radicalducati Chapter 95: The Sound of Wind and Cranes
Chapter 95: The Sound of Wind and Cranes
Chapter 96: The Sound of Wind and Cranes
In the year 1492 of the Sea Calendar, after the terror attack on Mary Geoise.
All the islands on both sides of the Red Earth Continent are now shrouded in an unprecedented white terror.
The ten-day deadline that the Five Elders received on their knees was like a barbed steel whip lashed out from the ruins of Mary Geoise, mercilessly striking every nerve of the entire World Government.
The pressure poured down from top to bottom, ultimately transforming into the simplest and most brutal action orders: disregard for cost and consequences, focusing solely on results!
The warships anchored in Marineford were like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up, with navies from all over the world scrambling out, even those near Upside Down on the other side of the planet having to leave early and return late.
The Navy's target is not just the New World, but all the islands located near the Red Line.
Alongside the navy were figures dressed in white suits or black uniforms. The CP's actions were completely different from usual; they brazenly ventured into every corner of all the islands, large and small, surrounding the Red Line.
The entire CP department, except for a few teams responsible for protecting the remaining areas of the Holy Land and important figures, was mobilized to engage in this unprecedented purge and investigation.
The Sabaody Archipelago, a bustling place filled with ephemeral dreams and underground sins, has now become a giant prison.
All areas, from lawless zones to the first-numbered legal zones, were jointly sealed off by the Navy and CP agents.
Only entry is permitted; exit is not allowed.
The port was crowded with merchant ships and pirate ships trying to escape but being stopped, with cries and curses mixed in with the constant outbreak of conflicts.
Squads of naval soldiers and CP agents roughly kicked open the doors of civilian houses, taverns, shops, and even auction houses that had once hosted Celestial Dragons, conducting thorough searches.
Any suspicious item, any words or actions that dare to question or resist, could result in immediate arrest or even more brutal treatment.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and fear.
The underworld bosses who once wielded power and terror on the island are now no different from ordinary residents. The lucky ones can still cower in a room like civilians, trembling with fear, while the unlucky ones can't even find a complete corpse.
The density of patrolling warships along all shipping routes close to the Red Earth reached an all-time high.
Any ship spotted by radar or lookouts, regardless of its flag or whether it belongs to a merchant caravan or pirates, will be immediately intercepted and boarded for inspection.
Any hesitation would be met with warning shelling, or even sinking.
For a time, the entire Grand Line was filled with tension and fear.
Marineford, Naval Headquarters.
The attack from the deep sea that night was primarily aimed at the port facilities and foundations of Marineford, without directly targeting densely populated residential areas and the core of the fortress, but the damage it caused was still shocking.
Several warehouses and office buildings near the port have collapsed and turned into piles of rubble.
The once sturdy dock is now riddled with cracks, and some sections have even sunk into the sea.
The depressions formed by the backflow of seawater have not been completely drained, and are mixed with oil and sawdust, reflecting a murky light under the sun.
Engineers and logistics troops are working hard to carry out emergency repairs, but the entire headquarters is still filled with an atmosphere of depression and dejection.
The atmosphere was equally somber in a conference room inside the main fortress.
"Bang!"
A large, calloused fist slammed down on the solid wood conference table, making the teacups on the table jump.
"What is this! What our navy is doing now is no different from those pirates who burn, kill, and plunder!"
Garp leaned forward slightly, his tall frame bulging like copper bells, his eyes burning with fury.
"Look outside! Look at what we're doing right now!"
He was engrossed in chasing the Roger Pirates in a certain sea area of the New World when he was forcibly recalled by an order.
Upon their return, instead of seeing the Navy actively repairing its headquarters and making serious plans, they were driven by the World Government like dogs to wreak havoc on the islands surrounding the Red Line, under the guise of "conducting a carpet search."
"Garp, calm down."
Sengoku, sitting next to Garp, spoke in a deep voice, his brows furrowed, clearly also troubled by the current situation, but he was even more aware of the madness of the World Government's upper echelons after the attack on Mary Geoise: "Now is not the time to act rashly."
"Acting on impulse?"
Garp suddenly turned his head and glared at Sengoku: "Sengoku! Open your eyes and look! What a mess it is outside!"
"Our soldiers are like mad dogs, biting people everywhere! How many innocent people have they arrested? How many civilians' livelihoods have they ruined? Is this the justice we bear?"
His voice echoed in the conference room. The naval officers who had already taken their seats had different expressions. Some looked on with approval, some looked away and dared not meet Garp's eyes, and most of them had solemn expressions.
They are not Garp; they do not have his strength, nor can they speak their minds so freely.
With her neatly combed short hair and capable demeanor, Vice Admiral Tsuru sat on the other side of Garp. She sighed softly and advised in as calm a tone as possible, "Garp, we all know this is inappropriate. But this time—it's different from the past."
"The destruction of Mary Geoise was a provocation unlike anything seen in eight hundred years. The pressure from above was beyond imagination."
"Does being under pressure give you the right to act recklessly?!"
Garp retorted, his neck stiff: "So, pressure makes you throw justice aside? I hunted Roger because he was a pirate, he threatened the seas! But what are we doing now? We're attacking the very people we claim to protect!"
His question was forceful and left Tsuru speechless for a moment. She knew all too well that her current actions had deviated from the Navy's justice, but in the face of the World Government, individual persistence often seemed so powerless.
Just then, the conference room door was pushed open forcefully, and all the naval officers, except for Garp who was still angry, subconsciously straightened their posture.
The contemporary naval marshal, Steel Bones Kong, strode in.
His face was even more somber than on the night Marineford and Mary Geoise were attacked, and the dark shadows under his eyes spoke of his extreme exhaustion and stress.
The explosion at Mary Geoise, the attack on Marineford, and the Five Elders' unquestionable death order weighed on his shoulders like three inverted mountains.
He walked to the head seat, but did not sit down immediately. His sharp gaze swept over every naval officer present, finally lingering on Garp for a moment.
Garp met the Marshal's gaze without flinching.
"Everyone is here."
The admiral's voice was even hoarse: "Then, the meeting begins."