"Or does anyone here have the confidence to do better than Kuzan?"
"Who?!"
No one could answer Sengoku's question.
Even Doberman, such an unruly hawk-eyed Vice Admiral, could only clench his teeth and swallow the words that had come to his lips.
That's right.
An Admiral had fallen.
What could they do if they went?
In the dead silence, a deep, suppressed voice, as if molten lava was surging from underground, suddenly rang out.
"I can."
Akainu Sakazuki slowly rose from his seat.
He didn't look at anyone, his magma-burning eyes fixed intently on Sengoku.
"Fleet Admiral, precisely because the enemy possesses such terrifying power, it is even more necessary to use the most thorough and absolute power to completely eradicate them from their roots!"
"Conciliation? Probing?"
A cruel arc appeared at Sakazuki's lips.
"Those are methods only weaklings employ!"
"Any potential threat should be burned to ashes with magma before it fully erupts! This is 'Absolute Justice'!"
"Let me go to the East Blue."
"Whether it's that monster called Uchiha Madara, or that merchant named White Night…"
"Let me personally weigh their worth!"
"If they are a threat, I will evaporate the entire East Blue, along with that so-called 'Dungeon Shop', all together!"
Madness!
Utter madness!
Everyone present, including Kizaru and Kuzan, felt the unquestionable, destructive resolve in Sakazuki's words!
This man was serious!
He would truly turn the entire East Blue into a sea of fire for his so-called "justice"!
"Sit down, you old fool! Sakazuki!"
Sengoku was trembling with rage, his seagull hat almost bouncing off his head.
"Are you going to solve a problem, or are you going to start a war whose consequences none of us can predict?!"
"If that White Night truly possesses the ability to travel between worlds and revive the dead! If you provoke him, can you bear the consequences?!"
"What if he sells those 'Dungeons' to Whitebeard! To Kaido! To Big Mom!"
"Can you, Sakazuki, alone, stop all the pirates in the world?!"
Sengoku's roar was like rolling thunder.
Sakazuki, however, merely stood coldly, the air around him distorted by the high temperature.
"Then clear them all out, along with them."
A madman!
This complete and utter madman!
Sengoku clenched his fists tightly; he knew that reasoning with this man was futile.
Just then, Great Staff Officer Tsuru, who had been silent, spoke softly.
"Sengoku, calm down."
Her voice was not loud, yet it possessed a power that made everyone quiet down.
"Sakazuki, you sit down too. This matter cannot be solved by simply shouting for a fight."
Akainu glanced at Tsuru, hesitated for a moment, and finally, with a displeased look, sat back down.
Tsuru looked around, her gaze lingering on the face of each Marine high-ranking officer for a moment.
"The seriousness of the situation is already clear to everyone."
"What we are facing now is an unprecedented unknown. It could be an opportunity, or it could be a disaster that destroys our world."
"I can understand Sakazuki's idea. Facing a threat, using the strongest power to nip it in the bud is the consistent style of the Marines."
"But…"
Tsuru's tone shifted.
"This time's 'threat,' we don't even know its essence. Rash action could very likely backfire."
"Therefore, I agree with Sengoku's view."
"We need to send people, but not to fight, but to 'experience,' to 'investigate,' to 'evaluate.'"
"We need to know what that man named White Night ultimately wants."
"Money? Fame? Or… a bigger scheme?"
"We need to know the ratio of risk to reward in those so-called 'Dungeons.' What are the rules behind Garp's 'Chakra' and Kuzan's crushing defeat?"
Tsuru's words were clear and logically rigorous, gradually easing the tense atmosphere in the room.
"Oh my, Staff Officer Tsuru makes a lot of sense."
Kizaru Borsalino said lazily, adjusting his sunglasses.
"Such a dangerous and interesting place, it really makes one… want to see it with their own eyes."
"Borsalino, you want to go?"
"Well…"
Kizaru scratched the back of his head, revealing his characteristic sly smile.
"If it's a business trip, I'd certainly be happy to go."
"After all, it's been a long time since this old man has seen the scenery of the East Blue."
"And that 'Chakra' that allows one to walk on the sea, and the 'Six Paths level monster' that beat Kuzan so badly…"
He pushed his sunglasses, and an ambiguous cold glint flashed across the lenses.
"It's truly… too intriguing."
Tsuru's gaze moved from his face to Sengoku at the head of the table.
"Sengoku, I think Borsalino is the most suitable candidate at the moment."
"Reasons?"
Sengoku asked in a deep voice, suppressing his anger.
"First, speed."
Tsuru held up one finger.
"His Glint-Glint Fruit gives him the fastest speed in the Marines. No matter what unexpected situation arises, he can attack or retreat. Even Garp can't compare to this. His safety is the highest."
"Second, personality."
Tsuru held up a second finger.
"Sakazuki's justice is too extreme; once he deems the opponent a threat, he will inevitably resort to the most drastic measures, very likely pushing the situation to the worst possible outcome."
"Kuzan has just suffered a crushing defeat; his mind is not stable, and facing that unknown existence again might lead to misjudgment."
"As for Borsalino," Tsuru's eyes sharpened, "he appears lazy, but in reality, he understands how to weigh pros and cons better than anyone, and he cherishes his life more than anyone. His 'ambiguous justice' is actually the most suitable camouflage for a mission that requires probing and investigation."
"He would absolutely not risk his life without certainty. This means he won't easily provoke that man named White Night."
This analysis was clear and incisive.
All the high-ranking officers in the conference room, including the hawk-eyed Vice Admirals, subconsciously nodded.
Even Kuzan, who had been closing his eyes, slowly opened them, glanced at Kizaru, and tacitly acknowledged Tsuru's statement.
Only Akainu snorted coldly, his face full of disdain.
In his opinion, a slippery fellow like Kizaru was simply unworthy of the word "justice."
Sengoku fell silent.
He looked at his three Admirals.
One wanted to burn everything down.
One had just been beaten to the point of doubting life.
One was always slacking off and shirking duties.
Compared like this… it really seemed that only the unreliable Kizaru was the most reliable one!
"Sigh…"
Sengoku let out a long sigh, feeling as if half of his mental energy had been drained instantly.
He leaned back wearily in his chair and waved his hand.
"Alright."
"Borsalino."
"Oh my?" Kizaru responded lazily.
"You will lead this mission."
Sengoku's expression became serious again, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
"I give you supreme authority!"
"But you must remember a few points!"
"First, clear the Dungeon!"
"Second, clear the Dungeon!"
"Third, still clear the Dungeon!" Sengoku said, enunciating each word, his voice carrying an unquestionable command, "You must clear the Dungeons as much as possible to summarize strategies and evaluate the value and risks of those 'Dungeons'!!"