"Hey, Ron. What a coincidence!"
Kizaru sped up to catch the lightning and raised a hand in greeting.
"Yeah, what a coincidence... Were you chasing Poseidon just now?"
Through Sky Net, Ron had already spotted Pluton and the familiar faces on its deck. But some things were more urgent than others. With the Holy Land under attack, Poseidon could wait.
Besides, Akainu hadn't started fighting Zero and the others, so whether Ron intervened now made no difference.
Kizaru nodded.
"Yeah. Pluton's guns held back the army of Sea Kings Poseidon summoned. All she could do was run."
"But you—when did you find something that dangerous?"
Whoosh!
Ron stopped abruptly in midflight. Lightning around him scattered like stardust, trailing forward in ribbons of color.
Narrowing his eyes, Ron looked impassively at the golden light a kilometer away. "Are you questioning me, Admiral Kizaru?"
Of the original Three Admirals, Kizaru had the closest ties to the Holy Land's leadership. Ron had not forgotten that.
Now the fighting had reached the Holy Land. Given Oric's methods, the place was probably in grave danger. There was no longer any need to watch what he said. It was time to put his cards on the table.
"Come on, don't look at me like that. I'm just... doing the job I'm paid for."
Kizaru seemed unafraid. He shrugged.
"Think about it. Dragon's betrayal hit even Mr. Sengoku that hard. How could the Five Elders simply forget it?"
"With a man like me taking their side inside the Navy, at least everyone can rest a little easier."
He had a point. Dragon's betrayal had left a thorn in the hearts of Sengoku and the Navy, while the Five Elders had grown anxious that someone else might follow him.
By accepting the Five Elders' overtures and becoming their