Early the next morning.
The sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was gentle.
At the Holy Land, in the Chamber of Power.
Sengoku leisurely crossed his legs, leaning back against the spacious and comfortable sofa. He held a box of potato chips he had never tried before, the crisp sound echoing clearly in every corner of the hall.
Across from him, the Finance God Nusjuro, the Justice God Topman, and the Science Defense God Saturn stood or sat, their expressions slightly anxious.
"Sengoku, can you stop eating!"
Finally, Nusjuro couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped forward and said in a deep voice.
"This is the Chamber of Power, not a place for you to snack! Also, where is Zephyr? What's going on with him? He's late on his first day as one of the Five Elders!"
"Nusjuro!"
Sengoku picked up a potato chip and placed it in his mouth, speaking unhurriedly.
"Stop talking to me in that condescending tone. Remember, I am now the Environmental God, Buddha Sengoku, equal in rank to you!"
"You—"
Nusjuro gritted his teeth, emitting a cold sound. He wanted to lash out but was immediately reminded by a glance from Topman, who was seated on the sofa, to hold back.
Although Sengoku tone and manner were incredibly irritating, he was now the rotating Environmental God, and they indeed could no longer speak to him in a commanding tone.
After forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart, Nusjuro changed the subject and asked.
"Where is the Agricultural God Zephyr?"
"He's cultivating land!"
Sengoku turned his head to look out the large floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze passing through the Pangaea Plaza and landing on a man-made forest on the eastern outskirts of the plaza.
Beside this forest, the one-armed Zephyr was directing over a dozen Holy Land workers in weeding and digging, thoroughly enjoying himself.
"You—"
After catching sight of Zephyr, Nusjuro took another deep breath, his face darkening as he said.
"Is cultivating land more important than our meeting? Hurry up and notify him to come to the meeting."
"Of course it's more important than our meeting!"
Sengoku changed his posture and handed a potato chip to Topman, who waved his hand in refusal. Without insisting, Sengoku chewed on the chip and spoke leisurely.
"Marshal Orion said he would frequently visit the Holy Land in the future and asked his teacher, Zephyr, to help cultivate a piece of land. Marshal Orion also mentioned that it's a shameful waste not to use such a vast expanse of the Red Line for farming, especially that artificially planted fake forest—it should all be cleared and replaced with real plants!"
At this point, Sengoku immediately shifted his gaze to Nusjuro.
"Which do you think is more important, the land Marshal Orion wants or this trivial meeting? If Marshal Orion comes to the Holy Land and doesn't see the land he desires, he won't just ask Zephyr for help—he'll have the three of you personally get down to work and stretch your muscles."
"Most importantly, Zephyr is the Agricultural God of War. Cultivating land and farming are his main duties. Sitting in an office all day holding meetings—how can we expect fresh vegetables and fruits that way?"
Hearing this, Nusjuro facial muscles twitched violently.
After glancing at Topman and Saturn, who had remained unresponsive from start to finish, as if making a firm decision, he silently turned and left.
....
Meanwhile.
Outside the dormitory building of the Seven Warlords at Marine Headquarters.
Standing by the roadside outside the door, Gion nodded to an officer beside her. Without hesitation, the officer stepped forward, looked up at the dormitory building, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Jinbei, Moria, Crocodile, Doflamingo—assemble!"
The penetrating voice was like a sudden clap of thunder, reverberating in the ears of the four sleeping Warlords, jolting them awake from their slumber.
"Get up, get up!"
Jinbei was the first to roll out of bed. Without even brushing his teeth or washing his face, he threw on his clothes and rushed out of the dormitory at top speed.
Next, Moria reluctantly sat up, his eyes scanning the room in confusion. A few seconds later, he suddenly shuddered. Since he had already been lying down fully clothed, he didn't bother to wash up and even dramatically jumped out of the window.
Crocodile and Doflamingo were slightly more refined. They almost simultaneously entered the bathroom, each standing in front of a mirror to brush their teeth, wash their faces, and rinse their mouths.
After finishing, Doflamingo put on the sunglasses placed nearby and walked out ahead of Crocodile.
Although Crocodile wasn't in the habit of wearing glasses, he stood in front of the mirror, meticulously combing his slicked-back hair until he was satisfied. Then, he picked up the cigar stub with his teeth and walked out of the dormitory building.
"Crocodile, thirty seconds late!"
As soon as Crocodile stepped out of the dormitory building and stood beside Doflamingo, the officer responsible for escorting them to the ideological reform session immediately stepped forward and barked.
"The Marshal has made it clear: no matter who is late, they will be severely punished!"
"Crocodile, step forward!"
"One second late equals ten pounds of weight. You're thirty seconds late, so you'll carry three hundred pounds and run a hundred laps around the square!"
"Destination, Marineford Square, start running!"
As the officer's words fell, the air suddenly became eerily quiet.
The other three Warlords of the Sea simultaneously turned their heads to look at Crocodile.
Crocodile eyes seemed to be spitting fire as he tightly clenched the half-smoked cigar between his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
However, he eventually took a deep breath and held back his anger.
If the extreme pressure Orion had exerted on Doflamingo during the Warlords meeting had merely sent chills down his spine, then last night scene—where Orion, holding a sword in one hand, shouted "Stand up!" and the awe-inspiring moment when he continuously rose from unconsciousness to stand facing Orion in silence—had made Crocodile fully recognize the current situation and acknowledge Orion's qualifications as a king.
It was undeniable that he had his own ambitions, but when his strength was no longer sufficient to pursue them, the best choice was to align himself with a worthy leader.
The fact that Orion had united the Marine Headquarters from top to bottom and inspired fervent admiration and loyalty from officers and soldiers at all levels was no longer a matter of whether Crocodile recognized him or not.
It was a question of whether Crocodile was even qualified to serve under him.
Now, Orion had given him this qualification and opportunity. If he missed it, what awaited him wasn't just death but also the glory that would slip through his fingers.
After a brief silence, Crocodile straightened his back, stepped forward and under the officer's lead, ran straight toward Marineford Square.
Surprisingly, the three Warlords standing in place didn't mock Crocodile for compromising in front of a minor officer. After witnessing the true king last night, they had come to the same realization as Crocodile.
"Gentlemen, follow me~"
At that moment, Gion voice rang out. Before the three could react, Gion had already turned and walked away.
Seeing this, the three seemed worried that any delay would also result in being forced to carry weight and run. They quickly hurried after him.
Soon, the three of them, led by Gion arrived at a training ground.
Inside the training ground, Hancock, Mihawk, and Gunko had already arrived.
Seeing this, Jinbei, Moria, and Doflamingo quickly ran over and stood in line with them.
"Where's Crocodile?" Standing by the edge of the training ground with his back against the weapon rack, Orion glanced around and asked.
"Late and got punished to run?"
"Yes!" Gion nodded with a smile.
"Then let's not wait for him~"
Orion stood up and walked in front of the six people standing in a row, his expression serious.
"Today's ideological reform course is very simple. I, your commander, will personally teach you a set of exercises that cultivate both body and mind, and are easy to learn."
Without waiting for the six to react, Orion decisively snapped his fingers.
"Music!"
As soon as his voice fell, music began to play over Marineford, accompanied by an enthusiastic broadcast.
"Now, let's begin the eighth set of radio calisthenics—"
"In-place marching, start~"
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