The Third Time-This Is the Current [Scholar] Advancement Task (Continued)

And the most important reason...

Was the uncertainty of this plan!

Sending two top-tier fighters away from Marine Headquarters, and even out of the Grand Line, merely on the basis of a vague conjecture would have been utterly irresponsible.

However much the Celestial Dragons hated White Ghost, the safety of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, still had to be considered!

The present was nothing like the future.

With Garp refusing promotion to Admiral and Zephyr retiring from frontline duty...

Sengoku was the only active Admiral at Marine Headquarters.

And capturing pirates was far from Sengoku's only responsibility.

He was also responsible for Mary Geoise's security!

Even more than twenty years later...

When the Marines had three Admirals, one always had to be assigned to patrol and remain stationed between Marine Headquarters and Mary Geoise, ready to answer orders from the Holy Land at any moment.

To put it bluntly, Marine Admirals could practically be considered the Celestial Dragons' [direct subordinates].

Every Celestial Dragon had the authority to deploy an Admiral from Marine Headquarters at will.

Admirals had nowhere near the freedom of movement that Vice Admirals enjoyed!

Still, given the sound reasoning behind Vice Admiral Tsuru's plan, Fleet Admiral Kong decided to dispatch two Vice Admirals to attempt White Ghost's capture.

Monkey D. Garp would handle the frontal assault.

And Borsalino would provide support from the flank!

White Ghost's ability to fly was common knowledge among the Marines.

Throughout the enormous Marine organization, Borsalino was the only person who could conceivably keep White Ghost occupied in the air!

But when I accepted this mission, I had no idea this monster had already grown this powerful!

Looking at White Ghost's erupting Spiritual Pressure...

Borsalino's heart sank.

In all honesty...

He really had not wanted to accept the mission to come to