NOVEL WEB Chapter 19: 19: Dragon
It wasn't that Fleet Admiral Sengoku feared the strength of the Whitebeard Pirates. It was simply a sense of responsibility toward the Navy, a desire to achieve perfection. Ideally, Whitebeard and his entire crew would be eliminated without any harm to the Navy's leadership.
"Ah, I've already convinced the Empress and am preparing to approach the rest…"
Kizaru spoke lazily. If asked how he managed to convince her, it was, of course, through… naturally, it was by appealing to reason and emotion, persuading her with a sense of justice.
"Good. Finish recruiting the Seven Warlords as soon as possible. After the war ends, I'll personally approve a month's vacation for you."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected Kizaru, famously known as the laziest member of the Navy, to display such diligence for once.
However, to be safe, the recruitment of the Seven Warlords needed to be completed as quickly as possible. To that end, Sengoku didn't hesitate to personally promise Kizaru a vacation after the Summit War.
For Sengoku, who practically wished the Navy's top brass would adopt a 24/7 work ethic, this was an almost unthinkable concession.
"Hmm? In such a rush? Did something happen with Fire Fist Ace?"
Kizaru found it hard to believe. The same Sengoku who constantly urged them to work harder was now voluntarily offering him a vacation?
For a brief moment, Kizaru wondered if Sengoku had overworked himself to the point of confusing him with Akainu, the notorious workaholic.
Fortunately, Kizaru quickly came to another realization. The Navy's entire plan for the Summit War revolved around Fire Fist Ace.
If the timeline for that plan was being moved up, it likely meant Fire Fist Ace had already fallen into the Navy's hands.
"Blackbeard has delivered Fire Fist Ace to the G6 branch. While the news hasn't leaked yet, if Ace remains missing for too long, the Whitebeard Pirates will likely become suspicious…"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku said gravely.
When dealing with an opponent like the Whitebeard Pirates, caution was never excessive.
This generation of Navy leadership had witnessed the rise of the Whitebeard Pirates firsthand. Even compared to the Pirate King, Roger, Whitebeard's reputation on the seas was in no way inferior.
To completely eliminate the Whitebeard Pirates, even the full strength of the Navy would be required!
"Hmm, understood. I'll complete the recruitment of the Seven Warlords as soon as possible."
Kizaru scratched his hair. His time for slacking off had been cut short even more. Although he could still slack off at Navy Headquarters, it wasn't the same as being in Amazon Lily, where he could enjoy himself so much.
However, he couldn't afford to offend Fleet Admiral Sengoku either. After all, Sengoku was his superior.
If he angered Sengoku, he wouldn't be able to continue his carefree days as a salary thief.
"Good. Remember to return to headquarters quickly after completing the mission. Don't feel the need to recruit all of them, just four or five will do. I'll take care of the rest."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku was well aware of the nature of the Seven Warlords. Even if a Navy Admiral personally went to recruit them, it would be difficult to convince all of them.
So, he gave Kizaru a more relaxed target to avoid unnecessary complications. After all, it wouldn't do for the war to start before the Seven Warlords were on board and for the Navy Admirals to end up fighting among themselves.
Sengoku knew all too well what kind of people these "legal pirates" were.
As long as the majority of them were persuaded, the remaining stubborn ones would naturally be dealt with through various means. Without the ability to unite, even the Seven Warlords were just a group of relatively strong pirates, and under the pressure from Navy Headquarters, they would quickly bow their heads.
"Mm, leave it to me... Sigh, it's really not easy..."
Kizaru hung up the phone with Fleet Admiral Sengoku, basked in the sun for a while, and then picked up the Den Den Mushi again.
"...Kizaru?"
The person on the other end seemed surprised that Kizaru would call him, considering that, in a sense, they had already gone their separate ways. Given their current positions, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them enemies.
"It's me. How have you been lately, Dragon?"
Kizaru spoke slowly.
Although it was Dragon's own decision to leave the Navy and form the Revolutionary Army, it was hard to say whether Dragon would have stayed in the Navy for much longer without Kizaru's encouragement.
"Haha, thanks to the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, the revolution is progressing smoothly!"
Dragon didn't hold any hostility toward Kizaru due to their differing positions. In fact, strictly speaking, Dragon's rise to the leader of the Revolutionary Army could be traced back to Kizaru's subtle guidance.
It was unfortunate that his former senior didn't continue down the right path, but Dragon didn't mind that much.
In his view, someone who could say that the Celestial Dragons' crimes are equal to those of commoners would eventually return to the path they should walk.
When that time came, they would still be comrades fighting side by side. With that thought, Dragon's tone grew even more passionate.
"It's just that we haven't met directly. A few months ago, you mentioned your subordinate, that young man named Sabo..."
Kizaru of course knew what Dragon was thinking, but he didn't have much faith in the current Revolutionary Army, nor did he want to play the role of a pioneer and risk his life against Im.
"Sabo? He's now the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. If you get the chance, you should meet him. Sabo is outstanding in every way."
Dragon seemed to be bragging about his child, eager to praise every little detail about Sabo, to the point where he wished he could compliment every hair on his head.
In Dragon's eyes, Sabo was the best successor to lead the Revolutionary Army in its continued fight against the World Government.
"Hmm… I remember you asked me to investigate Sabo..."
Kizaru's eyes narrowed slightly. Although Ace's life or death didn't have much to do with him, an event as significant as the War of the Best couldn't just be left for the Navy to handle alone.
If the only opponent was the Whitebeard Pirates, then eliminating pirates was the Navy's duty, and the World Government could remain neutral.
But if the Revolutionary Army also got involved, the World Government would have no reason to stand by and do nothing.
The Five Elders liked to keep their trump cards hidden, and it was time for them to reveal a few. With such a great opportunity before him, Kizaru couldn't miss the chance to take down one or two of the World Government's top forces.
Otherwise, even if Kizaru, let things slide, it would still be difficult for mere pirates or the Revolutionary Army to force Im, or even the cards Im held, to the surface.
It wasn't that Kizaru didn't have the time or patience to wait, but he didn't want the gap to grow any wider. He couldn't really expect Luffy to become the Sun God, could he?
"Hmm? You have a lead?"
Dragon recalled that Sabo had once asked him to investigate his memory loss, and when he couldn't find any clues, he had turned to Kizaru for help.
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