Press the Advantage to Pursue the Fleeing Foe

As soon as he finished speaking, Kuzan's displeasure was palpable; icicles practically dripped down his legs.

If Gawain hadn't been there, Kuzan would never have been able to appear in front of Sakazuki.

In the current navy, even Sengoku can't control the two of them; Sengoku can't even get them to sit together!

If Gawain doesn't awaken and summon them, Kuzan knows very well that the next time he meets Sakazuki, it will be a life-or-death battle between the two!

Because Kuzan knew perfectly well that he and Sakazuki were both right, neither of them was wrong, and they were equally resolute!!!

Only Gawain was an exception, and that was all there was to him!

Thinking this, Kuzan frowned and looked at Gawain.

His brow wasn't furrowed at Gawain, of course; it was because Sakazuki had appeared in his peripheral vision, and that figure disgusted him!

So he turned aside, avoiding Sakazuki's figure, and then spoke to Gawain.

"My lord, in the past year, there have been countless problems within the navy, whether it's compensation, recruitment, cooperating with your anti-corruption campaign, or the assessment of generals and the education of training camps."

In short, the war a year ago wiped out the foundation that the navy had built up over nearly thirty years.

During Rocks' era, after the Navy ended its fate of being suppressed by Rocks, we accumulated strength for thirty years through steady progress before finally achieving a complete victory against the pirates.

To say it was comprehensive might be somewhat one-sided, because this victory resulted in the loss of the navy's foundation.

At this moment, we may truly be qualified to hunt down the pirates who have suffered even greater losses.

But so what? As long as we keep our focus on the pursuit, the pirates will keep coming in waves!

The relentless pursuit and attrition will weaken us along with the pirates, leading to a decline in our control over the lower ranks!

Now we should cooperate with your actions, and while you maintain basic public order, we should strive to support your decisions and extend your reach to more distant places!

The Sea Train is currently only connected to about 40% of the islands along the Grand Line, and within the Four Blues East Blue has a portion of the Sea Train track.

Let our navy join the territory of the Dark Bird Ship, starting from the grassroots and civilians, to expand our territory, strive to bring the Grand Line and the Four Blues under our complete control, and dismantle the soil from which pirates are born.

This is what we should be doing now. This battered navy needs to draw strength from continuous interaction with the grassroots and civilians!

Instead of knowingly inflicting heavy losses while single-mindedly continuing the war, giving back to the civilians who supported us with even more broken families!

Every marine's death will lead to greater instability in grassroots society!

Every broken family fuels public discontent with us!

This is the truth, this is the real world!

And him, humph!

"My lord, all he sees is the enemy and hatred. This bastard who never respects his soldiers is unworthy to be the next Fleet Admiral of this army!"

"Damn it!!!"

At this point in Kuzan's speech, Sakazuki finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He was smoking a cigar, a skill he'd somehow acquired, when he angrily interrupted Gawain.

"My lord, just because we fear the deaths of our soldiers, should we abandon the opportunity to pursue the fleeing enemy, allowing them to lick their wounds in a corner and grow stronger?"

We should press on with our remaining strength to eliminate the enemy, and not seek fame like Xiang Yu. Although I don't know who Xiang Yu is, these are the words you said to us a year ago when you were assigning us tasks, and I have always kept them in mind!

Admittedly, our navy suffered countless losses, but let us not forget that it was precisely these losses that brought the enemy back!

Although pirates are now merely licking their wounds in the New World, and the security situation in the New World and the Four Blues has indeed improved a lot, let's not forget that the peace and stability we enjoy today were bought with those sacrifices!

Peace has indeed arrived, but the enemy has not completely disappeared. While we pursue stability, the enemy is also constantly growing stronger in the shadows!

He disliked seeing images of naval casualties and couldn't bear to face the relatives and families of the dead!

But the more we appease them, the more the future will unfold. As we slowly recover while the enemy regroups, the casualties in the next war will exceed our wildest imagination!

Yes, indeed, the world belongs to the strong, and war is a war of the strong.

But what determines the ownership of the world is never the victor, but the desires and sacrifices of everyone on the victor's side, from top to bottom!

If I were to indiscriminately kill innocent people, well, I'd go back to Impel Down myself, go to Level 6 and fight those great pirates I captured before, and make sure they don't have an easy time in prison!

But I have a clear conscience regarding my decisions and everything I have done in the past!

All sacrifices are made so that we don't have to sacrifice ourselves. If bloodshed is inevitable, then let it remain on our generation, which is already scarred!

While the pirates have not fully recovered, while the Red-Haired Shanks Grand Fleet has not yet been fully integrated, and while Red-Haired Shanks' position is not yet secure and he is far from reaching the level of Rocks!

Even if we are battered and bruised, we must World Military Draft to bring more people of goodwill into our ranks, and then, with the help of the world's forces of justice, completely eradicate the existence of that so-called thief!

Without the greatest enemy, even if there are still conflicts in the world, those conflicts will not spread to hundreds of millions of people!

The only solution with the least loss is to achieve a swift victory!

Just like offense is always the best defense!!!

At this point, Sakazuki stood up and knelt heavily on one knee in front of Gawain.

"My lord, the fate of the world rests on this moment. I sincerely request permission to fight. Even without the help of the Navy or the cowards, I am confident that I can completely suppress and annihilate the remaining pirates!"

As long as you allow a few friends from your ship to come along, it doesn't matter if you don't become Fleet Admiral.

I never cared about the position of Fleet Admiral. The only reason I fought for those things was because I wanted to be the one who made the final decision!

At this point, Sakazuki lowered his head, silently awaiting Gawain's decision.

At the same time, Kuzan gritted his teeth and came to Sakazuki's side, kneeling in front of Gawain.

"My lord, please reconsider. The enemy is currently imprisoned in the New World, while we possess the Four Blues and the Grand Line!"

If we become ten times stronger, then our enemies will only be three times stronger!

With you here, we are fully capable of managing the Four Blues and the New World as a unified entity!

In this way, our strength and faith will take root and flourish Four Blues and in the New World.

As one side rises and the other falls, pirates who have lost their foundation will eventually be erased from history by us.

As long as we block the pirates' path to connecting the Four Blues and the New World, as long as we steadily advance our plans in the New World, and as long as we are stable enough, we are fully capable of growing in power to intimidate others, or even peacefully resolving the pirate problem!

This is not just my fantasy, but a very likely future, just as a swordsman who is not strong enough will not have the idea of challenging Mihawk.

Once we develop to a point of sufficient strength, our enemies will eventually lose the will to be our enemies!

If there are better ways to solve the problem, but you insist on doing so in a way that results in heavy losses, then it's nothing more than greed and stupidity!

As I said, all we have to give up is time.

According to him, all we've gained is time!

In my opinion, the only thing we've lost is our energy.

According to him, we will lose countless lives that yearn for justice and the support of the underprivileged!

After the great war, the world has longed for peace. To reignite the flames of war at this moment will only turn those who yearn for peace into our enemies!

We must not act rashly, for though the human heart is intangible, it is closer to the future than any visible victory!

My lord, I am nearly forty years old. At this age, to covet the position of Fleet Admiral would make me the youngest Fleet Admiral candidate in naval history!

I am already the youngest Admiral in the navy. Even if I become the youngest Fleet Admiral, it will only make me seem like I am not in a stable position!

The reason I crave this position is simply to prevent fools from leading the navy and the world into an even worse era!

If I were truly greedy, with my current status, I could even possess more wealth and power than the Emperors of the Sea!

But I will discard those things as worthless, while peace will be more important to me, to the common people of the world, and to the hearts of everyone who has ever lost it than power, money, or any so-called victory!

Compared to him, I believe I am the one who stands with the majority!

Please consider my suggestion carefully, sir!!!

At this point, Kuzan had pretty much said everything that was on his mind.

He and Sakazuki knelt on either side of him, silently staring at the ground before them, awaiting Gawain's reply.

And Gawain.

Looking at the two people in front of him, he slowly shook his head.

These two guys, one ice, one fire, one sizzling...

Cough cough.

In short, these two people are like the elements in nature—completely incompatible.

That's not the point. The point is, they were both absolutely right.

For Gawain, Aokiji's decision, though conciliatory, did indeed win over the hearts of the people and was more suitable for Gawain to win over the grassroots and subtly change the color of the world.

While Sakazuki's decision was radical, the political benefits of a complete victory were immense!

Although "complete victory" is just a single word, its underlying meaning far exceeds what ordinary people can imagine.

If Gawain can quickly achieve a complete victory over the pirates, his already almost godlike status will be elevated to a level that is rare even in a thousand years. At that time, even if the people are dissatisfied with his militarism, Gawain, who has the Gawain hand and is worshipped, can completely resolve all the voices from the people with his personal charisma!

For a leader, right or wrong is not even a choice, because the disagreements that come to a leader's ears are rarely truly wrong.

So how difficult is it to be a leader?

Faced with unseen questions, they must accurately choose the more suitable option, and the prospects that each choice can bring are equally enticing.

Choose correctly, and you'll be remembered in history; choose incorrectly, and you'll be infamous for eternity.

So, what should Gawain choose?

Don't say things like "I want it all." Adults wanting everything is a joke; just listen to it, chat about it, and say it when you're out having fun.

If I really wanted them all, haha.

Even if Gawain separated Sakazuki and Kuzan, supplementing them with the power of the Dark Bird Ship, allowing them to complete their respective plans simultaneously.

Even so, there will still be a primary and secondary distinction between the two plans!

Should economic development prepare for war, or should war serve to support economic development?

Surely no one believes that peace and war can coexist under one regime?

Small-scale projects are acceptable, after all, the peaceful lives of most people are achieved through the sacrifices of a few heroes.

Although the pirates have collapsed, their sheer size should not be underestimated.

Pirates today are like the Soviet Union in the real world—even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse, and they still Red-Haired Shanks, the last hero, to hold them back.

As for Sakazuki, if Gawain were to separate him from Kuzan, allowing Sakazuki to organize his own forces to attack the New World.

With Gawain and the Dark Bird Ship backing them up, Sakazuki is practically the same as the Ukraine.

That's to the point that even if Sakazuki himself were playing, it would drag down the entire Europe team.

For the entire force, especially for emerging forces like the Dark Bird Alliance, their goals must be simple and clear!

Only by truly working together towards a common goal can emerging forces find the qualifications to leap to the top of the world!

Just like the Great Qin back then, if they hadn't built up the legacy of six generations and single-mindedly focused on conquering the world, but instead were entangled with the six states while trying to make money.

What difference was there between that Great Qin and the other six states that teetered on the brink of decline?

So...

How exactly should this decision be made?

War or peace?

Do you want Akainu or Aokiji?

Just as Gawain was pondering briefly, a small boat suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.

Not long after the small boat appeared, a pink figure suddenly stepped out of the boat and rushed towards Gawain!

Seeing the fallen figure, Gawain let out a soft breath, then spoke to Sakazuki and Kuzan.

"I understand your decision and I truly feel your determination."

Next, I will carefully consider each of your proposals until a final decision is made.

You've been at an impasse for over a decade; you shouldn't be short of patience to wait a little longer.

Also, you wouldn't want me to be someone who makes hasty decisions, would you?

So, tonight is just a welcome dinner for me. I've been sitting on that Golden Throne for almost a year, so let me, exhausted as I am, have a few drinks with everyone first.

Also, hehe.

I imagine that during the time I was away, there were disagreements between far more than just the two of you.

So, let me also listen to what other people have to say.

Like a smile, like Rayleigh, like Aramaki, like Mihawk.

Let me listen more to your demands, and let you, who have become restless, regain a little patience.

Perhaps once you have more patience, you'll remember that I'm also someone with needs.

Perhaps only when that time comes will you two, who are so preoccupied with your own goals, remember to care about my needs!

What do you think?

Sakazuki?

Or...

Kuzan?