Fortunately, Ace knew Roger was his biological father. He had always refused to acknowledge it aloud, but how could he truly feel nothing? The World Government had killed his father. He would never agree to become a Shichibukai and give it what it wanted.
With Ace refusing, the World Government lost a bargaining chip it could have used against Garp, or even the entire Navy. A whole group of people escaped disaster.
Coincidence could be frightening sometimes.
The Antonio Family had begun moving after finding traces of Poseidon, putting the Five Elders on alert. Neither side dared overlook the Navy's formidable fighting strength.
So CP9 was sent to Alabasta to deliver a warning under the pretext of demanding that the Navy hand over the Poneglyph. Meanwhile, the Five Elders invited Ace to become a Shichibukai, hoping to use him as leverage.
Neither side meant the Navy any harm. Both feared it might side with the other, so they took seemingly different actions toward the same end.
"Enough. Just thinking about it gives me a headache!"
Sengoku reached to feed the list to the Goat beside him, then remembered that his pet had been too frightened to move before they even approached this place and had not followed. He coughed awkwardly and tucked the list into his coat. "Jones actually has a good chance of being appointed a Shichibukai. His strength speaks for itself. If he shows what he can do over the coming days, the Five Elders will naturally put his name forward."
The best plan was not to control what your opponent did. It was to let him follow his own wishes and fulfill your goal along the way.
Loa understood that, of course, and nodded, letting the subject drop. By his reckoning, Jones should have found the contingency