Even though they were still in the same area, Gion didn't bother greeting the group of rough, sweaty men nearby. The sting of defeat still lingered in her chest.
She had absolutely no intention of dealing with those smelly guys, so instead, she simply gave a small nod in Tsuru's direction.
And with that, the elegant swordswoman gracefully stepped onto the air using Geppo and made her way back to her own battleship.
Meanwhile, the other high-ranking Marine officers began boarding the ship named Blue Dragon , following behind Tachibana Kyūjō.
Several dozen miles out at sea, once the Seiryu had left the battle area behind, Vice Admiral Dalmatian—normally quite close with Chaton—suddenly blinked in confusion.
"Hmm? Where did Vice Admiral Chaton go?"
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Five Days Later — Marineford Harbor
Tachibana Kyūjō returned to Marineford once again, this time with over three hundred subordinates and two Vice Admirals under his command.
Because he was heading back out to sea.
Looking at the newly upgraded battleship Seiryu, Kyūjō gave a satisfied nod.
At a glance, the ship didn't look all that different from its previous version. But internally, its propulsion systems had been completely overhauled—granting it incredible speed.
This version of the Seiryu was a product of the latest Marine Science Division tech. In fact, it was one of the fastest battleships in the world right now.
Its top speed? Between 20 to 30 knots.
Now, to put that into perspective:
One knot is a nautical mile per hour, which translates to roughly 1.8 kilometers per hour. So 30 knots is about 55 km/h.
It might not sound impressive on paper, but for a ship cutting through ocean waves? That was blazing fast.
For comparison, most pirate ships—especially traditional sailing ones—struggled to even hit 6 knots.
A speed gap of five times.
If a ship was on your tail, escape was practically impossible.
Of course, that doesn't include those… "dark tech" ships.
The truth was, Kyūjō only had access to this cutting-edge warship thanks to a little "backdoor assistance" from Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself.
Without that support, there was no way a vessel would be assigned to Kyūjō.
But naturally, this kind of favor came with strings attached.
And this time, the mission Sengoku gave him was no joke:
Kyūjō had to face none other than Charlotte Linlin, the Yonko known as Big Mom.
And that wasn't all...
He also had to prepare to face the top brass of the Big Mom Pirates.
He was going in alone.
Not because the Navy lacked manpower—
But because the World Government had flat-out rejected Sengoku's request for backup troops in the New World.
The Five Elders gave their usual "noble" reasons:
"To avoid large-scale conflict that may endanger global stability, Marine operations in the New World must proceed with extreme caution."
"No major deployment shall occur unless complete certainty can be guaranteed."
"World peace and balance must take priority…"
Sengoku had nearly dozed off halfway through their speech. He was used to it.
In truth, Sengoku had expected the rejection all along.
That's why he had followed an old strategy:
"When your real request is heavy, first make an impossible request. Let them reject it.Then propose your real goal as a 'compromise.'"
And Sengoku's real goal?
To establish a new base—G11—and assign Tachibana Kyūjō as its commanding officer.
The Threat of Totto Land
Charlotte Linlin—the Yonko ruling over Totto Land in the New World—was not only obsessed with food… but also with men.
Most of her pirate crew's executives were her biological children, the result of her twisted dream to create a kingdom where all races and species lived together in harmony.
She dreamed of a "Giant Family"—where everyone sat at the same dining table as equals.
While that might've sounded like a child's innocent wish… in reality, it was terrifying.
Totto Land had a brutal rule:
"All are welcome to enter.
But if you want to leave—you must die."
Anyone who entered the territory, friend or foe, was not allowed to leave alive. The only exit was death.
What's worse, every citizen was forced to pay a Soul Tax every six months—one month of their lifespan.
These souls were then collected and used to create Homies, sentient beings born from Linlin's Devil Fruit powers.
And to top it off, she demanded monthly tributes of sweets from every region under her control. One failed delivery? Total annihilation.
Since founding the Big Mom Pirates decades ago, Charlotte Linlin had birthed over thirty children. Among the most prominent:
Perospero, Katakuri, Daifuku, Oven, Opera, and Cracker.
All of them were currently stationed at Totto Land, guarding it with their full might.
And if Kyūjō had to take on the entire Charlotte Family alone…
That would be suicide.
Luckily, that wasn't the mission.
His goal was simply to distract Big Mom.
To draw her attention away.
He'd also be coordinating with G9—the nearest Marine base, under the command of Admiral Akainu—for a covert joint operation.
With that, Kyūjō's official assignment was transferred from G2 (located in the first half of the Grand Line) to G11, the newly built base near Totto Land.
G11 was established in secret by Sengoku, defying direct pressure from the World Government, right beside Big Mom's territory.
To Sengoku, G11 marked the beginning of his bold plan—to restore Marine influence in the New World.
What he hadn't expected…
Was that the day Tachibana Kyūjō would be ready to bear that burden—
—would arrive so soon.
So soon, in fact, it caught Sengoku off guard.
Even though G11 was still a basic outpost, lacking full divisions and complete personnel…
One thing had already been secured:
Admiral-class strength—Tachibana Kyūjō—was now stationed there.
Sengoku didn't wait any longer.
He officially announced Kyūjō as the commanding officer of G11, recognizing his power and potential.
From now on, G11 would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with G9 under Akainu—
Two bulwarks of the Navy, holding the line against the two Yonko:
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