Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 483 The Navy's Big Trouble Surpassing Zephyr

The Grand Line, the New World, Marineford, the Naval Headquarters.

Sengoku and Garp sat facing each other, speechless.

Upon learning that Ace had fallen into the hands of the World Government, the strategist Sengoku knew that it would inevitably escalate into a major incident, so he immediately summoned the elite naval forces from all over the world.

Thanks to his foresight, navies around the world had a full month to mobilize, summoning all their renowned officers from around the world to form an elite force of over 100,000 men.

Because very few islands are large enough to support such a large military force.

However, in order to confront the Whitebeard Pirates, the undisputed largest and strongest pirate crew, the Marine Headquarters had to deploy its full strength and even request support from the World Government's Science Unit.

Meanwhile, in the harbor of Marineford, a large number of sailors, under the command of scientists, were building a specially made gate.

The Sengoku period had absolutely exhausted all its resources in preparation for the impending war.

Therefore, the World Government and the Five Elders of the Celestial Dragons were finally satisfied, regained the Navy's trust, and assumed all the costs of the war.

The World Government also granted passage to the Red Line and made all the technology for navigation in the Calm Belt available, facilitating naval troop deployments.

Garp began, "Could you—"

Before he could finish speaking, Sengoku replied directly, "No! I—I am powerless to help."

Garp's eyes widened: "I only have two grandsons!"

Sengoku took off his glasses: "I only have one adopted son!"

Garp gasped for breath, "Why is this happening?"

Zhan Guo wiped his glasses clean and put them back on: "After all these years, can't you understand?"

"Of course it's because we are not strong enough."

"Our generation is too late; we can only hope that the next generation can break the deadlock and unlock the shackles of this world."

"We're actually just like Whitebeard, old-timers from the last era."

"Garp, don't bury the hope of saving the world because of a momentary impulse."

Garp stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looked at the port under construction, and after a long while said softly, "I understand."

The old man's voice had a strong nasal tone.

Sengoku also stood up, walked to Garp's side, put his right arm around his shoulder, deliberately avoided looking at his old friend's face, and softly comforted him, "Cry, cry enough here, but don't cry anymore once you leave."

Garp, tears streaming down his face, sobbed uncontrollably, "I...I didn't...I didn't cry. I am...I am Garp, a Marine hero, bleeding—"

No tears————

After a long while, Garp finally composed himself, took a deep breath, and returned to normal.

Then he noticed that his old friend Sengoku looked solemn, staring intently at the port.

Garp turned his head and was equally surprised.

A fleet flying naval flags sailed at high speed into the port, cutting through the waves and docking precisely at the pier under renovation.

He recognized the flag—no, he should say he was very familiar with the naval ensign; it was the flag of the 77th East China Sea Division, the fleet that patrolled the four seas.

This flag does not represent this fleet, but rather the fleet's commander, Brigadier General Xia Zuo.

Commodore Shazo is not well-known, but he is famous among the Navy's top brass. In recent years, he has replaced former Admiral Zephyr as the most difficult person to deal with within the Navy.

Because his achievements were so great and his battle record so outstanding, he was willing to humble himself and stay in the East China Sea to diligently patrol and eliminate pirates.

Even when the naval superiors suppressed Xia Zuo, he remained silent, as if he were a punching bag.

But this thing is unrestrained in its actions, doing whatever it wants and going wherever it wants.

He seemed to be anticipating punishment from headquarters, leaving the Navy as the perfect victim.

Xia Zuo's attitude was too obvious. Whether it was the wise Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, or the rough Vice Admiral Garp, all the high-ranking officers of the Navy could see it.

But no one went along with Shazam's wishes, not even the most violent of Akainu's admirals, Sakazuki. They gritted their teeth and let him run wild without intending to fire him.

He, or arrest him.

That guy was clearly trying to scam me!

Although it was unclear why Shaza insisted on having the Navy high command expel him, the more he did so, the less the Navy high command dared to comply, and they desperately covered for him to prevent the World Government from knowing of his existence.

For example, the 77th branch received a phone call from General Aokiji seven days ago, and they have arrived now.

This came all the way from the East China Sea!

Marshal Zhan Guo's forehead veins throbbed: "That bastard Xia Zuo, he's courting death again!"

The journey from the East China Sea to Marineford took seven days, naturally following the doldrums.

but!

The Seastone warship technology publicly disclosed by the World Government has not yet been deployed to the East China Sea!

Clearly, Xia Zuo himself has mastered the technology to pass through the calm zone!

This is a blatant provocation against the World Government and a challenge to the Five Elders of the Celestial Dragons!

After a good cry, Garp was in such a good mood that he could laugh out loud: "Haha, as expected of Xia Zuo, he's got some nerve!"

"What do you plan to do, Sengoku?"

"What do we do?" The strategist Sengoku roared, veins bulging on his forehead, "What can I do with him?"

"With a major battle imminent, how can I possibly deal with the naval fleet commander who is loyal, brave, and fearless, the first to arrive at the battlefield?"

"

"Even if I just put him in solitary confinement, it would be a major blow to the morale of the navy!"

"But he just swaggered into the bay and was seen by so many scientists and marines. The Five Elders must know and be able to deduce that he was able to sail with a fleet in the doldrums."

"Screw him!!!"

Zhan Guo was panting heavily, unable to calm himself down for a long time.

Finally, he chuckled wryly and said, "Garp, I suddenly find you, this old bastard—handsome and actually quite well-behaved—"

Karp:

Damn, I was still too obedient!

Before Marshal Sengoku could say anything more, he saw the 77th Fleet weigh anchor and set sail.

Just then, Lieutenant General Tsuru pushed open the door and walked into the Marshal's office, saying bluntly, "The 77th Fleet is too conspicuous. I've ordered them to temporarily relocate to the outer harbor anchorage."

Sengoku nodded: "Well done, Crane."

Lieutenant General Tsuru sighed, "This is all I can do, Sengoku. We can't keep Brigadier General Natsusa."

The Warring States period also sighed, "Alas, despite hiding him here and there, we still couldn't protect him in the end."

"If I had known this would happen, I would have just openly reported his achievements and followed the normal promotion process, making Xia Zuo a candidate for general."

"Even if the Five Elders are wary of him, they will not publicly punish the lieutenant general unless absolutely necessary, and they will not push things to the point where there is no way out."

Lieutenant General He asked, "If we give Xia Zuo an emergency commendation now, adding two ranks to his tally and making him a lucky winner in promotion, is it still too late?"

Sengoku slowly shook his head, while Garp laughed heartily: "Tsuru, even you can get so anxious you lose your mind."

"A rear admiral is one thing, but can our navy really decide on promotions to vice admiral?"

Lieutenant General Tsuru completely ignored Garp, staring only at Fleet Admiral Sengoku, until Garp shook his head again, at which point Tsuru was utterly disappointed.

She sighed, "So even the marshal's privileges don't work!"

"Then there's no other way. Let Xia Zuo and Ze Fa meet them."

Garp's eyes bulged out: "Tsuru, Zephyr is no joke!"

Sengoku was also quite surprised: "Is this really alright?"

Vice Admiral Tsuru said helplessly, "I don't know, but I don't want to lose Zephyr, at least I don't want him to die at the hands of our navy. We can only try fighting fire with fire."

"Anyway, we can't protect Xia Zuo, so the biggest loss we can suffer is this."

Sengoku hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Then let's give it a try."

"Just like you said, at most we'll lose both Shazo and Zephyr at the same time, which can't be worse for the Navy."

Twenty days later, the temporary anchorage in Marindo was filled with sailing warships, and all sorts of flags were flying at the top of the masts.

The majority of the ships were G-series headquarters and branches, while ships from all over the world were extremely rare.

At this moment, the entire anchorage was as quiet as a ghost town. There were only a minimal number of guards on the warships, and all the combatants had gathered in the dock square of Marineford.

If there are ten thousand people, it's boundless and limitless!

With over 100,000 people, the sky and the earth are intertwined!

One hundred thousand elite naval troops gathered in the center of the square, occupying the originally vast space of the Naval Headquarters. The crowd was so dense that it seemed impossible to count them.

The sight of such a large crowd left the native sailors stunned and bewildered, their hearts filled with a mixture of confusion and excitement, unsure of how to express their feelings.

These militant naval soldiers, lacking cultural refinement, felt that any words could only pale and powerless in their description.

Even the naval officers who considered themselves cultured couldn't think of a suitable word. After all, they weren't genius poets, and seeing such a scene for the first time, they were simply awestruck.

Xia Zuo was equally shaken; he wasn't just shocked, but deeply moved.

He felt as if he had returned to his past life, back to that National Day holiday, back to the moment he entered the Forbidden City.

Hehe, I kind of miss it.

Xia Zuo grinned and shouted to his subordinates, "Wow, it's so crowded!"

His men nodded like chickens pecking at rice, but they couldn't utter a word. They could only open their mouths and gasp for breath, like fish out of oxygen.

It wasn't that there was a real lack of oxygen in the air, but rather that the tense atmosphere of war created a false sense of oxygen deprivation for the naval officers and soldiers.

The navy wasn't originally arranged like this. Fleet Admiral Sengoku wasn't a fool. Why would he reveal all his forces before the enemy even appeared?

Unfortunately, Marineford has yet to discover the Whitebeard's fleet and cannot ascertain its exact location, so they don't know from which direction or in what manner the enemy will launch their attack.

The unknown is the most terrifying.

Because people scare themselves.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku sensed the decline in the navy's morale and could only resort to the most rudimentary method: deploying troops in all directions to revitalize the navy's spirit.

Sure enough, when the naval soldiers saw so many of their comrades, their morale was restored amidst their shock, and even soared to an even higher peak.

That's how ordinary people are; their emotional perception outweighs their rational analysis.

The naval soldiers knew they had 100,000 troops on their side, but how could a simple number compare to the bustling scene?

Only when they truly see the throngs of people can the navy truly realize the extent of its power.

Our numbers are so vast that we cannot see the end of the line, therefore our strength is inexhaustible, therefore the navy will surely prevail!

After the morale of the generals was restored, the generals of the Warring States period simply ordered a full-scale alert.

Fifty giant warships surrounding Crescent Island and Full Moon Harbor made their appearance, while the heavy coastal defense cannons on the shore removed their covers, loaded shells, and were ready to open fire immediately upon spotting the Whitebeard Pirates' fleet.

In addition to these conventional combat forces, the Warring States Marshal also showcased his high-end combat capabilities.

At the edge of the harbor, in front of all the navy, the five Shichibukai stood in a row facing the sea!

Hawkeye—Jorakoll Mihawk!

Tyrant—Bartholomew Bear!

Heavenly Demon - Donquixote Doflamingo!

Empress – Boa Hancock!

The Shadow Lord—Moonlight Moria!

Behind the plaza, behind the 100,000-strong navy, the giant vice admirals stood on the left and right, guarding the execution platform in the middle, achieving both protection and display without any compromise.

Below the execution platform were three high-backed chairs, each belonging to one of the three admirals: "Red Dog" Sakazuki!

Kuzan, the "Aokiji"!

"Kizaru" Borsalino!

Above the three admirals' seats and below the execution platform stood Fleet Admiral Sengoku and naval hero "Iron Fist" Garp.

Five admirals-level naval forces—anyone who saw them would feel despair.

It's fair to say that the Navy has concentrated all available resources to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates, the leader of the Four Emperors.

No, they're here to take down Edward Newgate, the "world's strongest man"!

At this moment, the sea area within a radius of hundreds of kilometers around Marineford is under complete martial law, and all ships except naval patrol vessels are prohibited from passing.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku has issued an order that during the public executions, any ships approaching the naval headquarters should be sunk by the patrol fleet without prior notification!

Even if they are ships of the World Government, even if they are naval warships, sink them all!

From the outer patrol fleet, to the stepping stone of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, to 100,000 elite naval officers and soldiers, the giant vice admiral, and the three admirals, they were finally passed on to the execution platform.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku clearly sensed the overwhelming morale of the navy. He opened his eyes and said, "The navy is ready for battle. Whitebeard Edward Newgate, bring your filthy pirate crew and come to our trap!"

The admiral's voice resounded through the sky, clearly reaching the ears of every naval officer and soldier.

The sailors, their morale soaring, raised their weapons, saluted their admiral, and roared in celebration of victory: "Victory!"

"victory!"

"victory!!"