"What is the current situation out on the seas?" Sengoku set two wanted posters aside and asked the Vice Admirals in his office.
"Sir."
A Marine officer stepped forward, first saluting Sengoku, then beginning his report: "The former crewmates of 'Red-Hair' Shanks, led by Lucky Roux and Yasopp, have fully regrouped. They have now formed the 17th Division under the Whitebeard Pirates, with Lucky Roux temporarily serving as the Division Commander."
"Lucky Roux, Yasopp, and the Red Dragon... they were all first-rate fighters in the Red-Hair Pirates. The Whitebeard Pirates have truly gained a formidable boost."
Sengoku frowned in concern, then looked up and said, "Continue."
"Regarding the other three Yonko, Big Mom has made no overt movements. She is holding her customary tea party. Our personnel have been unable to penetrate too deeply, so that is the extent of our information. Big Mom's powers are simply too devastating."
After reporting on Big Mom's intelligence, the officer shifted the focus to the remaining two Yonko: "The Beasts Pirates have again clashed with the Immortal Pirates. Specifically, it was the Sabre-Tooth squad led by the Wind Calamity of the Beasts Pirates, and the Kuja Pirates led by the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, who serve under the Immortal Pirates."
"And the result was...?"
"The Kuja Pirates won. Intelligence indicates it was a relatively easy victory," the officer replied.
Sengoku's eyes widened slightly in surprise, revealing his astonishment. "Boa Hancock has grown to this level?"
Queen the Wind Calamity is a powerhouse whom even an Admiral would find difficult to take down easily, yet the Kuja Pirates could win so simply. This truly defied expectation.
"No, the one who fought was not the Empress, but a mermaid named Shirahoshi. According to our investigation, she is the fourth daughter of King Neptune, the ruler of Fish-Man Island, and his wife, Queen Otohime."
The officer continued, "According to the CP investigation, many years ago, Alucard exchanged an island for Shirahoshi, taking her by what was close to force."
Although Neptune had strictly ordered that the matter not be revealed, there is no such thing as an airtight secret in this world. Over the years, CP eventually caught wind of it.
"As expected, it is Poseidon."
Sengoku nursed a headache. Though he had suspected it for years, having the truth finally confirmed still provoked a strong reaction.
Knock, knock...
Just then, a knock sounded on the door. Sengoku called out "Enter," and Tsuru walked in, placing a file on his desk. "The Revolutionaries have begun their move. With a single strike, two kingdoms under Government rule have been annihilated."
"That damned Garp."
As one of the very few who knew Dragon's true identity, Sengoku's first reaction upon hearing the news of the Revolutionaries' actions was to curse Garp fiercely under his breath.
"Everyone else, leave."
With Sengoku's command, the officers, except for Tsuru, filed out.
"So, what's next?" Sengoku asked, tearing open the file and taking out the documents to read them.
"Not even a shadow of Dragon was left behind. We only confirmed this was the work of the Revolutionaries after a detailed investigation."
Tsuru folded her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Since his defeat by Alucard, Dragon has become increasingly cautious, rarely revealing himself to enemies unless necessary."
Mentioning the name "Alucard," Sengoku's brow furrowed once more. "What is your assessment of the current Immortal Pirates, Tsuru?"
Tsuru tilted her head, silent for a few seconds, then spoke slowly, "They are plagued by problems. Internal strife and external threats."
A trace of surprise, but mostly appreciation, flashed in Sengoku's eyes. He asked, though he knew the answer, "Why do you say that?"
"Are you still trying to quiz me, Sengoku?"
Tsuru calmly analyzed, "To outsiders, the Immortal Pirates appear to be a top-tier Yonko crew, possessing experts like the Empress, Z, Benn Beckman, and others. In reality, their internal conflicts are enormous."
"I know Zephyr too well. He is not sincerely loyal to Alucard; he merely chose to cooperate with him to oppose the Government. Furthermore, I know he is not well-regarded within the Immortal Pirates. And the elite former Red-Hair Pirates, Benn Beckman and Ivalis, their former captain died at Alucard's hands. I do not believe they are sincerely loyal to Alucard either."
Tsuru paused, then concluded, "Not to mention the other opportunistic newcomers who harbor ulterior motives. To outsiders, the Immortal Pirates may seem incredibly powerful, but in truth, they are rife with internal conflict while being coveted by the other Yonko and the Government externally."
"Ah... that's right."
Sengoku leaned back in his office chair and stretched forcefully. "But even if what you say is true, what countermeasures can we take?"
"We take it one step at a time. I don't want the Marines to suffer the same setback Dragon did previously," Tsuru said, using the defeated Dragon as a cautionary example.
Sengoku nodded in agreement. Even with their multitude of problems, a Yonko is still a Yonko, an Emperor of the New World. It's impossible to uproot them all at once; they must proceed step by step.
…
Boom!
On Arderay Kingdom's Ruined Island.
The roar of battle echoed from outside. Alucard sat on his throne, reading an ancient, leather-bound book. A young man in his early twenties walked into the inner chamber—Trafalgar Law.
"Urdaha and Z are at it again. Are you just going to ignore it?"
Hearing the continuous commotion outside and seeing Alucard calmly reading on the throne, Law couldn't help but ask.
"If this continues, the conflict within the crew will only worsen..."
For Law, who usually pays little attention to other people's affairs, to voice such concern proved that the internal strife within the Immortal Pirates had genuinely reached a point where intervention was necessary.
The most prominent conflict is the faction led by Urdaha and six others, who cannot stand Zephyr.
The other major conflict is between the fleet led by Fallon and others, who had intense battles with the Red-Hair Pirates in the past, and the former Red-Hair Pirates' fleet led by Ivalis and Benn Beckman, whom they resent.
These two are the primary internal conflicts within the Immortal Pirates at the moment.
The former stems from an incident with the Titan Fruit six months ago. Urdaha and the six others believed they were the ones who should have eaten the Devil Fruit, and they feel that Zephyr "stole" the reward at the end. Coupled with Zephyr's astonishing combat achievements in the time since, they are naturally jealous and deliberately oppose him.
The latter is due to the bad blood formed when the two sides fought fiercely before Shanks the Red-Hair died. Now that they are part of the same pirate crew, the conflict has only escalated.