeping over the terrifying lineup in the harbor below.
"Oh my, what a spectacle," he drawled.
A wave of scorching heat surged from behind him, raising the temperature of the corridor.
Akainu's towering figure approached from the opposite end. When he saw Kizaru, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Borsalino. That kid Hawk still hasn't arrived?"
"Sakazuki, we haven't seen each other in ages. Shouldn't you greet an old friend first?" Kizaru replied, stretching his words and putting on a wounded expression.
Akainu snorted. "Give me half of your private stash and I'll greet you every day."
Kizaru waved him off, clearly uninterested. "No need, no need. Hawk is still on the way."
"I heard Impel Down was quite lively this time," he added.
"So many vicious criminals, and quite a few rare Devil Fruit users too, all cut down just like that."
"Such a headache."
Akainu chuckled softly.
He extended a finger and tapped Kizaru's suit pocket.
It was visibly stuffed with documents.
From what Akainu knew, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had issued Borsalino several long-term missions with no deadline.
For example, retrieving powerful Devil Fruits scattered across the world.
Each one came with a generous bounty.
The Navy planned to use them to strengthen its overall force.
From now on, any Devil Fruits seized by the Navy would be consumed internally.
"Caught red-handed. That's troublesome," Kizaru said with a grin, showing no embarrassment at all.
The two said nothing more and walked side by side toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
The door was half open.
Kuzan was seated alone on the sofa. When he saw them enter, he gave a slight nod.
Tsuru had already departed to assist Garp in guarding the New World.
As for the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku stood with his back to them, roaring at a Den Den Mushi on his desk.
"Five Elders!"
"Take a good look! Look at the people you chose!"
"The Navy issued a compulsory summons to the Seven Warlords!"
"And what happened?"
"Not a single one showed up!"
"Tell me, what use is this damn summons now?!"
The Den Den Mushi on the other end seemed to be offering excuses.
"Invite them? The Navy has to invite them personally?"
Sengoku let out a cold laugh.
"If you ask me, those pirates don't give a damn about the World Government's dignity."
"Increase the military budget!"
"Once I'm done dealing with Whitebeard, I'll clean them up one by one and replace them with Warlords who actually obey orders!"
His voice rose even higher.
"The recent funding is already enough? No room to increase it?"
"Then buy fewer slaves and stop wasting money fixing your broken garden in Mary Geoise. That solves the problem!"
"Watch my tone?"
"How should I watch it?"
"I've spoken like this for decades, and I'll keep speaking like this!"
With that, Sengoku slammed the receiver shut before the other side could respond.
Silence filled the office.
Sengoku slowly turned around, a smile unlike any before spreading across his face.
He clenched his fist and punched the air.
"That felt good."
Kuzan, who had remained silent on the sofa, finally spoke.
"With that approach, you won't get any funding, Fleet Admiral."
"Funding?"
Sengoku burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
He dropped onto the sofa, grabbed the tea on the table, and downed it in one gulp.
"I just wanted to curse them out!"
"I've been holding that in for decades!"
"And while I was at it, I threw them off the scent, made them think the Navy is still a bunch of guard dogs that can't survive without their handouts."
His eyes sharpened.
"What they don't know is that the second batch of salvage submarines is already under construction."
"Once they're completed, the seas around Alabasta, waters that have slept for eight hundred years, will become the Navy's gold mine."
"Berries will turn into more submarines."
"Submarines will bring in even more Berries."
"The Navy's wealth will snowball, growing larger and larger."
Akainu snorted. "The World Government hasn't stopped making moves. Those CP lapdogs keep trying to infiltrate the G-3 Branch."
"Let them," Sengoku waved his hand. "One team comes, one team gets wiped out."
"We deny everything."
"The Navy is different from other organizations. Even if those old men suspect something, without solid evidence, they won't dare act rashly."
He leaned back, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
"As long as the Holy Knights and those old monsters among the Five Elders don't move personally, there's no problem."
"Headquarters is watching Mary Geoise closely. If they make any move beyond expectations, we abandon all plans immediately and pull back to preserve our strength."
He paused.
"As for the Seven Warlords, ignore them."
"This war was never meant to include anyone but the Navy."
Sengoku stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the harbor where steel and killing intent intertwined.
"This war, you three are the absolute core. Prepare thoroughly."
Akainu, Kizaru, and Kuzan answered in unison, their voices echoing through the vast office.
They exchanged a glance, then turned and left together.
After a moment of silence, Sengoku turned to the messenger.
"Pass the order. The entire Navy enters maximum combat readiness."
"Wait for Hawk's return, and then…"
A brilliant light burst from Sengoku's eyes.
"We begin a new era belonging to the Navy."
"The era of the Grand Navy!"
Outside, the sun shone directly upon Marineford.
The entire headquarters was bathed in radiant gold.
At that moment, a deep engine roar rose from the horizon.
On the docks, sailors conducting final preparations froze, all turning toward the sound.
A massive fleet tore through the waves, advancing at full speed.
At the forefront were three colossal warships, moving like mobile fortresses.
"It's the G-3 Branch fleet!"
"It's Major General Hawk. He's back!"
Someone shouted, and the entire harbor erupted.
Every gaze locked onto the flagship.
At the bow stood a solitary figure.
A pure white cloak of justice billowed behind him, black hair stirring in the sea breeze.
Renn Hawk had returned.
The Navy's full combat power had assembled.