#656 - Chapter 656 Freedom and New Troubles
His eyes slowly swept across every member present, as if each gaze was conveying a silent vow:
"We will make this world recognize once again that our power remains unsurpassed."
"But... the Revolutionary Army's strength, especially Jin An's, is too great."
Calino continued, a hint of unease in his tone.
"If we act rashly, we will only fall into a new crisis."
Serre smiled coldly, his tone filled with intense confidence:
"Jin An?
He's just one person propping up the New Navy.
So what if he's strong?
The power our World Government possesses, coupled with those kingdoms that don't want to lose their power, is far beyond what he can contend with."
As his voice gradually lowered, the atmosphere around him became even more solemn.
Everyone seemed to understand that this counterattack was not just for personal survival, but also to revive a once invincible empire.
Perhaps they were now in the shadows, but they still held a common goal in their hearts—to rebuild that glorious World Government.
"We will use the most powerful force to revive the World Government's prestige."
Serre stood up, his gaze firm, like a warrior facing the coming battle,
"On this sea, no one can stop us."
This dark gathering, beside that silent table, solidified their vows of revenge and rebirth.
At this moment, although they had lost their past glory, the ambition and desire in their hearts still burned fiercely.
They firmly believed that the glory of the World Government would eventually return, even if through a more arduous struggle.
......
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
At this moment, the conference room of the Marine's top brass was filled with an unprecedented atmosphere of ease.
Unlike the oppressive and solemn atmosphere of the past, today's conference room was filled with relaxed and joyful smiles on the faces of all the top brass, and even several elderly admirals rarely showed a bit of relief.
Low voices of conversation echoed in the conference room, and even a few Marine admirals occasionally burst out laughing, the atmosphere was unusually relaxed.
Everyone's face was filled with happiness and relief, as if at this moment, they had finally been freed from years of constraints.
"I never expected it, really never expected it."
A middle-aged admiral, tall with narrow eyes, looked at the azure sea outside the window, his tone tinged with emotion,
"Since joining the Marines, this feeling of freedom is like being reborn."
An admiral next to him nodded with a smile:
"Yes, finally no longer being commanded by those Celestial Dragons, no longer needing to fear that corrupt World Government.
We can now truly exercise our justice, without being interfered with by them anymore."
His face was filled with a rare hint of excitement, and his eyes revealed a long-lost light.
Most of the Marine's top brass, although of different ages, all had the same emotion at this time—that was, they had completely shaken off the shadow of the World Government, and they could finally pursue their true ideals from the bottom of their hearts, fulfill the Marine's mission, and no longer be bound by any political interests.
The suffocating restraints and oppression of the past seemed to have dissipated along with the fall of the World Government.
The justice they believed in had returned to their hands.
They would once again defend the order and peace of this world, instead of slaughtering the innocent for the sake of some corrupt nobles.
"I've never felt so refreshed."
An old admiral with white hair smiled from one side of the table, his face serious, but his eyes twinkling with a warm light,
"We can now redefine the meaning of the Marines."
However, just as the atmosphere was at its most harmonious, another admiral tapped the table, breaking the silence.
"However…"
His voice was low and somewhat heavy,
"The biggest problem now is, how do we maintain the operation of the Marines?"
These words immediately pulled the atmosphere of the entire room back to reality.
The smiles on the faces of the top brass disappeared in an instant, replaced by deep thought and a hint of worry.
Although they had gotten rid of the World Government's control, they also lost the huge financial support they once had.
Without strong government resources, without those channels that provided funds and supplies, how could the Marines continue to maintain their strong combat power?
A young Marine Colonel pursed his lips, his brow furrowed:
"To continue maintaining the operation of the Marines, we need a lot of funding, especially for military resources, training, equipment, and so on.
Where does this funding come from?
Relying solely on the funds of our Marine Headquarters and local resources, I'm afraid it won't be able to support such a huge system."
The atmosphere in the conference room immediately became serious and heavy.
Everyone's expression became deep, obviously they had realized the seriousness of this problem.
The power of the Marines was not generated out of thin air, but relied on a complete set of huge logistics system and funding chain.
And now, all of this was facing the risk of being broken.
"If we can't solve the funding problem in time, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to maintain our original scale."
A senior Marine Vice Admiral sighed, his tone somewhat helpless.
"We may have to reduce our troops, and even slow down the construction of new ships and equipment updates.
The strength of the entire Marines, I'm afraid, will decline."
At this time, the discussion in the conference room gradually became intense, and everyone expressed their opinions. Some suggested looking for new sources of funding, and others suggested supporting the operation of the Marines through taxation and local autonomy.
Everyone's ideas were different, but without exception, they all realized that the future of the Marines still faced great challenges.
Without the financial support of the World Government, the Marines had to find new ways to obtain resources.
"This is not just a funding problem."
A commander at the meeting said in a deep voice, his voice calm, but with an undeniable steadiness,
"The bigger problem is, does the fall of the World Government mean the rise of other forces?
Will new challenges follow one after another?
What we are facing now is not just a lack of money, but more importantly, whether we can face a new round of turmoil."
With these words, the atmosphere in the conference room became heavy again.
A complex emotion appeared on everyone's face.
They understood that in this global change, what the Marines faced was far more than just the simple predicament of a shortage of funds.
New challenges were coming, new enemies would appear, and what they needed was not just money, but the wisdom and power to maintain the Marine's strength and deterrence.
"Our current task is to integrate existing resources and find new ways to support the Marines."
The elderly admiral spoke again, his tone firm,
"We cannot allow the power of the Marines to weaken in this turmoil.
Even if we face a shortage of funds, we must show our ability in all aspects and maintain the glory and prestige of the Marines."
"Of course, all of this will be discussed after Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the others arrive."
The atmosphere in the conference room became cohesive. Despite the many difficulties, everyone knew that their responsibility was not only for themselves, but also for the order and peace of the entire ocean.
Although there was a lack of funds, they still had the wisdom and determination to overcome the difficulties before them.
And these top brass had already made up their minds in their hearts that no matter how difficult the road ahead, they would definitely work together to solve all problems and continue to shoulder the responsibility of guarding the world.
...
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