Pururururu~
The Den Den Mushi stuck out its tongue a few times, and the call connected.
"Hello, Corazon. What is it?"
By then, Sengoku had already been confirmed as Fleet Admiral Kong's successor, though he had yet to officially assume the position.
To ensure a smooth transition, Kong had begun grooming Sengoku years ago, and Sengoku now handled most affairs in the Fleet Admiral's office.
Of course, it was also possible that Fleet Admiral Kong simply wanted to slack off and dignified it with the name of "training."
"Admiral Sengoku, Doflamingo somehow learned that the World Government is about to establish the Shichibukai. He plans to seize the Celestial Gold when the various nations make their tribute, using it to achieve his goal. However, there is no precise intelligence on which country or which year."
When Sengoku heard the information over the Den Den Mushi, his expression gradually darkened.
After hanging up, Sengoku's face turned livid as he roared, "Damn it, who was it?! Who leaked the Shichibukai plan before it has even been implemented?!
"That bastard Doflamingo actually plans to seize the Celestial Gold as leverage to exchange for a position among the Shichibukai."
As he spoke, Sengoku furiously slammed his fist onto the desk, cracking it all over.
"Hahaha, Sengoku, don't get so angry. Since it has already happened, you should think about what to do next." Garp spoke carelessly, utterly unconcerned.
Faced with an enraged Sengoku, probably only Garp, his equally carefree contemporary, could make such indifferent remarks.
After thinking for a moment, the young Tsuru spoke. "The Shichibukai plan has only just been approved. If it was not someone on our side, then it was someone within the World Government.
"It seems that even after losing his status as a Celestial Dragon and becoming a pirate, his ties with them still remain."
"The World Government is wary of his identity as a Celestial Dragon and cannot move against him, yet it cannot possibly halt the nations' tribute of Celestial Gold. The government has likely already tacitly accepted his position as a Shichibukai.
"After all, even if he has become a pirate, the fact that he carries Celestial Dragon blood cannot be denied."
It had to be said that Tsuru truly deserved her reputation as the Marines' chief strategist. With only a few words, she had analyzed the situation thoroughly.
Naturally, Sengoku could think of all this as well. He was simply too furious at the moment.
After all, if someone as dangerous as Doflamingo became a Shichibukai, he would be a ticking time bomb. There was no telling what he might do when he went mad.
A lunatic like that was far too dangerous. If he were given an official layer of protection as well, no one knew when he might cause a major disaster.
The Shichibukai only had to answer the World Government's mandatory summonses. Ordinarily, they were completely free from any government interference.
Furthermore, after becoming one of the Shichibukai, their existing bounties would be suspended, and the World Government would no longer pursue any of their previous crimes.
In other words, they were pirates whom neither the government nor the Marines would bother with anymore. As long as they did not deliberately provoke the government or the Marines, they could rob whoever they encountered at sea.
Such privateering was tacitly permitted by the World Government. Even if they were discovered, they only had to hand over a portion of the spoils.
More importantly, in order to maintain its "cooperative relationship" with the Shichibukai, the World Government would agree to some of their "individual requests."
Sengoku's fury stemmed precisely from those "individual requests," because he had no idea what demands someone as dangerously minded as Doflamingo might make, or what he might do behind the scenes.
Yet his other identity—as a Celestial Dragon—was also his natural shield.
If he were allowed to become a Shichibukai, then whether his future schemes succeeded or failed, it would be a headache either way.
If he succeeded, there was no need to say more; it certainly would not be anything good. If he failed, they could not do much to him because of his identity, and the Five Elders would definitely step in to clean up after him.
Thus, from the very beginning, the Marines were at a disadvantage, something Sengoku found utterly unacceptable.
"I'll go demand an explanation from the Five Elders right now!" Sengoku's face darkened, and the sound of his fist colliding with the desk once more rang throughout the Fleet Admiral's office.
However, after his call with the Five Elders ended, the gloom on Sengoku's face did not ease in the slightest. If anything, his expression became even uglier.
"Hmph, those Five Elders! They actually said I was talking nonsense. I think they already knew about this and were merely waiting for Doflamingo to do it so they could rightfully grant him a position among the Shichibukai!" Sengoku said through gritted teeth.
After all, Sengoku had called to protest the matter, only for the Five Elders to settle it outright.
"All right, cool down. At worst, send me. I'll beat that brat up and vent your anger for you." Garp took a bite of his favorite doughnut and spoke unconcernedly.
Yet those casual words made Sengoku's eyes light up. "Garp, you do occasionally say something useful."
"Hm?" With a doughnut stuffed in his mouth, Garp looked utterly confused.
Although Garp did not understand, Chief Strategist Tsuru did. "You mean to give him a warning when someone is sent to appoint him as a Shichibukai? Since he will seize the Celestial Gold to achieve his goal anyway, it would not be bad to teach him a lesson while we are at it."
"Then before this bastard seizes the Celestial Gold, I'll be the one to hunt him down. Even if he is already slated to become a Shichibukai, I won't let him have an easy time before that. If I can delay him by a few years and keep him too busy to become a Shichibukai anytime soon, even better."
Tsuru truly deserved to be someone even "the Resourceful General" Sengoku occasionally consulted. In an instant, she had devised a response to this established fact.
Hearing this, Sengoku's eyes lit up. "Then I'll leave this to you, Tsuru. Make sure that bastard is run ragged, and delay him for as long as possible."
After pondering for a moment, Sengoku said seriously, "Aokiji, if we really have to appoint him as a Shichibukai, you will notify him. Teach him a lesson while you are at it."
"Ara ara, what a hassle." Aokiji lounged in his chair and let out a lazy yawn, but Sengoku clearly did not mind.
Sengoku had his reasons for arranging things this way. First, Kizaru was too flippant. Even if he taught Doflamingo a lesson, his attitude would make it seem less like a Marine warning and more like a personal warning.
After all, Kizaru's demeanor was, in a sense, rather unpleasant. He was the sort of person who, if he disliked you, would mock you with a teasing and careless attitude.
As for Akainu, with his deep hatred for evil, sending him would more likely result in Doflamingo being killed rather than notified.
Against someone like Doflamingo, Akainu would not hold back merely because he was a Celestial Dragon. If something went wrong, someone would have to clean up afterward.
Therefore, under these circumstances, Aokiji was undoubtedly the best choice.
Sengoku was already fifty-two in 1495, while Doflamingo was nineteen that year, since his October birthday had not yet passed. Corazon was picked up by Sengoku after killing his father at the age of ten, so this scene could still have happened. If my calculations are off, please do not nitpick. If you think it is impossible, just assume it was some other spy. I used a calculator and Word to work out these characters' timelines, and it gave me a headache...]
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