Two days later, in Sengoku's office at Navy Headquarters, a meeting was being held.
Because this incident was extremely serious, Sengoku had no choice but to take it seriously.
After setting down the documents in his hands, Sengoku said, "What do you think about this incident?"
"The losses this time were enormous..." Vice Admiral Tsuru said with a frown. "Five warships were completely destroyed, while the remaining five suffered varying degrees of damage. The soldiers also suffered heavy casualties."
"If Kuzan hadn't been there, perhaps no one below vice admiral rank would have made it back."
The reports showed that the enemy's final ability had been terrifying. If it had struck the sea, hardly anyone would have survived.
Fortunately, an Admiral had been present. Otherwise, the losses would truly have been devastating.
"Yes." Sengoku sighed. "Doberman and Onigumo are still receiving emergency treatment. Whether they'll even be able to continue serving as vice admirals after waking up is another matter entirely."
The poison the enemy had used was simply too vicious. According to the doctors, Doberman would most likely be unable to continue serving as a vice admiral.
As for Onigumo... his condition was hard to say.
"Pirates these days really are terrifying~" Kizaru said.
On their first appearance, they had taken down two Navy Headquarters vice admirals. Though they had used special means, a win was a win. Who cared what method they had used?
Akainu glanced at Kizaru. His face had already darkened because of Onigumo and the others, but now it grew even darker.
"What a vile group of pirates." Akainu said coldly. "They actually dared to brazenly attack a Buster Call... They truly don't know the meaning of death. The last person who dared do that is already lying in Impel Down!"
As he spoke, Akainu slapped the table and rose to his feet. "Marshal Sengoku, let me go and eliminate them."
While speaking, the temperature around Akainu's clenched fist gradually rose, as though it were about to burst into flames.
"Sit down!" Sengoku said with a frown.
Akainu looked at Sengoku, fell silent for a moment, and ultimately chose to sit back down.
"Someone has already gone after them," Vice Admiral Tsuru said.
"Who?"
"Kuzan."
Akainu:...
It was because that bastard had recklessly launched the Buster Call that so many warships and personnel had been lost. Fine, he had not returned to report for duty, but now he had even gone off to chase them?
If he could really catch up to them, why had he not frozen the sea with his ability?
Akainu had his doubts about Aokiji's motives.
"If Kuzan acts, the chances of catching them are very high," Sengoku said.
Aokiji was very strong. As long as he intercepted the Straw Hat Pirates, capturing them should not be a problem.
Akainu sneered but said nothing further.
"A Ninja..." Vice Admiral Tsuru said, looking troubled. "That really is rather difficult to deal with."
This ability to control seawater was practically the nemesis of Devil Fruit Users!
"A Ninja?"
Kizaru unconsciously raised an eyebrow. Had Kaido sent someone out to cause trouble?
"It's in the documents right in front of you!" Sengoku glared at Kizaru irritably. This guy was slacking off again and had not properly read the documents he had been given.
Kizaru merely smiled, showing no embarrassment whatsoever, then picked up the documents from the table and gave them another look.
"This person even has abilities similar to hypnosis?" Kizaru asked in surprise.
"Yes." Sengoku nodded. "But abilities like that are not unheard of on the sea."
"Compared to this Ninja's naval battle capabilities, they're nothing worth mentioning."
"Then what's going on with this CP9?"
"This..." Sengoku hesitated before saying, "We can't determine whether they defected or were hypnotized."
"But that person belongs to the World Government. It isn't our concern."
Sengoku was not entirely sure either. Judging by what had happened on Judicial Island, CP9 had been defeated head-on by the Straw Hat Pirates.
That made the hypnosis theory somewhat untenable. Otherwise, they could have used hypnosis to avoid battle entirely—at the very least, against those people whose strength was roughly comparable to Blueno's.
Kizaru nodded and said nothing more.
"Where did this person even come from?" Akainu asked with a frown.
"To be honest, I don't know what this Ninja is all about either," Sengoku said. "According to the intelligence we have, he only recently joined the Straw Hat Pirates."
"At the very least, he never appeared before Judicial Island."
"A newcomer?"
"Not necessarily." Vice Admiral Tsuru thought for a moment. "Considering the matter of Wano Country, this person may not be a newcomer."
It was simply that Wano Country was rather special, so he might not have had a bounty.
"Wano Country?" Akainu raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you think this is a hidden piece Kaido planted?"
"No, you're overthinking it." Sengoku said, "Kaido wouldn't do something so stupid."
To people on the sea, Ninjas existed only in legends or romance novels.
But to people like them, they were real, because Ninjas truly did exist in Wano Country. In that case, it could not be considered some hidden piece.
Besides, there was no point in doing that. What could an infiltrator within the Straw Hat Pirates accomplish? Was he planning to establish a connection with Garp?
Garp might be a bastard, but he had never been muddleheaded when it came to matters of right and wrong.
"Then..."
"This sea is vast. It isn't impossible for some unusual people to appear," Sengoku said after thinking for a moment.
"More than that, I care about his abilities." Vice Admiral Tsuru narrowed her eyes. "He isn't a Devil Fruit User, correct?"
"That's right."
"Yet he can wield so many strange abilities... If we can capture him, could the Navy learn and master such abilities?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's words represented the thoughts of everyone present.
"Yes." Sengoku nodded. "That is what I mean as well."
"His naval battle capabilities are too terrifying. Even if his own raw strength is inferior to that of a Navy vice admiral, he can still use ninjutsu to inflict such tremendous losses on us."
"If he is allowed to continue growing..."
Sengoku did not finish his sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant.
Potential!!
Yes, potential.
Whether this person had come from Wano Country or not, he possessed incomparably terrifying potential.
He had only just begun his career. Without even mastering Haki, he had already caused the Navy such enormous losses. If he were allowed to develop in the New World for several years, who knew how powerful he would become?
"If Kuzan can capture him, then perhaps we can make use of this power," Vice Admiral Tsuru said.
"Don't worry. Kuzan should know his limits."
"Don't celebrate too soon," Akainu said. "Although this person's abilities do not come from a Devil Fruit, that does not mean just anyone can learn them."
"This isn't Body Technique!"
"Bloodline... may be the vessel for this power."
Akainu's words made Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru think of a special race—the Lunarian Clan. This race inherited a powerful force through their bloodline, and that was also the fundamental reason they had been exterminated.
"No matter what, we have to try," Vice Admiral Tsuru said, rubbing her eyebrows.
"The Straw Hat Pirates' bounties need to be raised further," Sengoku said. "I've already had someone handle it."
Kizaru glanced at Sengoku in surprise, but he said nothing and simply remained silent.
"Don't look at me like that," Sengoku said. "It isn't certain that Kuzan can intercept them either."
After speaking, Sengoku paused, then continued, "Borsalino, you will head to the Sabaody Archipelago shortly. Remain stationed there for the time being. You must capture the Straw Hat Pirates before they enter the New World!"
Seeing that Kizaru intended to say something, Sengoku glared and said, "That is an order!"
"Yes, yes, understood~"
"How terrifying~"
Sengoku:...
I really want to punch him.
"By the way, where's Garp?"
"Hmph, who knows where that bastard ran off to?" Sengoku said unhappily.
After Sengoku told him about the Straw Hat Pirates, that guy had run off. Who knew where he had gone?
"Alright, now let's talk about Blackbeard." Sengoku narrowed his eyes. "About... his capture of Fire Fist Ace!"