30 Years in Whitebeard’s Crew, I Became Invincible

At the same time, the World Government was holding a meeting.

"Our intelligence agents have reported that Kaido of the Beasts Pirates had a fight with Roy of the Whitebeard Pirates."

Standing before the Five Elders was the newly appointed Fleet Admiral Akainu. Despite being wrapped in bandages, he stood confidently, a cigar in his mouth.

"We already knew about this," said Saint Nusjuro.

"You already knew?!" Akainu's expression twisted in disbelief as he stared at the five of them.

"What? Do we need to report to you now?" Saint Mars retorted.

"I'm the Fleet Admiral now. Intelligence gathered by the World Government should also be shared with the Marines. We can't always rely on our own limited intelligence network. If intelligence were shared properly, the Marines could accomplish much more, eliminating more pirates," Akainu said sternly.

"This is Mary Geoise, not Marineford. You've only just become Fleet Admiral. What gives you the right to raise your voice at us? Know your place," said Saint Saturn with a hostile tone.

"The Marine's duty is to eliminate pirates. Information related to pirates should be immediately sent to the us so we can act. Keeping it to yourselves undermines the entire point of the Marines' existence," Akainu argued.

"Our decisions are not yours to question. Your only job is to follow orders. The Marines are but hounds of the World Government. Know your role. Bark again, and we'll appoint Borsalino as Fleet Admiral instead," Saint Warcury said coldly.

The Five Elders all fixed their gazes on Akainu. At that moment, he felt a surge of fury, yet also helplessness.

Even after becoming Fleet Admiral, he was still just a dog.

They wouldn't even share intelligence with him. The World Government received reports at least a week earlier than the Marines.

The intel from Drake was first routed through the SWORD unit before it was passed along to the Marines.

Drake had once been a Marine Rear Admiral, so his identity was undoubtedly under surveillance by the Beast Pirates. There was no way Kaido would allow a former Marine to infiltrate so easily.

To pass along information, Drake had gone to great lengths.

Yet despite the World Government's vastly superior intelligence network, they refused to share anything with the Navy.

This left the Marines blind, unable to act on pirate movements in real time.

For Akainu, who had just ascended to the position of Fleet Admiral, there were only two words to describe this feeling:

Utter frustration.

The World Government and the Marines were supposed to be one entity. The Marines' intel had to be reported up, while the World Government could choose whether or not to share with them.

If it were just any ordinary classified intel, he might have swallowed his pride. But withholding pirate-related intelligence? That was a direct insult, especially to him, the newly appointed Fleet Admiral.

"So, can my proposal be approved?" Akainu asked.

"No problem," the Five Elders said after exchanging glances.

Without another word, Akainu turned and left Mary Geoise, heading back to Marineford.

"What are you doing here?" Akainu growled, seeing someone sitting on his office sofa.

"Just paying a visit. Rough day, I take it?" Sengoku said, having already taken off his seagull hat and casually pouring himself tea.

This used to be his office, but now Akainu had redecorated it. The once warm, inviting space had become cold and minimalist, barely furnished.

Akainu scoffed. Clearly, Sengoku already knew he had been humiliated at Mary Geoise.

"How did you know?"

"I guessed. I was once in your shoes. I went there, just like you, only to realize that in their eyes, the Marines are nothing more than a dog. You're walking the same path I did, though yours is even rougher," Sengoku sighed.

"What do you mean, rougher than yours?" Akainu frowned.

"There are some things you can't understand just by looking at the surface. You only see the evil in pirates, but not the usefulness of their existence," Sengoku explained.

"Pirates have value?! Are you joking?" Akainu slammed the table, teeth clenched.

"Not to you. Not to the Navy. But value to the World Government." Sengoku said, sipping his tea calmly, ignoring Akainu's rage. His aura mellowed, and his true self began to show.

Akainu still glared at him. "What exactly do you mean?"

"It's simple. The World Government needs pirates. Why do you think the Beasts Pirates exist? Wano has been a strategically vital location that the World Government, yet they couldn't conquer it even after 800 years. So instead, they let the Beasts Pirates control it.

"Take a look at the Navy's seastone weapon procurement records, especially over the last decade or so," Sengoku said.

"You there!" Akainu shouted toward the door.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!" A marine named Penn rushed in and saluted.

"Bring me all the procurement records for Seastone and weapon purchases over the past several years," Akainu ordered.

"Right away!"

Penn dashed off. Sengoku leisurely continued sipping tea while Akainu lit a cigar, starting to calm down.

Soon after, Penn returned with a large pile of documents, followed by several soldiers helping carry more in.

Akainu grabbed a file and flipped through it. The records clearly listed all purchases, funded by the World Government and handled by their own agents.

"Is there something wrong with this?" Akainu asked.

"99% of the world's Seastone comes from Wano. Now compare the supply from 18 years ago to now, and you'll see what's wrong," Sengoku said.

Akainu found the relevant data. The volume of Seastone purchased had skyrocketed in recent years.

"What's going on here?"

"Because all our Seastone weapons were purchased through the black market, from the Beasts Pirates."

"You're saying the World Government lets Kaido control Wano, then buys weapons from him through underground dealers?!" Akainu's voice was thick with disbelief.

"Exactly."

"That's aiding the enemy! They're strengthening the Beast Pirates!"

BANG!

"This is outrageous!! No wonder intel on the Beasts Pirates has been so scarce. We weren't even allowed to send agents in! So they've been feeding the enemy this whole time!"

"There's still a lot you need to learn. It's not just the Beasts Pirates, there are other pirates too. Their existence is intentional. We eliminate some, but others are meant to stay. They're useful."

Sengoku stood up and walked to the door, delivering one last remark before leaving Akainu's office.

"You think being Fleet Admiral is easy? The view from the top is very different from what you saw as an Admiral. Will you serve the Navy? The World Government? Or the people of the world? I'll be watching to see what you choose."

Many Marines who saw Sengoku walking past noticed something; they could see a slight hunch in his back.

The burden he had carried over the years was no small one. After all, he had led the Marines through the Golden Age of Pirates and built their current strength with his own hands.

...

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu