The Marshal's office was unusually quiet at that moment. Even through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku and the other two could feel the panic radiating from the other end of the phone.
This sudden wave of emotion instantly tensed Sengoku’s heart, which had just begun to relax. He abruptly stood up, holding the Den Den Mushi and shouting, “What is it, Rear Admiral Keiman?”
Time seemed to slow down. Everyone was waiting for Rear Admiral Keiman’s voice from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"Gulp—!"
After a moment’s pause, a gulping sound came from the Den Den Mushi, followed by Vice Admiral Keiman’s slightly stammering voice, laced with extreme tension.
"Silver hair, silver hair, silver hair, silver hair killed Saint Charlos."
“Killed?”
Even though they had been mentally prepared, knowing Silver Hair's personality, his deep loathing for the Celestial Dragons, and how he had mercilessly killed Cartoise, they knew he wouldn’t spare a single foolish Celestial Dragon.
In fact, upon learning that Silver Hair and Charlos were at the auction house, they had braced themselves for the worst while waiting for news here.
But…
But they had just heard that Silver Hair had only *hit* a Celestial Dragon. Before they could fully relax, they received the worst possible news.
This drastic fluctuation in their emotions left the three in the room feeling as if they had eaten something foul.
It would have been better if they had been told the worst news directly from the start!
After a moment of thought, Sengoku gravely issued orders to Rear Admiral Keiman. "Rear Admiral Keiman, evacuate the crowd as much as possible, have them go as far away as possible, preferably leaving Sabaody Archipelago. I will report this to the World Government and dispatch an Admiral for support."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
By now, Keiman had regained his composure. As the highest-ranking officer stationed at Sabaody Archipelago, he possessed the necessary experience and strength. He stood up straight before the Den Den Mushi, saluted, and replied loudly before hanging up.
He had received this news from the people at the back of the crowd.
Kouta was no killer. He had only left behind the pirates he sensed were evil, and not the merchants or nobles. They were not his targets. If he were to kill, he would only kill Celestial Dragons, or perhaps he would kill them if he happened to encounter them doing evil and felt disgusted.
In the Marshal's office, Sengoku put down the Den Den Mushi and looked at Borsalino. "Borsalino, you're the only one going this time."
"You go first, and then others will..."
He paused here, "Other Marines will be dispatched to support you."
He had intended to say other Vice Admirals, but then he thought, wouldn't sending Vice Admirals be like sending a dog a bone and never getting it back? He remembered Kouta's warning during their last conversation. He couldn't send Vice Admirals to their deaths! After all, this was to stand up for a Celestial Dragon, and there was no guarantee that Silver Hair would show restraint as he had in the past.
So…
Looking at Borsalino, a hint of apology flickered in his eyes, and he murmured inwardly, "I'm sorry, Borsalino, there might be no reinforcements for you this time."
In fact, he didn't even want to send Borsalino. But Silver Hair had killed a Celestial Dragon. If the Marines didn't act, it would be a catastrophe. After all, the Marines were merely the armed forces of the World Government, and the Celestial Dragons were its core of power.
As if sensing the apology in Sengoku's eyes, Kizaru’s mouth twitched. He knew that sending anyone else would be futile, but he really didn't want to go!
"Sigh! Such a tiring life."
With a sigh, Kizaru stood up, saluted Sengoku, picked up the Admiral's cloak from beside him, draped it over his shoulders, and quickly turned to walk out the door.
Just as he was about to leave the room, Garp, who had been sitting on the sofa without saying a word, called out to him. "Borsalino, you go first, and I'll follow shortly after."
"Understood, Mr. Garp."
Kizaru turned his head, nodded at Garp, and then left the room with noticeably lighter steps.
Even elite Vice Admirals would be courting death if they went. But those Vice Admirals did not include Vice Admiral Garp. Vice Admiral Garp, known as the "Hero," was recognized as a powerhouse throughout the entire Marine Force. Even as an Admiral, he wasn't confident he could defeat Vice Admiral Garp.
Honestly, facing that brat Silver Hair alone, while not exactly fear, still made him uneasy. From Kuzan, he had learned that the brat Silver Hair could instantly defeat Cartoise, who was at the same level as him! And then there was Blue Hair, Guina, who had eaten the Goro Goro no Mi and could now contend with Admirals. How could he face these two alone?
However, Akainu was stationed at Mary Geoise as a permanent Admiral and couldn't leave. And Aokiji was guarding the New World and couldn't leave either. Moreover, the distance would make it impossible for him to arrive in time. Only he was currently stationed at Marine Headquarters, and he was closest to Sabaody Archipelago, making his speed the fastest, so he had to go whether he wanted to or not.
As for the World Government's CP0 organization… He didn't know if there were any Admiral-level powerhouses within CP0. He assumed that even if there were, they wouldn't be dispatched again! After all, peak powerhouses were not cheap. A single organization could only have one or two at most. With the World Government's 800 years of accumulation, he didn't believe they only had Cartoise. Therefore, the World Government definitely had other strong individuals, but they probably wouldn't leave Mary Geoise. Their primary mission was to guard it, not to wage war.
Besides, even he knew that Silver Hair was someone who couldn't be caught or defeated, and he might even be killed if he went. How could the World Government be any different? Therefore, even though a Celestial Dragon had been killed this time, the World Government probably wouldn't dispatch their truly powerful individuals. He didn't know how the World Government would respond. However, he knew that if the World Government intended to deal with Silver Hair, they would do so with full preparations. After all, Silver Hair had completely surpassed the scope of ordinary pirates. And these preparations couldn't be rushed for Sabaody Archipelago. If they only dispatched ordinary powerhouses, it would be no different from the Marines sending Vice Admirals. It would only be a waste of lives.
Now that Vice Admiral Garp had voluntarily offered to go and support him, his mood instantly improved.
It was only after Kizaru's back disappeared that Sengoku turned his head and looked at Garp with some surprise. "Garp, you want to go to Sabaody Archipelago?"
Actually, as the Fleet Admiral and his old friend, he rarely gave Garp any orders. He was well aware of why Garp didn't want to be promoted to Admiral, so he rarely ordered Garp around, usually discussing matters together.
Regarding the Sabaody Archipelago incident, he had briefly considered sending Garp, but then dismissed the idea. Sending Borsalino would be enough to placate the situation. If Garp were to go, there was a risk of truly igniting a conflict and forcing that brat Silver Hair to go on a rampage against the Marines, which would be difficult to handle. And considering Silver Hair's tolerance towards the Marines as demonstrated in the past, as long as they didn't truly cross his bottom line, he was quite friendly. Therefore, he didn't want Garp to go. Sending Borsalino was understandable. After all, with a Celestial Dragon killed, the Marines couldn't possibly remain inactive, and Silver Hair would likely understand this. However, if Garp were to go as well, it would be a different situation, potentially leading to worse outcomes.
Furthermore, on Sabaody Archipelago, there was also Rayleigh the "Dark King," and Ace the "Fire Fist." And knowing that a Celestial Dragon had been killed, the World Government wouldn't stand idly by. Powerful individuals from CP0 would certainly be dispatched, and that would be true chaos. And chaos to the point of being uncontainable. He didn't want the Marines to suffer heavy losses! Due to the advent of the Great Pirate Era, the Marines were already facing a shortage of personnel. The loss of any Marine officer would pain him for a long time. Moreover, that brat Silver Hair could instantly kill Cartoise!
As if sensing Sengoku's concerns, Garp shrugged indifferently, then said sternly, "Sengoku, don't forget what we stand for. Although I also detest those imbeciles like the Celestial Dragons, at this moment, Sabaody Archipelago must be in chaos because of the Celestial Dragon incident. We all know that ordinary Vice Admirals going there would definitely not be able to maintain order. Only I, only I can maintain order and alleviate Borsalino's pressure. Remember, the Silver Hair Pirates are not just Silver Hair alone! There's also Blue Hair who can fight an Admiral."
Sengoku was considering the losses to the Marines and the potential for Garp's involvement to escalate the situation. Garp, on the other hand, was concerned about the safety of the civilians on Sabaody Archipelago. Their perspectives differed, and neither was inherently wrong; they each had their own reasoning.
Sengoku looked at Garp, and finally nodded in agreement for him to go. As Garp said, since the Celestial Dragon incident, this was no longer a minor matter. Once the balance was broken, Sabaody Archipelago would undoubtedly descend into utter chaos. After all, there were a considerable number of pirates there! Without someone capable of maintaining order, it wouldn't take outsiders; those lawless pirate scoundrels would plunge Sabaody Archipelago into complete disorder. And it would be the law-abiding civilians who would suffer in the end.