"You can't put it that way, Sengoku. This mission didn't achieve what we planned, so I wouldn't call it a success. But I wouldn't call it a failure, either." Vice Admiral Tsuru propped her chin on her hand. "At least we've confirmed which of the places we suspected were actually [Censored] Army bases. And the places they've abandoned can no longer serve them. In that respect, we won."
"All it cost us was an emergency order for the branches along the route to assist with the arrests, plus a trip out to sea for Sakazuki and the other admiral. They, on the other hand, gave up a large part of the territory they'd spent years establishing."
"Uh, is that so?" Sengoku scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. But he quickly caught on.
Hunting down the [Censored] Army had never been the Navy's concern alone. Dragon's involvement might make the Navy pursue them relentlessly, but there was no denying that the World Government hated them to the bone.
Unlike the Pirates, the [Censored] Army had been clear about its goal from the start: overthrowing the World Government.
Now that the Navy had uncovered so many of their bases and strongholds, it would be absurd to think the World Government would do nothing. The countries that had sheltered or welcomed the [Censored] Army were in for a hard time. An unlucky non-affiliated nation might even be made an example of to warn the rest.
The World Government's displeasure with the Navy might also have been meant to keep them wary of taking action and disrupting its next move.
Seen that way, the mission really hadn't been a failure.
At the very least, the [Censored] Army wouldn't be stirring up much trouble in the first half of the Grand Line for