Arrival at the Sabaody Archipelago

"Why isn't Bloody Swordsman Ryan on the list?" Garp asked, puzzled. A few days earlier, Sengoku had told him Ryan would be a good candidate for the Shichibukai.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakazuki turned toward Garp.

Everyone in the Navy's upper ranks knew Sakazuki had lost to the Bloody Swordsman a few days ago. Why would Garp bring it up? Sakazuki was annoyed, and with his fiery temper, he said so on the spot.

"Haha, don't get mad, Sakazuki. So you lost—no big deal. Just win next time. I believe in you!" Garp laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

Now Sakazuki didn't know whether to be angry or not.

Sengoku glanced at the two of them but said nothing. Garp had never acted his age, and Sengoku was used to it.

"Bloody Swordsman Ryan and Dracule Mihawk were both rejected by the World Government. You know why." Regret showed on Sengoku's face.

Ryan and Hawkeye would both have been good choices. They were powerful, didn't go out of their way to do evil, and had small forces, so there was little risk of creating a threat they couldn't control.

Hawkeye was on his own, while Ryan's Blood Sword Pirates numbered barely more than ten.

But the World Government had its image to protect.

Then they began discussing the candidates.

Each of the twenty had strengths and weaknesses.

Take Red-Haired Shanks. He was on bad terms with all three sea emperors in the New World and often clashed with them, but he was too powerful and too hard to control. On top of that, he had once been a crew member of Pirate King Roger.

Perhaps his past was exactly why the World Government had put Shanks on the list. If it could bring a former member of Pirate