I was right in the middle of a high-stakes "tea party" with Sugar—which mostly involved me trying not to break her dolls with my armored hands—when the Den Den Mushi began to wail.
It was Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
The summary was simple:
"Kuzan (Aokiji) has formally recommended Jinbe, boss of the Sun Pirates, as a candidate for the Seven Warlords.
Since we have multiple vacancies and an incomplete roster is a bad look for the Government, I want you to head out and negotiate with another candidate to fill the gaps."
Currently, the Seven Warlords (Ouka Shichibukai) consist of:
Sir Crocodile, the "Desert King" based in Alabasta.
Boa Hancock, the "Pirate Empress" of Amazon Lily.
Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman.
Bartholomew Kuma, the "Tyrant" (who, in this timeline, hasn't yet been fully replaced by the Pacifista program).
Normally, Donquixote Doflamingo would be on that list, but thanks to my "intervention" in the past, the "Heavenly Yaksha" is currently rotting in a cell in Impel Down. This leaves three seats wide open.
Jinbe is already a lock—I handled the secret negotiations via Fisher Tiger's letter on my way to Faus Island. He knows to accept when the Government calls.
But my new mission isn't Jinbe. Sengoku wants me to find Gecko Moria.
The man who once clashed with Kaido of the "Four Emperors" in Wano and lived to tell the tale (albeit losing his entire crew and his spirit in the process).
The Government has noticed his "Pirate Hunting" activities in the Florian Triangle and decided his shadow-stealing ways provide "strategic value."
I suggested using a News Bat for the delivery, but Sengoku just smirked. "The place he's hiding is... troublesome. You're the only one I trust to navigate it efficiently."
So, after soothing a pouting Sugar (who was furious about the playdate being cut short), I left Dr. Luc and Colonel Ryudo in charge of the facility.
I said my goodbyes to Monet, Olga, and the research team, and steered the Charlotte Angie toward Red Port.
However, upon reaching Marineford to switch to my official flagship, I hit a massive roadblock.
My flagship, the Beatrice, was in dry dock.
"Sengoku-san! Why is my ship being dismantled!?"
"Ah, I forgot to mention," Sengoku said, not looking up from his rice crackers. "The Beatrice is old, Krieg. She was showing her age, and since you were busy in the New World, I authorized a complete overhaul. She's being converted into a training vessel for Instructor Zephyr to use for new recruits."
I almost lost it. "You could have asked me!"
"I didn't think you'd be back so soon," he replied dismissively. "But don't worry. You're getting the newly launched 'Charlotte Angie Mk. II' as your permanent replacement soon. It's built for the New World from the keel up."
It turns out the entire independent squadron is being modernized. Colonel Ryudo's Queen's Mayfair and Commodore Jonathan's Albion are also scheduled for massive refits.
It makes sense—the Beatrice was a twelve-year-old refit, and the others were five-year-old designs. Compared to my private New World ship, they were slow and under-gunned.
I accepted the upgrade (reluctantly), but I still needed a ship now to find Moria.
When they led me to the dock to show me my "temporary transport," I felt a vein pop in my forehead. They had dragged out an obsolete, dusty, second-rate galleon that looked like it belonged in a museum.
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