Chapter 97: The Unshakeable Front
The Marines, their spirits lifted, quickly fell into orderly lines. Ian had always impressed upon them: on this island, they were the face of the Navy. It was up to them to uphold its image.
"Fall in!" Peacock commanded, seeing the soldiers gathering spontaneously.
The previously scattered and disordered footsteps quickly adjusted, merging into a single, unified rhythm as they formed neat, disciplined ranks.
Swish, swish, swish!
...
Simultaneously, on another part of the battlefield, a wave of cold swept forward, coalescing into a human form. Admiral Aokiji, arriving late with his hands in his pockets, strolled into the grove.
"Sorry I'm late," he drawled. "But fortunately, I didn't miss the interesting part."
Aokiji's appearance further boosted the Marines' morale.
Nami pumped her fist excitedly. "It's Major General Ian's senior brother! Yeah!"
Peacock smirked. "Heh, it makes sense for an Admiral to show up when a Celestial Dragon is involved. I bet Garp came on his own accord."
T-Bone nodded. "Currently, Admiral Aokiji is the only one at Headquarters. 'Big Brother'... that's not wrong."
Skylark looked around, wide-eyed. "So many high-ranking officers are here! If I had known... woooo."
Aokiji's gaze found Ian, who gave a casual wave in return. Seeing Ian unharmed, Aokiji breathed an internal sigh of relief. The terrifying combat aura he'd felt upon arriving... could that really have been Ian? Was this kid improving so fast? To have clashed with the Commander of the God's Knights and come away unscathed... At this moment, Aokiji began to understand why everyone from Sengoku to Garp held such high hopes for him.
"Aokiji," Garling's voice was icy. "Have you come to be my opponent as well? The Marine Headquarters is truly imposing these days!"
Furious at being publicly challenged by Garp, Garling was seething. Yet, given Garp's legendary status and past deeds, any action he took outside the rules was often overlooked by the powers in Mary Geoise. Picking a fight with the God's Knights? That was probably just a minor entry in Garp's long list of rule-breaking.
"Sir Garling, please don't misunderstand," Aokiji replied, his tone deceptively mild. "Continuing this confrontation will only escalate the situation. That serves neither Mary Geoise nor Marine Headquarters." He paused. "Before coming here, I received orders from the Five Elders themselves. If there are matters to discuss, they should be addressed in Mary Geoise." His voice remained calm, but held an edge. "If you insist on acting solely on the authority of the God's Knights, I have no right to stop you... But to be perfectly honest... no one can predict what Vice Admiral Garp might do. As my teacher and former superior, I can't simply stand by and watch him get into trouble. That would be... very troublesome."
He used the softest tone and the most deferential posture to deliver the most threatening words. Ian couldn't help but give Aokiji a mental thumbs-up. It seemed there wasn't a single rule-abiding, straightforward person in their entire faction. Aokiji's message was clear: You're a Celestial Dragon, you're powerful. If you want to fight, I won't stop you. But if you do, we'll gang up on you.
When one person makes a mistake, authority and rules inevitably press down. But when a group makes a stand based on their own convictions, the principle of 'the majority cannot be blamed' often comes into play. The contributions of Marine Headquarters to the stability of the seas far outweighed those of the so-called God's Knights.
"All individuals present, especially Major General Ian and the officers under his command," Garling declared, his voice sharp with finality, "are not to leave my sight. You will accompany me to the Holy Land to meet with the Five Elders. If I discover the Navy is at fault... those responsible will be executed by my own hand!"
With that final, harsh pronouncement, Garling fully sheathed his sword. Continuing the fight was clearly unrealistic. Even as Commander of the God's Knights, he couldn't bear the consequences of such an escalation. All he could do was utter a few last threats to save face.
Ian: "..."
Ian felt no fear regarding the murder of Saint Charlos. Even under the strictest investigation, the Navy would not be found responsible. The Sabaody Archipelago was the Celestial Dragons' "backyard." Protecting them here was the duty of the CP0. Furthermore, Ian had taken the precaution of warning Saint Charlos earlier, informing him of pirate activity and the associated dangers. It was Saint Charlos's own stubbornness that brought him back, giving Ian the opportunity to act. Throughout the entire incident, the "killer" was "Blackbeard Teach," with numerous eyewitnesses to corroborate. Both Ian and his cadres had solid alibis. If anything, Ian was the "hero" who had slain the murderer of a Celestial Dragon.
What truly worried Ian was the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit nestled in Skylark's backpack. According to Garling's decree, they were to proceed to Mary Geoise under his supervision, monitored the entire way with no chance for other arrangements. Based on Ian's understanding, upon entering Mary Geoise, all Marines would be subjected to searches and disarmed. If they were searched... the existence of the Dark-Dark Fruit would certainly be discovered!
"Hey, kid," Garp's voice rumbled, clapping Ian on the back. "It's just a trip to Mary Geoise. Nothing to worry about. With me here, no one can lay a finger on you." He misinterpreted Ian's pensive expression as anxiety about the upcoming meeting. "Don't worry, just follow Garling. I'll be at that meeting too!"
"Mr. Garp, I'm not worried at all," Ian replied, a genuine grin spreading across his face. "Thanks to you, teacher, that was so cool today! That line—'Come and fight me!'—was absolutely legendary! So badass!"
Garp let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! It's a pity I'm old now. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste time talking; I'd just fight him directly! He can't beat me anyway!" His expression then turned into a mock scowl. "You kid! Next time something this big happens, can you let me know sooner? Do I look like a teacher who enjoys being left in the dark, huh?"