East Blue.
On a nameless island.
Bang -
Two wine glasses clinked in the moonlight.
"I never thought that Sengoku would actually die," Rayleigh sighed.
Looking at the latest newspaper, he still had some doubts about its authenticity.
It was too unbelievable.
"The first time I saw him, I knew he wasn't simple, but I didn't expect that after only a year, he would accomplish something we never even dared to imagine," Jabba's mind conjured an image of Kevin.
Before, Kevin was a junior he had high hopes for.
He hoped Kevin could make Roger's saber shine with a different brilliance.
He didn't want him to tarnish the name "Ace."
Now he realized he had been too narrow-minded.
"Roger would never have let Ace drink the Fleet Admiral's blood."
Jabba stared at Rayleigh.
"Tell me quickly, what other astonishing things has he done? One year of his experience is far more legendary than our decades of experience."
"Astonishing?"
Rayleigh reminisced.
A year ago, when he first met Kevin, Kevin had just finished freeing slaves.
In Rayleigh's eyes, he was a hot-blooded sapling who needed nurturing.
He worried about his future.
The next time they met on Sabaody Archipelago, they faced an Admiral's encirclement.
At that time, Kevin, in Rayleigh's eyes, was a junior who needed protection.
Now...
"I can't see through him." Rayleigh shook his head, giving the same assessment as Garp.
He couldn't see through him at all.
"Hahaha, it's good to live a long time. It's a pity Roger didn't see an era like this. It's very interesting." Jabba was immensely looking forward to Kevin's future growth.
What heights would he reach?
Would it be a height that none of us dared to imagine?
"Whitebeard and the others must have a headache."
Rayleigh showed a gloating expression: "I wonder if Whitebeard and the others will still sleep soundly at night."
"Not necessarily." Jabba said, "That's Whitebeard."
Whitebeard and the Roger Pirates were old rivals.
Before, neither could do anything to the other.
"Kevin's method of killing Sengoku was opportunistic, with an advantage in numbers, intelligence, and a surprise attack. He hasn't surpassed Whitebeard yet." Jabba felt that Rayleigh's evaluation was a bit excessive.
Whitebeard is the Strongest Man.
Roger couldn't even suppress Whitebeard; they were equals before.
"That might not be the case in a few years." Rayleigh believed that in a few years, Kevin would have the strength to compete with Whitebeard for the title of Strongest Man.
"Want to bet?"
Jabba looked at Rayleigh: "I bet five years."
Rayleigh held up three fingers.
Meaning three years.
He believed that in three years, Kevin would have the strength to compete with Whitebeard.
"Isn't that too soon?" Jabba felt that Rayleigh trusted Kevin too much.
In three years.
He would only be twenty-three years old.
In the sea, he would still be considered a Rookie.
"I think it's about right." For others, even the Red-Haired Shanks, whom he valued most before, Rayleigh would not give such a short time, but for Kevin, he felt three years was about right.
"Then it's a bet."
The two clinked their cups again.
...
The Sabaody Archipelago incident.
Three days had passed.
But the impact was just beginning to explode.
The Grand Line and the Four Seas were all in shock and panic.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The Gorosei had been scolding the Admirals for two hours.
"Dead, they swore Kevin was dead, and now look, it's the Fleet Admiral who's dead! The Marines will forever be nailed to shame, and even if it's just the Marines, the World Government is also being ridiculed."
The Gorosei looked at Akainu and the others with disdain.
This generation of Marines.
They were too terrible.
The worst in history.
"It was indeed our mistake." Akainu stepped forward to take responsibility.
They were still clueless about the reason for Kevin's revival.
But he was alive, and that was that.
There was no need to quibble.
It was a major mistake, they just didn't know why it was a mistake.
"Leave the Sun and Moon Pirates to me. I request to lead troops to hunt down the Sun and Moon Pirates. I will never return until I succeed." Akainu's eyes were firm.
He embraced the resolve of succeeding or dying trying.
In other words.
From now on, as an Admiral, he would voluntarily abandon his other Admiral duties and lead troops to perpetually pursue Kevin.
With no time limit.
Until success or death.
"You?" the Gorosei asked, looking at Akainu.
They somewhat admired him.
If he hadn't been so foolish in front of Kevin, and hadn't been repeatedly tricked, he would have been a good subordinate.
But now, what courage did he have to say such a thing?
"We don't want to hear news of another Admiral being killed."
They couldn't bear such a cost.
The World Government's think tank had assessed the Sun and Moon Pirates' combat power overnight: one Admiral would be going to their death, two Admirals could contend, and three Admirals would be needed to gain an advantage...
Even with three Admirals,
the Gorosei held no hope of annihilating the Sun and Moon Pirates.
To this day, they still hadn't determined why Kevin was alive, or who was behind the Tomorrow's invincible defense.
These were all secrets.
Without clarifying these matters,
the Gorosei dared not act rashly; they were also a bit scared, having suffered too many losses at Kevin's hands.
People grow.
They couldn't always suffer losses.
Knowing they would suffer a loss and still willingly falling for it was foolish.
"Then let's think of another foolproof plan, one that will definitely succeed. By then..." Akainu suggested, believing the Fleet Admiral's death must be washed away with the enemy's blood.
Before he finished speaking,
the Gorosei slammed the table in anger and stood up.
Their ferocious faces stared at Akainu.
They growled, "Don't you ever mention a foolproof plan to me again."
Which time did you not say it was a foolproof plan, absolutely successful?
We believed you.
And then what?
We listened to you lure Kevin out and lost the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit.
We listened to you infiltrate the Sun and Moon Pirate Crew, and the CP0 elite Stussy betrayed us.
We listened to you, surrounded Kevin at Sabaody Archipelago, and were deceived.
We listened to you, established the Shichibukai over Kevin's grave, and the Shichibukai are gone, and the Fleet Admiral is gone.
Not a single success, but the price paid has become increasingly large.
Akainu was dumbfounded by the Gorosei' scolding.
After venting their emotions, the Gorosei
sat down.
"We have a plan."
The Gorosei suddenly said.
Aokiji and Kizaru, among others, suddenly felt a chill.
What plan do you have now?
Please, no more plans.
Every time you have a plan, it's us, the Marines, who suffer. Can't you just settle down?
The Gorosei and the Marine high command mutually disliked each other, fearing each other's so-called plans and foolproof strategies.
They were all afraid.
.....
At this moment, Kevin was in Fish-Man Island.
The rest of the Sun and Moon Pirate Crew, aboard the Tomorrow, also arrived at Fish-Man Island from Dressrosa.
Amidst the tearful, excited gazes of countless Fish-Men,
Kevin took out the "Tomorrow" flag.
He erected it at the entrance of Fish-Man Island.
The flag flapped in the wind.
At this moment, Fish-Man Island was abuzz with excitement and laughter.
They had a backer now.
From now on,
Fish-Man Island would be protected by the Sun and Moon Pirate Crew.
-------------------------------
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