After the proclamation was finalized, the Marine commanders read through it and raised no objections.
To be honest, the docunt itself was fairly average, nothing particularly outstanding. But then again, most of the commanders present were straightforward, no-nonsense types. Having a proper, formal declaration of war was already more than enough for them. What more could they really ask for?
So once they finished reading it, every commander present expressed their approval.
Among them, Sakazuki still wore his usual rigid expression, yet the faint trace of satisfaction between his brows was impossible to miss.
He hadn't expected his na to appear in the proclamation.
That carried real weight. Once this battle concluded and the Whitebeard Pirates were wiped out, it would undoubtedly leave a mark in history.
This proclamation was almost guaranteed to be recorded among major historical events, compiled into official chronicles by historians of all stripes.
Having his na engraved on a docunt destined to be written into history, a proclamation calling for the suppression of pirates, greatly satisfied Sakazuki's sense of pride.
Of course, he knew very well that his arrival at Ortoren's side had been a last-minute decision. Even if Ortoren hadn't included his na in the proclamation, Sakazuki wouldn't have had anything to complain about.
The fact that his na appeared in it today was clearly a favor Ortoren had done him.
And that was exactly the case.
Ortoren understood perfectly well that an Admiral like Sakazuki lacked nothing. Wealth, authority, status, power—so long as he had no intention of turning himself into so independent warlord, Sakazuki truly wanted for nothing.
So if you wanted to give soone like Sakazuki a "gift" to draw closer or smooth relations, it couldn't be sothing crude or material.
Adding his na to a proclamation calling for the extermination of pirates cost nothing at all, yet it struck right at Sakazuki's core, making him owe you a favor.
The results spoke for themselves. Ortoren's judgnt had been spot on. Sakazuki was so pleased he practically didn't know where to put himself.
"Well written. Very well written," Sakazuki said with clear satisfaction. "I have no objections."
No one else raised any objections either. Seeing this, Ortoren didn't waste any ti. He lifted his hand and said,
"Alright then. Since that's settled, this proclamation is finalized. Once our war preparations are complete, distribute it to all major dia outlets and have it published imdiately across the newspapers."
After a brief pause, Ortoren added,
"One more thing. Until our preparations are fully in place, do not release any information about this operation to the outside world. We don't want the Whitebeard Pirates lashing out in desperation."
"Understood."
"Yes."
"No problem."
After the commanders responded, Ortoren spoke again,
"Although Hina ntioned earlier that this was the final agenda item, I'll still ask once more. Does anyone have any further opinions to share? Or any ideas that need to be discussed together? If so, bring them up now. We'll prioritize them and resolve them as quickly as possible."
As he spoke, Ortoren's gaze swept across the conference room, moving slowly from one commander's face to the next.
In the end, no one raised any further opinions or matters. Ortoren nodded once more and said,
"It seems none of you have anything else to add. In that case, the eting is adjourned. Begin operations imdiately. Implent everything discussed here and aim to complete preparations within three months. Then we will move to suppress the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Yes! For justice and loyalty!"
Momonga and the other New World Marine commanders stood up in unison and saluted upon hearing Ortoren's final order.
There was no delay. Momonga and the others quickly dispersed, leaving the conference room to attend to their respective tasks.
Only Sakazuki, Hina, and Lucci remained behind.
Hina and Lucci stayed to gather up the docunts from the eting, while Sakazuki, as an Admiral, naturally maintained a certain air of dignity. If he was leaving, it would be alongside Ortoren.
Ortoren picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. Watching Hina sort through the docunts, he said,
"Hina, don't forget to send the eting report, the operation plan, and this proclamation to headquarters for the Fleet Admiral to review."
As he spoke, Ortoren turned to Sakazuki.
"I haven't really been paying attention these past few days. The Reverie should be over by now, right? Has the Fleet Admiral returned to headquarters?"
Sakazuki paused briefly, then shook his head.
"I haven't been following it either, but judging by the timing, the Reverie should have ended."
Ortoren smiled.
"Our plan this ti is quite solid. On top of that, it carries the joint endorsent of two Admirals. I've already given the Fleet Admiral a heads-up. As long as the plan isn't completely unreasonable, it'll pass. So just wait. We'll be going to war with Whitebeard very soon."
Sakazuki curled his lips into a grin.
"I'm looking forward to it… putting an end to the remnants of the old era."
Yes. The remnants of the old era.
Although Charlotte Linlin and Kaidou had also once sailed under Rocks, the general consensus on the seas was that they were not counted among the sa generation as Whitebeard, Shiki, and Roger.
Perhaps it was because when Shiki, Roger, and Whitebeard ruled the seas, Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin had not yet truly grown into great pirates. Back then, they could only be considered runners-up.
Naturally, Roger, Shiki, and Whitebeard ca to be regarded as pirates of the previous era, while Kaidou and the others were seen as pirates of the new era.
Now, among the pirates of that older generation, Roger and Shiki were already gone. Only Whitebeard remained. So Sakazuki calling him a "remnant of the old era" was perfectly accurate.
As Sakazuki and Ortoren chatted casually, Hina quickly carried out Ortoren's instructions.
...
anwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The Reverie had indeed concluded, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku had returned to Marineford.
Inside his office, Sengoku was chatting idly with Admiral Kuzan.
"The Reverie's over. Ortoren and Sakazuki should be just about finished with their plan to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates. Any interest in heading over there to take a look?" Sengoku asked casually while sorting through the docunts on his desk.
Kuzan leaned back on the sofa, still looking like he hadn't fully recovered from the exhaustion of the Reverie. His tone was lazy and unhurried.
"We'll see. It's not like it needs to be settled imdiately. I'm dead tired right now. I'll think about it once I've recovered."
"Suit yourself," Sengoku replied, not pressing the matter.
Just then, the fax machine beside his desk ca to life, rattling as pages were printed one after another.
Sengoku raised an eyebrow, picked up the docunts, and began reading. As expected, it was the plan regarding Ortoren's impending war with the Whitebeard Pirates.
He skimd through it briefly before his gaze settled on the proclamation.
Kuzan leaned over as well, glancing at it with curiosity.
"Looks pretty ordinary to . Why are you staring at it so seriously, Fleet Admiral?"
"Didn't you notice?" Sengoku murmured.
"Notice what?" Kuzan scanned it again, puzzled. "There aren't any typos, are there?"
"No. It has nothing to do with typos," Sengoku said in a low voice. "This proclamation doesn't ntion Mary Geoise or the World Governnt at all."
Kuzan froze for a mont, then swallowed lightly.
"That does seem to be the case… but does it really matter?"
"Whether it matters depends on whether soone decides to make an issue of it later," Sengoku sighed.
Kuzan thought it over for a mont, then said,
"Maybe Ortoren and the others just overlooked it. Shouldn't you point it out to him, Fleet Admiral? Have him issue a revised proclamation? It's not exactly a big hassle."
Sengoku shot him a glance.
"You really think Ortoren would make a mistake like that?"
"Everyone slips up sotis," Kuzan replied matter-of-factly.
"Maybe in other situations," Sengoku said slowly, "but when it cos to political matters, he's far more ticulous than you think. That proclamation deliberately avoids any ntion of Mary Geoise or the World Governnt… hm."
Sengoku shook his head and didn't continue.
He knew Ortoren too well. He might be careless elsewhere, but not in matters like this. Never.
Which ant that this proclamation had been intentional from the very beginning. As for the reason why, Sengoku hadn't yet figured it out.
Monts later, his eyes landed on the na "Sakazuki" within the docunt.
For an instant, a realization seed to strike him.
…No way. Could Ortoren really be that devious?
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