"I'll get straight to the point, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Sarutobi Hiruzen broke the silence first.
"I want to take Crocodile's seat among the Shichibukai."
"That's all."
Sengoku's expression and tone remained unchanged.
"You think defeating Crocodile is enough?"
"The Shichibukai are chosen by the World Government. You can't become one just by challenging them, you nobody!"
"Now that you've attacked a Shichibukai, you'll probably end up on the Government's wanted list!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled.
"Like I said, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this may not be up to you."
"My bargaining chips are for the Five Elders to weigh."
"Do you know what Crocodile was doing in Alabasta?"
"Your Navy may have noticed something was going on, but you don't know the whole story."
"The Poneglyphs. The Ancient Weapons."
Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly uttered two highly sensitive terms.
"This is beyond your authority, Fleet Admiral."
"It'd be better to let me speak with the Five Elders in person."
Sengoku fell silent again. The World Government was so secretive about matters this sensitive that even the Navy was kept in the dark. Naturally, Sengoku couldn't make the decision himself.
"Tell me all your conditions and bargaining chips."
"I'll report them to the people above me."
Sengoku was, after all, a Fleet Admiral. He showed no emotion, even after Sarutobi Hiruzen had repeatedly taunted him.
"As for whether they agree, that really is beyond my control."
"But if you intend to throw the world into chaos..."
"You'll have to get past me first!"
A fearsome aura burst forth. Sengoku now displayed the bearing of a Fleet Admiral, his face full of anger. Even through the Den Den Mushi, Sarutobi Hiruzen could sense the faint threat in his presence.
The top fighters in this world were all genuine Three-Star or higher.
They were the pinnacle of