Chapter 232: The War Begins! Something's Off With These Three Admirals...

Chapter 232: The War Begins! Something's Off With These Three Admirals...

"In our Navy Headquarters, there are three Fleet Admirals, as you should be aware," Admiral Sengoku said, his expression grave, as he looked at Zhao Zheng. "You've met Sakazuki and Borsalino, and there's one more Admiral..."

"Are you referring to Admiral Kuzan, sir?" Zhao Zheng asked.

"Yes!"

Admiral Sengoku nodded, revealing the truth, "That guy, Kuzan, has gone missing!"

"Missing?" Zhao Zheng was genuinely surprised by this news.

With the war imminent, the fact that a Fleet Admiral had gone missing was a significant and detrimental development.

No wonder Admiral Sengoku's face was so grim.

Moreover, Admiral Kuzan was no ordinary individual; he was one of the Navy Headquarters' top powerhouses!

If this news got out, it would undoubtedly shake the morale of the troops.

"How could he go missing?" Zhao Zheng asked.

"I'm not sure!" Admiral Sengoku shook his head, exasperated. "According to the plan, he should have arrived at Headquarters around noon, but he hasn't shown up until now, and we can't even reach him through the Den Den Mushi..."

Zhao Zheng furrowed his brows.

Given Admiral Kuzan's formidable strength, very few could pose a threat to him.

Zhao Zheng's first thought was, could he have defected? But that's impossible!

The current Admiral Kuzan still had ambitions for the position of Admiral. It made no sense for him to defect.

During the previous Summit War, Admiral Kuzan had been one of the most dedicated admirals.

If there was a defector among the three admirals, it was most likely Admiral Kizaru.

Since defection was out of the question, Admiral Kuzan's prolonged absence must be due to some external influence.

Zhao Zheng suspected that the Extraordinary Beings might be involved.

Perhaps, one of the Extraordinary Beings who had joined Whitebeard's camp had obtained some critical intelligence and used it to trap Admiral Kuzan...

In the original storyline, Whitebeard had caused a seaquake, triggering a tsunami, which was only stopped by Admiral Kuzan's powerful freezing ability.

Without Admiral Kuzan, a single tsunami could have inflicted heavy casualties on the Navy.

Zhao Zheng couldn't help but marvel at this realization.

Indeed, one should never underestimate anyone!

"Admiral, why did you call me here?"

"Vice Admiral Zhao Zheng, you should understand the significance of tomorrow's war. In this battle, Navy Headquarters cannot afford to lose!" Admiral Sengoku's expression was solemn. "A Fleet Admiral changing his mind at the last moment, regardless of the reason, will negatively impact the Navy. Therefore, I will announce that Admiral Kuzan has been assigned another mission. As for tomorrow's deployment... I hope you can take Admiral Kuzan's place!"

"Only your strength is up to the task!"

In reality, Garp would have been a more suitable choice, given his formidable abilities.

However, Admiral Sengoku dared not deploy Garp.

The person to be executed was Fire Fist Ace, Garp's adopted grandson.

Zhao Zheng was not surprised by Admiral Sengoku's decision.

From the moment he heard about Admiral Kuzan's disappearance, he had suspected why Admiral Sengoku had suddenly summoned him.

As Zhao Zheng was now part of the Navy Headquarters' camp, he naturally wouldn't oppose Admiral Sengoku's arrangement.

"Understood!" Zhao Zheng replied solemnly. "Rest assured, Admiral, I won't let you down!"

Admiral Sengoku nodded. "Go and make your preparations."

Zhao Zheng saluted and then left the Admiral's office.

...

Moments later, he returned to his residence and met with his three companions.

"Brother Zhao, why did Admiral Sengoku suddenly call you?" Wang Fei asked curiously.

Zhao Zheng didn't hide anything and recounted the story of Admiral Kuzan's disappearance.

Everyone was shocked.

"How is that possible?" Wang Fei exclaimed. "According to the information from the teacher, there's no such thing!"

"That's why I suspect that Admiral Kuzan's disappearance might be the doing of Extraordinary Beings from the enemy camp," Zhao Zheng explained.

His words resonated with the others.

At that moment, Song Haitang's heart stirred, and she spoke up, "Wang Fei, Chen Kai, did you notice anything unusual last night in the new recruit dormitory or earlier at the square? It seems like there are fewer Extraordinary Beings joining the Navy camp this time, especially foreigners."

The two men froze for a moment.

Wang Fei, being carefree, said, "Is that so? I didn't pay much attention to it..."

Chen Kai was more observant and immediately responded, "Sister Haitang, you've pointed out something I've been feeling. The unusual thing is the low number of recruits this time."

Zhao Zheng also furrowed his brows.

According to the teacher, in the previous Spirit Realm, the number of Extraordinary Beings joining the Navy camp far exceeded those joining the Pirate camp! After all, the Navy had a higher chance of winning this war.

It was easier to gain military merit by fighting a favorable battle than an unfavorable one.

There's something clearly amiss with the small number of people joining the Navy this year.

"I have a theory!" Song Haitang spoke up, "This Spirit Realm, from the very beginning, might have been a trap, specifically targeting me!"

Everyone turned to look at Song Haitang.

Wang Fei asked in confusion, "Haitang, what do you mean? I don't understand."

Song Haitang explained, "So far, I've noticed three peculiar things about this Spirit Realm."

"In the past, no one paid any attention to the 15th Spiritual Realm. But this time, when it's our turn, the higher-ups intervened, requesting that all our fellow citizens join the Navy camp... Although the reason given is to prevent our people from killing each other, it still sounds a bit far-fetched. If they truly wanted to avoid our people from fighting, why hasn't this been proposed for other Spirit Realms?"

"Ms. Shen mentioned in private that the real reason the higher-ups are doing this is to protect me, but I still feel it's not normal."

"If they genuinely wanted to protect me, they could just send a few stronger Extraordinary Beings. Having more people would only create chaos..."

"That's the first point."

"The second point is the number of people in both camps."

"The number of Extraordinary Beings who joined the Navy this year is surprisingly low, and most of them are our fellow citizens... This doesn't align with the usual situation from previous years."

"Additionally, before entering the Spirit Realm, there was a lot of noise from abroad. It's likely that many Extraordinary Beings are targeting me this time. Since they're not in the Navy camp, they must have joined Whitebeard's Pirate Crew!"

"For this level of coordination, someone must be orchestrating it."

"Thirdly, the disappearance of Admiral Seiryu further confirms my theory."

"Ms. Shen said that the three Admirals are the highest combat power of the Naval Headquarters, and each one is extremely important. The disappearance of one before the battle will have a huge impact! It might even shake the morale of the Naval Headquarters!"

"Also, Admiral Seiryu's Ice-Ice Fruit ability is crucial in stopping Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi. It's the best ability for that..."

"No matter which Extraordinary Being team influenced Admiral Seiryu, the price they paid must have been significant."

"In the past, there was never a case of an Admiral disappearing before the 15th Spiritual Realm, but it happened this time..."

"When coincidences pile up, they cease to be coincidences."

...

It must be said that the girl is indeed smart, attentive, and sharp.

After hearing Song Haitang's analysis, everyone was stunned, except for Wang Fei, who was still a bit confused. Zhao Zheng and Chen Kai, however, were shocked.

Chen Kai's expression turned solemn. "Are you saying there's a traitor among the higher-ups? Are they trying to trap us by having us all join the Navy camp?"

Song Haitang thought for a moment and replied, "This is just my analysis and speculation. But if there are further abnormalities in the enemy camp that disadvantage the Navy camp, then my guess is likely the truth."

Everyone's faces turned grim, especially Zhao Zheng, who was seething with anger. Seeing this, Song Haitang smiled and added, "Even if my guess is correct, their plot is destined to fail!"

Chen Kai was the first to react, nodding repeatedly. "That's right! They might have calculated every possibility, but they didn't account for having Zhao Ge with us! In the face of Zhao Ge's absolute power, all their schemes are bound to fail."

Wang Fei finally understood and burst into laughter. "Haha, after the war starts tomorrow, when they don't see Haitang, won't they all be dumbfounded? Hehe!"

Chen Kai continued, "In fact, Admiral Seiryu's disappearance might not be a bad thing for us. Zhao Ge has taken his place, making his importance even more prominent! If Zhao Ge ultimately turns the tide and defeats Whitebeard's Pirate Crew, his contribution will be unparalleled when the mission ends."

Upon hearing this, Wang Fei's eyes lit up instantly.

...

After some casual conversation, the sky quickly turned dark.

"She didn't want Zhao Zheng to wear these glasses into battle."

Doing so would not only fail to conceal Zhao Zheng's true identity but also expose Chen Ye, which is Zhao Zheng himself.

After all, Zhao Zheng might use his Quake Fruit Technique tomorrow.

By then, even a fool would know that Zhao Zheng is Chen Ye!

Because on Blue Star, Zhao Zheng is currently the only possessor of the Quake Fruit Technique.

"Rest assured, with my strength, in this Spirit Realm world, there shouldn't be anyone who can kill me!" Zhao Zheng laughed confidently.

He indeed had the confidence to back it up.

Even the legendary Imu might not be able to kill him in his current state.

...

After bidding farewell to the three, Zhao Zheng quickly returned to the Naval Headquarters.

He specifically inquired about the whereabouts of Seiryu Admiral.

The result was that he hadn't returned!

At this late hour, he must have encountered trouble.

It was said that Warlord Admiral Sengoku was so angry that he smashed the table...

Zhao Zheng recalled Song Haitang's analysis and frowned slightly.

According to Song Haitang's thoughts, the opponent must have a backup plan...

The next day.

After dawn, the entire Naval Headquarters bustled with activity.

In the square, cannons were set up everywhere.

Countless Navy soldiers were conducting final checks.

Although Warlord Admiral Sengoku had heeded Zhao Zheng's advice and evacuated the "100,000 elite troops," not all of them had been withdrawn, and a third of them remained.

Those who stayed behind were mostly special forces, such as artillery.

Zhao Zheng, of course, had no objections to this.

As long as those cannon fodder troops were evacuated to avoid their sacrifice, Zhao Zheng would be considered meritorious.

At this moment.

Even before the war had begun, the Naval Headquarters was filled with a stifling atmosphere.

Today's opponent was simply too formidable! The Whitebeard Pirates were not only one of the Four Emperors but also the strongest among the current Four Emperor pirate crews. In the past, they had been able to rival the Pirate King, Roger.

In terms of strength, the Whitebeard Pirates were not much weaker than the Naval Headquarters.

Especially Whitebeard himself, who was hailed as the world's strongest man, possessing world-destroying power!

Even though this lion was old, he was still formidable.

Facing such an opponent, who would dare to be careless? Last night, at least half of the Naval Headquarters, from top to bottom, couldn't sleep...

Zhao Zheng, however, had a good night's rest.

When he woke up, it was already past nine o'clock.

After breakfast, just as Zhao Zheng had finished dressing, a messenger arrived to inform him to go to the square.

When Zhao Zheng arrived at the square, he found that everyone had already gathered.

The high-ranking officials all had grim expressions.

Although Warlord Admiral Sengoku had announced that Seiryu Admiral was on a different mission, as high-ranking officials, they were aware of the true situation.

At this moment, no task was more important than this war!

The disappearance of Seiryu Admiral had indeed caused significant adverse effects.

Not only were the high-ranking officials affected, but even some of the more intelligent Navy soldiers were feeling anxious.

At this moment.

A group of Extraordinary Beings gathered and discussed the situation.

"I heard that Seiryu Admiral went missing and hasn't returned yet."

"Huh? Didn't Warlord Admiral Sengoku say that Seiryu Admiral went on a sniping mission?"

"How have you managed to survive with such a brain? Do you believe everything you hear? Don't you think it through? At this critical juncture, who would send an Admiral on a sniping mission against pirates? Isn't there a risk of falling into a trap and getting defeated?"

"Damn, now that you mention it, it does seem like that..."

"Alas! What a bad start! Even before the battle begins, we've already lost an Admiral. What a pain!"

"You don't realize the severity of the situation! Without Seiryu Admiral's Ice-Ice Fruit Technique, what will we do when Whitebeard triggers the Sea Quake and causes a tsunami? Who can stop it? The experts will be fine, but we, the small fries, will be in trouble!"

"Damn, I forgot about this! What do we do now?"

"Chill! We'll just have to take it one step at a time."

Suddenly.

They spotted the late arrival of Zhao Zheng...

"Huh! That Vice Admiral looks so familiar... Damn! He's Song Haitang's lover!"

"It's really him. I didn't expect this guy to become a Vice Admiral."

"Wait... Why isn't he at the Vice Admiral's post? Why is he sitting with the two Admirals?"

"Wow, could it be that Warlord Admiral Sengoku, due to Seiryu Admiral's disappearance, has temporarily drafted Zhao Zheng to fill the position?"

"No... Why him? He's not that strong. Has Warlord Admiral Sengoku lost his mind?"

"Speaking of him, where's Song Haitang? Why isn't Song Haitang here?"

"Yeah! And... Weren't there supposed to be 100,000 elite troops? How many are there now?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end