Sengoku knew that leaving Cyrik alone to guard Atlas was nowhere near enough. At the very least, he needed a Top Combatant.
Otherwise, if those monsters suddenly attacked, who could Cyrik possibly stop?
Although Cyrik now ranked among the Navy's strongest, a vast gulf still separated him from those true monsters.
The pirates' sole objective was to rescue Atlas.
The World Government, however, was targeting the Flying Pirates. With the situation changing, that target had now expanded to the entire Pirate Army.
As for Atlas, she was merely bait to lure the Flying Pirates in.
Once the Flying Pirates arrived, Atlas would have served her purpose.
But to prevent the pirates from withdrawing early, they needed to keep that objective in place and protect Atlas.
Yes, protect her!
To keep the pirates from rescuing her.
When it truly became necessary, the real executioner would act.
And Cyrik was the executioner Sengoku had chosen.
Cyrik had intelligence, an exceptional ability to adapt, and the resolve to strike without mercy.
Among the Navy's remaining powerhouses, no one was better suited to this task than Cyrik.
Within the Navy, Cyrik was one of the few who stood on equal footing with Kyle.
Both possessed equal potential and were proficient in Body Techniques, Haki, and Swordsmanship.
They were exceptionally gifted in every respect.
Kyle's Heartbeat Fruit at least possessed some combat applications, allowing him to control his heartbeat to accelerate his blood flow, as well as manipulate other people's heartbeats.
Cyrik's Fruit Ability, on the other hand, had no combat applications whatsoever.
Cyrik's talents had even caught the World Government's attention. They wanted to promote him directly into CP0, but the Navy adamantly refused to let the World Government poach him.
Cyrik also held a highly important place in the current Navy, as one