Mary Geoise. Headquarters of the Navy. The Marshal's Office. A small meeting was underway. Only six attendees:
The veteran officers: Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Vice Admiral Garp.
The new generation: The three Admirals—Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru.
Unlike the formally seated Sengoku, only Akainu sat upright; the other two Admirals slumped in their chairs, causing Sengoku a headache. Worse was the incessant "crunch, crunch, crunch" sound.
"Garp, stop eating!!!" Sengoku finally exploded, veins bulging on his forehead, shouting at Garp.
"Oh, you want some?" Garp, crunching on senbei, had a scar running from his forehead to his cheekbone, a memento from a powerful opponent. His thinning hair was neatly cropped, giving him a stern look. His nickname, Iron Fist Garp, was never wrong.
"You should've said so," he said, reluctantly offering a bag with only two senbei left.
This only angered Sengoku further: "Those were my senbei! You know that's not what I meant!"
Garp scratched his head. "Isn't it just Hancock taking an island? Are you going to revoke her Shichibukai status?"
"It's not that simple! We just implemented the Shichibukai system; revoking a member would be admitting failure!" Sengoku roared.
"Then what's to discuss?" Garp asked, confused.
"How to warn her about acting without permission," Tsuru said calmly, arms crossed.
She was Sengoku's strategist, the unassuming Vice Admiral Tsuru, a Wash Wash Fruit user; her pursuit of Doflamingo showed her Admiral-level strength. With Garp, Sengoku, and the three Admirals, they could defeat a Yonko. But they'd have to consider casualties and the other Yonko's potential attacks. This was a delicate situation.
Tsuru and Akainu strongly opposed the Shichibukai system. Tsuru had the foresight to see it as a desperate measure that damaged the Navy's reputation. Unfortunately, the Navy was a tool of the Celestial Dragons; they seemed free but lacked autonomy; they had to accept orders from above.
Despite this, the Navy had found ways around it—recruiting Hancock, Mihawk, and Bartholomew Kuma to counter ambitious Shichibukai like Doflamingo, Crocodile, and Moria.
But a "traitor" had slipped through. After becoming a Shichibukai, the proud, aloof Hancock crossed the Calm Belt and claimed an uninhabited island in the first half of the Grand Line.
While uninhabited, this was problematic. A Shichibukai disobeying orders and acting independently—regardless of the action's merit—was a sensitive issue, especially given the newness of the Shichibukai system. It was a political problem. But…
"She's doing good," Garp said nonchalantly, picking his nose. "You know her presence in the first half of the Grand Line benefits us; instead of rewarding her, you punish her? Are you trying to alienate the Shichibukai?" He flicked a booger.
Sengoku sighed. He was known for his intellect, and Tsuru was brilliant, but Garp's seemingly carefree exterior hid a sharp mind. He just didn't bother thinking; most challenges were easy for someone who could beat Roger. He was the Navy's underestimated genius!
If he hadn't refused…Sengoku shook his head, turning to Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji. "Your opinions?"
"So troublesome," Kizaru said lazily. "Garp's right; she's doing good, reducing our workload; why condemn her?"
"And she's less of a threat to Impel Down," Aokiji yawned.
"She should be punished; let them know their place," Akainu said simply and brutally, causing Sengoku a headache.
Kizaru and Aokiji had strategic insight; Akainu did too, but his personality prevented compromise.
Sengoku sighed, looking at Tsuru. "Three want to ignore her; what do you think, Tsuru?"
Tsuru had seen their points, but she wanted to warn Hancock; she'd met Hancock and found her actions unusual. Her intuition was right, but…
At seventy-six, she had to consider the political ramifications and compromise…
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