"Ain, during the World Summit, you'll accompany Old Man Garp to Ryugu Kingdom," said Wright after some thought. "Queen Otohime will definitely be attending from the Ryugu Kingdom."
"Queen Otohime's health is more fragile than the average person's... with Old Man Garp's personality, I'm worried that just a couple of his loud laughs might cause her trouble!"
"That's why, Ain, I'll have to trouble you. Since Old Man Garp doesn't have any female subordinates under him, you're the perfect person to assist in looking after Queen Otohime."
"I understand, Vice Admiral Wright. I'll coordinate with Vice Admiral Garp right away!" Ain nodded eagerly, her anticipation evident.
—The Ryugu Kingdom, which hadn't participated in a World Summit for 200 years, and now she had the chance to serve as the Queen's escort! Holding back her excitement, Ain took her leave to find Garp and discuss the next steps.
Wright turned to Rosinante and Drake. "Alright, next up is the top-secret mission."
Hearing the words "top-secret," both Rosinante and Drake immediately straightened up. Rosinante gestured, and a soundproof barrier enveloped the room.
"All set—no one can overhear us now!"
Wright nodded, his expression serious. "This mission is both highly dangerous and will take a long time to complete."
"You may not be able to return to headquarters for an extended period, so be mentally prepared!"
"No problem!" Rosinante and Drake responded in unison.
Rosinante seemed composed, while Drake was slightly thrilled—working alongside Rosinante, a Commodore of headquarters, meant that Vice Admiral Wright had recognized his capabilities!
Wright pulled out a classified order bearing Fleet Admiral Sengoku's signature and seal.
"Effective immediately, for the purpose of this special top-secret mission and to ensure its success, Commodore Donquixote Rosinante is hereby promoted to Rear Admiral, and Lieutenant Commander X Drake is promoted to Commander."
"Vice Admiral Wright is authorized as the mission's overall commander, reporting directly to the Fleet Admiral!"
Rosinante and Drake exchanged glances, sensing the gravity of the mission.
"As this mission's details are classified, there will be no written orders. I will explain verbally—pay close attention."
After putting away the orders, Wright began, "First, the mission originates with Donquixote Doflamingo."
Rosinante's expression hardened. "What's he done this time?"
Hearing the name "Donquixote," Drake instinctively glanced at Rosinante.
"Yes, that Doflamingo is my brother—my biological brother. And he's a pirate," Rosinante said, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag as he noticed Drake's gaze. "But... we sabotaged his plans over a year ago!"
"Sengoku probably didn't tell you," Wright sighed. "Your brother truly lives up to his reputation as a criminal mastermind."
"He has managed to seize control of Dressrosa—likely through a method even you don't know about."
"What!" Rosinante's expression darkened. "How did he manage it? Without his status as a Warlord of the Sea, he still succeeded?!"
"A technique called the 'String Clone.' It allows him to create a remotely controlled puppet that can speak and act as if it's the real person. Sengoku and I suspect he used this to manipulate the King of Dressrosa."
"This puppet can mimic the King's appearance and take over his role in ruling the country... Doflamingo is now the true mastermind behind the scenes!"
"I've never seen him use such an ability!" Rosinante said, visibly shaken. "He's pushed a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit to its limits..."
"Only someone with my level of combat strength could've forced him to reveal such a card," Wright commented wryly.
"But the mission isn't about Dressrosa itself—Doflamingo has found a backer: Kaido of the Beasts!"
Wright then relayed the intelligence from Sengoku about the sea prism stone trade routes.
Rosinante and Drake quickly realized the severity of the situation—how massive must the Navy's annual consumption of sea stone be? The numbers were likely staggering beyond their imagination.
"So, our mission is to infiltrate Wano Country?" Rosinante mused. "Wano… isn't that a closed-off nation?"
"Exactly," Wright replied, turning to Drake. "Drake, your mission is to infiltrate Kaido's Beasts Pirates."
"Given your Devil Fruit ability and potential, it's practically guaranteed that Kaido will take an interest in you."
"As far as anyone knows, you're just an ordinary lieutenant commander. In the New World, someone like you wouldn't catch Kaido's attention right away."
"Rosinante, on the other hand, you're far too conspicuous. A commodore of Navy Headquarters is a noticeable figure no matter where you go. You must stay hidden and gather intelligence within Wano without exposing yourself to Kaido or the nation's 'Shogun.'"
"Understood," Rosinante nodded. "I'll focus on blending into Wano's populace and gathering information."
Drake nodded as well. "I won't need much disguise—Kaido's crew is full of all kinds of characters. I can just be myself."
"I've even had a particular outfit in mind for this kind of situation—I'll give it a try!"
An outfit? That Zoro-style getup? Wright mused. Admittedly, it's quite stylish... far better than Smoker's attire.
"Drake, prepare to leave Headquarters secretly before the World Summit begins. Disguise yourself as a pirate and wait for an opportunity to join the Beasts Pirates."
"Sengoku will handle your cover identity. Be careful."
"Your objectives: monitor Kaido's movements, evaluate his influence over Wano, uncover the structure of the Beasts Pirates, and investigate Doflamingo's collaboration with Kaido!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Wright!"
"Rosinante, during the World Summit, you'll gather data on Wano and practice blending in. After the summit, I'll personally travel to Wano to coordinate further actions."
"Your undercover mission isn't just about the sea prism stone trade—it's also about the societal changes within Wano."
"Wano is renowned for its highly skilled samurai and unparalleled swordsmithing. Their sea prism stone processing techniques are also top-notch."
"If you can uncover the reasons behind Wano's isolationist policies, it would be a significant breakthrough!"
Wright gave Rosinante a knowing look, and the Rear Admiral nodded in understanding.
"Understood!"
...
After finalizing the mission, Wright looked around the now-empty office and sighed.
"Wano... the one place where my foresight falls short. Only fragments of information are available."
"The advantage of foreknowledge ends here—it's unavoidable. That mangaka's frequent breaks are truly frustrating!"
"The groundwork for Wano must be laid early. Rosinante's involvement is essential..."
"The real showdown will likely occur at the scheduled time, but until then, the more strength we accumulate, the better! Kaido must be weakened further!"
"Punk Hazard... heh..."
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