Plotting Against the Great General

"My apologies, Lord Guernica, but this matter is beyond my authority. If a Fleet Admiral is truly needed to serve as Saint Ross's escort, it must be ordered by the Five Elders."

Fleet Admiral Kong was a seasoned old fox, and with one sentence, he kicked the ball right back.

Kong sat calmly in his Fleet Admiral's seat, his gaze sweeping over the uneasy subordinates below, a quiet chuckle in his heart.

No wonder he was the Fleet Admiral, while those below were merely Admirals and Vice Admirals.

It wasn't like this was the first time they'd seen what Celestial Dragons were really like. Why bother getting worked up over them?

Would they really drag an Admiral off to be a personal bodyguard? The Five Elders and the World Government wouldn't agree to that either.

Still, Kong didn't want to offend the Celestial Dragons.

If nothing unexpected happened, he'd be getting a promotion in a few years.

When that time came, he'd be heading to Mary Geoise, and he'd have to deal with these people plenty.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, correct?"

The Den Den Mushi on the conference table suddenly shifted its appearance, its voice changing to Ross's tone.

"That's right. And you are?"

Kong's expression turned a bit more serious. The sudden change in speaker meant this was the real deal.

"Saint Jaygarcia Saturn. Fleet Admiral Kong may not have heard my name, but I trust my surname is familiar enough." Ross said calmly.

"Your Highness, the Scientific Defense God-Warrior is your..."

Kong's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't expected the Celestial Dragon contacting him to have that kind of background. As an ambitious Fleet Admiral, he knew the surnames of the Five Elders well enough.

In the eyes of World Government officials at every level, not all Celestial Dragons were the same.

For the ordinary ones who only cared about pleasure, they just had to put on a show of compliance. If a request was too excessive, reporting it upward was enough; there was no need to take it seriously.

Of course, even handling that required at least an Admiral or someone like Garp. If a Rear Admiral or other Marine soldier slacked off, they'd be imprisoned or executed.

But for a Celestial Dragon like Ross, with ties to the Five Elders, even Kong had to tread carefully.

They weren't Celestial Dragons themselves, so they had no idea what the internal reality was like. They could only guess based on conventional logic.

A direct descendant of a Five Elder—wasn't that just a future Five Elder?

"The Scientific Defense God-Warrior is my grandfather."

Ross knew this well, which was why he'd brought up his surname and draped himself in the Five Elder's authority.

In truth, every Celestial Dragon knew that, aside from a few elites, the rest were no different from pigs in the eyes of the Five Elders. Bloodline meant nothing.

There were only twenty Celestial Dragon families in total, and one had left at the very founding of the World Government. Over eight hundred years, only the descendants born from intermarriage among the remaining nineteen families counted as Celestial Dragons.

After eight hundred years of this, every family was somewhat related by blood.

Never mind that their ancestors were one family—go back two generations, and they might as well be the same.

But only Celestial Dragons knew this. To the outside world, all Celestial Dragons were supreme.

And since Kong wasn't yet the future Commander-in-Chief stationed at the Holy Land, he wouldn't think along those lines.

"Your Highness, is having an Admiral serve as your escort your grandfather's idea?"

Kong asked cautiously, deftly shifting the blame.

Whether or not this was Saint Saturn's intention, as long as Ross took responsibility, it wouldn't be Kong's problem anymore.

Even if Ross was falsely claiming Saint Saturn's authority, that was still a Celestial Dragon's family affair.

"The Navy currently has only two Admirals, with one in a semi-retired state. Is that correct?"

Ross didn't answer directly, instead steering the conversation back to the issue of the Navy Admirals.

Originally, he'd planned to use the Admirals as an excuse to recruit some of the younger generation and slowly cultivate them.

But since Guernica had coincidentally called Marine Headquarters, and Kong had reacted the way he did, Ross figured he could afford to be bolder.

"Correct. Admiral Sengoku handles the safety of Paradise and the Four Seas, while Admiral Zephyr oversees the training of new Marine recruits."

Kong cursed the little fox under his breath. Since when did Celestial Dragons play word games?

Weren't Celestial Dragons supposed to be straightforward?

If you had something to say, just say it. Go ahead and act arrogant, you Celestial Dragon.

What Kong feared most wasn't a Celestial Dragon being arrogant—he could just cower and take a minor punishment afterward.

But if he got dragged into a big mess and something went wrong, he'd be finished.

"Using an Admiral to train new Marine recruits—since when did the Navy get so extravagant?" Ross said flatly. "Anyone can train new recruits, and they wouldn't do a bad job at it."

"I've heard that the Navy's most famous recent standouts—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan—were all taught by him. But without Zephyr, would these three have reached their current strength?"

"Well..."

Kong was left speechless.

Seeing the slight easing of Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan's expressions at the praise, Kong felt even more bitter inside.

You don't actually think a Celestial Dragon is complimenting you, do you?

This is clearly a threat!

If they don't let Zephyr go, then the three of them will have to take the fall.

Right now, Sakazuki and the other two are already making a name for themselves. In their early thirties, their strength has reached its peak, no weaker than a Navy Admiral.

A semi-retired instructor Admiral versus three future Navy Admirals—the choice doesn't even require thought.

"Your Highness, I can arrange a meeting between you and Admiral Zephyr."

As for the outcome of the meeting, that has nothing to do with him.

If Saint Ross can keep him, that's his skill. If Zephyr ends up leaving, that's not his problem either.

"Fine. Does the Navy have any major operations coming up?"

Ross agreed without a second thought. As long as they met, he'd find a way to keep the man.

Everyone has weaknesses, especially someone like Zephyr, who's at his peak in strength but semi-retired due to his mindset.

Courtesy demands reciprocity. Since the Navy was being so cooperative, he didn't mind using his status to do them a favor in return.

Dealing with the Navy had its perks too. In the future, when the Navy captured pirates, he could request them for his own execution.

If he wanted to grow his combat power, killing strong opponents was definitely the fastest way.

Slaughtering an island of 100,000 people probably wouldn't compare to killing a B-rank powerhouse.

To kill more strong opponents, going through the Navy's channels was the quickest route.

The World Government had its methods too, but he was just an ordinary Celestial Dragon, not a Five Elder or the Commander of the Knights of God. He couldn't mobilize the World Government's power at all.

"Your Highness, the scholars of Ohara are attempting to forge history unfavorable to the Celestial Dragons. The World Government recently issued a Buster Call. Would you be willing to serve as the executor of this Buster Call, letting your fame resound across the four seas?"

Others might not have understood, but Kong immediately caught Ross's subtext and was overjoyed.

Wasn't this perfect?

Letting the Navy carry out a Buster Call alone, targeting the historical sacred ground of Ohara—Kong had been worrying about how to handle the ensuing public pressure.

If Saint Ross led the operation, the problem would be solved in one go.

News of Celestial Dragons destroying islands popped up a few times every year without causing any stir. The Navy was always an accomplice, yet no one ever criticized them for it.

When working for the World Government, the Navy took the blame. When working for the Celestial Dragons, they treated island destruction as a meritorious deed—the nature was completely different.

"A Buster Call, huh..."

Just as Kong's heart was about to leap into his throat, Ross said casually:

"I've never witnessed a Buster Call before. I'll go along and enjoy the scenery."

"With your presence, this grand ceremony will surely shine brilliantly!"

Ignoring the strange looks from his subordinates, Kong immediately offered sincere flattery.

Hah! What do you know? I'm doing this for your sake.

If it weren't to spare you from public pressure, would I have dragged Ross into this Buster Call?

Do you think I want to execute a Buster Call?

A Buster Call is a military order requiring at least five Vice Admirals to lead, aimed at erasing or completely destroying an island or a nation. Only a select few are qualified to issue one.

Under normal circumstances, even a Celestial Dragon like Ross isn't qualified to initiate a Buster Call.

But if a Celestial Dragon gets injured, for the sake of the World Government's dignity, a Buster Call would likely be issued to erase the place where they were harmed.

This isn't twenty years from now. The World Government and the Navy are at their peak.

A Buster Call issued now heralds a disaster.

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