Holy Land—Mariejois, in the office of the Five Elders, Claudius and Sengoku stood before the council.
"Sengoku, you'd better give us a reasonable explanation!" Nusjuro barked furiously.
Claudius spoke softly, "Allow me to explain."
"Explain? Haven't I given you enough chances already? How do you think you became a fleet admiral in the first place?" Nusjuro snapped, oblivious to who had actually spoken.
Sengoku, who had been quietly reflecting on his mistakes, looked stunned. I didn't say anything, he thought, his heart heavy.
Noticing Sengoku's gaze full of silent frustration, Claudius smiled awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Sir, this matter isn't Sengoku's fault. It's mine. Neither Doffy nor I realized Rosinante's true intentions. We failed to see through him. If there's blame to be assigned, then punish me." Claudius stepped forward and spoke with a solemn tone.
Sengoku stared at Claudius's back, a surge of emotion welling up inside him. As expected, my greatest supporter is Claudius. To step forward at such a moment, it's truly touching.
Nusjuro's expression shifted as he regarded Claudius. He knew that Claudius wasn't aware of Rosinante's full mission, yet he himself understood the truth: Rosinante had been a Marine they had planted close to Doflamingo.
And now? This "undercover agent" had switched sides and betrayed them, leaving the Five Elders with a mess they couldn't even publicly address.
"Claudius…" Nusjuro murmured before shaking his head. "You're not to blame for this."
Sengoku, desperate to keep this issue from escalating, feared it could strain the already fragile relationship between Marine Headquarters and Claudius. Even though he was heartbroken—after all, he had treated Rosinante as his own son—Sengoku swallowed his grief and stepped forward.
"This is my responsibility. It's a failing on the part of Marine Headquarters," Sengoku said sincerely.
Hearing this, Nusjuro hesitated before finally sighing. "Sengoku, Marine must take accountability for this. When you return, prepare a thorough report and submit it. And next time I see you… you'd better still be worthy of that title of fleet admiral!"
There was no way around it. The matter of the Ope-Ope Fruit had already been concluded. The outcome couldn't be undone.
Furthermore, Marine Headquarters was still crucial. The New World was in chaos, and the Five Elders knew they would need Marine's power to stabilize it.
As much as he was furious, Nusjuro had to let the matter slide.
"Yes!" Sengoku replied without hesitation.
After dealing with Sengoku, Nusjuro turned to Claudius. "Regarding the Seven Warlords of the Sea, proceed as you see fit."
Claudius smiled faintly. "Considering the recent incident with the Big Mom Pirates, Enel's strength is already well-established. He has immense potential and is indeed worthy of being one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Your judgment hasn't disappointed us," Nusjuro said with a nod. "The Seven Warlords of the Sea system has already proven its value. Finalize the roster as soon as possible. Once the lineup is complete, we'll resume our push into the New World. Whether it's Kaido or Whitebeard, they must be eliminated!"
Claudius frowned slightly. The urgency to complete the Seven Warlords of the Sea didn't align with his plans. It wasn't as if there was a lack of candidates—the seas were full of qualified individuals. But the issue was that many of them weren't trustworthy.
In Claudius's long-term vision, it would take another seven or eight years to fully establish the Seven Warlords of the Sea. By then, even someone like Ace would be mature enough to fit into the structure.
But now the Five Elders seemed impatient, perhaps emboldened by the success of eliminating Charlotte Linlin. Did they really believe Kaido and Whitebeard could be taken down just as easily?
"If we rush to complete the Seven Warlords of the Sea now, it'll weaken the system's integrity," Claudius remarked after a moment of thought.
Nusjuro nodded slightly. Currently, the Seven Warlords consisted of Doflamingo, Crocodile, Mihawk, Bartholomew Kuma, and now Enel. That made five in total.
Among them, Mihawk and Kuma couldn't be fully trusted. The remaining three—Doflamingo, Crocodile, and Enel—were directly aligned with Claudius, either as CP-X operatives or through other connections. Even Doflamingo, despite his notorious reputation, was relatively reliable within their framework.
If two more outsiders were added, the cohesion of the group would certainly diminish. Managing the Seven Warlords of the Sea might become far more complicated than it currently was.
"That's true. But Claudius, the Seven Warlords aren't meant to be permanent. There will always be changes—new recruits, replacements. What matters is their immediate value. Do you understand?" Nusjuro said in a measured tone.
Claudius remained silent. It was clear the Five Elders were determined to finalize the Seven Warlords quickly. They had clearly experienced the benefits of this system and wanted to see it fully operational.
"Once you've cultivated suitable candidates, we can replace the less reliable ones. But for now, we need sufficient deterrence," Nusjuro continued.
Finally, Claudius nodded. "Understood. I'll begin screening for suitable candidates as soon as I return."
"Good. Work hard," Nusjuro said with satisfaction.
With that, the discussion ended. Realizing there was nothing more to discuss, Claudius and Sengoku left the office.
As they walked out of the World Government headquarters, Sengoku said, "Thank you for stepping up back there."
"It was nothing," Claudius replied lightly.
Seeing Sengoku's heavy mood, Claudius refrained from saying much else. The two walked in silence through the streets of Mariejois.
After a while, Claudius broke the silence. "A lot of things are moving forward. The Calm Belt initiative should also be put into action. I've entrusted Tesoro with the preparations, and arrangements have already been made on Amazon Lily. As long as Marine is ready, you can begin whenever you see fit."
Sengoku managed a faint smile. "Marine is always ready. Once I return, we'll send personnel into the Calm Belt immediately."
"Who will oversee it?" Claudius asked.
"The scientific division will be led by Kizaru. Naturally, he'll be in charge. However, as he's still an admiral, we've assigned Captain Nezumi as the field executor," Sengoku explained.
After a few more words on the subject, Claudius brought up another matter. "By the way, on Minion Island, I found a promising young talent. I had originally intended to train him for CP-X, but he seems to have his heart set on joining Marine. Perhaps you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, could help me groom him?"
Sengoku raised an eyebrow. It was clear Claudius wanted to place someone within Marine. But Sengoku didn't mind.
Marine was a massive organization with a complex internal hierarchy. For someone of Claudius's status to handle the matter so openly and straightforwardly, it was more than acceptable.
Besides, Sengoku knew there would likely be many occasions in the future where Marine would need Claudius's support. Having someone loyal to Claudius within Marine could only benefit their collaboration and mutual trust.
Nodding, Sengoku said, "If His Highness Claudius sees potential in him, he must be an excellent prospect. Marine always welcomes talented individuals. Leave it to me—I'll make sure he gets the proper training."
"His name is Drake. Once I've finished arranging things, I'll have him sent to Marine Headquarters," Claudius said with a smile.
***
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