Chapter 94: Fleet Admiral Sengoku About to Step Down

Meanwhile, at Navy Headquarters, the atmosphere was in stark contrast to the shock and chaos outside. Marineford, once flourishing, now lay in ruins, resembling a living hell. Countless Marines were deployed, managing the scene and cleaning up the bodies.

In the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku sat quietly, his gaze sweeping over Garp, Tsuru, Akainu, and others. His eyes were dim, his expression weary, as if he had aged ten years. He waved his hand dismissively. "Stop gathering around me, disperse."

Seeing Sengoku in such a state, Garp felt the worst. Torn between his grandson and his friend, Garp felt a deep sense of guilt. After Akainu, Kizaru, Tsuru, and others left, Garp walked to Sengoku's side and asked, "Sengoku, are you okay?"

Sengoku, eyes closed, slightly opened them to look at Garp. "You... why haven't you left?"

Garp pondered for a while and said, "The summit war, I let you down."

All the immense pressure now rested on Sengoku. As Fleet Admiral, he couldn't shirk responsibility for the defeat. The Five Elders had made him the scapegoat, and Garp shared in the guilt.

"Sorry?" Sengoku bitterly shook his head. "Is it still time to say sorry now?"

Garp lowered his head and sighed. Indeed, it was too late. Since Roger started the Great Pirate Era, pirates had flooded the Grand Line, placing immense pressure on the Navy. Despite frantic efforts to replenish troops, the number of pirates setting sail each year far exceeded expectations, showing signs of becoming uncontrollable.

At this critical moment, Sengoku realized more than ever that the Navy had to act. Letting the situation develop unchecked would threaten the Navy's dominance. The declining Whitebeard Pirates became their primary target. But targeting them was no easy feat. The Four Emperors were giants of the New World, and even the Navy had to handle them carefully.

Coincidentally, just as Sengoku was contemplating how to declare war on the Whitebeard Pirates, their 2nd division commander Ace fell into their hands. Sengoku saw this as a golden opportunity to wipe out the Four Emperors. He had been planning for a long time, but no one expected a newly recruited division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates to shatter all his plans.

The Navy became a laughingstock, ridiculed for overestimating themselves. Apart from cleaning up Marineford, there was external public pressure and pressure from the Five Elders. The Five Elders had even suggested a change in the Fleet Admiral position. Despite his helplessness, Sengoku could only respond with one word. "Alright."

On the other side, aboard the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates were also cleaning up their own mess. This battle caused significant losses not only to the Navy but also to the Whitebeard Pirates. The shocking casualty numbers left everyone in deep silence. Whitebeard, as the head of the family, was deeply saddened. He had led them to Marineford but couldn't bring them all back.

In war, there are no victors, only losers. The only consolation was that Lin Yan, whom they all missed dearly, had returned to the Moby Dick. Seeing Lin Yan return, many division commanders showed joy, and even the sorrow on Whitebeard's face lifted a little.

"Lin, you're back?" Marco, Jozu, Vista, and others gathered around. "Are you okay?"

A Issho, Aramaki, Zephyr, and others also hurriedly asked. Ever since Lin Yan stayed behind alone, they had been constantly worried. Now that Lin Yan had returned safely, their worried hearts finally relaxed.

Facing everyone's concern, Lin Yan shook his head, indicating he was fine. He immediately asked Whitebeard about their casualties. When Lin Yan heard the series of shocking numbers, he fell silent. He had led a large group of prisoners to Marineford to share the enormous pressure for the Whitebeard Pirates. If it weren't for the prisoners' participation, who knew what the casualties would have been?

"By the way, where are those prisoners?" Lin Yan asked.

"They are currently on the Moby Dick," Marco answered.

The prisoners were not members of the Whitebeard Pirates, and Lin Yan had to settle them down. According to the previous promise, after the summit war, both sides would part ways. But the current situation made Lin Yan reconsider his decision. Although the Navy was significantly weakened, it wasn't fundamentally damaged. They could quickly restore their elite force through world recruitment. But for the Whitebeard Pirates, it was different. This battle had almost exhausted their foundation. With many crew members dead or injured, they might even lose part of their Territory in the New World.

To recover their strength quickly and fill the gap in numbers, the prisoners from Impel Down were undoubtedly the best choice. With this in mind, Lin Yan's gaze turned to Buggy, Crocodile, Jinbe, and a group of Supernovas and prisoners.