Chapter 157: 157 Shocking News!
"Sengoku, you old man, why drag me here so late?"
Garp yawned, rubbing his tired eyes as he walked in.
"Garp, take a look at this—the order from the Five Elders," Sengoku said, handing him the document.
Since Zephyr's last incident where he lost an arm, his demeanor had become much more extreme. Sengoku chose not to involve him and instead called on Garp.
Garp took the report and glanced over it, his eyes widening.
"Are those old guys out of their minds? They want to arrest Lynch?!"
The report listed eight major charges against Lynch.
Collusion with pirates: Three of the Four Emperors attended his wedding, revealing the extent of his ties with them.
Repeated defiance: He consistently ignored World Government orders.Neglect of duty: As an Admiral, his inaction led to the death of a Celestial Dragon.
Violation of military law: He released the pirate Red-foot Zeff in East Blue without permission.
Disrespect for authority: He shows blatant disregard for his superiors and the World Government.
Also, according to CP's investigation, Lynch's kingdom is conducting suspicious activities in West Blue, potentially preparing to oppose the World Government.
Hiding technology privately with the intention of fighting against the world government.
Additionally, as a Marine Admiral, he maintains close ties with Charlotte Linlin's daughter, a member of the Four Emperors.
[Limited to Marine's internal review, Lynch is taken to Mariejois for questioning.]
The Five Elders knew that arresting an Admiral without cause would provoke strong backlash within the Marines, especially given Lynch's high popularity.
To avoid resentment, they decided it was best to have Marine handle it internally.
They were also wary of Lynch's powerfull combat abilities, worried he might use one of them as collateral in a confrontation.
They wouldn't feel much remorse if a Marine Admiral was lost—but they weren't willing to risk themselves.
Garp's eyebrows knitted tightly as he slapped the report down on the table. "Sengoku, what do you think?"
If they took action against Lynch, Zephyr might leave the Marines entirely.
Besides, these so-called charges—who among the Marine's top brass hasn't committed four or five similar offenses?
Garp himself was friends with Roger, and his son leads the Revolutionary Army.
Why bother with these imposed crimes?
"What should I do? Serve it up like a salad," Sengoku sneered, chuckling twice.
"I plan to send this report straight to Lynch."
"Great idea!" Garp replied, giving Sengoku a thumbs up.
If the Five Elders knew what these two old guys were up to, they'd be absolutely livid.
…
"Sir, there are more World Government spies in our empire. Thirty-two spies were caught yesterday." Shikamaru knelt down on one knee and reported the recent situation.
"Under interrogation, they revealed that the World Government suspects a link between us and West Blue's Kingdom of Vidis. At most, in six months, they'll likely uncover our involvement with the other five kingdoms."
"I'm afraid everything will be revealed by then. Please think about it, sir."
"I know, look at this." Lynch handed the arrest warrant just sent by Sengoku to Shikamaru. Lynch had already anticipated West Blue's exposure.
If World Government's spies had been searching for four years and still found nothing, he should have started to wonder if there was a conspiracy.
"Sir, this..." Looking at the report in his hand, Shikamaru's eyes flickered.
Lynch stood up and patted Shikamaru on the shoulder. "It seems someone can't tolerate me anymore. It's time to distance ourselves from the Marines."
"Get the country ready for war," he added. Rather than waiting for the enemy to strike first, it's better to take the initiative and show our strength.
The next day, news that shocked the world spread across the seas.
[Admiral Sun Candle has left the Marines, and hundreds of Marines, including many Vice Admirals, have followed him!]
When this news broke, the sea erupted with speculation about what happened.
Pirates celebrated, thinking the Pirate Nemesis was finally gone.
Meanwhile, the Marines were demoralized and sent letters to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, but they received no response.
The Five Elders were furious.
According to insiders, the Five Elders scolded Marines that day a bit unpleasantly.
That afternoon, more exciting news followed.
[The seven countries of West Blue pledge Lynch as the Emperor, and West Blue is unified! Lynch has become the emperor of West Blue and now rules over the world!]
Compared to the previous news, this update was even more explosive, leaving countless people stunned.
Was Lynch really planning to go against the World Government?!
The Four Seas are considered the World Government's backyard, and by unifying West Blue, Lynch had weakened a quarter of their foundation.
This was a more serious threat than anything the Revolutionary Army had done.
While the Revolutionary Army had evil intentions, Lynch had already succeeded in his ambitions!
The Five Elders were furious once more and declared Lynch a mortal enemy of the World Government.
The World Government sent several Admiral-level combat forces to West Blue, determined to eliminate all of Lynch's forces in one decisive strike.
At Naval Headquarters, Sengoku and other senior officials stared at the new order from the Five Elders in silence for a long time.
"Lynch is too bold..." Garp's voice resonated in the conference room.
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Germa 66, the Vinsmoke family was also watching the situation closely.
Vinsmoke Judge glanced at the freshly delivered newspaper, his hands trembling slightly. His lifelong dream has been to rule the North Blue again, just like his ancestors.
Seeing someone achieve that dream now made him feel a mix of excitement and anticipation.
"Lynch? I hope you can survive this World Government crusade. Don't let me down!"
"Father, everyone has been waiting for you in the laboratory and it turns out you are here."
Reiju appeared at the door, and Judge stopped his shaking hands, regaining his usual serious demeanor.
He gave Reiju a brief "hmm" before leaving the room.
Once he was gone, Reiju thoughtfully picked up the newspaper from the table and began to read.
"Lynch..." She could guess what her father was thinking.
"He's a handsome boy. I hope he doesn't die," Reiju murmured to herself, licking her lips.
East Blue.
The little thief cat, Nami, lay lazily in Bell-mère's arms, a small pile of treasures stolen from pirates at her feet.
Driven by a desire for money, Nami had taken up a life of deception, but her targets were always pirates.
"Bell-mère, do you think Brother Lynch will be okay?" Nami sighed and tossed the newspaper aside.
"Tch~ he is the mighty overlord of West Blue. Why should you, a little thief cat, worry?" Nojiko said.
"You should be more concerned about yourself. If the pirates weren't afraid of this being Arlong's territory, they would have come in earlier to kill you."
Nami had stolen treasure, was chased by the real pirates.
Arlong, who was once cruel and vicious, had now become a protector for Nami's family, showing how unpredictable things could be.
"Don't worry, Lynch is a good person; he will be fine"
Bell-mère said, gently stroking Nami's bright orange hair.
Her gaze drifted towards the sea, filled with thoughts of Lynch's huge ambition.
She had once believed that becoming an Admiral would be his ultimate goal.
Who could have predicted that it was only the beginning for him?
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TO BE CONTINUED
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