·
Hearing Kai's words, Sengoku, who had been wearing a satisfied expression, suddenly froze. He furrowed his brow and looked at Kai with a puzzled gaze.
Tsuru also frowned slightly but didn't argue. Instead, she spoke up, "Hmm? Since you've already pointed out so many advantages of the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea,' why do you still think it's a foolish plan?"
As the Navy's Chief of Staff, Sengoku had devised the Seven Warlords plan, naturally with Tsuru's input. She believed the plan was nearly perfect. Although the Navy would be accused of colluding with pirates, it would stabilize the situation on the seas!
Kai smiled calmly at Tsuru's doubt, showing no hint of anger.
He understood better than anyone the consequences of the Seven Warlords plan. While it temporarily stabilized the seas, it would inevitably spiral into an uncontrollable mess—that was the ultimate result of the Seven Warlords system.
Look at the Marineford War. The Navy gathered all the Seven Warlords to fight Whitebeard, but throughout the entire battle, the Warlords barely lifted a finger.
In the end, the Navy was even blindsided by Blackbeard.
Kai glanced at Tsuru briefly, then fixed his gaze on Sengoku and said calmly, "First, I don't deny the feasibility of the Seven Warlords plan. It certainly suppresses piracy effectively. But Admiral, you overlooked a crucial point."
"What point!?" Sengoku couldn't help but ask.
Kai slowly breathed out two words: "Human nature."
Before Sengoku could respond, Kai continued on his own, "I don't know exactly who the Warlords are, but one thing's certain—they're all notorious pirates on the seas, right?"
"Yeah," Sengoku nodded.
"That's simple then," Kai shrugged and went on, "Since they're powerful pirates, they definitely have ambition! After gaining this title, do you really expect them to quietly stay pirates without any schemes?"
"Besides, pirates who made a name for themselves in the Grand Line aren't pushovers. Do you think they're blind to these facts? If they choose to become the so-called Seven Warlords, it means they have their own plans. It's like bargaining with a tiger—who benefits from that?" Kai finished, looking at Sengoku without saying another word.
Sengoku frowned deeply and fell silent.
He had been wondering why recruiting the Seven Warlords went so smoothly. Now he finally understood—these guys all had their own agendas.
It wasn't that Sengoku hadn't thought about it before; he simply never looked at things from the pirates' perspective, so he overlooked these details.
"So what should we do now?" Sengoku hesitated.
After Kai's reminder, Sengoku vaguely guessed what the consequences might be. For a moment, he didn't know how to handle it and threw the question back to Kai.
"Keep forming the Seven Warlords!" Kai said succinctly.
Before Sengoku could ask why, Kai continued, "Admiral Sengoku, if the Navy can't even control seven groups of pirates, then it's just useless!"
He glanced at Sengoku after saying that.
Sengoku didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked deeply at Kai, his eyes a mix of admiration, shock, relief, and a hint of deep caution.
After a long pause, Sengoku came back to his senses and said in a low voice, "I've decided. The Seven Warlords plan will be executed immediately! Kizaru, Aokiji, you two are responsible for notifying the seven!"
"Yo, no problem."
"Ugh, such a hassle."
Just by their voices, it was easy to tell who they were. The lecherous tone belonged to Kizaru, while the lazy one could only be Aokiji.
Sengoku was well acquainted with their personalities. Faced with their attitudes, he said nothing and simply ignored them.
············
"Hmph! Sengoku, you'll regret cooperating with pirates! From today on, I, Zephyr, will no longer participate in any Navy decisions. Don't come to me with anything!"
Seeing Sengoku issue the final order, Zephyr knew arguing was pointless. He shot a hateful glance at Kai beside him. If it weren't for this guy, the Seven Warlords plan wouldn't even be implemented!
He blamed everything on Kai and then stormed out.
"Sigh."
Watching Zephyr leave the Admiral's office, Sengoku sighed deeply.
He understood Zephyr's hatred for pirates well. As Navy Admiral, choosing to cooperate with pirates was a bitter pill to swallow for Sengoku himself.
·······
But the situation at sea was nearing chaos. If he didn't make this choice, the entire era would spiral out of control! Without a balance of power, the world would plunge into turmoil.
After all, only a few pirates sail out driven by dreams. Most are ruthless and brutal. If pirates were allowed to run wild at sea, the consequences would be unimaginable. Compared to that, what harm is it if the Navy takes some criticism?
Gathering his thoughts, Sengoku looked at Kai again.
He was no longer merely satisfied with Kai. With strength comparable to a Vice Admiral and extraordinary strategy, Sengoku wondered just how Garp had gotten so lucky to meet such a prodigy. Luckily, Kai had joined the Navy.
If he had joined the pirates instead... Sengoku shuddered at the thought and didn't dare to imagine further.
"Hmm…" Sengoku pondered for a moment, then said, "Mitarashi Kai, you are hereby granted the rank of Vice Admiral. Effective immediately, you are stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago, responsible for its defense."
No sooner had Sengoku's words fallen than a cold system voice echoed in Kai's mind:
"Congratulations, host. You have obtained the rank of Vice Admiral and successfully joined the Navy. Profession chosen: Navy! Reward: Observation Haki unlocked!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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