The tranquility inside the reception room contrasted sharply with the raging battle outside.
Outside the window, giant warriors were fighting fiercely, their towering figures like walls of steel, firmly holding the enemy outside the defense line.
The Neo-Navy soldiers were also fighting bloody battles on the field, Enel's lightning flashing in the air, crushing swathes of enemies.
On the other side, vice admirals loyal to the World Government wielded their blades, leading soldiers to tear apart the Neo-Navy's lines bit by bit.
But even so, the Neo-Navy's numbers continued to pour in.
And the occasional Pacifista silhouette flashed across the sky, their mechanized combat power putting immense pressure on the Neo-Navy soldiers on the front lines.
"The fighting outside is getting more intense,"
Kuzan said casually, pointing to the window with his teacup,
"But it looks like we can still hold out on our side."
Sengoku nodded slightly, a hint of gratification in his tone:
"The giants are indeed reliable, their warriors are born for battle."
Granny Tsuru put down the pastry in her hand, her tone calm but with a hint of depth:
"However, the war outside is not the most dangerous part.
The real test may come at any time."
The reception room fell silent again, and no one said anything more.
Everyone's eyes became deeper, a calmness and composure that could only come after countless battles and the passage of time.
The smoke of gunpowder outside the window grew thicker, but the fragrance of tea in the reception room still lingered.
It was a brief moment of peace, perhaps to be shattered in the next moment.
'Creak...'
The door was suddenly pushed open, and the warm tea fragrance in the room was swept away by a strong gust of wind.
Garp's tall figure appeared at the door, his familiar Marine uniform stained dark with the dust and blood of battle.
Even so, he still stood upright, without a trace of fatigue on his face, only an iron-like aura emanating from within.
He stepped into the reception room, his steps steady, yet each step seemed to cause the floor to vibrate slightly.
Without much small talk or greetings, he said directly:
"I saw the Five Elders on the battlefield, but they haven't made a move yet."
The atmosphere in the room froze instantly, Sengoku frowned slightly, his teacup paused, interrupting the action of just bringing it to his lips.
His brow furrowed, his eyes a little deep, as if he was pondering some major decision.
Finally, he gently put down his teacup and sighed:
"So, they're finally preparing to make a move..."
Kuzan sat next to Sengoku, still in that lazy posture, his eyes half-closed, and a smile on the corner of his mouth.
His eyes still held a bit of ease and cynicism, but that hint of inadvertent concern was particularly obvious at this moment.
He looked at Sengoku, his tone with a hint of probing:
"Fleet Admiral, have you decided which side you're going to help now?"
His voice was calm, but this sentence was like a pebble thrown into a pond, stirring up subtle ripples.
As a member of the Neo-Navy, although Kuzan still maintained a certain distance from these old superiors on the surface,
he knew in his heart that this was not just asking a simple choice,
but also a test of Sengoku's position—he was probing whether Sengoku had made a choice, whether he stood on their side, or stood on a more neutral position.
Sengoku raised his head, his deep eyes meeting Kuzan's eyes.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the entire room seemed to become solemn.
The air was filled with some kind of indescribable tension, as if even the fragrance of tea had disappeared at this moment.
He gently exhaled a breath of hot air, continued to carefully pour tea from the cup, quietly picked it up, and took another sip.
The bitterness and warmth of the tea seemed to take away some of the complex emotions in his heart, but the calmness and firmness in his eyes did not waver in the slightest.
He slowly put down his teacup and turned his gaze to the battlefield outside the window, where smoke filled the air, swords and guns clashed, and the giant warriors were still holding their ground.
"I choose neutrality."
Sengoku's voice was low and firm, as if swearing to his own heart.
After a moment of silence, he added:
"The war has entered the most complicated stage.
Not all choices can be easily made, especially when you stand in this position."
Hearing Sengoku's answer, Kuzan smiled slightly, his superficial laziness unchanged.
He nodded:
"Hee, Fleet Admiral, as steady as ever.
I really can't figure it out, the situation is so obvious, yet you can still choose neutrality."
Kuzan's mouth still had a smile, but he knew in his heart that Sengoku's neutral position was undoubtedly the most rational choice.
Standing at the cusp of this great war, no one can easily take sides.
Especially with the existence of the Five Elders and the shadow behind Imu, who dares to easily bet everything?
However, Kuzan's eyes still hid a hint of imperceptible disappointment—he knew that Sengoku's choice also meant that he would not stand on his side for the time being.
The Neo-Navy has always emphasized freedom and decisiveness, and Sengoku's neutrality is undoubtedly telling them—he is still the old general who is working his way up the Marine system.
At this time, Garp stood in the corner of the room, holding a bag of spoils in his hand, and muttered in a low voice:
"Neutrality? In my opinion, it's just shirking responsibility."
His voice, with a hint of hoarseness, sounded, but he was not in a hurry to speak.
He silently glanced at Sengoku, then looked at Kuzan, a complex emotion flowing in his eyes.
"Garp,"
Sengoku raised his head and slowly opened his mouth,
"You know, sometimes, some things, choosing not to take sides is a kind of wisdom.
We Marines cannot blindly choose right and wrong like those reckless ghosts, but must first see the situation clearly."
Garp didn't say anything more, he just snorted coldly, lowered his head and continued to deal with the items in his hand, as if this conversation was not important to him.
Sengoku's gaze was still fixed on the window, his eyes becoming deeper and deeper.
He does not easily make any choices, because he knows that this war is not as simple as the outside world imagines.
If he rashly takes sides, it may put everything in an irreversible situation.
What he needs is timing, waiting for a real breakthrough, and this is not on the battlefield, but in the dark forces behind the scenes.
"I learned something from Jin'an, that Imu guy is indeed not easy to deal with."
Sengoku whispered to himself, his words with an indescribable complex emotion.
However, for the Neo-Navy, the giants, and the Whitebeard Pirates, Sengoku's attitude is the best solution for them.
...
