Inside the conference hall, everyone’s attention was instantly drawn toward the entrance.
As Lucas pushed open the doors and walked in, many of the Marine officers’ expressions gained a hint of respect.
Although the reason Marine Headquarters was now facing the possibility of simultaneously going to war with two Four Emperors had a great deal to do with Lucas, his achievements were simply too dazzling for someone who had only recently joined the Marines.
He had single-handedly captured Drought Jack alive.
He had also brought back the newly appointed Seven Warlord of the Sea, Blackbeard Teach, alive.
Those accomplishments had already earned him the respect and trust of many Marines.
"Is that the newly appointed Admiral Glutton Lucas?"
Doll was dressed in a black leather outfit, with what looked like a spiked dog collar around her neck. Her first impression was that of a rebellious delinquent—almost like the leader of a gang of street punks.
Looking at this exceptionally unfamiliar Vice Admiral, Lucas raised an eyebrow slightly and quickly recalled who she was.
If he remembered correctly, she was Vice Admiral Doll, the Marine officer responsible for guarding the waters outside Egghead, Vegapunk’s futuristic island. She was a fiercely independent and rebellious woman.
"What is it?" Doll spoke again. "You just said that there are targets possessing special combat power somewhere on the sea. You weren’t just making that up, were you?"
"Before that, though, I’d like to know something. Admiral Lucas was responsible for escorting the prisoners to the sixth level of Impel Down. Was that mission really so difficult that it took you so long?"
"Your efficiency was actually worse than that of us Vice Admirals who hurried all the way back here."
As a powerful branch Vice Admiral—and one of the few female Vice Admirals in Marine Headquarters—Doll was also a close friend of Vice Admiral Gion, the Peach Rabbit.
Faced with this newly emerged Marine Admiral who had suddenly taken the position that her close friend had been aiming for, Doll was clearly unwilling to accept him so readily.
Seeing that Doll had immediately made things difficult for Lucas, Fleet Admiral Sengoku rubbed his aching temples and spoke before Lucas could respond.
"Doll, you’ve been stationed at the G-14 Branch all this time, so you’re not fully aware of what has happened recently."
"This fellow is a special case within Marine Headquarters. His working hours are limited."
"As for why he was late, you should have heard about the false alarm at Impel Down yesterday."
"All of that happened because he was rushing to clock out. He used Conqueror’s Haki to suppress the entire sixth level of Impel Down, leaving all the prisoners severely injured and unconscious. That was what caused the false alarm at Impel Down."
"Magellan was worried that something might go wrong while the prisoners were being transferred, so he requested that I allow this fellow to stay one additional night."
"So, technically speaking, he was delayed because of official business."
The enormous conference hall instantly fell into complete silence.
The vast majority of those present stared at Lucas in disbelief.
Even Doll was no exception.
As Marine officers, they naturally knew exactly what the sixth level of Impel Down represented.
Yet Lucas had suppressed every prisoner there with nothing more than Conqueror’s Haki.
That was simply too astonishing.
Seeing the oppressive atmosphere in the room dissipate by more than half in an instant, Tsuru cast a meaningful glance at Sengoku.
She finally understood why Sengoku had not revealed the real cause of the false alarm at Impel Down yesterday.
Apparently, he had deliberately kept it secret so that, at a critical moment like this, he could use it to dispel some of the psychological pressure caused by the prospect of simultaneously going to war with two Four Emperors.
Seeing the morale of the Marine officers recover, Sengoku secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It was the first time he had realized that this troublesome young man, Lucas, could actually be useful in such a situation.
However, when he noticed Lucas looking at him with a half-smile, Sengoku immediately shuddered.
He hurriedly cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"Lucas, you just said that there are still some special combat-power targets out there on the sea. You’re really not joking, are you?"
"Our Marine Headquarters may have to go to war with two Four Emperors at the same time. You should understand that we can’t afford even the slightest joke in a battle like this."
"Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, forget about you. The entire Marine Headquarters could be wiped out overnight."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s nerves tightened once again.
However, with Sengoku’s previous explanation laying the groundwork, everyone now looked at Lucas with anticipation rather than immediate despair.
Even Akainu and Kizaru instinctively turned their attention toward him.
This was a man who never did things according to common sense.
Perhaps he really did have some unexpected answer.
Feeling the gazes from all around him, Lucas took a gulp of strong liquor from his gourd before smiling.
"By my estimate, there should be eight or nine of them."
"Provided they’re willing to come, of course."
"But don’t get too excited just yet. Aside from a very small number of them, their strength varies considerably. At best, they can deal with the Three Calamities and the other powerful officers."
"Don’t expect them to go toe-to-toe with a Four Emperor."
Pfft!
Sengoku immediately spat out his tea.
The Marine officers present were equally dumbfounded.
In their minds, if Lucas could name one or two candidates, that would already be impressive.
Yet the moment he opened his mouth, he had said eight or nine.
And these people were supposedly powerful enough to contend with the Three Calamities and other high-ranking officers.
He had even mentioned that there were a few exceptional ones among them.
What exactly did that mean?
"Lucas, you’re really not joking, are you?"
Sengoku was the first to lose his composure.
"Just now, I was only thinking of two people. Don’t tell me you’ve already thought of the same two people I have?"
Marine Headquarters did indeed possess four Admirals and dozens of Vice Admirals.
But putting aside the fact that the strength of the Vice Admirals varied greatly, if two battlefields were opened simultaneously, it would be difficult for either side to possess enough overwhelming combat power to secure victory.
Now Lucas had casually claimed that he could find eight or nine special combatants willing to come and provide assistance.
For Sengoku, this was exactly the help they desperately needed.
For a moment, everyone’s eyes were fixed on Lucas, their expressions filled with unmistakable anticipation.
Lucas also understood how serious the situation was, so he did not keep them waiting.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, don’t worry. I wouldn’t joke around at a time like this."
"As for the two people you’re thinking of, I’ve thought of them as well. Leave those two to you."
"I’ll take care of finding the rest."
"However, I need one month."
"The public execution of Ace is scheduled for one month from now, right?"
Seeing the rare seriousness on Lucas’s face, Sengoku immediately understood that he was not joking.
Although Sengoku had no idea how Lucas had managed to think of so many special combatants in an instant, he still nodded solemnly.
"The Five Elders have already set the date for Ace’s public execution."
"It will take place forty-five days from now. If we delay any longer, there’s a greater chance that unforeseen variables will emerge."
"So, during this period, I want you to gather as many of these special combatants from across the sea as possible."
"Give Marine Headquarters a greater chance of victory against the two Four Emperors."
Everyone’s nerves were now stretched to their limits.
It wasn’t just the younger officers.
Even some of the older Vice Admirals looked at Lucas with burning anticipation.
If, moments ago, they had merely acknowledged and respected Lucas...
Then now, he represented hope.
Sensing the atmosphere in the room change, Lucas immediately understood that the mood had been sufficiently built up.
He took another gulp of strong liquor from his gourd and smiled.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, don’t worry. I’ll certainly do my best to gather everyone."
"But..."
"Finding people costs extra!"
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