Kizaru's statement stirred up a buzz among the officers. Even Sengoku raised an eyebrow in surprise, turning to Luffy. "Is that so? Have you truly developed your abilities to that level?"
Inwardly cursing Kizaru and Aokiji, Luffy forced a shy, modest smile. "It's not as dramatic as Admiral Kizaru says. I only recently developed a new technique, and Kaido happened to be distracted. It just… nicked him a bit."
Hancock, eager to defend her husband's reputation, stood up immediately. "Nicked him? No, I saw it with my own eyes—Kaido had a massive piece taken out of his shoulder!"
Aokiji and Kizaru nodded, fully backing her, as if what she said was fact. In fact, they felt Hancock's description was even too modest.
Luffy held back a groan. Oh, honey, do you realize what you're doing? He sighed inwardly. Fine. No sense pretending anymore. Luffy shrugged and, with a resigned smile, spoke up, "Alright, alright. Yes, it was me. I blasted half of Kaido's shoulder clean off. Happy now?"
The room erupted in murmurs of admiration, and some of the officers even whispered to each other, clearly impressed.
Gion blinked, eyes wide in amazement. "Little Luffy is that strong now? I wouldn't have thought Kaido could be injured that severely."
"Times have changed," Momonga remarked, chuckling. "We're being overtaken by the new generation."
"Exactly," John Giant laughed. "With young Marines this capable, the Marine has a bright future."
Trawberry nodded, adding, "It's more than that. Rear Admiral Luffy is more than ready to help lead us into a new era."
Sengoku watched as his officers praised Luffy, feeling both proud and irritated. Here was the new generation shining, while the old guard couldn't even clear the obstacles in their path. His fists clenched as he thought of how the government's orders had disrupted his plan.
Clearing his throat, Sengoku raised a hand to silence the room. "Ahem, alright, I think we have a good sense of what happened. Kaido is indeed a madman, and it doesn't surprise me that he acted this way. I won't hold any of you accountable—take the time to recover well. The Marine's justice depends on you all."
Aokiji and Kizaru's eyes lit up at the mention of rest, their expressions suddenly looking far more earnest as they nodded to Sengoku with newfound commitment.
Sengoku, oblivious to their eagerness, lowered his head, exhaling deeply as he prepared to brief the room on Wano. "I assume most of you are aware of the basics, but I'll explain everything in full."
Propping his chin on his hands, Sengoku began, "Ever since news arrived that Luffy had taken down Jack the Drought, I expected Kaido would seek revenge. So, I devised a plan. While we reported our intentions to the government, we gathered forces, intending for Akainu and myself to lay an ambush near the G2 branch. If Kaido showed himself, we'd be ready to capture him."
He clenched his fists, his frustration evident. "But… the Five Elders overruled my plan. They decided we needed Kaido's presence and reputation to maintain order in the seas. Until they believe they have the power to destroy all the pirate forces at once, they want the balance maintained—the Four Emperors, the Marine, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea, each keeping the others in check."
Even though they'd heard similar explanations before, officers like Momonga and John Giant couldn't contain their anger. Luffy, too, silently cursed the Five Elders. Because of their decision, he and the entire Marine force had sacrificed for nothing.
"And there's more," Sengoku continued, his voice hardening as he looked at Aokiji and Kizaru. "You two may not be aware of this yet, but during the battle at Wano, we managed to devastate nearly all of Kaido's operations. We eliminated most of his forces. Only King, the All-Star, managed to escape. Queen, the Plague, along with Tobiroppo and Kaido's other senior officers, were either captured or killed. But then…"
Sengoku's fists clenched tighter. "Before we could even determine what to do with them, the government ordered us to release them. We were told to return all captives and abandon the victory we'd achieved."
"Nani!" Aokiji and Kizaru's voices overlapped in disbelief, while Luffy's eyes went wide as he slammed a fist on the table, standing up in outrage.
"What a joke! Are those old fools serious?! We captured them, and they ordered us to set them free?" Luffy's eyes blazed with anger. "I've never heard of anything so ridiculous! Do those Five Elders think Kaido is their father or something? Next time, they can go capture him themselves! Don't even think about calling the Marines to clean up their mess."
Sengoku shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips as he watched Luffy vent his frustration.
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