Sengoku remained noncommittal regarding Kuzan’s ideas, refraining from voicing any opinion.

Being in the high position of Fleet Admiral, how could Sengoku not see these issues or fail to consider them? What Kuzan mentioned about abolishing the Shichibukai system had undoubtedly crossed Sengoku’s mind before. However, he felt that while the idea was good, Kuzan might be acting too hastily.

The drawbacks of the Shichibukai system were evident. Not everyone was like Dracule Mihawk, operating alone without forming a crew. They were pirates, and powerful ones at that. It was unrealistic to expect them to develop themselves while adhering to the law. Consequently, many dark aspects inevitably emerged, and to recruit these Shichibukai, the World Government and Navy often had to turn a blind eye to such matters. Unless it escalated to a level where it stirred public outrage, they typically chose to selectively ignore it.

Thus, Sengoku clearly understood that the Navy’s so-called name of justice was sometimes just a slogan. This was also why he had been unable to rebut Ian’s questioning back then.

However, actually abolishing the Shichibukai system would be very difficult. First of all, even though the current number of Shichibukai was already insufficient, announcing the removal of their Shichibukai status would instantly add several powerful pirates to the world. As the Navy, the force “upholding justice,” how should they handle these newly declared enemies?

They couldn’t just ignore them, pretending not to see, right? But if they dispatched forces to subdue them, what would they do in the face of significant war losses?

Moreover, the most important point was that the Shichibukai were essentially a banner—a flag of pacification! The sea was vast, and it was impossible to eliminate all pirates. However, as long as this banner of pacification existed, it provided a pathway for pirates to submit and accept governance…

Sengoku had always been fond of Kuzan (Aokiji) succeeding him. He understood that Kuzan couldn’t possibly be blind to these obstacles. The reason Kuzan brought it up before him was likely just a thought; he might gradually work towards it, eliminating these obstacles step by step to accomplish this idea.

Therefore, Sengoku refrained from expressing any opinions now. As someone on the verge of retirement, he shouldn’t be too involved in these matters.

Nonetheless, he subtly reminded Kuzan, “Make sure it’s feasible before you think about taking action!”

Kuzan nodded, indicating he understood. After Kuzan left, Sengoku reclined in his chair, contemplating other matters.

He hoped Kuzan could take over his position. With Kuzan’s temperament, he could provide a good buffer for the increasingly radical Navy and bring a more humane touch to it.

However, Sengoku understood that Kuzan’s rise to power faced a significant obstacle: Akainu.

The highest leaders of the World Government, the Five Elders, had always favored Akainu. They had subtly hinted more than once in front of Sengoku that they hoped Admiral Sakazuki would take over the position of Fleet Admiral. Akainu’s concept of absolute justice not only had a strong following within the Navy but was also highly appreciated by the Five Elders. They wanted to see such loyal individuals emerge within the organization.

However, Sengoku was worried about this. After the Navy’s defeat in the war against the Whitebeard Pirates, he could sense a growing restlessness within the Navy.

There was a very abnormal phenomenon within the Navy now. They believed that if it weren’t for the intrusion of the Black Dragon Ian, Kaido, and Red-Haired Shanks, the Navy would have won the war. So even after retreating, they didn’t feel defeated; instead, they were eager to restore the Navy’s dignity.

For a long time, the Navy’s belief in certain victory had started to backfire at this moment. They couldn’t face failure and seemed to be avoiding it. Many, although hoping for reforms within the Navy, felt that the Navy should expand its forces and strengthen its power again. Restlessness and radicalism were quietly spreading within the Navy. If Akainu were to become Fleet Admiral under these circumstances, it could potentially lead to an even greater disaster!

Sengoku had a premonition that if Akainu rose to power, he might lead the Navy into an abyss from which there would be no return…

Since both of Akainu’s arms were rendered useless, he immediately underwent emergency surgery upon his return. Therefore, he was not at Navy Headquarters but rather at the Naval Science Unit. As a Devil Fruit user, Akainu couldn’t have mechanical seastone arms like Zephyr. However, Dr. Vegapunk’s success with the Pacifista project had accumulated a lot of cyborg technology for the Naval Science Unit, which might help Akainu recover.

Sengoku didn’t know how long this recovery would take—maybe a month, maybe two—but for him, this was an excellent opportunity. He could take advantage of Akainu’s absence from Navy Headquarters to quickly push the World Government to make a decision and ensure the transition of the Fleet Admiral position to Aokiji.

Yes, due to various concerns, Sengoku decided to finalize the transition of the Fleet Admiral position before Akainu’s return.

In addition to this matter, there was the issue of the Blackbeard Pirates. The Blackbeard Pirates’ assault on Mary Geoise during the Navy war had already incited the fury of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.

The thing they had feared had finally happened… Ever since Ian had killed the heir of the Musgarud family, they had been worried that this act would inspire others, leading to waves of attacks on the World Nobles. Now, this situation had indeed repeated itself!

When dealing with Ian, the Celestial Dragons and the World Government had ultimately chosen to compromise because of concerns about the identity chip. They had paid a ransom of 10 billion Beli and granted a position in the Seven Warlords of the Sea to successfully reclaim the Musgarud family’s identity chip.

However, this time the Blackbeard Pirates’ attack and killing of three Celestial Dragons was far worse than what Ian had done!

Due to the previous incident, security in Mary Geoise had been significantly increased, but Blackbeard had exploited his status as a Shichibukai to gain entry to Mary Geoise!

This was a huge oversight. Now, the enraged World Government and Celestial Dragons not only immediately revoked Blackbeard Teach’s status as a Warlord but also decreed that no Shichibukai could approach Mary Geoise under any pretext!

Moreover, since the Blackbeard Pirates hadn’t obtained any leverage over the Celestial Dragons this time, the World Government had no reservations about them. They issued strict orders to the Navy to destroy the Blackbeard Pirates at any cost, and they deployed their intelligence agents throughout the New World to track down the Blackbeard Pirates.

This command gave Sengoku a headache. Having been defeated by the Whitebeard Pirates, the Navy’s already weak presence in the New World would face further contraction. Under such circumstances, hunting down the Blackbeard Pirates in the New World would be very difficult. Moreover, dealing with the Blackbeard Pirates would likely require at least two Navy Admirals, and the Navy was currently short-handed.

Sengoku even considered setting aside his prejudices to seek cooperation with the Whitebeard Pirates. He knew that after this incident, the Whitebeard Pirates would be hunting down Blackbeard Teach with all their might in the New World. If he could exchange Navy intelligence for cooperation with the Whitebeard Pirates, perhaps they could use the Whitebeard Pirates to fulfill the World Government and Celestial Dragons’ orders.

Over the next two weeks, Sengoku was busy communicating with the World Government. The Five Elders were very dissatisfied with the idea of Aokiji taking over as Fleet Admiral. However, with Akainu undergoing surgery and uncertain about his recovery, the Five Elders had no choice but to reluctantly agree to Sengoku’s insistence, allowing Aokiji to “temporarily” assume the position of Fleet Admiral.

Thus, in the second week after the Battle of New Edd War, the first major news was announced: Fleet Admiral Sengoku had retired and relinquished his position, with Admiral Aokiji succeeding him as the new Fleet Admiral of the Navy.

When the news birds delivered this message via newspapers to every corner of the world, Ian had just returned with his Dragon Hunter Pirates to the Sky Island and was preparing to set out again.

Upon seeing the news, Ian immediately furrowed his brow.

“What’s wrong?” Robin asked softly as she handed Ian a cup of tea.

“I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that Sengoku and Aokiji have made a bad move,” Ian said, frowning.

“Indeed, it is a bad move!” Crocodile interjected with a cold sneer. “Sengoku might have wanted to push Aokiji to the top, but he forgot that Akainu is not someone who would willingly play second fiddle! Just wait, the Navy might be in for some interesting times…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read