Sengoku adjusted his glasses and nodded in agreement with Fleet Admiral Kong's praise of Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki is indeed exceptional," Sengoku stated firmly. "His strength and intellect are both outstanding. But more than that, his temperament is commendable—he works extremely hard, far more than some others I could mention."
As he spoke, Sengoku shot a sharp glance at the sofa.
Borsalino was lounging comfortably, his long legs stretched out, looking like he was about to take a nap.
Seeing this, Sengoku felt a wave of disgust, as if he had just stepped in fresh dog shit.
"It is a shame," Sengoku sighed. "Only a few monstrous talents emerged from the Marines Headquarters' training academy in this generation."
He counted them off mentally.
Monkey D. Dragon, the most promising one, had left the Marines entirely.
No one knew his current whereabouts.
Sakazuki was a powerhouse.
He was already capable of commanding a fleet independently and was too strong to serve as anyone's subordinate.
Kuzan was promising but young.
He had become an assistant on Garp's ship to gain experience.
"Now," Sengoku grumbled, "only Borsalino and Raleigh remain."
The two lazy ones.
At times like this, Sengoku truly felt the world was unfair.
Why did it grant such immense innate talent and catastrophic Devil Fruit abilities to lazy men like Borsalino and Raleigh, while those who worked hard struggled to keep up?
"Borsalino!" Sengoku shouted, his tone filled with frustration. "Why can't you learn from Sakazuki? He's already commanding a fleet on his own! Where is your ambition?"
Startled out of his daze, Borsalino blinked behind his yellow sunglasses.
"Oh~ Sengoku-san," Borsalino complained in his slow, drawn-out voice. "It's not that I can't command a fleet independently. It's that the Headquarters—and you specifically—won't allow it. You can't blame me for that~."
Sengoku massaged his temples in exasperation.
'Of course we won't allow it!' Sengoku thought. 'No one in their right mind would let you lead a fleet alone again!'
Sengoku remembered the last time Borsalino had been given command.
He had chased a single pirate ship.
Instead of catching them, Borsalino had ordered his ships to fire every single cannonball they had from a safe distance.
He exhausted the entire fleet's ammunition supply in one hour without capturing a single pirate.
As soon as the ammo ran out, he immediately returned to base to restock.
His reasoning?
"Engaging pirates in close combat is too risky. It's better to use superior firepower to eliminate them from a distance."
When Sengoku learned of this, he was stunned for a long time.
He couldn't resist asking, "What about your techniques? You have the Glint-Glint Fruit! Couldn't you use it to attack?"
Unexpectedly, Borsalino had retorted confidently, "Admiral Sengoku, devil fruit consumes my stamina. Stamina is precious—it should be reserved for confronting the enemy pirate captain head-on."
"Then did you confront the pirate captain?"
"No~. We returned as soon as we ran out of cannonballs."
"BORSALINO!!!"
In a rage, Sengoku had transformed into a giant golden Buddha and pummeled Borsalino relentlessly.
From that day on, Borsalino was strictly forbidden from leading a fleet independently.
"Speaking of which," Kong interrupted, steering the conversation back to business. "Borsalino's younger brother, Raliegh, has been performing quite well in the North Blue."
Kong picked up a report file.
"Whether it's World Government officials, kings of affiliated nations, or civilians on various islands... everyone is quite satisfied with the current state of the North Blue."
"The crime rate has dropped significantly," Kong read aloud. "From an average of 40% down to the current 10%. On many large islands, it has even fallen to 5%."
Kong nodded with satisfaction. "Although Raleigh relied on local Mafia forces to achieve this goal, it appears to have been the right decision so far. The results speak for themselves."
This was one of the few pieces of good news today, almost enough to make Kong forget about Garp refusing his promotion.
"Borsalino," Sengoku said thoughtfully, "your younger brother Raleigh is also a hidden monster."
Sengoku's eyes gleamed with wisdom.
Before going to the North Blue personally to inspect them, Sengoku had always thought both brothers were just lazy, good-for-nothing parasites leeching off the Marines.
But after arriving there, he discovered the truth.
Both Borsalino and Raleigh were highly intelligent individuals with monstrous strength hidden beneath their relaxed demeanors.
It was precisely for this reason that Sengoku had forcibly transferred Borsalino from the North Blue to his own fleet—to put that strength to use.
"Raleigh is exceptional," Sengoku admitted. "Armament Haki. Observation Haki. A logia Devil Fruit ability. A powerful physique. And unlike his brother, he has a steady character."
Sengoku couldn't help but praise him.
"That is why we allowed a young man like him to serve as Acting Superintendent of the North Blue without opposition."
"Sengoku," Kong said, a rare smile appearing on his face. "How about transferring Raleigh to Headquarters? I can't stand seeing that kid enjoying himself so much in the quiet North Blue while we suffer here."
Kong rarely joked, but the idea of pulling Raleigh into the chaos of the Grand Line amused him.
"Well, Fleet Admiral Kong," Sengoku replied immediately, "you are the supreme commander. You can transfer whoever you want to Headquarters."
"What about you, Borsalino?" Kong turned to look at the man in the yellow suit. "Would you like to see your younger brother in the New World? You could fight alongside him again."
Borsalino took a sip of tea, looking unbothered.
"Fleet Admiral," Borsalino drawled, "that guy is even lazier than me. like for real. I'm afraid he might anger you if he comes to Headquarters. He enjoys his naps."
A glint flashed in Kong's eyes at that moment.
"It's fine," Kong said. "Being lazy doesn't mean being useless. Perhaps it's precisely because he has sufficient ability to handle matters quickly that he can spare more time to be lazy."
"Tsk tsk tsk," Kong chuckled, rubbing his chin. "I'm somewhat looking forward to seeing how this little guy performs in the Grand Line. Maybe it's time to call him up."
....
While the Marines discussed the future, the underworld was celebrating.
The originally solemn meeting hall of the Donquixote Family was filled with a jubilant atmosphere.
The long table was laden with precious delicacies and fine wine.
Doflamingo, the young master, sat at the head of the table.
Around him, the executives were feasting.
Trebol, the snotty executive, unsteadily raised his glass in a toast.
"Behehehe! Doffy!" Trebol cheered, his face flushed. "We've done it! We have now taken complete control of all underground industries in the North Blue!"
"That's right, Doffy," Diamante chimed in, adjusting his hat. "Our Donquixote Family is now the undisputed underground ruler of the North Blue. No one dares to challenge us!"
Doflamingo grinned behind his sunglasses.
He happily raised his glass and drank heartily with his family.
"To the Family!" he laughed.
However, deep in Doflamingo's heart, there remained a thorn.
A shadow that prevented him from completely letting go, even in such a joyful scene.
Raleigh.
He pushed the thought away. Watching the triumphant expressions of his executives, and thinking about how he had unified the North Blue's underground in less than a year, Doflamingo couldn't help but feel proud.
"Fufufufu! HAHAHAHA!"
Doflamingo burst into loud laughter, spreading his arms wide.
"All of this was built by our own hands!" he shouted.
The room went quiet as he spoke.
"However," Doflamingo said, his voice dropping lower, "I must say here that the North Blue is merely a small place. There is no room for real growth here."
He stood up, walking to the window that looked out over the sea.
"Our true goal lies in the Grand Line."
"When we have accumulated sufficient foundation and wealth here," Doflamingo declared, "we will naturally abandon our industries in the North Blue. We will venture into the broader markets where the real power lies."
WOOSH.
Doflamingo spread his arms wide again.
Waves of pressure radiated outward from his body.
It was Conqueror's Haki.
Unlike his previous, uncontrolled outbursts, he had now gained preliminary control over it.
The air in the room grew heavy and thick.
The members of the Donquixote Family watched their Young Master's ambitious expression.
They listened to his plans for the Grand Line and felt the overwhelming pressure of a King.
They were so excited they could barely breathe.
Their loyalty burned brighter than ever!
"YES!"
They responded to their King with the loudest voices they could muster, shaking the walls of the stronghold.
"LONG LIVE THE DONQUIXOTE FAMILY!!!"
"LONG LIVE THE YOUNG MASTER!!!"
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