The Grand Line, directly overseen by Marine Headquarters, was vast, leading to the establishment of branches at various stages.
These branches reported directly to headquarters, all starting with 'G', and their commanders were Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals.
These branches were no comparison to those in the Four Seas; each was essentially a military fortress.
While branches in the Four Seas could be occupied by pirates, those on the Grand Line were practically impregnable.
On the Grand Line, Marine branches not only housed high-ranking Marine forces like Vice Admirals but also typically featured dozens of battleships.
Cannons were countless.
Unless an impossible aerial assault was mounted, ordinary pirates wouldn't dream of breaching a Marine branch base.
At this moment, within the G10 branch near Bas Island, as an alarm blared, the entire base was bathed in light, with countless searchlights sweeping back and forth.
Marines who had just fallen asleep quickly rose, not even bothering to yawn.
Within moments, they donned their uniforms, rushed out of their dormitories, and, following the shouts of officers at the gate, armed themselves in the nearby armory before heading to the docks.
The base commander's office was filled with smoke. An old man with white hair and beard propped his left hand on the desk, a cigar held in his right, letting it burn without smoking.
This elder was the G10 branch commander, "Merason," a man who had defeated and captured countless pirates, belonging to the same era as Garp and Sengoku.
Merason frowned, his gaze somber as he stared blankly at the Den Den Mushi on his desk.
The commotion within the base was a result of an emergency mobilization following an order received from the World Government.
After a moment of thought, he finally reached for the Den Den Mushi.
"Is it finally time for a conclusion to what happened three years ago?"
He paused his hand from fiddling with the Den Den Mushi's lever, then began to shake it rapidly.
Marine Headquarters, "Marineford."
In the Fleet Admiral's office, the lights remained on late into the night.
The entire office was silent.
Sengoku, clad in his Fleet Admiral uniform, leaned back in his chair, frowning.
On the desk before him, another Den Den Mushi was placed.
He was clearly waiting for something.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi rang.
"Buzz buzz!! Buzz buzz..."
Sengoku startled, then his eyes sharpened as he straightened up quickly, picking up the receiver.
"Marine Headquarters, Sengoku."
"Sengoku-san."
A voice, laced with a profound weariness, not of the body but of the spirit, emanated from the Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku's pupils contracted upon hearing the voice.
"Merason, you haven't called me that in many years!"
"Indeed!"
At the G10 branch, Merason looked at the Den Den Mushi, his eyes filled with remembrance.
"Remember those days when we were both in the academy? Decades have flown by."
"I've changed, you've changed, Tsuru has changed..."
Then, as if recalling something, he suddenly chuckled.
"Only that rascal Garp remains the same."
"Garp?"
"Yes! Only that old fellow can stay that way forever! Haha!"
Sengoku's expression turned serious, and he said, "It's the middle of the night, you didn't call me just to chat about these memories, did you?"
"In a few more years, we'll both be retired, and we'll have plenty of time to chat."
"Plenty of time to chat?"
Merason raised his right hand, took a deep puff of his cigar, and slowly exhaled, letting the smoke drift gently from the corner of his mouth.
"Do you remember my unwavering justice?"
"How could I forget!"
"Your justice is to protect the common people!"
"Yes!... To protect the common people."
Merason sighed, "But I! Three years ago, I acted against a nation that bore no guilt!"
"Just because..."
The hand holding the receiver tightened, nearly crushing it.
"Just because of a Celestial Dragon's farce."
"Merason..."
Merason suddenly looked up, his eyes fixed on the Den Den Mushi.
"Listen to me."
"Alright, alright, you speak, you speak."
"Because of a Celestial Dragon's farce, the justice I've upheld for decades was shamed."
He took a deep drag from his cigar, not exhaling any smoke, letting it fill his lungs, as if it would somehow ease his pain.
"Although the order I received was to lead the Marines to assist CP0."
"And I didn't lift a finger."
"But if it weren't for me, if it weren't for the battleships under my command, the Kingdom of Bas would never have been so easily conquered."
"And... three years later, with the same order, I am now tasked with intercepting the King of the Kingdom of Bas, which was destroyed three years ago."
As he spoke, his face turned grim. "Is a farce not enough for three years? Three years?"
"Sengoku."
"Yes!"
"Are we Marines just here to clean up after the World Nobles?"
"..."
At headquarters, Sengoku stared silently at the Den Den Mushi.
He knew the answer to that question, Merason knew it, and every Marine knew it.
But no one would answer.
He took a deep breath and spoke with a grave tone, "Merason, I ask you, in my capacity as Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, what are we?"
"Marines."
"Correct. We are Marines, directly affiliated with the World Government."
"To steadfastly uphold our justice, we must first obey our duty as soldiers."
"Obey orders."
"If we cannot achieve even this, we are unworthy of the uniform we wear."
"And what is the duty of a Marine?"
"To strike down pirates. Other matters are not our concern, nor should they be. We must simply do our jobs."
Sengoku pulled the Den Den Mushi closer, lowering his head, a glint flashing in his eyes. "But we are also friends. Regarding the justice your friend upholds, I can only say..."
"Whether it be the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, or even Marine Headquarters, you need not concern yourself. As long as you stand on the side of justice, I will support any decision you make."
"That is all I have to say. Consider it yourself."
With that, Sengoku hung up and leaned back in his chair, his whole body going limp. In that moment of leaning back, he appeared to age instantly.
"Idiot."
Sengoku lowered his head, frowning, his face grim.
There were some things even he, as Fleet Admiral, was powerless to do.
After all, he had superiors.
In the years since he became Fleet Admiral, incidents similar to the Kingdom of Bas were not uncommon.
When he was still an Admiral, these matters were handled directly by the previous Fleet Admiral, and they were merely executors of orders, sometimes unaware of the reasons, or even the aftermath.
But after becoming Fleet Admiral, these issues fell to him to handle, and some orders were even issued by him personally.
Did he want to issue such orders?
No!
But given the direct orders from the World Government, he had neither the reason nor the power to resist.
For the entire Marine system was dependent on the World Government's system. Without the World Government's funding, how could the Marines uphold justice?
All he could do was perform his duties diligently, steadfastly adhere to his own sense of justice, and strike down more pirates.
As for matters between nations and the World Government, he... the Marines, were powerless.
At the G10 branch, in the base commander's office, Merason hung up the Den Den Mushi, his eyes firm. He picked up the justice cloak beside him and stood up.
"What is justice?"
"What is his justice?"
The justice that was shamed three years ago, he would personally reclaim it this time.
Although three years ago, all he did was sail the warships over and do nothing else.
Yet, this coercion through military might was the true culprit behind the destruction of the Kingdom of Bas.
It was difficult for him to deceive himself.
And he felt guilt for the environment the Kingdom of Bas had endured in the past few years.
This was also why, despite being the same age as Garp and Sengoku, his hair had already turned white.
And as that figure reappeared in his mind, he knew that everything concerning the Kingdom of Bas would be fully resolved this time.