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As the saying goes, some people are happy and some are sad.
After a long period of salvage and treatment, the rescue operation in Loguetown finally entered its final stage.
Fortunately...
Because the Straw Hats had targeted battleships rather than Marine soldiers directly, more than 80% of the Marines survived this failed battle.
Although many suffered injuries of varying degrees in the chaos, this was nothing compared to the outrageous medical challenges of the pirate world.
But even so.
In this battle, the East Blue Marines permanently lost hundreds of soldiers.
This was a cruel war! Behind the cold numbers were tragic lives.
And even if this level of casualties was still within the acceptable range of the Marines...
The prestige they lost after this battle could not be made up for at any cost!
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters Marineford in the Grand Line.
SLAM!
Fleet Admiral Sengoku angrily slapped the report from the East Blue Command onto the table, then shouted at Hero of the Marines Garp, who was calmly eating rice crackers across the office:
"Garp, you bastard! Why can't you discipline your family?!"
"This incident in the East Blue, your family is causing trouble again!!!"
Sengoku, in his extreme anger, suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Garp's collar, and pulled him up.
"If I didn't respect you as a hero of the Marines, I would have thrown you in jail long ago and made you take responsibility for your family!!!"
But Garp, who had been sprayed with spit on his face, remained unfazed and continued eating his rice crackers, smiling: "Bwahahaha..."
"My old bones can't be responsible for such a serious incident!"
"You...!"
THUD!
Sengoku threw Garp back onto the chair angrily, then walked to his desk, picked up the Den Den Mushi receiver and ordered:
"There's no need to worry about damage control anymore. It's no longer possible to hide what happened in the East Blue."
"The top priority now is to make the world aware of the evil and danger of the Straw Hat Pirates! Immediately organize a meeting to create the latest bounty posters for the Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Additionally..."
"Looking at the information, they should be preparing to enter the Grand Line."
"Tell the Marines in the East Blue to be on high alert!"
"We must not allow more pirates to become emboldened because of the incident in Loguetown!!!"
Sengoku issued a series of orders through the Den Den Mushi.
"Yes! Yes!" came repeatedly from the snail's mouth.
After a while, Sengoku put down the receiver and let out a heavy sigh.
The sea was chaotic every day, so he couldn't let the incident in Loguetown consume his thoughts.
If it weren't for the direct relationship between this group of pirates and Garp, he wouldn't have personally intervened.
But...
"Even if the East Blue's armament and soldier quality are far weaker than those of the other three seas, let alone Marine Headquarters."
"But to have the strength to fight against a fleet-level force as soon as they set out to sea..."
"Isn't Garp's grandson growing up a little too frighteningly fast?"
Relationships were relationships, and work was work.
This point was very clear to both Garp and Sengoku.
Otherwise, when Dragon went to form the Revolutionary Army, Garp would have been sent to a military court long ago.
At the same time, inside the Marine Hospital in Loguetown.
Tashigi, who had passed out from exhaustion, suddenly awoke in the white hospital bed.
"No!!!"
She let out a loud shout, then realized something was wrong, her eyes instantly becoming blank.
Obviously, she must have had a nightmare.
At that moment, the Marine guard outside the ward heard the noise and quickly ran in.
"Officer Tashigi!"
"I'm fine."
Before the Marine could finish speaking, Tashigi raised her hand to signal him to be quiet.
She covered her forehead with her other hand, and after a while, the sweat on her brow gradually subsided.
After fully awakening, Tashigi suddenly remembered something and quickly turned to the Marine to ask:
"By the way! Have you found Captain Smoker?!"
"Ah... this..."
The Marine's expression suddenly changed when asked, and his eyes darted around for a moment.
Finally, under Tashigi's trembling gaze, he bowed his head apologetically and said:
"I'm sorry, Officer Tashigi."
"We searched the entire area but couldn't find Captain Smoker."
"According to other soldiers, the Captain went alone to capture the Straw Hats."
"But shortly after that, he disappeared."
"Based on our assessment, either he was captured by the Straw Hats, or he is..." The Marine soldier paused, then said slowly: "Killed by the Straw Hats!"
"Impossible!!!"
Tashigi immediately punched the headboard and shouted:
"The Captain is a Logia Devil Fruit user! How is it possible... how could he..."
But as she spoke, she suddenly choked up.
In the end, she couldn't say anything more.
After all, the power displayed by the Straw Hats had far exceeded their understanding.
In this world, there were many ways to counter Logia users.
Captain Smoker had not returned yet, and the probability of his defeat was almost 100%.
The question was whether he was still alive.
Whether he was killed or captured, it was a great shame and humiliation for the person in charge of a Marine base and the commander-in-chief of an operation!
Recalling that in Loguetown Square, although Luffy and Zoro had defeated many Marine soldiers, they had spared lives and no one had died...
Tashigi still had a glimmer of hope that Smoker might still be alive.
Suddenly, what Red had said in Loguetown Square flashed through her mind.
"News!"
"Newspaper!"
She raised her head again and said to the Marine soldier: "How long have I been unconscious?!"
"Exactly 12 hours, Officer Tashigi." The soldier checked the time and replied.
"12 hours, which means it's already the next day."
She suddenly instructed the soldier:
"Bring me today's newspaper quickly!"
"The World Economic Newspaper!!!"
"What?!"
The Marine soldier was stunned for a moment but quickly ran out after he understood the request.
After a while, as Tashigi requested, he returned with a copy of the latest newspaper published by the World Economic Newspaper in the East Blue.
Tashigi quickly opened the newspaper.
There was a huge headline across the top:
[SHOCKING! The worst pirates in the East Blue attacked a Marine base because...]
Obviously, the newspaper employed skilled writers, and this provocative title would definitely attract numerous readers.
However, in the article itself, they weren't as sensationalist as the headline suggested.
Instead, they detailed the intelligence information Red had provided to them.
From when the Arlong Pirates were released by the Marines, to how they became tyrants and terrorized humans for nearly ten years, to their collusion with the commander of Marine Base No. 16, Captain Nezumi...
The entire account was complete with pictures and evidence.
Even without embellishment, it was enough to make anyone break into a cold sweat.
Let's not discuss the negative impact such a scandal would have on the East Blue Marines' reputation.
Just such a report was enough to instantly transform the Straw Hats, who should have been villains in the world's eyes, into heroes.
Because without their intervention, those people oppressed by Captain Nezumi and the Arlong Pirates would have continued to endure immense suffering and shed countless tears.
"How... how could this happen?!"
Tashigi's hands clutched the newspaper uncontrollably.
Reading about Captain Nezumi's actions described in the newspaper, the sense of justice she associated with the Marines instantly began to waver.
Good news travels slowly, bad news spreads like wildfire.
The truth about the Straw Hat Pirates' attack on Marine Base No. 16 quickly spread throughout the East Blue.
Along with this came the big news about their defeat of the Marine fleet.
Although the World Economic Newspaper often exaggerated, using flowery language to describe minor events as major incidents.
This was a common issue in journalism, and everyone had long grown accustomed to it.
At least compared to other newspapers, the authenticity of the news reported by the World Economic Newspaper was absolutely trustworthy!
Suddenly, the entire East Blue was abuzz with discussion.
The Marines, who played the role of villains in this story, were naturally strongly condemned by public opinion.
The Straw Hat Pirates who had eliminated these villains had become what people called heroes and champions of justice.
But for the Straw Hats who were about to enter the Grand Line...
They didn't care about these matters.
Because they obviously had a more pressing issue to discuss at the moment.
Inside the Merry's cabin.
Red stared blankly at Smoker, who was bound tightly by Usopp's special rope technique and couldn't even make a sound.
He suddenly turned to his companions behind him and asked:
"So..."
"Can anyone explain to me why this guy is on our ship?!"