A few months later.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The once magnificent and dignified Mary Geoise, except for the towering Pangu Palace, is now partly damaged, with charred scorch marks at its center.
Outside the town, on the road leading to Pangu Palace, Akainu and Kizaru were walking, approaching the palace.
Though only a few months had passed, Akainu's face showed more signs of aging, with some white hair faintly visible under his military cap in the sunlight.
"Akainu!"
"Sakazuki!"
Just as they were about to reach Pangu Palace's gate, several Heavenly Celestial Dragons came running breathlessly, with an elder grabbing Akainu's clothes directly.
"When can we lift the restriction! I haven't eaten proper food in ages!"
"Yeah! Akainu! You're the Navy Fleet Admiral, so why haven't you dealt with those damned Revolutionary Army members yet after all this time?"
Another slightly younger Heavenly Celestial Dragon shouted, "I want to go to the Lower Realm! I've exhausted from my second to thirteenth wife! I need new ones!"
Kizaru, seeing this, puckered his lips slightly but said nothing.
Akainu's face turned even more gloomy, and with a movement of his arm, he shook off the Celestial Dragon's hand, saying in a deep voice, "I am going to a meeting, your problems will be solved."
"Solve, solve, every day is about solving! I haven't seen any solutions! Just give those damn people what they want! Don't interfere with my meal!"
The elder angrily said, "Give them a Kingdom or an island! You can negotiate cooperation with pirates, why not with those Revolutionary Army people! I've had enough!"
"Then let the Five Elders decide! Let the kings of the allied countries decide!"
At the mention of the word 'pirate,' Akainu's voice clearly turned angry, and after glaring at the Celestial Dragon, he turned and headed towards Pangu Palace.
"What kind of attitude is that! Sakazuki! You're just a Fleet Marshal! Just our facade!"
The Celestial Dragon elder shouted loudly, "I'm going to report you! So you won't even be a Fleet Marshal anymore! Only protect us Celestial Dragons! Kizaru! Kizaru! Go stop those Revolutionary Army members!"
"Oh~ spare me, I can't do that alone, but rest assured, there should be a resolution this time."
Kizaru raised his hand in a pleading gesture, but his pace didn't slow, quickly leaving those Celestial Dragons behind to catch up with Akainu near the gate.
"Still not seeing the situation clearly!"
It wasn't until the Celestial Dragons stopped pestering and were out of earshot that Akainu gritted his teeth and muttered, "No ambition! And they're thinking of begging... Who do they think we're protecting!"
"Sakazuki..."
Kizaru smiled and said, "This is not the time to talk too much."
Akainu paused slightly, turned to look at the scorched marks in the town, and entered the gate with a heavy heart.
In the past few months, the situation had become more intense, and the Navy was stretched thin. The Sage's publication of three Roadsign Poneglyphs had completely fermented, causing all the pirates of the Four Seas to flood into the Grand Line, suddenly increasing the Navy's pressure, deploying far too many troops.
The Revolutionary Army's offensive also grew increasingly fierce, besieging Mary Geoise and engaging the Navy in a supply line battle, vowing to starve the Celestial Dragons atop.
As misfortune would have it, the long 'stable' business of natural disasters also incited a large number of pirates to head to the West Sea and North Sea, making the already strained Navy even more overwhelmed.
Under multiple pressures, it provided the Revolutionary Army with a breakthrough. Two months ago, taking advantage of Akainu and Kizaru's deployment, the Revolutionary Army launched another surprise attack on Mary Geoise, while holding off Ryokugyu's defense, set Mary Geoise ablaze, burning down half a town.
The already pressured supply lines now faced even greater stress.
Were it not for occasional breakthroughs allowing some supply goods through to barely ensure the Celestial Dragons didn't starve, they might not have had the strength to speak now.
But after months of scant clothing and food, the Celestial Dragons couldn't bear it any longer, even starting to consider begging, hoping the Revolutionary Army would spare them...
The Revolutionary Army is here to end their rule!
With the fire ablaze, even the Divine Knight Order was called back, barely ensuring the current safety of the Celestial Dragons.
But this will sooner or later lead to problems.
The entirety of Mary Geoise is both a symbol and a weakness; ensuring the safety of so many Celestial Dragons, just Ryokugyu isn't enough, Kizaru must act as mobility, while Akainu must stay ready, stationed nearby.
Yet once power is concentrated, the external Navy struggles to hold back the decline, unable to suppress the pirates and Revolutionary Army in various places, but if dispersed, Mary Geoise will face more severe attacks.
Akainu let out a long sigh, pulling out a cigar and lighting it, after exhaling a puff of smoke, uttering an ancient saying, "If you prepare in front, you lack behind; if you prepare on the left, you lack on the right; prepare everywhere, lack everywhere."
If the Celestial Dragons were to go down and disperse, the situation might lessen, but it can't be eased...
Once the Celestial Dragons collectively descend, it would be equivalent to announcing to the world that they couldn't even protect the World Government's symbol Mary Geoise, only inciting greater chaos.
The Revolutionary Army's goal is precisely the Celestial Dragons, once they descend and disperse, they could gather greater strength, and if an assassination were attempted, everything would come to naught.
Mary Geoise must be protected, and Mary Geoise as a symbol must stand unshaken, if problems happen... it would trigger a chain reaction like the structural collapse caused by the fire.