Even the Navy and the World Government were nothing more than chess pieces to them.
You didn't need to guess to know it—those two were definitely plotting something big.
Bullet had no intention of accidentally messing it up.
He still wanted to see just how Sōsuke Aizen planned to change this world.
So Bullet left as well.
In an instant, the pressure on the Navy lightened considerably.
Now, their only enemies left were Oguro and his two companions.
Whoosh!
Kizaru's body transformed into a streak of golden light, instantly appearing behind Oguro.
His hands crossed, index fingers and thumbs pinched together, a dazzling glow blooming between them.
"Yata no Ka—"
Before he could finish the word Magatama, a cold voice sounded behind him.
"Kizaru. Don't move."
A razor-sharp killing intent froze Kizaru in place.
He glanced at the man behind him, then slowly raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Yare yare… Ben Beckman, huh? That's pretty scary~"
The Red-Haired Pirates' vice captain, Ben Beckman, was sitting atop the wreckage of a battleship, a rifle leveled straight at Kizaru.
As the acknowledged strongest first mate among the Yonko, Beckman's strength was enough to rival Shanks himself.
Otherwise, the Red-Haired Pirates wouldn't be qualified to follow an elite-only path.
"Now then, Oguro-sama."
Shanks looked at Oguro seriously.
"Are you willing to stop here?"
Oguro stared at Shanks for a long moment before speaking slowly.
"Give you face? Then where does the dignity of my Sacred Holy Spirit Empire go?"
No matter what, Shanks was still just a pirate.
Asking the Sacred Holy Spirit Empire to compromise with a pirate?
What kind of joke was that?
"If you insist on continuing," Shanks said calmly, tightening his grip on his named blade Gryphon, "then I'll have no choice but to stop you."
Seeing this, Sengoku's eyes flickered. Without saying a word, he quietly took two steps back.
If these two sides really started fighting, no matter who won or lost, it would be good news for the Navy.
At this moment, the tension between both sides was razor-thin.
"Oguro-sama, right?"
Ben Beckman suddenly spoke up.
"If we fight here, the only ones who benefit in the end will be others. How about hearing my proposal?"
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully toward Sengoku and the other Marines who were watching from the sidelines.
If these two factions clashed, no matter the outcome, the Navy would absolutely reap the benefits.
He wasn't about to give the Navy a chance to pick up the scraps.
Having his little scheme exposed, Sengoku didn't get angry.
The Paramount War was basically at its end anyway.
Ending it here was acceptable for the Navy.
Oguro let out a cold chuckle.
"Fine. Let's hear what kind of proposal you've got."
Ben Beckman fell silent for a moment, then said heavily,
"We owe you a favor. In the future, as long as you don't cross our bottom line, we'll help you with one thing."
"No problem with that, right, Shanks?"
Shanks nodded.
"Of course."
This time was different from the original timeline.
Back then, the Red-Haired Pirates were facing a heavily weakened Navy alone. A bit of pressure was enough to force a compromise.
Now, it was a three-way standoff.
And all three sides distrusted each other.
Shanks knew that if he didn't show some real sincerity, no one would be willing to give him face.
Hiss—
Sengoku couldn't help but frown.
That was a Yonko's favor.
If used properly, it'd be enough to overthrow a small country.
Oguro narrowed his eyes.
He knew even more than Sengoku.
Red-Haired Shanks was someone who could speak directly with the Five Elders.
His favor carried far more weight than most people imagined.
"Sōsuke Aizen," Oguro said coldly, "consider yourself lucky this time. So many people are willing to protect you."
The moment those words fell, both Shanks and Ben Beckman let out quiet sighs of relief.
Looks like a fight was off the table.
Aizen adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly.
"I think I'm quite lucky as well… to have met so many outstanding colleagues."
From afar, Oguro shot Aizen a sharp, icy glare.
"But your luck won't last forever. Don't let me catch you with an opening."
The three figures shot into the sky.
That ability to fly freely as a group made even Sengoku feel a twinge of envy.
In midair, Oguro opened a Dimensional Gate, and the three vanished straight back to Seireitei.
Originally, Oguro had planned to open the gate directly over Marineford, just to give the Navy a little shock.
But thinking about the World Government's nature—how they'd stop at nothing to seize such a strategic superweapon—he decided it was better to keep it secret for now.
Back in Marineford, Shanks, just like in the original timeline, asked Sengoku for Whitebeard's body.
Some hardline officers opposed it, but Sengoku suppressed them.
Whitebeard was dead. Their strategic objective had already been mostly achieved.
There was no need to grind things down further over a corpse and the remnants of Whitebeard's crew.
Anyway, he was going to take the blame for this war no matter what. Carrying a little more or less didn't really matter.
Inside a temporary office, Sengoku summoned Tsuru and Garp.
"The state of the seas is getting further and further beyond our expectations," Sengoku said gravely.
"I think it's time to push forward that plan we discussed before."
Tsuru's expression sharpened.
"You mean… the World Military Draft?"
Sengoku nodded firmly.
"Whitebeard's final words will only ignite a new wave of piracy. Blackbeard is just the beginning."
"The escaped Ace has a very real chance of inheriting Whitebeard's mantle."
"The number of high-level combatants under Oguro of the Sacred Holy Spirit Empire is still unknown—and he's clearly ambitious."
"And on top of that, there are the escapees from Impel Down Level Six. The world is only going to get more chaotic."
"If the Navy keeps passively recruiting and waiting for people to sign up, our high-end combat power will eventually fall short."
"This World Military Draft is aimed at one thing—top-tier powerhouses."
"As long as they're willing to join the Navy, we'll grant them officer rank immediately."
"If they're strong enough, even promoting them straight to Admiral isn't off the table."
Tsuru was startled by Sengoku's bold words.
"Admiral? Are you insane? Besides, we don't even have vacant Admiral positions right now!"
An Admiral wasn't just a measure of strength—it was the face of the Navy itself.
How could someone who hadn't even served as a Marine for a few days take that position?
Wouldn't that be the same as telling the whole world that the Navy had no one left?
Sengoku, of course, understood this. He waved his hand.
"I'm not saying we appoint them as Admirals immediately."
"But if an emergency arises, it's an option we can use."
In the original timeline, Fujitora and Ryokugyu were both promoted directly to Admirals through the World Military Draft.
That, too, had been an emergency measure.
Gion and Tokikake, the Admiral candidates, just weren't quite strong enough.
Sengoku and Garp were semi-retired.
Akainu became Fleet Admiral. Aokiji left.
The Navy's top-tier combat power collapsed almost overnight.
With two Admiral seats left empty, it was basically telling the world:
The Navy's just an empty shell now—we can't even choose proper Admirals.
Compared to that, breaking convention and promoting two newcomers was far less dangerous.
***
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