chapter 66:Sakazuki's Resolve

"Hm?" Sengoku raised his head and scrutinized the Vice Admiral before him. He knew that this subordinate of his was a pragmatist. Sakazuki's suggestions were always well-targeted and never wasted effort. Since the other party could make such a request for leave to train in front of them, at the very least, he must have considerable confidence in the feasibility and reliability of this matter.

Kong furrowed his brows. Right now, the Navy was severely short on manpower. If Sakazuki could continue leading his troops to hunt down pirates as usual, it would certainly alleviate some of the Navy's burden.

Aside from wielding immense authority, the Fleet Admiral was also required to have formidable strength. Kong, who stood above these admirals, had strictly speaking reached one of the rare pinnacles of this era in terms of combat power.

Although he was not a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, the experienced and well-versed Fleet Admiral understood the significance of Sakazuki proposing to enhance his Devil Fruit ability at this stage.

"How confident are you?" To be prudent, Kong did not respond immediately but instead questioned Sakazuki.

"Seventy percent."

Kong glanced at Sengoku, waiting for his assessment. Though Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan were all on his candidate list for admiral promotion, it was still rare for someone in their early thirties to break through this threshold.

As the highest combat power of the World Government and the Navy Headquarters, the rank of admiral was not only a symbol but also a crucial threshold.

Formerly an admiral who later resigned from the position while retaining the rank, dedicating himself to the training of elite navy officers, Zephyr had become a master of Armament Haki at the age of 34. After years of honing, he earned the title "Black Arm" and at 38 officially took on the role of admiral under that moniker.

Garp and Sengoku, both prodigies in their own right, had crossed this threshold at different times, either earlier or later. With these three individuals as pillars, the Navy Headquarters had managed to uphold the prestige of the "Three Naval Giants"—"Great Buddha," "Black Arm," and "Iron Fist"—before the advent of the Great Pirate Era.

Sakazuki, having climbed up the military ranks from the lowest levels of the navy through relentless battles, was naturally better understood by his direct superior, Sengoku, than by Fleet Admiral Kong.

Sengoku estimated that Sakazuki's strength had already begun to approach his own. If he were the one making the decision, then even if it required an entire year, allowing Sakazuki to break through the barrier between quasi-admiral and full-fledged admiral would be entirely worthwhile. The Navy Headquarters would gain a genuine admiral-level combat force, which would be a solid investment.

Sengoku gently nodded in acknowledgment, signaling his agreement to the Fleet Admiral. Kong, without hesitation, said:

"Since I granted Garp a four-month leave, I'll give you the same amount of time."

Kong paused for a moment, then sighed helplessly:

"Although I'd like to grant you a full year for training, we are truly short on personnel. With Sengoku, as an admiral, unable to leave at will, the deterrence that elite vice admirals like you hold over pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million cannot be understated. Dismissed, go prepare your supplies."

Understanding the situation, the vice admiral nodded.

Lately, the pirates had been behaving like animals in heat during spring—one wave after another, an endless cycle.

Kuzan was lazy by nature, and while Borsalino didn't refuse assignments, he often preferred to do them in an ambiguous, half-hearted manner.

Now, with both Garp and himself on leave, Sengoku—despite possessing both intelligence and strength—was like a warrior skilled in dragon-slaying, forced to remain confined within Marineford.

To be honest, Sakazuki actually felt a little sorry for the Fleet Admiral.

But a real man dares to face grim realities and to confront blood-soaked battles head-on.

Kong, my man, hang in there!

Sakazuki stood at attention, saluted both superiors, and left the Fleet Admiral's office.

The moment he turned the corner outside, he eagerly pulled out a Den Den Mushi.

"Onigumo, where is 'Feilong' right now?"

"Vice Admiral, 'Feilong' is currently having afternoon tea with little Robin, less than ten meters away from your officer's quarters."

"!? How does 'Feilong' know that I'm back?"

"You forgot, sir… 'Feilong' is currently the highest-ranking officer responsible for overseeing incoming and outgoing navy ships at Marineford's harbor." Onigumo lowered his voice.

"Damn, I really ought to thank her for not blocking me the moment I stepped off the ship..."

"Keep monitoring, maintain constant communication." Sakazuki concluded, then turned towards Borsalino's quarters.

"You know, Sakazuki, while I'm happy to have you visiting my place, why do you look like a patient suffering from scarlet fever?"

The speaker had a cigarette slanted between his lips, while his outstretched hand poured a steaming cup of tea for his old friend seated across from him.

"Shut up, Borsalino. Don't I always double-layer my disguise with a hood and a marine cap? What's so strange about that!"

Since his transmigration, Sakazuki had grown more accustomed to showing his face in public, but today, he was back to his old ways.

"No, no, I just wanted to remind you—wearing a white veil won't help you drink tea. Your tastes are getting weirder and weirder, you know?"

Dressed in a light-yellow undershirt, Borsalino pulled his left hand out of his pocket, extended a long, slender finger, and playfully flicked the veil hanging beneath Sakazuki's cap.

"I actually have a subordinate named Shuon who dresses quite similarly to you."

"....."

Sakazuki snatched off the veil, picked up the tea tray, and carefully brought the freshly poured tea to his lips.

"Are you talking about that Shuon who recently transferred from the Headquarters, the brat who ate the Rust-Rust Fruit?"

"Oh? I thought you didn't care about intelligence reports." Borsalino took a sip of his tea as well.

"The Rust-Rust Fruit is practically the natural enemy of swords, guns, and all metallic weapons, right?" Sakazuki set down his cup and picked up a small pitcher, slowly pouring milk into his tea.

Borsalino used tongs to pluck a sugar cube and drop it into his own cup.

"To be precise, if developed properly, the Rust-Rust Fruit is the natural enemy of all metal objects—including our warships and artillery."

Sakazuki fell silent for a moment before solemnly requesting:

"Keep an eye on him. If there's nothing urgent, train him well. It'd be a waste to let such a great Devil Fruit go undeveloped."

"…You have a personal connection with him?" The ever-smirking vice admiral raised his left eyebrow.

"None whatsoever. I've just had some… shifts in perspective." The vice admiral, now without his hood, shook his head.

"Oh~? Do tell."

"The navy has always relied on overwhelming numbers, but in the end, our mid-to-high-level combat power is insufficient. A warship barely has a handful of officers truly worth mentioning."

Borsalino thought about it for a while before replying:

"While what you're saying is a bit absolute and one-sided, this issue does exist. A warship led by a vice admiral might have a rear admiral capable of holding his own, but a ship commanded by a rear admiral often lacks any standout individuals."

"If we want to enhance the combat power of ordinary lower-ranked marines, then why not also strengthen the abilities and power of mid-to-high-ranking naval officers?" Sakazuki smiled and posed his question.