chapter 62. Language is an art

After the ambush battle, the Navy soldiers enjoyed the treatment of victors—recuperation, leave, beer, and barbecue. A good commander must understand the importance of allowing soldiers to rest properly, maintaining a balance between tension and relaxation.

However, for officers from the rank of lieutenant to general, these esteemed military gentlemen were instead confined to the intelligence room, watching the full battle recordings. Not only did they not get any leave, but many officers were even directly singled out and harshly criticized by Sakazuki, scolded until their heads were spinning.

Requiring the officer ranks to conduct post-battle reviews had long been part of Sakazuki's plan. He had adapted templates from his previous life to fit the military context of this world and implemented them within the army under his command.

Reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of an entire operation after a battle and adjusting strategies accordingly was the fundamental principle. Among the admirals at Marine Headquarters, only a few, such as Jonathan and Strawberry, had cultivated this habit.

An experienced vice admiral hoped that the overall military quality of his officer corps could reach a certain standard, ensuring that officers—from junior ranks to high-ranking generals—would be able to accurately interpret orders, efficiently deploy battle formations, and execute commands with absolute precision.

From Sakazuki's perspective, which held a strong grasp of strategic thinking, this process was much like reviewing a chess game—gradually accumulating experience over time.

Reviewing a game of chess was not just about replaying the moves but about carefully analyzing one's thought process, calculation methods, and identifying patterns in decision-making. The goal was not merely to judge the quality of individual moves or evaluate technical gains and losses.

War was even more so. Replaying battlefield maneuvers was far from being as simple as a mere battlefield simulation. Were the pre-battle unit deployments reasonable? How did the troops perform in combat? How was teamwork maintained in prolonged engagements? These were just the foundational points of reflection.

Sakazuki furrowed his brows and pressed the pause button on the remote control in his hand. "What's the deal with the structure of this defensive line?" He turned his head, directing his question at the colonel who had been called out, standing at attention with perfect military posture.

"Sir! I intended to use a pocket formation to wipe out the pirates in one sweep!"

"I can see that you attempted to use a pocket formation. This formation does indeed have advantages for a defensive position in trench warfare. Whether it's neutralizing an enemy charge or dispersing their combat strength, it holds an inherent superiority." The vice admiral picked up the pointer resting on the table and traced the terrain captured from a high-angle shot.

Veins bulged at the vice admiral's temple as he stared expressionlessly at his subordinate, who had yet to realize the problem. "Can you explain to me—who in their right mind sets up a pocket formation with the entrance wide open while the rifle fire inside is spread flat?!"

"Pfft!" The officers in the room could no longer hold back their laughter.

"The entrance of a pocket formation is supposed to be narrow like the mouth of a bag to lure the enemy in. But as they advance, the space inside should gradually expand. Then, once the enemy is fully inside, our forces seal the entrance, just like tightening the mouth of a bag, preventing them from escaping. The trapped enemy should then be surrounded and annihilated. What kind of setup is this?! No wonder all you could do was take a beating."

Sakazuki suppressed his frustration. His officers were brave, fearless in battle, and fought ferociously, but any attempt at more strategic and technical maneuvers could nearly drive him to his breaking point.

In chess, players improved by reviewing past games and studying the matches of top-tier grandmasters, slowly enhancing their skills. What Sakazuki was doing now was precisely that—expanding his subordinates' knowledge reserves from a more professional perspective and training them to think strategically and tactically at a higher level.

The assessments of frontline officers, who directly engaged in combat, were quite valuable for evaluating battlefield performance. The colonel gave the matter serious thought before responding, "Sir, our formation was already compromised before it could fully take shape." He carefully compared the scenario with his personal battlefield experience.

"Correct. I saw it in the video recordings from the Den Den Mushi. Aside from the difference in individual strength between the pirate captain and the troops forming the battle formation, there were also coordination issues among our soldiers. Does anyone else have anything to add?" Sakazuki nodded, acknowledging the officer's effort in self-reflection. It was important for subordinates to identify their own weaknesses—only then could they improve.

A lieutenant stood up. "Sir, we had a problem with the deployment of our combat strength!"

"Good. Elaborate," Sakazuki guided him patiently. Language was an art, and he softened his tone, lowering his deep voice to encourage them, slowly helping the officers open their minds.

"Our formation engaged all the pirates at once, without distinguishing between officers and ordinary pirates. As a result, some of our units suffered heavy casualties early in the fight."

Sakazuki secretly rejoiced. Of course, he had already noticed this flaw in the formation, but having his subordinates point it out themselves was another matter entirely. Although the lieutenant's explanation wasn't entirely precise, it proved that they were thinking. A soldier's ability to actively analyze and make decisions had to be nurtured over time.

What he wanted was not just a group of killing machines but disciplined soldiers who understood cooperation and strategic thinking.

"Brring!"

A short, sharp ringing sound interrupted the officers' discussion in the intelligence room. This was the specialized Den Den Mushi for communications with Marine Headquarters. A single ring meant an urgent situation.

Sakazuki was somewhat surprised. According to his memory, in Marine Calendar Year 1500, aside from the Golden Lion's prison break, there shouldn't have been any major information requiring a top-priority emergency report.

But one could never be too careful. Sakazuki picked up the receiver. "This is the Marine base at Sabaody Archipelago. The base commander is currently negotiating with government officials on the aftermath of the recent capture operations. I am the highest-ranking officer in charge at the moment, Sakazuki."

"Oh, hahaha! Good, I wasn't looking for the base commander anyway."

Garp's unmistakable loud voice came through the receiver, making the vice admiral feel that something was amiss.

"Is there an urgent matter to report, Vice Admiral Garp?" Sakazuki asked sternly. He didn't believe Garp would casually make a call of this level without a serious reason. If he ruled out that possibility, then the matter that required Garp himself to deliver the message had to be significant.

"Oh! I just wanted to ask your opinion as Robin's guardian—can I take her to train with me for a while?"

"..."

Sakazuki felt like he had misheard. He turned his head and looked at the officers in the room, asking for confirmation. "What did Vice Admiral Garp just say?"

"…Vice Admiral Garp asked for your opinion as her guardian."

"Whether he could take Robin to train with him."

The officers, equally bewildered, repeated the message word for word.

The vice admiral still hadn't fully processed it. "…That's it?"

"That's it!" The officers answered firmly.

Sakazuki took a deep breath, bringing the receiver closer to his lips. "Vice Admiral Garp, you used Marineford's emergency communication system to make a top-priority call—just to tell me this?!"

The entire room was filled with his furious roar. Dust even shook loose from an old map hanging high on the wall.

"What's with all the yelling?! Isn't this an urgent matter? A child's growth can't be delayed!! Once the body's development stabilizes, it'll be too late! And this is such a promising recruit!!"

Garp, having been shouted at, roared back even louder. More dust fell from the map…

"If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up, Vice Admiral Garp." Sakazuki, regaining his composure, forced his breathing to steady and tried to return to a normal tone.

"Wait! Hold on, I still—"

Before the old man could finish, Sakazuki calmly placed the receiver down.

He swept his gaze across the dead-silent intelligence room. "Did any of you hear anything just now?"

Even Onigumo shook his head like a rattling drum. No one dared to touch that landmine.

Then, the Den Den Mushi rang again.