Chapter 93: The Shadow Hanging Over Marine Headquarters

The crowd was buzzing with excitement, talking nonstop.

At that moment, Whitebeard strode into the laboratory and loudly asked:

"Ron, lad! Have all those Devil Fruits been completed?!"

With Whitebeard’s arrival, the entire room seemed to be filled with his overwhelming presence.

Following closely behind him were Jozu, Marco, Vista, Portgas D. Ace, and several other Division Commanders. They were equally eager to hear the results, their faces filled with anticipation and excitement.

However, when they looked around, they were surprised to find that there wasn’t a single Devil Fruit in sight.

"Just about. Give me a little more time."

Ron’s voice came from deeper inside the laboratory.

Everyone immediately nodded.

No one minded waiting a bit longer. They forcibly suppressed their excitement and patiently waited.

Meanwhile, Jozu lowered his head slightly.

A trace of disappointment surfaced in his heart.

His Light-Light Fruit...

When would he ever save enough money to buy one?

If he had possessed the Light-Light Fruit during their raid on Kaido, he could have brought back a fortune.

But...

dreams were beautiful, reality was harsh.

Another group of crewmates was about to receive a massive power-up while he could only watch from the sidelines.

When would his own legendary upgrade finally arrive?

Jozu secretly gritted his teeth.

If necessary, he’d go mine gold himself.

Rumor had it that another rich gold vein had recently been discovered on the other side of Skypiea.

If he worked overtime day and night, maybe he could save enough by the end of the year...

"That’s it!"

Just as Jozu was lost in thought, dazzling golden light suddenly shot into the sky.

The crowd instantly erupted in excitement.

To them, those streams of golden light looked like countless beauties waving invitingly from afar.

"It worked!"

"It really worked!"

"A dragon! I’m going to become a dragon!"

"You’ll become a dragon, my ass. More like a chameleon."

"A chameleon dragon is still a dragon! I’ll take it!"

"..."

A moment later, the laboratory’s inner door opened.

Ron emerged alongside Conis and Whitey Bay.

Each of them carried large boxes filled with Devil Fruits.

Everyone’s hearts pounded.

Was it finally beginning?

Marineford, Marine Headquarters

Training exercises were proceeding at full speed throughout the Marine Headquarters.

From basic physical conditioning to advanced tactical drills, every program pushed the Marines to their limits.

The instructors showed no signs of relaxing either.

They moved constantly between training grounds, scrutinizing every detail to ensure every Marine reached peak condition.

Even training subjects that were usually overlooked had been reinstated and elevated to top priority.

An unprecedented sense of urgency hung over the entire base.

Whether new recruits or veteran Marines, everyone understood the severity of the current situation.

They were all preparing for what was to come.

The air itself seemed frozen.

Only the occasional shouted command broke the oppressive silence.

Inside a conference room, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat with a deep frown.

He rubbed his temples, attempting to ease the headache brought on by confusion.

His gaze swept across everyone present, yet no one seemed capable of offering a satisfactory explanation.

"What exactly is Kaido trying to do? Declaring war on Whitebeard with a wager of 30 billion Berries ?"

Sengoku’s voice carried obvious bewilderment.

"The Whitebeard Pirates have been missing for so long. How did they suddenly provoke Kaido? Could Whitebeard have gone to Wano Country?"

The room fell silent.

Everyone exchanged glances, but nobody answered.

Ever since Jaya disappeared, information regarding the Whitebeard Pirates had become extremely scarce.

In fact, it had virtually vanished altogether.

And now Kaido had suddenly announced a 30-billion-Berries challenge against Whitebeard?

What was going on?

Sengoku turned toward Garp, hoping to gain some insight.

Unfortunately, Garp appeared not to have heard a word.

He continued munching on his rice crackers as if the discussion had nothing to do with him.

Only Vice Admiral Tsuru sat quietly in the corner, her brows tightly knit with concern.

As one of the Marines’ greatest strategists, Tsuru immediately sensed that something about this situation was abnormal.

"From what I can tell," Tsuru said slowly, "Kaido wouldn’t do something this pointless without a reason. Something must have happened. Perhaps Whitebeard launched an attack on him without any of us knowing..."

The room grew thoughtful.

Then—

"Hahahahaha!"

Garp burst into laughter.

The booming sound echoed throughout the conference room.

"Tsuru, you’re overthinking it!"

Still laughing, he looked up and said in a half-joking tone:

"Maybe Kaido’s just bored. Didn’t he spend years trying to kill himself? If he can do something that ridiculous, spending 30 billion Berries just to pick a fight doesn’t seem strange at all."

The room instantly fell silent again.

Everyone stared at Garp speechlessly.

The old man really should just focus on eating his rice crackers.

If he didn’t want to contribute, he didn’t have to say anything.

Of course, nobody dared voice those thoughts aloud.

Sengoku frowned deeply.

He was clearly dissatisfied with Garp’s attitude.

Ignoring the old Marine entirely, he continued the meeting.

Besides, there was still the matter of Garp’s grandson.

He could settle that score after the meeting ended.

For now, more urgent matters demanded his attention.

"The balance of power cannot be allowed to collapse."

Sengoku’s sharp gaze swept across the room.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

"A conflict between two Four Emperors is no trivial matter. It could plunge the entire sea into chaos."

He paused deliberately.

"The battle must be stopped."

After speaking, Sengoku fell silent.

He seemed to be waiting for someone to step forward and volunteer for the mission.

Unfortunately—

the room remained quiet.

Not a single person moved.

Admiral Kizaru maintained his usual carefree posture, lounging in his chair with one leg crossed over the other.

From time to time, he casually glanced out the window, appearing far more interested in the scenery than the meeting.

Judging by his expression, the issue had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Seeing this, Sengoku’s frown deepened.

With a silent sigh, he shifted his attention to another Admiral.

Aokiji.

The Admiral was lazily reclining against his chair, his hands folded behind his head.

His eyes were half-closed, as though he might fall asleep at any moment.

Clearly, he wasn’t particularly interested in getting involved in a clash between two Emperors either.

As for everyone else present, they all lowered their heads and carefully avoided making eye contact with Sengoku.

After all,

everyone knew the risks involved.

Interfering in a conflict between the Four Emperors wasn’t merely dangerous.

If things went wrong, they could very well lose their lives.

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