Chapter 964: Sword
Chapter 964: Sword
In Kuro's eyes, the World Government's historical selection of Seven Warlords of the Sea candidates was nothing short of lunacy.
As for Ace, whether he'd accept or not was another matter entirely, but back then it was Sengoku who orchestrated the offer. The position was given to Ace merely to preserve Garp's dignity.
But the World Government once offered a position to Big Mom's son? That made absolutely no sense. What were they thinking? Did they expect him to betray her? They'd probably end up handing over intelligence instead.
Thankfully he refused. If he'd accepted, the World Government would've been leaking like a sieve—though honestly, they were practically a sieve already.
Then there was someone like Edward Weibull. His actions directly caused Zeff's rebellion. Kuro still couldn't wrap his head around that decision.
What was that supposed to mean? "Protect my enemies while crippling my allies?"
Since the rights to those positions now rested in his hands, and to ensure absolute safety for the Seven Navigational Routes while reducing workload for both the Navy and himself, the candidates needed meticulous screening.
"If we leave two positions vacant for too long, those above will raise objections", Lucius Kro remarked.
"Let them object then. Maybe they can bring it up at the next World Meeting in four years", Kuro shrugged indifferently. "I'd rather keep the seats empty. There's always someone in the Grand Line desperate for a Seven Warlords of the Sea title. Let them prove their martial valor and showcase their character. If their names reach my ears, they'll naturally make the shortlist."
He was notoriously lazy and apathetic—if someone's reputation reached even him, they'd already be famous enough to qualify automatically.
Still, Kuro held little regard for newcomers. Newcomers meant uncertainty, and rarely possessed true strength. Not everyone could be like Sam William, that old fox.
Wait a second—
William? Kuro stroked his chin thoughtfully.
That guy... wasn't half bad.
His strength was considerable, his conduct hadn't crossed Kuro's personal thresholds, and he was even a Logia-type Devil Fruit user—perfectly fitting the 50-50 balance requirement.
But...
Not yet!
He hadn't suffered enough!
He'd likely entered the Grand Line already, but there was no rush. His bounty hadn't risen significantly yet—hadn't undergone sufficient hardship. When his bounty finally climbed high enough without any catastrophic missteps on his part, then Kuro might consider the offer.
"Not a problem. This works."
Kuro waved his hand dismissively, puffing on his cigar. "By the way, Gramps—what exactly did you go to Wano Country to check on those two? Whatever the situation, it's none of our Navy's concern."
"Oh, I had to see for myself. Sakazuki mentioned Wano had unknown military forces—the samurai—but it seems they can't stand against Kaido. Still, we gained some intelligence..."
Lucius Kro grinned. "And it appears we spotted someone from above."
"From above?"
World Government? Kuro narrowed his eyes, smirking. "Makes sense. It'd be strange if they weren't involved."
Kaido might be a pirate, but his territory was special. Wano Country was the primary supplier of most Seastone and Weapons for the World Government.
All those Weapons Factories in Udon weren't just for their own use or selling to other nations and pirates—World Government was the biggest buyer.
Everyone in the Navy's upper echelons knew this. Donquixote Doflamingo used to act as the middleman.
Big Mom's intelligence, Kaido's Weapons—all passed through him.
They'd called him the one holding the reins of the New World's chaos, and they weren't wrong.
Without him as intermediary, logically the World Government couldn't trade directly with pirates.
But now...
"CP?" Kuro exhaled smoke, his tone impatient. "What a disgrace. They've thrown all pretense away."
The World Government's face was the Navy, but their dirty work fell to Cipher Pol. Now they'd directly approached Wano Country for transactions—Kuro had never heard of such a thing.
Though technically unrelated—World Government and Navy weren't entirely the same system. The World Government wouldn't be so unhinged as to involve the Navy in such dealings.
Besides, this was Sakazuki's Fleet Admiral and Gramps' responsibility to liaise with World Government—none of Vice Admiral Kuro's concern.
"Oh, Luffy and Eustass Kid are there too", Lucius Kro chuckled. "We've also received intelligence that Trafalgar Law might be in Wano. Three of them together should create some trouble for the locals."
"Not in the short term", Kuro shook his head. "But over time, even small players can make an impact. They might not achieve victory, but they'll certainly cause chaos. Let them stir things up. Whatever happens—good or bad—is a pirate's problem."
What did pirates' affairs have to do with the Navy?
Kuro didn't believe the Worst Generation could defeat Kaido and Big Mom, but whichever side fell, it'd be a pirate's loss.
"A bit of a problem for X Drake though. I was planning to bring him back", Lucius Kro smiled.
"X Drake?" Kuro blinked, recalling the name after a pause. "X. Drake, Crimson Flag? What about him?"
Wasn't he a pirate?
Though once a Navy Vice Admiral, he'd turned to piracy. If he'd stayed, his military rank would've surpassed Kuro's long ago. After the Marineford War and Sakazuki's rise, he'd surely be a Vice Admiral by now.
With his ancient-type Devil Fruit, he'd rival even veteran Vice Admirals.
"He's an undercover agent", Lucius Kro grinned.
Kuro's eyes widened. "A double agent?! Since when?"
"Since the day he became a pirate", Lucius explained. "Originally our spy embedded within pirates, feeding intelligence. But joining Kaido's crew expedited things—he's better off under Kaido than wandering alone."
Lucius continued, "He's the captain of the Navy's secret unit 'sword.' Besides him, there are other Navy personnel in the New World posing as pirates."
This... was certainly unconventional.
Now Kuro understood. Even with Navy and CP's formidable intelligence networks, human sources remained essential. Where did they get their intelligence—especially from the New World's latter half? Besides Transponder Snails, much of their information came through these agents.
"Wait—he's been a double agent since Shabondy? Even back then?" Kuro recalled. "He played the part so well I almost killed him."
"Oh~ That dangerous?" Lucius smiled knowingly.
"Water under the bridge", Kuro shrugged. "Still, is leaving him there wise? Current circumstances are unusual. Maybe he should withdraw when possible."
"Depends on his will", Lucius said. "We respect our agents' choices, after all."
(End of Chapter)
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