"After my fight with Whitebeard, I've been thinking that maybe we're not ready to go to the New World yet. We should spend some time getting stronger. Plus there's still a lot of fun places to go to in the first half of the Grand Line." I said.
"There you actually making a good point again. Maybe Whitebeard hit you so hard it fixed your brain." Rei said.
"I'll throw you overboard." I said. I'd come to threaten to throw Rei overboard every time she said something annoying. Which was very often for her. Both she and everyone else knew that I wouldn't actually throw her overboard, but it usually made her shut up. I think she knew I wouldn't actually throw her overboard, but she didn't want to push my buttons too much just in case.
"So what kind of training are we going to be doing?" Sig asked excitedly.
"Just basic stuff. Sparring and basic strength and conditioning. I'm not an expert in training techniques, especially considering that we all pretty much have different fighting styles. But the way I see it, if we want to get better at fighting the best thing we can do is fight." I said.
"That's all fine Captain, but the biggest thing we all need to improve on is Haki. I learned the basics while in the Navy, but I'm not really qualified to teach it to others. To be honest I need to improve my Haki skills myself." Jack replied.
"Yeah you're right, the only problem is that there's not many people who know how to teach Haki to others. The best we can do is train however we can while we travel and hopefully we can find somebody along the way." I said.
"That's kind of a vague plan do you think it'll be ok?" Celeste asked.
"Yeah, I mean that's pretty much the same way I found all of you, so I think it'll work out." I said.
"H-Hey C-Captain, do I have to train too?" Claudia asked meekly as she stepped out of the kitchen.
"No, Claudia. I know you're not a fighter like us. You can just focus on cooking." As I said that to Claudia I noticed that Isabella had here hand raised. "Of course you don't need to train either Bell, I'd never let anyone lay a finger on you, you're way too valuable to ever put you in a fight."
"Oh, I know that already Leo. I was just letting you know that you had a message from the Navy." Isabella said as she handed me a letter from the Navy.
"Oh this is probably about selecting a new Warlord." I said. It had been some time since he left Alabasta, so I was expecting this at some point. "I guess we need to change our heading to Navy HQ"
We made our way to the Marines headquarters, Marineford. There the rest of the Warlords were gathered around a table and the topic of discussion was who would replace Crocodile as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Well actually not all of the Warlords were there. At some point during the discussion, Lafitte showed up to suggest Blackbeard for the position. I didn't really get involved in the discussion. I could have spoke up and maybe prevented him from being considered but again I wanted to try to avoid affecting the story too much. Plus I don't know if they'd even listen to me in the first place.
After the meeting, Doflamingo stopped me as I was leaving. "So you're the guy that beat Moria, we hadn't had a chance to meet since you joined. We should get to know each other." He said. I'm fairly certain he was trying to see if there was a way that I'd be useful to him.
"No, thanks." I said as I continued walking away. He then stepped in front of me to block my path.
"Oh, don't be like that. I'll have you know I'm a good friend to have, and an even worse enemy." He said with a menacing grin. "For starters, I hear you can predict the future. So why don't you tell me my fortune?"
"Fine, I'll tell you. You're about to die. If you don't move out of my way in the next few seconds you will die. That's your fortune." I said as I gripped my sword. I wasn't really planning on fighting with Doffy, I just thought that would be a cool, intimidating thing to say.
Luckily, Sengoku appeared to break us apart. "Settle down you two. Gaileo, I have something to discuss with you. Come with me." He said trying to diffuse the tension.
"Fine." I said.
"Geh, you guys are no fun. I'm out of here." Doffy said as he walked off laughing.
I then went with Sengoku back to his office. "So what is it now? I was kind of in the middle of something when you guys called me in here." I said.
"It's been over a half a year since you joined the Seven Warlords, and during that time you've been a fairly reliable asset. You actually accept most of the assignments we give you, which is unusual for a Warlord. Although, you still pick and choose when you actually respond. Still you've managed to take out many dangerous pirate crews, although there have been many instances of the Marine detachments that are sent to assist you going missing."Sengoku said.
"And in those instances the Marines in question were corrupt officers who were terrorizing the civilian population. That's why you haven't made a big deal out of it am I right?" I asked and the look on his face told me I was right. "So what did you really bring me here to say?"
"You're clearly not like the rest of the Warlords, you seem to actually have an interest in helping people in need. I'd like to formally offer you a position in the Navy. We can start you out at the position of Vice Admiral. Would you consider it?" He asked. "I feel strange saying this to a pirate, but we could use more people with your sense of justice."
"Hahahaha! That's what you brought me here to talk about? I'd never do something like that. I have my own goals. That doesn't appeal to me one bit."
"I know you're dissatisfied with the current state of the Navy. But if you were to join us you could help change the Navy from the inside."
"Oh really? And what have you been doing about it after all your years in charge?"
"Tch, it's not as easy as you think." He said with a strained look on his face.
"I don't doubt that, but still it doesn't change the fact that if I want to pursue real justice I'll have to be outside of the Navy. As long as you're on the side of the World Government you'll never be on the side of true justice. If that's all you had to say, then I'm done here." I said, it seemed that Sengoku had more that he wanted to say in response but refrained from saying it and I left the room.
"He says that I can't be on the side of true justice as long as I'm aligned with the World Government? Sometimes I wonder if he might have a point." Sengoku pondered to himself.