The Marine G-1 Branch sits at the exit of the New World, right beside the Red Line. Together with Marine Headquarters, Marineford, on the other side, it forms the two lines of defense protecting Mary Geoise, the Holy Land where the Celestial Dragons reside.
Aside from Fish-Man Island, one of the only two other routes connecting the first half and second half of the Grand Line, Red Port, also falls under G-1's jurisdiction.
Like the Sabaody Archipelago, this place also has Yarukiman Mangroves growing here. Using the buoyancy of rising bubbles and a system of cables, the Marines and the World Government built a transit route here known as the Bubble Pod.
As long as you paid the World Government enough Belly, you could travel between the two sides of the Red Line by Bubble Pod.
Because of its importance, neither the Marines nor the World Government could afford to abandon this place.
Even after the Marines and the World Government announced their withdrawal from the New World, G-1 still retained a large military presence.
And after the Marines announced their special operation against the Sky Pirates, Admiral Zephyr became the highest authority at G-1.
Eight warships and twenty thousand Marines. Those terrifying numbers created overwhelming military deterrence, but they also made logistics a major problem.
So even though Zephyr wished he could be out at sea every day striking pirates, he still had no choice but to return to G-1 from time to time to regroup and resupply.
Inside the Marine building at G-1, Zephyr stood with his arms folded before a huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the plaza below, where the Marines were noisily celebrating the arrival of the New Year. His brows were tightly knit.
His gloom was not because of the Marines fooling around. In fact, he was glad to see it.
For Marines, drifting across the sea was perfectly normal, but long periods of life at sea and constant fighting put enormous mental and physical strain on everyone.
Especially now, with the New World in utter chaos, every Marine's life could be said to hang by a thread.
Not just the ordinary soldiers. Even Zephyr, as an Admiral, was under immense pressure every single day.
That was also why they had to return every so often to rest and reorganize, especially during a holiday like the New Year.
The real reason he felt so troubled was that the new year had already arrived, yet their special operation had produced nothing. They had not even found a trace of their target, the Sky Pirates.
The last time he had felt this same helplessness was when the Marines were hunting the Roger Pirates.
And when they finally found the Roger Pirates' trail, Roger had handed them an enormous surprise that threw the whole world into turmoil.
He did not want the Sky Pirates to deliver that same kind of surprise.
Just then, there was a knock at the office door. When it opened, Tsuru walked in.
Seeing Zephyr looking so weighed down, Tsuru tried to comfort him.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, Zephyr. Come out and relax a little. Everyone's waiting for you..."
Zephyr could only force out a smile and nod.
He did want to join the soldiers and enjoy the occasion, but he also knew perfectly well that if he stepped in, he would only make everyone nervous.
After all, the prestige of an Admiral was not just authority. It was also intimidation.
Tsuru understood that too, so the gathering she wanted Zephyr to join was one for the Marine higher-ups.
When the sliding door opened, a Japanese-style banquet hall came into view. As an Admiral, Zephyr naturally sat in the main seat at the very front, while the other senior officers sat cross-legged on either side according to rank. In front of each of them was a small table with simple food, and only a small bottle of sake.
The moment Zephyr and Tsuru entered, the assembled senior officers greeted them respectfully.
"Zephyr-sensei, Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
Zephyr truly deserved the title of sensei. It could be said that nearly three-quarters of the officers present had once received his instruction, graduating from his Marine training camp before entering the Marines.
Among them, the ones he was proudest of were probably Kuzan and Borsalino.
After taking his seat, Zephyr waved a hand.
"No need to be so stiff. There are no rules today. Drink and enjoy yourselves!"
Once Zephyr said that, everyone relaxed a little and began drinking in small groups.
As they talked, the conversation naturally drifted to the current state of the seas.
"Silver Axe and Ochoku really are idiots. They've already been pushed to their own doorstep, and they're still busy fighting each other..."
"Isn't that a good thing? Once they fight each other to the bitter end, that'll be our chance for the Marines to clean up the mess..."
"Still, it's pretty unbelievable that John actually died at the Sky Pirates' hands..."
"I heard quite a few rookies from the same generation got fired up because of it. That rookie pirate Moria has already entered Wano Country and is about to fight Kaidou..."
"That pirate called Crocodile has also declared he's going to take Whitebeard's head..."
"That swordsman Mihawk has been going around challenging powerful swordsmen everywhere too..."
"Among this year's rookies, there's a guy named Shanks who's been really active as well..."
"I heard the Marines have finally run out of patience with Bullet..."
Of course, not every Marine officer joined in. Kuzan and Borsalino, for example, were simply sipping their drinks.
At the very back among the many officers, a Marine Rear Admiral named Gasparde was coldly watching his colleagues, already thinking about his next career move.
Not long ago, that man had contacted him and told him to find a way to apply for a transfer, leave Headquarters, and take up a post in the North Blue.
If Gasparde had been someone who believed in so-called Marine justice, naturally he would never have given up his future at Headquarters to head off to the North Blue.
But he was not.
First, he had no desire to throw away his life in the dangerous New World. Second, if he could take up a post in the North Blue as a Rear Admiral, then it would truly be a case of the heavens being high and the emperor far away. Third, he no longer wanted to keep risking so much as a spy. And finally, that man had said this deal would not disappoint him.
In fact, he was already thinking of a way to make it happen.
But just then, a shrill alarm suddenly rang out, jolting everyone back to attention. Every face changed at once.
Because they all knew what that alarm meant. A pirate invasion.
But what kind of idiot pirate crew would attack a Marine base guarded by an Admiral?
Not even Whitebeard would do something that stupid.
At that moment, a panicked Marine soldier rushed in and shouted at the top of his lungs,
"This is bad, Admiral Zephyr! The Sky Pirates... the Sky Pirates are attacking..."
Everyone froze. Even Kuzan and Borsalino looked a little unconvinced.
They knew Yemu and the others were strong, but for just that handful of them to attack G-1 was practically a fantasy.
"Let's go see."
Zephyr's expression turned serious instantly. In just a few seconds, he had already burst out of the Marine building and arrived at the plaza. But unexpectedly, there was no sign of the Sky Pirates there. Instead, all the Marines were staring up at the sky in terror.
"The sky..."
Zephyr reacted at once and looked toward the heavens.
There, in the clear blue sky dotted with a few clouds, the Twin Goddesses floated slowly in midair. And at the bow, the figures of the Sky Pirates came into view for all to see...
...