Tsuru's Wariness

"What's there to discuss? This heinous criminal must be executed immediately!"

Almost as soon as Sengoku finished speaking, Sakazuki spoke without the slightest hesitation.

Both Aokiji and Kizaru participated in the previous operation against the God Slayer, but it was ineffective.

Of the three admirals, only he has not yet made a move... Although Akainu did not say anything about it, he believed that if he were there... the God Slayer would have been dead long ago.

There was absolutely no way to give the other party a chance to escape.

"You mean, send troops to the North Blue immediately?" Sengoku asked expressionlessly.

"No."

At this moment, the crane, holding the teacup with both hands, responded faintly.

"A hasty action by the Navy would only alert the enemy. Given that the previous two attempts to capture and contain the God Slayer ended in failure, it shows that this person is confident and capable of escaping our Navy. Putting aside the beginning of the Sabaody Incident, just consider the impact and trouble caused to the entire East Blue region by the East Blue operation... which has not yet been fully recovered from. Moreover, a series of failures will further cast doubt on the Navy's image and capabilities."

"If we make too much of a fuss, we still might not catch them..."

He took a sip of tea and stopped there.

"..."

The generals all frowned.

"What exactly is his ability? According to the data, he seems to be able to fly... but if he's flying alone, he can't take others with him... which means he didn't escape our pursuit using this method. And back in Sabaody Archipelago, he and that Dom disappeared after sinking into the deep sea..."

Lieutenant General Onigumo analyzed.

"And then there's the rumored divine power. It seems to allow others to evolve physically, becoming stronger... like suddenly transforming from humans into another race. While not invulnerable to bullets and blades, ordinary weapons, including bullets, cause very limited damage... They can heal themselves in a very short time. Looking back, until now... it seems like no Devil Fruit has ever appeared on the seas like this. And that ability to travel through space... it's not listed in any known Devil Fruit encyclopedia. Could it be some kind of scientific power?"

The Momonga chimed in.

"The biggest mystery surrounding him is the source of his methods or power. Before all that happened... he was a slave, a toy, of the Celestial Dragons. Based on his background and origins... even when he was royalty, he was just a spoiled brat... he never revealed that he was a Devil Fruit user or had anything to do with power."

"Oh right, wasn't it said he fought Doflamingo in the North Blue? Those two have clashed before... Why not ask the latter? He should know something..."

Other lieutenant generals also spoke in turn.

"Doflamingo..."

When this person was mentioned, Sengoku's expression darkened noticeably. "He did say some things, but the information he gave was similar to what we already knew, and there was nothing special about it."

"Doflamingo is definitely hiding something, but he hasn't broken his cooperation with the World Government. At least on the surface, he's said what he needed to say... and fulfilled his obligations." Tsuru closed her eyes, put down her teacup, and continued, seemingly very familiar with Doflamingo. "The Hell Pirates ... it seems the God Slayer wants to return to the Grand Line. This person is very meticulous; from the Hell Pirates' departure to their rise, every move has been planned."

"So, all we have to do is wait for him on the Grand Line."

"If we go now, he will most likely escape... The news agency probably already knows about the God Slayer, but they haven't publicized any reports related to the Hell Pirates. I don't know what Morgans is thinking... Maybe he's protecting the Hell Pirates."

"Not going?"

Upon hearing Tsuru's words, Akainu's expression clearly showed displeasure.

"Yes, I'm not going."

He emphasized again, "If we don't take the initiative to break this barrier, he will remain the Hell Pirates. No matter how much trouble he causes in the North Blue, his influence will be very limited. Compared to a proactive attack that is very likely to fail, it is safer to wait for him to come to us... Of the two outcomes, I personally prefer the one with less loss."

"Moreover, given the unique nature of his abilities... we probably won't even need to lift a finger; the World Government's agents will have already begun their operation."

Crane looked down at the calm surface of the teacup and said, word by word, "Divine power that can make others stronger... If such an ability is used properly, it's unimaginable... It could even create an army out of thin air that could turn the tide of battle on the high seas. It could also make an already formidable individual even more extraordinary!... The best situation right now is for us to remain still and for Morgans to keep quiet... Once the battle begins and the news spreads far and wide... Everyone will know about his divine power, and coupled with his identity God Slayer... I'm afraid even the Yonko, who originally didn't intend to recruit him, will become restless."

"Our navy has only just managed to stabilize the current situation..."

"Besides, I think those secret agents are more suited to this kind of thing than we are."

"Does Chief of Staff Tsuru mean... the World Government wants to use the power of the God Slayer?!"

Lieutenant General Doberman's eyelids twitched.

"That's true... If we can really capture the God Slayer, we can publicly execute him or find a stand-in to God Slayer! Then, we can control him in secret. With his abilities, it will undoubtedly boost the World Government's internal combat power to a new level. Maybe... our Navy will also benefit."

With a cigar in his mouth, Hō chuckled and, with the warmest face, uttered the most blunt words. "For those few, as long as the value they can be used is great enough... some things can be forgotten."

"..."

The room was quiet.

Everyone knows that what he said next was actually referring to the Celestial Dragons' decision-makers.

The Five Elders.

This whole world is, in fact, a business.

"But... even government agents might not be able to catch him."

Sengoku crossed his fingers, pondered for a moment, and looked at the crane.

"It's just an investigation, an investigation into his abilities... Every ability has its limits. How to enhance it, how much to enhance it by, and are there any requirements for the individual being enhanced? These are all key questions... It's just preparation for the upcoming major battle. It's very difficult for agents to directly contact the God Slayer. The best way is to 'infiltrate' him. Considering the God Slayer's situation and his cunning, if he simply wanted to avoid us and seek peace... there would be no need for him to do this, and he wouldn't have caused such a commotion. He could stay comfortably in North Blue and live a very comfortable life, since we had already lost contact with him."

Tsuru replied, "He's currently forming a One Piece crew and searching for companions... He's not afraid of being discovered, and he's also keenly aware of the current situation on the high seas, calculating that we won't dare to act. This man's mind is terrifying... I even suspect that even if we do take action, he's already devised a countermeasure. He's no longer hiding his purpose, which is to return to the Grand Line... All his current preparations are for a battle with us in the near future... And this battle is one that he... and even our Navy cannot avoid."

"Therefore, we only need to focus our energy on that big battle, and then we will know whether we win or lose."

The crane smiled.

"Him? He won?"

Akainu snorted coldly.

"There are many possible outcomes. For both of us, even if the Hell Pirates are destroyed... as long as he returns to the Grand Line and survives, the loser... will be us! Because this is the third time! Whether you admit it or not, the forces and personnel we will gather for this battle far exceed the previous two, and the resulting public opinion and impact will be unprecedented... If he escapes again, I don't need to elaborate on the consequences. Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, before returning to the Grand Line, he will deliberately reveal his identity to the entire world, attracting the attention of the entire sea and placing unimaginable pressure on us..."

"..."

After saying that, He slowly stood up; her tea had gone cold.

She glanced at Akainu and said calmly, "What's terrifying about some people... isn't their strength, but their intellect."

After speaking, the old woman left first, under the watchful eyes of everyone present.

"Let me meet Doflamingo sometime."

The sound of He Lin leaving the house drifted over.