Marineford was still under reconstruction.

Nearly a month had passed since the end of the Summit War, and within the meeting hall, the final decisions of an important meeting were being made — presided over by Akainu himself.

"Alright, it's settled then!" Akainu declared sternly.

"The new Marine Headquarters will be rebuilt at the G-1 Branch in the New World!"

"To deal with the increasingly dangerous era of great pirates, we must station ourselves right at the frontline of their chaos!"

"Anyone against it? Anyone in favor?"

No one raised objections, and so Akainu gave the final word:

"Good. Then it's decided — meeting adjourned."

This was Akainu's first major act as the newly appointed Fleet Admiral — his first blaze of fire in office.

"First meeting already, huh…"

"Sakazuki..." Sengoku muttered as he stood, his tone oddly amused as he looked at Akainu.

Sengoku's hair had turned completely white, now matching Tsuru and Garp in appearance. He had stepped down as Fleet Admiral — not of his own volition this time. Unlike in the original timeline, his resignation was prompted by the dissatisfaction of the Gorosei. After receiving their "request" for him to retire, Sengoku took it in stride and submitted his resignation to Kong, even requesting to retire completely. The deaths of Aokiji and the devastating war had left him disillusioned and weary.

Yet instead of retiring completely, Sengoku was appointed as the Inspector General, stepping into a supervisory role at the request of Kong to maintain his influence within the Marine. Now, Sengoku laughed freely, living more like Garp — laughing boisterously every day.

Garp himself had also submitted his resignation to Kong to retire to his hometown in East Blue, but Kong denied his request, asking Garp to stay in a semi-retired state to preserve his influence.

Thus, the two Marine legends stepped back from active duty.

"Hmph" Akainu snorted, glaring at Sengoku. "Half-retired old men."

"The Admirals are all in Mary Geoise for the next meeting" Tsuru commented from the side.

Sengoku chuckled. "Quite the outstanding lineup of Admirals this time."

He turned to Tsuru with a grin, "What do you think of my new cloak?"

Unlike the standard Marine cloaks with the kanji for "Justice" emblazoned on the back, Sengoku's bore the word "Retirement" a bold and eccentric statement.

Akainu scoffed and left with a cold humph, while Tsuru rolled her eyes, "Such an old fool."

Sengoku laughed heartily. "It's custom-made! Special Marine order!"

Watching from afar, younger Marines whispered among themselves:

"Sengoku's changed so much lately..."

"He's way more cheerful than before."

"His hair's gone completely white... he used to have such dark hair..."

"It must've been Aokiji's death that really hit him hard..."

"By the way, Tsuru... where's that old Garp?"

"Back to his hometown in the East Blue."

"No wonder he's nowhere to be seen."

Meanwhile, in Mary Geoise, the Gorosei convened a meeting with the Admirals — both active and candidates — all gathered in one place.

Six in total — not five.

The current Admirals: Kizaru, Fujitora, and Ryokugyu.

The candidates: Gion, Tokitake, and a new addition — Kokuja.

Unlike the original story, this conscription brought forth not just Fujitora and Ryokugyu, but also the fearsome Kokuja — all promoted directly due to their overwhelming strength.

Fujitora (Issho): A Paramecia-type Press-Press Fruit user.

Ryokugyu (Aramaki): A Logia-type Woods-Woods Fruit user.

Kokuja (Yagyu): A special Paramecia-type Wither-Wither Fruit user, able to wither life instantly.

Despite only three active Admiral slots, Kokuja voluntarily withdrew from contention, joining Gion and Tokikake as Admiral candidates.

The Gorosei watched these six with veiled satisfaction — they hadn't anticipated such monsters to emerge through the world draft.

Fujitora could summon meteors. Ryokugyu could summon entire forests. Kokuja could reduce a lush forest to deadwood with a gesture.

After a lengthy meeting full of formalities — the usual appeals to serve justice and punish evil in this era of pirates — the six were dismissed to their respective duties.

As they walked, Kokuja glanced at Gion with a sinister grin, his snake-like tongue flicking.

"Didn't expect one of our equals to be a woman... from the looks of it, you must be a master swordswoman. The rest of us... all Devil Fruit users."

"You're disgusting" Gion sneered. "Keep talking and I'll slice that tongue right off."

Kokuja laughed eerily, "Shu-shu-shu…"

As he passed, the decorative plants in the corridor withered instantly, their life drained away.

"Oi oi, Yagyu, no need to murder the plants" Ryokugyu commented cheerfully as he passed. Wherever Ryokugyu walked, the wilted plants sprang back to life, vibrant and lush again.

Their abilities were perfect counters: one revived all life, the other decayed it.

"Relax, Aramaki" Kokuja chuckled. "You're here to undo my little accidents, after all"

Watching them, Kizaru commented lazily,

"What a terrifying bunch you all are... so dangerous-looking, hmmm?"

Indeed, within just one day, the World Government's official announcement shook the seas:

The new line-up of the Marines was unveiled:

Current Admirals:

Kizaru

Fujitora

Ryokugyu

Admiral Candidates:

Momousagi (Gion)

Chaton (Tokikake)

Kokuja (Yagyu)

Black Viper = Kokuja

The sheer number — six top-tier individuals holding Admiral or near-Admiral strength — sent waves across the world. Especially since the new faces, particularly Fujitora, Ryokugyu, and Kokuja, were all rumored to be absolute monsters, each possessing terrifying Devil Fruit abilities with awakenings, a rare level of mastery.

Pirates across the seas, especially in the New World, collectively felt the pressure mounting. The Marine Headquarters' relocation to the New World, combined with this bolstered high command, meant that the Marines were making an unprecedented push into the pirate-dominated seas.

For the Yonko — particularly figures like Big Mom, Kaido, and now Elior — this announcement was a warning: the balance of the seas was beginning to shift once again.

Meanwhile, within the Elior Pirates, this news prompted both caution and intrigue. Elior himself remained relaxed, but was deeply aware that his future clashes with these "monsters" were inevitable. After all, any move that threatened the world order — like his takeover of Whitebeard's territories — was bound to attract the Marine's gaze.

Reiju, reclining beside Elior, expressed her concern plainly:

"Six individuals at Admiral-level strength... the Marines aren't playing around anymore."

But Elior, eyes closed while resting on her lap, remained dismissive yet measured:

"It's still five... Gion is ours. They won't send all of them at once. Still... it's getting more interesting."

Indeed, the stage was being set for an even greater conflict — one that would shake the very core of the New World and beyond.