Loa had never expected to keep his plans hidden from the old man in front of him. After all, this was Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the famed Wise Strategist whose name commanded respect across the Four Blues.
Sengoku had not become Fleet Admiral by flattering his superiors or professing loyalty to the World Government. Strength mattered, of course, but what had earned him that position above all else was a mind that never failed him.
So when Sengoku sprang the question on him, Loa froze for a moment, then calmly pulled out a chair and sat down.
"You saw through me, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
"It was fairly obvious," Sengoku replied. "Of everyone there just now, Momonga was probably the only one who didn't put it together."
"Even if the others don't know what you and Zephyr are planning, they've noticed something about Tony."
"It's easier to see things from the outside?" Loa nodded slowly. "That was my oversight. I'll need you to handle the others, then. Our plan can't come to light yet. But..."
Loa looked Sengoku steadily in the eye. "You should know we're on the same side."
"Hmph! I can't guarantee that." Sengoku snorted, his expression dark. Still, he knew what sort of man Loa was. When Loa gave his word, he kept it, and that put Sengoku a little more at ease.
Even so, he offered a warning.
"The Yonko aren't something you can take on yet, Loa," Sengoku said. "In this world, strength matters even more than influence. Power is the one credential that counts, and you're not strong enough yet!"
Loa's strength was plain for all to see. In the months since the live broadcast of his graduation, pirate activity across the seas had quieted somewhat. That alone showed how much they feared him.
Sengoku could