Chapter 263: Sengoku’s Concerns
Navy Headquarters Fleet Admiral’s Office.
“Sorry, Sengoku.”
“Originally, I should have let you go on vacation to recuperate properly, but the orders from above specifically name you to immediately start selecting the Shichibukai list upon your return.”
Behind a brand-new desk, Fleet Admiral Kong looked at Sengoku, who was still wrapped in bandages, and spoke with an apologetic expression.
Meanwhile, Sengoku on the side sofa held a not-too-thick stack of bounties in his hand.
Today, he wasn’t wearing his usual stern black suit, but rather a looser robe, seemingly to allow better airflow to the wounds under the bandages.
“It’s fine. My injuries are actually no big deal anymore.”
“Although I still can’t participate in battles for the time being, I don’t need to specially take time to rest quietly.”
After all, the Human-Human Fruit is also a Mythical Zoan, and its recovery ability is still there.
Moreover, Sengoku himself was still in his prime, with abundant vitality, so even though he was indeed seriously injured at the time, he had recovered about seventy to eighty percent in a month.
But even so, he still obediently followed the doctor’s orders and didn’t directly remove the bandages.
……
Splash~ Splash~
After the pleasantries, Sengoku quickly began the task of selecting the Seven Warlords.
One bounty after another passed over his round-framed glasses as Sengoku quickly recalled the life information of these pirates in his mind.
The stack in his hand had already been roughly screened by the people below, excluding pirates who lacked strength or were fundamentally unlikely to agree, leaving a list of candidates.
“Hm…”
Thirty minutes later, he put down the last bounty in his hand, recalled the information about the pirate with the ferocious chin on it, then took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
To be honest, this so-called 【Shichibukai】 plan suddenly introduced by the World Government was indeed somewhat unexpected to Sengoku.
After the Navy, as the face of their own organization, suffered huge losses, they weren’t thinking about urgently recruiting personnel, but instead came up with the whimsical idea of giving pirates official establishment……
One could only say that those people above still had some world-shocking wisdom.
“Hoo~”
After a brief rest for his brain, Sengoku spoke somewhat hesitantly, but not about the Seven Warlords candidates.
“Fleet Admiral Kong, to be honest… I still feel that the decision from above this time is somewhat lacking… in prudence.”
“Recruiting pirates and granting them legal raid rights and such…”
“Forgive my bluntness, this is using the World Government’s credit and authority to endorse the criminal behavior of these pirates. In the long run, the government’s credibility will suffer serious damage!”
“And our Navy’s position will also become very delicate.”
What would the robbed countries and robbed people think when they discover that the Navy and World Government not only don’t protect them, but stand on the side of the pirates?
Ah~ So the Navy isn’t the so-called justice after all, and the World Government and pirates are no different……
I was raided when the Navy wasn’t there, and I’m still raided when the Navy comes… What’s the use of the Navy then?
Not to mention that those pirates fundamentally won’t obediently listen to the World Government; they’ll inevitably make small moves behind the scenes, or even use the World Government’s hand to stir up trouble.
So in Sengoku’s view, this so-called 【Shichibukai】 plan was completely drinking poison to quench thirst, bound to explode in the future.
“Sigh~”
Hearing Sengoku’s words, Kong also sighed heavily.
Granting pirates legal status, even providing them help and protection when necessary… This is unacceptable to any Navy member who holds justice in their heart.
“I know all that you said, old man, but this is already decided from above, an order personally given by the Gorosei.”
“What we can do now is use the personnel screening authority delegated from above to try to select bastards who won’t cause too much trouble.”
“Sigh~”
Hearing Kong’s words, Sengoku couldn’t help but sigh as well.
After that near-annihilation campaign last time, the Navy’s strength had already dropped to an extremely dangerous level.
In the coming years, their strike capability against the New World wouldn’t be completely lost, but it would be almost gone.
Even the Four Seas and Paradise had been somewhat affected, forcing them to adopt a conservative policy.
Although the news of the Navy’s great defeat was fully blocked by the World Government and didn’t reach the public ears much, some rumors still leaked out.
And the Navy’s recently obvious conservative stance seemed to further confirm these rumors.
According to the latest statistics from various branches, many pirates in the Four Seas and Grand Line had already begun to get restless.
Helplessly picking up the stack of bounties at hand again, Sengoku carefully flipped through them once more and ultimately selected about a dozen.
“These are all pirates whose strength is at the level of Headquarters Vice Admirals, currently operating alone or with just one ship. I think they are more suitable.”
“Mm.”
Roughly glancing at the dozen or so people Sengoku had selected, Kong nodded; they were all pirates with no major crimes.
“Call over Tsuru and the people from her Staff Department. Everyone should do a final selection together.”
“This is a major matter, so we need to be more cautious.”
“…”
“Should we call Garp?”
“No need. He’s been hiding recently precisely because he doesn’t want to get involved in this.”
“…”
“Speaking of which, Fleet Admiral Kong, about those two little girls from the Beasts Pirates, their bounties…”
After hesitating several times, Sengoku still asked.
In his heart, that little girl named Osiris was quite suitable for the Shichibukai position.
During that month’s interaction, he had roughly figured out her situation—cheerful and lively personality, no ambition, often speaks without filter but has no bad intentions… Most importantly, she doesn’t take lives lightly.
To be honest, if she weren’t really unwilling, Sengoku would have truly wanted to trick her into joining the Navy.
“None. Neither 【Underworld Princess】 Osiris nor 【War Princess】 Obelisk was mentioned regarding bounties from above.”
“So that’s how it is…”
“Mm, after all, according to above, that was a ‘non-existent’ campaign, so there’s no reason to suddenly put bounties on those two.”
“As for the golden little girl you mentioned, it’s even more impossible; the government hasn’t found any specific information on her even now.”
“We don’t even have a single photograph or portrait of her. You’ve said yourself that you can’t remember what she looks like, right?”
“This might be some special Devil Fruit Ability.”
“…”
Hearing this, Sengoku’s brows furrowed even deeper.
That golden little girl was absolutely the most dangerous and abnormal person he had ever encountered in his life—not just her strength that could easily burn mountains and boil seas, but most crucially, her indifferent attitude toward life.
That was absolutely not an attitude a normal human should have; even those abnormal lunatics weren’t like her.
Sengoku suspected that if necessary, she wouldn’t hesitate at all to burn the entire world to ash.
『Unfortunately, the New World intelligence system was also nearly wiped out in the last battle, otherwise they wouldn’t be so passive.』
……
After discussions involving Kong, Sengoku, Tsuru, and all members of the Navy Headquarters Staff Department, the first generation of 【Shichibukai】 candidates was officially determined.
Immediately after, invitation letters were sent out one by one to confirm those pirates’ attitudes and willingness to become Seven Warlords.
Ultimately, after adjustments to one or two candidates, the news of the inaugural Seven Warlords’ establishment spread to every corner of the world along with newspapers like falling snow.
