Chapter 1664: South China Sea Storm ()

Sengoku looked at Akainu and felt a little relieved.

Akainu's pure military style made Sengoku very satisfied.

However, he was also well aware of Akainu's shortcomings, which was that he was too rigid, inflexible, and could only blindly follow orders.

In contrast, Aokiji may seem a little indecisive at times, but Sengoku knows very well that today's navy can no longer withstand a radical admiral like Akainu.

In this turbulent and unpredictable era, the Navy needs a leader who can assess the situation and move forward steadily.

Aokiji's relatively conservative personality just meets this requirement.

Only in this way can the navy continue to break through the waves in this rough sea.

Therefore, Sengoku finally chose Aokiji as the navy marshal.

However, the World Government sees things differently.

What they valued was Akainu's character of being meticulous and resolute in carrying out orders.

For the World Government, the navy is just a sharp blade in their hands, and this blade does not need to have its own thoughts and opinions.

This is the contradiction caused by two completely different concepts.

One side focuses on the long-term development and stability of the navy, while the other side only values ​​the practicality of the navy as a tool.

In this power struggle within the navy, Sengoku, as a staunch supporter of the older generation, has high hopes for Aokiji, while the Five Elders prefer Akainu.

This disagreement became the main source of internal conflict within the Navy.

"Three days later, the two of you will lead 20,000 elite marines to enter the South China Sea with great fanfare. You must annihilate the rebels in one fell swoop with a thunderous force!"

His eyes fell on Aokiji and Akainu, and his tone was serious and decisive.

Aokiji and Akainu heard the order and stood up, responding with a standard military salute: "Yes!"

As the meeting ended, most of the generals left one after another.

However, Sengoku did not let everyone leave. He deliberately kept three old comrades: Crane, Garp and Zephyr.

When there were only four of them left in the conference room, Zhan Guo stared at the three old friends in front of him, their faces already showing the vicissitudes of time.

He couldn't help but sigh deeply and said with emotion: "It's probably difficult for us old guys to enjoy our retirement life!"

Zhan Guo's voice was low and helpless. He slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his eyebrows, seeming to be full of worries about the future.

Garp, who was standing by, seemed quite carefree. He was chewing rice crackers with big mouthfuls. After hearing what Sengoku said, he smiled nonchalantly: "So what? I'll spend the rest of my life in the navy anyway!"

His tone was relaxed and he didn't seem to care about his retirement life.

However, if you look closely at Karp's deep eyes, you will be surprised by the heavy sense of decadence that permeates them.

His son is the leader of the revolutionary army, and his grandson is a notorious pirate.

However, Garp himself is a much-admired naval hero.

This huge contrast in identity made his descendants stand in opposition to the forces he represented.

Faced with such a cruel reality, Karp had no choice but to reluctantly sever ties with his children and grandchildren.

This is not because he is cold-hearted, but due to many considerations.

On the one hand, he had to stick to his belief in justice which had remained unshakable after fifty or sixty years of ups and downs; on the other hand, he also wanted to protect his son and grandson from harm.

Garp was well aware of the painful lesson that Whitebeard had learned, having paid with his life to save Ace, and he absolutely did not want the same tragedy to happen to him.

He was afraid that his son and grandson would put themselves in danger again to save him, and might even lose their precious lives.

Therefore, although his heart was full of desire for family affection, Karp could only bury this emotion deep in his heart.

"So do I."

After a moment's silence, Zefa spoke slowly, his voice low and somewhat helpless.

"Apart from those new recruits, I'm afraid there will be nothing else worth cherishing for the rest of my life."

His relatives passed away more than 30 years ago, and now he is like a lonely bird, helpless.

He gazed at the two comrades in front of him, with whom he had been for forty or fifty years, and a feeling of sadness welled up in his heart, and he sighed deeply.

"From the moment I joined the Navy, I was ready to devote my life to the Navy!"

There was a hint of helplessness and sadness in He's words.

However, unlike Garp and Zephyr, Tsuru's family situation is relatively good.

Among the older generation, Sengoku has no children, Zephyr's relatives met with misfortune, and Garp has relatives but is unable to recognize them.

In comparison, only the crane's life can be considered perfect.

"You have all seen the current situation on the ocean. The World Government has become overwhelmed. I really don't know what the future path of our navy will be!"

Sengoku said with a sad face, his voice full of worry and uneasiness.

After hearing what Zhan Guo said, the three of them fell silent.

They have dedicated their entire lives to the navy and are naturally very clear about the current conditions of the ocean.

Faced with the uncertainty of the future, not only Sengoku was afraid, but even Garp, Zephyr and Tsuru felt a panic.

Because they suddenly realized that the world government seemed to have gradually lost control of the entire world.

This means that the world government, which has gone through 800 years of ups and downs, is now on the verge of crumbling, as if it could collapse at any time.

This fact was like a heavy hammer that hit the belief that the four of them had held on to all their lives, leaving an irreparable crack in it.

And now the various actions of the World Government have made the navy feel panic-stricken, as if a huge storm is brewing.

The World Government not only interferes with the appointment and removal of the position of Navy Admiral, but also frequently mobilizes the navy, which has not yet recovered its strength, to continue fighting.

However, the navy is not a cold machine, they are also flesh and blood people. Such endless fighting will only make them exhausted and even eventually lead to the collapse of the navy.

These four men, who had dedicated their lives to the Navy, simply could not bear to watch this happen.

Their love for the navy and sense of responsibility made it impossible for them to accept the outcome of the navy being destroyed in front of them.

However, facing the turbulent and raging sea, even though they possessed powers beyond those of ordinary people, they felt powerless.

In the face of the tide of the times, individual power is so small.

The four Warring States have keenly sensed that the world's structure is about to undergo a radical change, and they are gradually losing confidence in how long the world government's rule can last.