He paused for a moment and continued, "Dressrosa is one of the few remaining important pivot points for our Marine in the New World. Whether out of sentiment or reason, we must state our position—the Marine has not abandoned the Affiliated Nations of the New World, especially now when Rocks is so rampant."
"The original plan was to have Sengoku and Tsuru go. But now..." Fleet Admiral Aether's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present, finally landing on Tsuru and Zephyr.
"For this mission, Tsuru and Zephyr will lead the team. Any problems?"
"No problem," Tsuru and Zephyr responded simultaneously.
Aether nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, meeting adjourned! Also, tell those two guys that their salaries for this month are gone!"
...In the New World, upon the vast and boundless sea, a massive wooden ship made entirely of adam tree wood forged ahead through the waves.
On the deck, Charlotte Linlin held her nearly nine-meter-long nodachi, practicing basic slashes against the sea breeze.
Although such training yielded negligible improvements to her strength, she still persisted day after day.
Behind her, most members of the Heavenly Punishment Pirates were also conducting their own training on the deck—aside from the necessary Crew members on duty, no one was slacking off.
"Training together with Captain Linlin~ I feel full of power!"
"Lady Linlin is already so strong yet still works hard; we can't afford to hold her back!"
"For Captain Linlin, let's go!"
The spirited shouts of the Damselette warriors rose and fell.
Charlotte Linlin felt the fiery atmosphere behind her, and the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly as a black line slid down her forehead.
These girls... their enthusiasm can be quite a headache sometimes.
Gölz, having just finished a round of basic Giant Race physical training under Ripley's supervision, was now staring blankly with a look of despair, clutching a thick medical book larger than her face and gloomily struggling through it.
Meanwhile, Ripley herself had returned to the kitchen to begin preparing a hearty breakfast for the entire ship.
"Gölz," Charlotte Linlin sheathed her blade and turned to look at the dejected Female Giant, her tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude.
"In the future swordsmanship lessons, don't 'accidentally' forget them again, okay?"
She glanced at Napoleon beside Gölz. "After all, Napoleon is a powerful weapon regardless; you need to synchronize well with him. Right, Napoleon?"
"Yes! Big Sister! I am very strong!" The golden hat ornament at the sword's guard, Napoleon, immediately let out a crisp and proud child's voice.
"I... un-der-stand..." Gölz responded feebly.
These past few days had been a trial for her. Not only did she have to learn swordsmanship from Charlotte Linlin, but she also had to study obscure medical books under Ripley's supervision, and her basic giant training couldn't be neglected either.
She hadn't felt even a hint of the romance and freedom of sea adventure she had imagined; there was only the oppression of seemingly endless'studies.'
At that moment, Gloriosa leaped lightly onto Charlotte Linlin's shoulder, affectionately rubbing against her cheek and asking:
"Linlin, what should we name this ship?"
Charlotte Linlin's gaze swept over the giant vessel beneath her feet, which fused Eastern and Western styles.
In the end, it hadn't been modified by Gölz using the Soul-Soul Fruit ability.
As a giant from Elbaf, the shipwright Gölz firmly believed that with the care of all of them, this ship would surely give birth to a legendary ship spirit!
Therefore, she had declined Charlotte Linlin's previous idea of 'bestowing the ship with a soul.'
Recalling the small ship named Merry from the original story in her Remembrance, Charlotte Linlin also agreed with Gölz's thinking.
However, this made recruiting an excellent shipwright seem even more necessary... She thought for a moment, a familiar name surfacing in her mind, and said:
"Let's call it... 'st. freya'."
"st. freya?" Gloriosa tilted her head, chewing on the unfamiliar term, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Does this name... have any special meaning?"
"Yes," Charlotte Linlin's eyes flashed with a hint of reminiscence and an indescribable expression.
"Legend has it that it was an academy... that trained several 'Herrscher'."
"Herrscher? What's that?" Gloriosa became even more confused.
Charlotte Linlin looked toward the distant horizon, her tone carrying a trace of ethereality.
"You can understand them as... deities with the power to destroy the world. Not like those pigs on the Red Line who call themselves gods. They are existences that truly wield a law and can end the world."
"Is that so?" Gloriosa was drawn in by the description in her words, a curious light gleaming in her eyes.
"If there's a chance, I'd really like to see one."
Charlotte Linlin withdrew her gaze, the corners of her mouth curling into a meaningful arc as she gently patted the little person on her shoulder.
"Perhaps... one day in the future, you really will see one."
...Holy Land Mary Geoise, the pinnacle of power.
Within a dimly lit room with ancient and oppressive furnishings, the highest rulers of the World Government—the Gorosei—were gathered.
"News has come from the Marine's side."
Dressed in white robes and holding the Shodai Kitetsu, the Warrior God of Finance, St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, spoke first, his bald head reflecting the cold light in the weak illumination.
"Rocks, along with his core cadres, has gone to Elbaf. The goal is to win over Giant King Harald."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Warrior God of justice, St. Topman Warcury, who wore a dark green suit and had a birthmark on his forehead, let out a cold snort and slammed his fist heavily onto the sofa's armrest.
"Hmph! The Marine is becoming more and more incompetent! They can't even exert effective influence in the New World! In my opinion, we should consider cutting their military budget!"
"Seconded."
The Warrior God of Science and Defense, dressed in a black suit with a flat cap and a scar on the left side of his face, concurred.
"The Marine, that watchdog, has indeed been performing poorly lately. Not only did they let Rocks plunder the tenryubito tribute, but now they are helpless even as he heads to Elbaf with such fanfare."
The Warrior God of Agriculture, St. Shepherd Ju Peter, who wore a deep red suit and had golden hair and a golden beard with a hideous scar on his chest, said solemnly:
"Warcury, now is not the time to cut military spending. While the Marine has its limitations, we need them to maintain the surface Order, especially in the four seas and Paradise."
"Ju Peter is right." The Warrior God of Environment, St. Marcus Mars, who wore a dark blue suit and had long straight white hair, interjected, his long beard trembling slightly.
"The immediate priority is to assess the potential threat of an alliance between Rocks and Harald.
That Rocks... just a few years ago, he caused an uproar in Mary Geoise, not only breaking into the forbidden 'Room of Flowers' and disturbing that personage, but also killing a Marine Admiral and destroying the Gates of justice before finally making his escape!
Now he occupies Hachinosu Island and has gathered a host of villains like Shiki, Newgate, and Charlotte Linlin. If he were to gain the strength of the Giant Race as well..."
He did not continue, but everyone understood the consequences—the Order the World Government had maintained for over seven hundred years would face an unprecedented challenge.
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