In his entire life, Whitebeard never thought of inviting Sengoku to rebel.
In fact, no one with potential in the navy dared to imagine inviting them to rebel.
They are in high positions in the navy, with guaranteed income, five social insurances, one housing fund, and various subsidies and benefits for every mission.
In addition, they are very firm in their positions.
Who doesn't yearn for justice and peace?
How could they rebel?
So Whitebeard never even thought about Kaido's current operation in his life.
Inviting Sengoku to rebel.
You are really something.
You dare to think so.
And Kaido's operation also confused Sengoku.
Invite yourself to rebel??
He never expected that one day a pirate would make such a request to him.
Although what Kaido said to Akainu just now did make some sense, in fact, the greatest evil in this world is the Celestial Dragons.
The second is the pirates.
However, they can't stop fighting pirates just because the Celestial Dragons are evil.
Their navy is working hard to fight pirates and mend the damages.
If the navy were to disappear, civilians would be left at the mercy of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Celestial Dragons, and the pirates.
If there is no navy, the harm inflicted by pirates will only intensify.
On the one hand, pirates and Celestial Dragons harm civilians together.
On the other hand, only the Celestial Dragons harm them.
Which scenario is better? Do you even need to think about it?
It is the navy's duty to reduce harm to civilians.
Sengoku has adhered to this belief his entire life.
Garp also holds the same conviction.
They've been fighting evil for decades, constantly putting their lives on the line.
Through these experiences, they've solidified their sense of justice.
Fighting pirates and opposing evil is their lifelong purpose.
Now, Kaido has the audacity to invite Sengoku to rebel.
This is indeed... absurd.
"You're inviting me to rebel?"
Sengoku was momentarily stunned before shaking his head. "Kaido, I admit that what you said just now makes some sense."
"But I will never cooperate with pirates."
"The Celestial Dragons are not good people."
"But at least the current situation is stable."
"If the navy rebels, the Celestial Dragons will fall."
"And with them gone, the only force left to oppose pirates, bandits, and criminals will vanish."
"All kingdoms and islands will lose their protection entirely."
"Is that really a good thing?"
"Think about it—if the world descends into chaos, it will become a paradise for pirates and criminals."
"Civilians will suffer a hundred, even a thousand times more than they do now!"
Hearing this, Garp was the first to nod.
Garp despised the Celestial Dragons. He even insulted them openly in the Holy Land.
But why did he still serve under them?
Because he had no other choice.
By joining the navy, he could at least fight pirates, restrain the Celestial Dragons, and reduce harm to civilians.
If he left the navy—whether to join the revolutionary army or become a pirate—could he guarantee the world would improve after toppling the Celestial Dragons?
It's better to mend a cloth full of holes than to burn it. Who knows if they could weave a new cloth? And even if they did, maybe it would be worse, with more holes—or perhaps they wouldn't be able to make one at all.
The other admirals, of course, shared similar thoughts.
With their high status and access to sensitive information, they understood the Celestial Dragons better than Kaido did. They knew exactly what kind of scum they were dealing with.
But as long as the world remained relatively stable, it was better to maintain the status quo than risk a future that could be even worse.
Besides, they lacked the power to "flip the table."
Aokiji's discontent with the Celestial Dragons stemmed from his philosophy of lazy justice.
Why take everything so seriously? If you can slack off, do so. If you can ignore orders from the Celestial Dragons, ignore them. If you can sabotage them, do it.
Kizaru, of course, operated the same way.
When the Celestial Dragons were attacked at the Sabaody Archipelago, Luffy delivered a blow to one of them.
Kizaru went in as an admiral but failed to capture anyone.
Is this really the full strength of an admiral? Is this how an admiral should perform?
He had no intention of catching anyone.
A Celestial Dragon got beaten, and they sent an admiral?
Did they think Kizaru was just a mindless dog serving the Celestial Dragons?
Even the strong have their pride.
So, Kizaru slacked off.
He wasn't about to work seriously for them.
Not even if a Celestial Dragon was killed.
He didn't apprehend a single pirate that day.
Of course, he needed to keep up appearances, which is why he kept saying "So scary" to imply that the battle was difficult. He, a seasoned admiral, pretended to be intimidated by the pirates of the new era. Each generation seemed more terrifying than the last.
Even at Marineford, during the war at the summit, the admirals were still slacking.
The three of them could have joined forces to eliminate Whitebeard right from the start.
But instead, only Akainu was truly serious. The other two were busy dealing with Whitebeard's commanders and were even kicked aside.
Without Kaido's intervention, Aokiji and Kizaru wouldn't have fought seriously at any point during the war.
Garp, of course, was the same.
As a living legend on par with the Pirate King, his strength remained at its peak. He was the most powerful individual in the war.
If he wanted to, he could have defeated Whitebeard easily.
But he just stood on the sidelines, watching and exchanging blows half-heartedly with pirates.
How many people in the navy genuinely serve the Celestial Dragons?
Almost none.
Even Akainu, who takes his duties more seriously than the others and harbors a deep hatred for pirates, isn't truly working for the Celestial Dragons.
He only wanted to execute Ace and prevent the rise of a new Pirate King.
At the highest levels, the navy's strongest forces hold nothing but disdain for the Celestial Dragons.
But that doesn't mean they're willing to cooperate with pirates.
They despise pirates just as much—if not more.
Therefore...
After Sengoku rejected Kaido's offer, he turned the tables and made an unexpected proposal of his own.
"Kaido," Sengoku said, "I heard everything you said to Akainu just now."
"Maybe you are someone who yearns for peace, justice… perhaps even freedom."
"In fact, our ideals align more than you might think."
"So, why not join the navy?"
"I can use my authority to promote you to admiral immediately."
"Akainu is dead, you take over."
"We can blame Akainu's death on others—like Whitebeard," Sengoku said calmly.
"In the navy, you can enforce your own justice."
"Let's work together to eliminate the pirates and bring peace to the world."
Sengoku turned fully toward Kaido, his voice steady and persuasive, his gaze sharp.
On the side, Whitebeard could barely suppress the urge to roll his eyes. This man truly deserved the reputation of being the navy's famous wise general.
After failing to recruit Sengoku to rebel, the Fleet Admiral didn't miss a beat.
Without hesitation, Sengoku pivoted to recruiting Kaido.
He promised Kaido everything: the rank of admiral, the authority to enforce peace and justice, and shared ideals.
His words were dangerously convincing.
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, studying the scene.
Then he turned to Kaido, waiting for his response.
From what Kaido had said to Akainu earlier, one thing was clear: Kaido had changed.
He no longer seemed to revel in chaos. Instead, there was a newfound yearning—for peace, freedom, and justice.
Would he be moved by Sengoku's offer?
If Kaido truly defected to the navy, Whitebeard knew the outcome.
He'd be dead.
Despite his age and experience, Whitebeard felt a knot of tension in his chest.
This was a precarious moment, and deep down, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Would Kaido really join the navy?