"Whitebeard II joins the Shichibukai!"
Gion's pupils shrank as she exclaimed in shock.
After Caelan reduced the Shichibukai to only Bartholomew Kuma and Hawkeye Mihawk, she had anticipated that the World Government would replenish their ranks.
And Whitebeard II, who had long been infamous across the seas, was indeed a candidate she had thought of.
But even so, seeing Weevil actually join the Shichibukai still shocked her.
"This guy cut off one of Admiral Zephyr's arms and killed hundreds of elite Marine cadets, yet they actually allowed him to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku really made a foolish decision this time."
Gion criticized sharply without hesitation.
Allowing such a vicious pirate into the Shichibukai was a devastating blow to the Marines' reputation.
A pirate who had massacred hundreds of Marine elites being given the title of Warlord, what would the other officers think?
Those cadets in Zephyr's elite training camp were all candidates with the potential to become at least captains.
Weevil's ambush wiped out hundreds of future Marine officers, the equivalent of at least three G-5 branches.
He was the sworn enemy of the Marines.
Not to mention, Zephyr himself had lost an arm. What would he think? What would his former students feel?
The three Admirals, Borsalino, Akainu, and Aokiji, along with elite vice admirals like Tokikakke, Onigumo, and Momonga, were all trained personally by Zephyr.
Even she herself had once been taught under him and could call him sensei.
"How could they let scum like this join the Marines? Sengoku has truly lost his mind!" Gion said angrily.
Even though she had already left the Marines, seeing this news still filled her with indignation.
She felt sorrow for her former comrades, for Admiral Zephyr, and for all the soldiers who had shed blood fighting pirates.
Was Whitebeard II's power really worth exchanging for the dignity of the entire Marines?
Any one of Zephyr's three Admiral-level disciples could easily defeat Weevil.
"I think Sengoku was forced into this. This ridiculous decision most likely came from those Five Elders," Caelan said with a faint smile as he pointed to another prominent headline.
["Warrior God of Science and Defense, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, declared: "The Navy has once again welcomed a powerful ally, and we continue to thrive!"]
Only those Five Elders, who consistently made foolish choices, could have come up with such a plan.
According to the paper, they were even celebrating Weevil's induction.
"I agree. Even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku was confused, with Tsuru by his side, he would never make such a stupid decision!" Gion nodded firmly at Caelan's judgment.
Although Sengoku loved eating senbei and often joked around with Garp, when it came to serious matters, he was still quite reliable.
"It's those Five Elders' fault. They are the root cause of everything that happened to me!" Gion gritted her teeth.
She hadn't forgotten that the three billion Berry bounty on her head was also issued under their orders.
Although the trap had been orchestrated by Caelan, treating a Marine admiral-candidate like that was outrageous.
Only the Five Elders, who cared nothing for Marines as human beings, would come up with the idea of letting Weevil join the Shichibukai.
"Don't be angry." Caelan gently stroked Gion's back and comforted her. "This is actually good news for us. The World Government doesn't value your former comrades, and our Neo Navy is eager for talent. If we can bring those Marine officers over, wouldn't everyone be happy?"
"Yes. Bring Zephyr here, bring Yamakaji, Momonga, and the others here!" Gion sneered coldly. "I want to see if Weevil is really worth losing all of them."
"Well, let's prepare and let the bullets fly for a while," Caelan said with a smile.
The news of Weevil joining the Shichibukai had only just been announced. It was best to wait and see how things unfolded before stepping in to clean up the mess.
"Alright, I'll head back and prepare immediately!"
Gion nodded in agreement, ready to dive into work.
"I'll also think of some plans. You just focus on handling the Neo Navy's official duties. Don't tire yourself out too much," Caelan said with concern.
He knew how busy she was already. Adding more work on top of that would make things unbearable.
Even though she had become a Heroic Spirit and could use magical energy to offset physical fatigue, mental exhaustion was another matter entirely.
"Don't worry about me. Let Hina take over for a while. I believe in her potential," Gion said dismissively with a wave of her hand.
The message in her eyes was clear: suffer a little longer, and I will shoulder the blame.
Caelan saw it and could only advise, "Don't let Hina overwork herself."
Whether his words would have any effect, he didn't know. He could only silently pity Hina.
Since their bond wasn't strong enough, Hina hadn't been transformed into a Heroic Spirit. As a mortal, she would likely have to endure grueling 007-style work for some time.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Gion said with a firm nod, then returned to the Neo Navy's office brimming with fighting spirit.
Hina was her best friend, after all. She wouldn't truly mistreat her. At most, Hina would just be exhausted.
Gion quickly handed over her usual duties to Hina, then buried herself in thinking about how to recruit Admiral Zephyr and several elite vice admirals.
"Gion, Hina can't do this!"
Hina looked bitterly at the stack of documents taller than a person.
Her workload had already been overwhelming, but now, with Gion's added responsibilities, it was enough to crush her.
Gion first explained her plan to poach talent, then spoke earnestly. "Once Admiral Zephyr and the others come over, you'll have it easy."
"…"
Hina looked at Gion with resentment.
Could this promise sound any more empty?
Didn't she say before that things would calm down once Dressrosa stabilized?
But now, she was even busier every day, with no sign of relief at all.
"You have to finish the path you've chosen, even if it means crying!"
Hina silently encouraged herself as she buried her head back in the pile of paperwork.
She could only hope that Admiral Zephyr and those elite vice admirals would really be brought over.
Even if not all of them, just one would be enough to make her suffering worth it.
(To be continued.)
***
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