Chapter 59: The Marshal's Gambit
Garp was practically standing on the table, pointing a triumphant finger at Ian and shouting for all to hear: "Look! This is my apprentice! Did you all see that? He took down a mammoth!"
After a short, stunned silence, Sengoku rose from his seat and calmly summarized, "Ian, so you're saying you realized Conqueror's Haki Infusion during the battle, and that's how you managed to kill Jack, one of the top officers of the Beasts Pirates. Is that correct?"
Ian nodded, adding a few more carefully chosen sentences. "To be precise, he forced me into a corner. I didn't know that final punch would kill him. I just wanted to use all my strength to stop him from causing any more destruction. He was simply too powerful. I was fighting for my own life, so I didn't dare hold back."
Perfect.
This was the ideal narrative.
"Ian," Sengoku continued, his tone shifting to one of official procedure, "as a Major General, are you not aware that engaging the core cadres of a Yonko requires prior authorization from Headquarters? Why didn't you report the situation to Headquarters as soon as you received the intelligence?"
This was the standard line of questioning from the Fleet Admiral. From his position, it was the necessary thing to ask. If even the Fleet Admiral disregarded the rules and acted on personal whims, the entire Marine organization would descend into chaos.
"At that moment, my subordinates and I were only thinking about rescuing civilians as quickly as possible. We didn't consider anything else," Ian explained, his voice steady. "Lives were on the line. For every extra minute a monster like Jack was allowed to rampage, dozens more casualties could occur. Who knows how many innocent families would have been destroyed?"
Ian had anticipated this line of questioning before coming. Since Sengoku wanted to talk about rules, Ian would talk to him about basic humanity. He expected Sengoku to press the issue aggressively, demanding accountability.
However...
Sengoku abruptly changed the subject, his tone softening considerably. "Ian, are you satisfied with your current rate of promotion?"
Ian: "???"
Has the old goat changed his stripes today?
Ian had a whole rebuttal prepared for the expected reprimand, and now it was useless! Sengoku's question had caught him completely off guard.
"My promotion speed is... satisfactory," Ian replied, choosing his words carefully. "It's rare for someone my age to reach the rank of Major General. I know it's only due to the support of the leadership here at Headquarters, who are willing to give me opportunities to hone my skills and develop my abilities. I am very grateful."
(Ian's inner thoughts: It's too slow! I should be an Admiral by now!)
Sengoku nodded, a look of paternal satisfaction on his face, before immediately returning to his serious demeanor. "Very good. You will return to your base by ship and continue your garrison duties. Tomorrow morning's newspapers will carry the report of the death of Jack, an officer of the Beasts Pirates."
Before anyone else could react, Garp shot to his feet again, his face flushed with agitation. "Sengoku, what do you mean by that? Reporting Jack's death and sending Ian back to Sabaody? Do you think Kaido will just sit back and do nothing after losing one of his top commanders? You want Ian to face Kaido's wrath head-on? To face the entire Beasts Pirates crew?"
No one in the room tried to stop Garp's outburst. Because what he said was an indisputable fact. Once the news of Jack's death spread, Kaido would be enraged. Ian, still stationed at the remote Sabaody Archipelago, would become a sitting duck.
Sengoku calmly adjusted his glasses. "What does Kaido want with Ian?" he asked rhetorically. "Ian fought a desperate battle against Jack on Sabaody and was severely injured. Wasn't it only thanks to Admiral Kizaru's timely arrival that Ian was saved and Jack was killed?"
The moment these words left his mouth, the room fell into a profound silence.
Kizaru: "???"
Kizaru: "Ah? Marshal... you can do that?"
The unexpected turn the meeting had taken was completely beyond Ian's expectations. Personally, Ian didn't care if the world knew he was the one who killed Jack. In fact, keeping it a secret suited his purposes better. The reason Fleet Admiral Sengoku was doing this was simple: to protect Ian. By pinning Jack's death on Admiral Kizaru, a figure whose power level made the feat believable, he was shielding Ian from the direct, personal vengeance of a Yonko. Even if Kaido sought retaliation, his target would not be Ian alone, but the entire Marine organization, or the Marine branches in the New World.
For the remainder of the meeting, Sengoku laid out the next steps. Admirals Akainu and Aokiji would be dispatched tomorrow to the two Marine branches closest to Onigashima in the New World. If Kaido made a move, they would launch guerrilla counterattacks, avoiding a full-scale war for now. Spreading this specific narrative and implementing this strategic deployment were Sengoku's two-pronged approach to protecting Ian to the greatest extent possible while maintaining control over the escalating situation.
Exiting the Conference Room
Ian walked out of the conference room and looked up at the Marine flag fluttering high above Headquarters. It seemed... this place wasn't as bad as he had thought?
"Jock Ian."
A powerful, resonant voice came from behind him. Ian turned to see a man with a red rose pinned to his lapel walking toward him with an air of severe dignity.
An Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Akainu, Sakazuki.
Throughout the entire meeting, he had not expressed an opinion or spoken directly to Ian. The two had had no interaction and had never formally met before. Ian was puzzled why he was being singled out now.
"Admiral Akainu," Ian said, a note of question in his voice. "Do you have some advice for me?"
"Follow me," Akainu stated coldly. His stern, resolute face gave no hint of friendly intentions. Garp and Aokiji had remained in the conference room with Sengoku, discussing the broader strategic plan for the New World. Not only had Akainu not participated, he had come out specifically to find Ian.
Is it because I killed Jack and caused trouble for him, so he wants to reprimand me in person? Ian wondered. I suppose this is still Marine Headquarters. Even if Akainu is furious, the worst he can do is yell. He can't actually do anything to me here, can he?
Ian followed Akainu's brisk pace down a corridor and into another building. They arrived at a door that evidently led to an office. Akainu opened it and gestured for Ian to enter.
This had to be Akainu's personal office. A pot of roses sat on the desk, matching the one on his lapel.
"Have a seat," Akainu said, his tone serious but not overtly hostile.
Ian had no idea what this was about. He sat down, his mind racing, trying to decipher the Admiral's intentions.