coobybook Chapter 168 The Execution Platform
Chapter 168 The Execution Platform
Naval Headquarters.
The conference room was filled with the thick smoke of cigars, and a huge strategic nautical chart was spread out on the long table.
Sengoku rested his hands on the table, his gaze sweeping over the naval officers and staff present like that of a hawk.
"The execution of Shanks must be foolproof and must maximize his strategic value."
……
"Considering the possibility of Roger's old subordinates or some madmen who intend to take advantage of the chaos, we have recently gathered 80,000 elite troops from various branches, including more than 20 lieutenant generals from headquarters."
"Rayle has been missing in Sabaody for two months..."
Sengoku's eyes turned cold, and he said in a deep voice, "If the Pirate King's right and left hands show themselves, and together with Shanks, they eliminate them... then Roger's legacy can be considered completely eradicated!"
"I have already given the order that on the day of the execution, even pirates that approach our headquarters shall not be pursued."
"We want them to see... what happens to those who follow Roger's path!"
"so……"
"The execution will take place here, in Marineford Square, under the watchful eyes of the entire world!!"
Just as the solemn moment of setting the strategic tone was beginning, a clear voice rang out.
"Marshal of the Warring States Period, I agree with your strategic logic."
After such a statement...
as predicted.
"but."
Allen lowered his hand from his chin and said calmly, "You set up the execution platform in Marineford Square. Judging from the current situation, it is highly likely that the execution platform is the battlefield."
"Have you considered how many ordinary soldiers this will put in unbearable danger?"
The meeting room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Several officers frowned, and Akainu looked at Allen with a strange expression.
……
Sengoku lightly tapped the table and explained in a slow voice, "Marineford's defenses are complete, and the soldiers summoned are all elites from various branches; there are no ordinary soldiers as you described."
Even if there are some sacrifices...
"Major General Allen, do I really need to remind you that 'a merciful general cannot command an army'?"
……
"It is only right to make sacrifices for justice." Allen met Sengoku's gaze without fear.
"But the pre-set enemy is Roger's old subordinates, right..."
Allen turned to Garp, who seemed to be in a daze: "Vice Admiral Garp, in all honesty, can those gathered 'elites' really stand up to Rayleigh and the others?"
"How many of them can withstand the impact of Conqueror's Haki?"
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and everyone's eyes turned to Karp.
Garp snapped out of his daze and scratched his messy beard. "Uh... if you really want to put it that way... there probably aren't many people who can stay conscious."
"Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki is still quite strong."
……
Sengoku frowned slightly: "Major General Allen, headquarters has a specific plan for this. Are you implying they are unfit to participate in the war?"
"Let's get this straight, demonstrating naval power to the world is also part of the plan."
"Most civilians are unaware of the existence of Conqueror's Haki; what they can see is actual military strength."
"No matter how strong an individual is, like Whitebeard, he can only be confined to a small area of the New World. Our navy controls the four seas because of its powerful forces."
"Are you underestimating the strength of your soldiers, Major General Allen?"
……
Snapped--
Allen slammed the strategy books in front of everyone forward, his voice turning colder: "Eighty thousand men standing neatly in Marineford Square, is this what you call a show of force?!"
"The high walls of Marineford, with hundreds of warships, could easily accommodate tens of thousands of people. Even considering the scale, it would be more impressive to line them up in a row."
"Knowing that the possible enemy might possess Conqueror's Haki, they still gathered everyone together..."
"Don't you think that's too naive, Warring States Marshal?"
The meeting room fell silent.
Peng——
Kizaru patted Allen's chest, his expression unusually serious: "Watch your words."
……
"Borsalino, I'm not so easily angered."
Sengoku's eyes were lowered, revealing no emotion: "Garp and I will personally oversee the execution. Do you think we'll allow the enemy to attack our soldiers at will?"
"You considered that they have Conqueror's Haki, but have you thought about...?"
"My Conqueror's Haki is still superior to Rayleigh's!"
An invisible aura emanated from it; it was not the color of a conqueror, but rather the pure "domineering aura" of someone in a superior position.
……
Allen smiled faintly.
The fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.
"If, I mean if..."
"Marshal of the Warring States Period, if we fight here, do you think this building can still be preserved?"
Allen scanned the crowd and continued:
"To put it bluntly, if I use all my means, I could destroy half of Marineford before I am killed or arrested by you all."
"Even I can do it, Fleet Admiral Sengoku... why do you think Rayleigh and the others can't?"
During the Warring States period, he was so engrossed in this matter that he never even considered it.
Based on his understanding of Rayleigh and his crew, they shouldn't be prone to causing damage...
……
"Isn't there an option to escape...?"
Kizaru said jokingly, "If you can't win, you can run away. Why do you have to destroy headquarters?"
Yes... Kizaru voiced Sengoku's thoughts.
Aren't all people on the high seas like this? If they can win, they fight; if they can't, they run away. Who would want to cause trouble before they die if they can't win?
……
Allen frowned.
He thought the Warring States period was trapped in a cognitive bias, but actually, he was the one who was trapped in a cognitive bias.
Knowing about Shiki the Golden Lion and the fact that Whitebeard destroyed Marineford during the original Marineford War, he subconsciously felt that if top-tier fighters were to wage war in Marineford, it would destroy the place.
However, the special circumstances of the two individuals must be taken into account.
The Float-Float Fruit can lift several islands and smash them down, not to mention Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Even the self that Allen used as a metaphor possesses a variety of large-scale destructive abilities.
……
But if Rayleigh and the others really come... they'd be crazy to go head-to-head with the Navy, and they certainly wouldn't waste their energy killing soldiers and wasting time.
They would definitely find an opportunity to rescue Shanks and run away; why would they bother destroying Marine Headquarters for no good reason?
……
Is that so? I must have misunderstood.
Allen remained unfazed, showing no awareness that he had said something wrong, only thinking that these people were too cowardly to keep up with his train of thought.
"Tell me, is this even possible?"
"During the Battle of Beehive Island, I mistakenly killed one of General Sakazuki's spies. I've always held a grudge about that. What's wrong with wanting to reduce innocent casualties?"
……
I see……
Akainu frowned and said, "When I said that, the point wasn't about accidental killing, but... you misunderstood me."
"To eradicate evil, a small price is inevitable; you don't need to blame yourself."
He is not good with words and rarely explains things so patiently.
……
"I think... Major General Allen has a point."
A giant lieutenant general wearing an iron mask spoke; I've forgotten his name, but he was called the King of Flaws.
"When I'm on a mission, I often have to consider not accidentally injuring other soldiers on board."
"The gap between the strength of your generals and mine is probably even greater than the gap between my strength and that of my subordinates..."
"Major General Allen's concerns are valid."
That's why people say everyone has two sides. The man who dared to be the first to attack the white-bearded man also had a sensitive side.
……
"It seems more impressive to line up warships than to array them in Marineford Square..."
After a lieutenant general finished speaking, he glanced cautiously at Sengoku and quickly added, "Of course, Fleet Admiral Sengoku is right. A more direct demonstration of military strength is what makes the civilians of the allied states understand the navy's power!"
……
Zhan Guo's brows furrowed even deeper, and his expression kept changing.
like……
It was my oversight; if the soldiers are too densely packed, it will indeed affect the battles between the strong.
Roger's old men will only send a few at most; a large-scale confrontation is unlikely...
……
Allen would argue even if he was wrong, while Sengoku was good at accepting other people's suggestions.
He wouldn't care about verbal offenses, even if Allen didn't say them.
Meetings are for everyone to express their opinions so that good results can be reached. The Navy is not a place where one person can have the final say.
"Hmm...the problem you mentioned does exist."
"But the execution site being held in Marineford has already been announced. We can't just change the location at the last minute; what would become of the Navy's prestige?"
……
"I didn't say it was bad here, it's just that the specific location could be changed."
Allen pointed to the layout of the area and said, "Marineford Square is too close to the dining hall area. I think it would be better to set up the execution platform on the eastern island."
"Some soldiers can be arrayed on the high walls, and the trenches between the islands can accommodate warships."
"If you take a wide-angle shot, it looks like the naval force has at least doubled."
……
There was an intuition during the Warring States period.
Allen said all that not to gain a voice, to win the approval of the officers' ideas, or to take care of the sailors...
The real reason you spoke up is probably because you were too close to the cafeteria.
The moment the idea popped into his head, the Warring States period rejected it.
impossible!
What am I thinking in such a serious meeting?!
It's all Garp's fault! That guy keeps hanging around in front of me, making me start having stupid thoughts!
……
Garp was completely bewildered after being glared at by Sengoku for no apparent reason.