A sense of security that comes from paying extra?
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Quite a few of the Marine officers present were left speechless.
This was a battle against a Yonko.
Wasn’t that excuse a little too far-fetched?
For a moment, everyone turned their eyes toward Sengoku.
They knew very well that if they accepted these fifty Pacifistas, it would mean opening up two battlefields at the same time.
Hidden beneath his mask, Maha’s expression changed slightly.
The greatest purpose of the Five Elders sending him here this time was indeed to divide the strength of Marine Headquarters and weaken it as much as possible by taking advantage of this Summit War.
However, seeing how things were developing, it was obvious that the situation was slipping beyond his control.
His voice sank as he sneered.
"Marshal Sengoku, it seems that the newly appointed Admiral of Marine Headquarters really is just as the rumors say. He’ll say whatever comes to mind."
"However, I imagine that something like this isn’t something a mere Marine Admiral can decide on his own, is it?"
As he said this, Maha looked meaningfully toward Sengoku.
"No."
Sengoku met Maha’s gaze and spoke calmly.
"Since Lucas has put it that way, then we’ll open up two battlefields."
"As for the second battlefield, Lucas will be in charge. Anyone willing to follow Lucas and fight on the second battlefield can state their position themselves."
His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it seemed to carry a strange force that instantly made the entire conference hall fall deathly silent.
Not only Maha—even the many Marine officers present were stunned.
In their eyes, getting fifty Pacifistas for free was certainly a bargain.
But getting a bargain was one thing. The real question was how they would deal with another Yonko crew after opening a second battlefield.
Impel Down did indeed have Magellan, whose combat power rivaled that of an Admiral.
But with Lucas, the newly appointed Admiral, added to the equation, could the two of them really withstand the enormous Beasts Pirates?
It was simply too risky.
"Sengoku, are you joking?" Maha spoke again in a deep voice. "You’re sending a newly appointed Marine Admiral to command the second battlefield? Are you planning to hand Impel Down over to the enemy on a silver platter?"
"Hand it over on a silver platter?"
Sengoku looked at him coldly.
"Maha, coming from you, those words of concern sound rather inappropriate."
"Isn’t this exactly the outcome that the Five Elders want?"
"I already said it. Anyone who is willing to go only needs to state their position."
"You!"
Maha was rendered speechless. His expression twisted slightly as he said, "Fine. Very well. I’ll see who is willing to follow him to their deaths."
As soon as he finished speaking, Maha quickly swept his gaze across the room.
Before he could say another word, however, a voice came from the entrance.
"I, Ain, will follow Admiral Lucas into battle!"
"I, Smoker, am willing as well!"
"Tashigi too!"
"And me. Doll. I’d also like to take a little risk and see exactly what this ’suicide mission’ you’ve been talking about looks like."
Four figures suddenly appeared at the entrance.
Their responses came almost in unison, instantly setting off a chain reaction like a line of falling dominoes.
What shocked everyone most was that even Doll, a Marine branch base commander who had always been skeptical of Lucas’s way of doing things, had suddenly stepped forward and declared her support.
It completely overturned their understanding of the situation.
At the same time, it stirred something within many of the Marines present. Their blood surged, and their fighting spirit flared.
"I, Momonga, am willing to fight alongside Admiral Lucas!"
"I, Onigumo, am willing too!"
"And me!"
One declaration after another swept through the entire conference hall.
The more than one hundred elite Marine officers who had been admitted to the conference hall to participate in the discussions all voiced their positions at this moment.
The sight caused Maha, who had originally intended to watch the spectacle unfold, to freeze completely.
This was the first time he had truly felt that he—and even the Five Elders behind him—had underestimated the charisma possessed by this young man who had only recently become a Marine Admiral.
At the very least, Maha believed that if someone else had been leading this operation—even one of the other three Admirals—it would have been impossible to create such a surge of fighting spirit.
As the oppressive atmosphere in the room suddenly transformed into one of resolute determination, Maha realized that his mission had indeed succeeded in dividing the Marines into two battlefields.
But the result left an unpleasant feeling in his heart.
It was as though the battle had never been under their control from beginning to end.
"Hahaha! Sengoku, it seems you’ve still underestimated Lucas’s appeal."
Karp, who had remained silent until now, suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"At this rate, once the second battlefield is established, you’ll become a commander without an army here at Marine Headquarters, Marineford!"
Sengoku glared back at him.
But even he was secretly astonished.
He had never expected that Lucas, who normally acted in such an unconventional manner, could win over the hearts of the entire Marine Headquarters in such a short period of time.
Looking at those faces—faces that had initially been solemn and tense but were now brimming with excitement and battle lust—Sengoku could no longer see any trace of their earlier hesitation.
The trace of worry in Sengoku’s heart quietly eased.
He raised a hand.
"Enough. At a time like this, the fact that all of you can make such a declaration makes me proud as the Marshal of Marine Headquarters."
"Maha, if you have nothing else to say, go back and report to the Five Elders."
"And don’t forget to bring the fifty Pacifistas. If they change their minds at a time like this, I’m afraid even the Five Elders can’t afford to lose face."
"You!"
Maha trembled with anger.
The documents clenched in his hand were nearly crumpled from his grip.
He snorted coldly before turning toward Lucas.
"Fine. Very well. I never expected that Marine Headquarters would dare to declare war on two Yonko at the same time and still be this arrogant."
"I’d like to see just what kind of storm you can create with fifty Pacifistas."
"I don’t believe that fifty Pacifistas alone will be enough for you to hold Impel Down!"
After leaving those words behind, Maha turned around and prepared to leave.
The situation had already exceeded his control.
Every additional second he remained here was torture.
However, just as he had taken half a step, Lucas raised the wine gourd in his hand and gave it a little shake.
"Oh, right."
"After you get back, ask them something for me."
"If they don’t want to provide reinforcements, can we exchange the Pacifistas for money instead?"
"I don’t need much. Just have them transfer three to five billion Berries to Marshal Sengoku."
"I’m worried he won’t have enough money to pay everyone’s bonuses afterward."
Everyone present was instantly dumbfounded.
Even Sengoku was no exception.
In their eyes, fifty Pacifistas weren’t merely aid in a desperate situation. Even as additional support, they were still an extremely valuable weapon for the second battlefield at Impel Down.
Yet now, with a single sentence, Lucas had not only rejected the Five Elders’ "goodwill"—
he was ruthless enough to consider selling the Pacifistas.
If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, who would ever have believed it?
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