Next, he had become Chief of the General Staff, taking charge of this core Navy institution.
With Cyrik standing beside Sakazuki, no one else had the means to compete with him.
Sengoku did not actually object to Sakazuki being a candidate to succeed him as Fleet Admiral.
After becoming Acting Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had already begun considering who his future successor would be.
Making Sakazuki and the others Four Seas Governors had also been a way to assess their abilities.
Kyle was capable enough, but his current status meant he had to be the first to be ruled out.
Borsalino's approach alone showed that he was unsuited to the position.
Kuzan's performance had been average. Although Sengoku thought well of him, he fell considerably short when it came to leading the Navy in negotiations with the World Government and standing against the monsters of the New World.
This was a matter of great importance.
Without question, Sakazuki was the best candidate.
There was no point arguing that Sakazuki had Cyrik to assist him. That, too, was part of his ability.
Cyrik fully made up for Sakazuki's shortcomings, offering him support in both strategic thinking and negotiations with the World Government.
Cyrik himself already had a solid base within the Navy.
If they chose Kuzan, where would that leave Sakazuki and Cyrik?
It could very well cause unrest within the Navy, or even split it apart if things became serious.
Besides, Sengoku now genuinely favored Sakask.
After all, Sengoku now stood with the Hawk Faction and had adopted an unequivocally hard-line approach.
The dire situation the Navy faced at sea demanded that they become tougher.
Sakazuki had his flaws, but Cyrik could make up for them completely. Their record in the North Blue demonstrated the chemistry between them.
To a certain