"Sengoku, are you mocking us, the Five Elders, for being ignorant? Don't forget, the Navy Headquarters is merely the World Government's public front. So what if there's another Dragon? Do you really believe that a mere brat can shake the colossal force that has ruled the seas for 800 years?"
Wearing glasses and a kimono, cradling a katana in his arms, Yamamoto said coldly, "You're underestimating the power behind the World Government."
"Sengoku, I seriously doubt whether you're still qualified to sit in that position."
The vast palace suddenly grew heavier with tension.
Facing Yamamoto's aggressive stance, Sengoku's expression turned cold. With a snort, he said, "Then why don't you take the Fleet Admiral's seat? I'm done here!"
With that, Sengoku turned on his heel and strode away.
As the Navy's brilliant strategist, Sengoku was the only one in history to possess both wisdom and strength, and to have mastered all three types of Haki.
He had also lived through the darkest era of the seas.
If Sengoku were to step down as Fleet Admiral now, it would send shockwaves through the world.
Finding a replacement at such a time would be difficult—even among the current three Admirals, it would be hard to pick the best of the lot.
"Sengoku, you're rebelling!" Yamamoto roared.
But he was quickly stopped by another Elder, who raised a hand and said, "Enough, Yamamoto. I thought that after all these years as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku would've mellowed out."
"Seems we underestimated you."
"What that brat did was indeed unprecedented, but you're also underestimating the weight of the Fleet Admiral's authority. Since you've chosen to protect him, we'll let this matter slide."
"But only this once!"
Sengoku paused mid-step and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Looks like sometimes, learning a few tricks from Garp isn't such a bad idea.
Still, the most important thing was that his title as Fleet Admiral carried enough weight.
Clearing his mind, Sengoku was about to leave again when Zephyr suddenly entered the room.
"Sengoku, this is a message from Tsuru. We couldn't reach you via Den Den Mushi here. If there's nothing else, I'll be off."
Watching Zephyr rush in and flee like he was escaping a fire, Sengoku's heart skipped a beat. A sense of foreboding flashed through his mind as he hurriedly opened the report in his hands.
The moment he read it, his pupils contracted sharply, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Just a moment ago, he was thinking his position as Fleet Admiral still held sway.
Now, looking at the report in his hands…
Even he wasn't sure if that title could hold things together anymore.
"Sengoku, what's wrong? You don't have any objections now, do you? That was our biggest concession," the Elder said again.
Snapping back to reality, Sengoku tucked the report away and forced a strained smile. "What was the last thing you just said?"
"The last thing?" the Elder blinked. "Only this once?"
"No, the one before that," Sengoku pressed.
The Elder frowned, unsure what Sengoku was getting at, but still replied, "You're underestimating the weight of the Fleet Admiral's authority. Since you want to protect him, we'll let this matter slide."
"Yes, that's the one!" Sengoku laughed, tossing the report over. "Half a day ago, Justice Plaza was destroyed. If that can be brushed aside too, then I'll take the fall for that brat. Thank you, esteemed elders, for your generosity. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
"Red-Haired and Whitebeard—those two restless troublemakers—might cross paths any moment. I need to keep an eye on them!"
With those parting words, Sengoku made a swift exit, leaving the scattered documents behind.
Watching him flee, the Elder's face twitched with rage. He roared, "Sengoku, you bastard! Get back here if you've got the guts!"
"I'll drag you off that Fleet Admiral's seat myself!"
His furious voice echoed through the grand hall, refusing to fade.
Only when Sengoku had completely vanished did the Elder's fury subside. His expression returned to calm. Glancing once more at the scattered documents, he said:
"Alright, we've dealt with Sengoku. Shall we proceed with the original plan for that brat?"
The other four Elders fell silent.
The tall, white-bearded Elder, Hechi, was the first to speak.
"Sengoku did exaggerate the threat of Dragon a bit."
"But now really isn't the time to let unstable elements grow stronger."
"Send a message to Red-Haired. He's gained plenty from us and smoothly rose to the rank of Emperor. It's time he paid a price."
"Otherwise, people will think the Five Elders have grown old and soft."
"Do you all agree?"
Yamamoto and the other Elder nodded first.
The remaining two silent Elders also nodded—unanimous approval.
Two days later, in the New World—
A warship cut swiftly through the waves.
Sea Kings stirred in its wake, baring their fangs, but before they could strike, a flying slash cleaved them clean in two.
Blood sprayed across the sea, dyeing it crimson.
The massive corpses crashed into the water.
Gion landed back on the deck, sheathing her golden Konpira blade.
Looking back at the still-closed cabin door, she gave a helpless smile.
"Chaton, looks like we overestimated the enthusiasm of our new Admiral. We thought Vice Admiral Tsuru's promised merits would motivate him, but it turns out he really did treat this as a vacation."
"We've already lost track of the Red-Haired Pirates' ship. Even though we know the general area, finding them in this vast ocean is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"At this rate, not only will we fail our surveillance mission, but we won't even know if Whitebeard and Red-Haired have met. If we lose the intelligence advantage, the Navy will be at a serious disadvantage."
As for why Whitebeard and Red-Haired might meet, they didn't dare hope to uncover that.
But at the very least, they needed to know—was it a friendly meeting, or a clash?
That would help determine how likely an alliance between the Emperors might be.
One Emperor already required the Navy to be on high alert.
If two Emperors truly joined forces, the seas might plunge back into the terrifying era of old.
"Mm, good morning. The weather's great today—seems like a perfect day to get to work!"