"He has finally appeared. The man known as the Dragon King."
After putting down the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku spoke with a heavy expression.
Something as serious as encountering Rosinante was naturally reported to Sengoku by Momonga at the very first opportunity.
"Dragon King Rosinante, huh? I wonder how much his strength has grown over these three years. Once this war begins, no matter who wins or loses, the Navy will suffer catastrophic losses," Garp said gravely.w
"But that plan is already unavoidable. Otherwise, the Navy's efforts over the past three years will all be wasted," Sengoku replied.
"That's true. We cannot allow the Gray Kingdom to continue developing like this," Tsuru said coldly. "If we let it grow unchecked, the Navy will lose its ability to control the seas, and the World Government's position will face an enormous threat!"
"For three years, because of Rosinante's disappearance, that plan could not be carried out," Sengoku said solemnly. "Now is the time to restart it. The battle plan prepared by the Navy and the World Government over three years, the Gray Kingdom Extermination Plan."
Over the past three years, the Gray Kingdom had expanded at an astonishing pace. In just that short span of time, its number of vassal states had reached sixty three, causing extreme alarm within the World Government.
The World Government understood clearly that it absolutely could not allow the Gray Kingdom to continue growing like this. Otherwise, it would eventually lose its position as the ruler of the world.
Thus, during those three years, the World Government and the Navy had initiated a series of deployments targeting the Gray Kingdom, even establishing a specific plan to completely annihilate it.
However, this plan had been temporarily shelved due to Rosinante's disappearance.
An unknown enemy was always the most dangerous.
If Rosinante were operating openly, they could formulate a series of strategies directly targeting him.
And the best way to bring down the Gray Kingdom was to eliminate Rosinante first.
But Rosinante had been hiding in the shadows. If the Navy were to launch the plan under such circumstances, Rosinante could respond and counterattack accordingly. In that situation, it would be extremely difficult for the World Government and the Navy to severely cripple, let alone destroy, the Gray Kingdom.
"Before that, we need to probe how much Rosinante's strength has grown over these three years, so we can refine the plan," Tsuru said. "After all, that plan was originally designed for Rosinante as he was three years ago. A Rosinante who disappeared for three years must have made considerable progress. Determining his approximate strength will also help minimize the Navy's losses."
"This matter will be entrusted to the three of you," Sengoku said, looking toward the three men seated in front of him.
"So scary, so scary. Dragon King Rosinante's ability really restrains me quite badly," Borsalino said lazily.
"Don't say such discouraging things," Sakazuki said coldly as he looked at Borsalino. "Even if your ability is restrained, that doesn't mean there is no way to respond. Are you planning to admit defeat before the fight even begins? Is that the attitude a Marine Admiral should have?"
"So scary, so scary. I don't want to be like this either," Borsalino replied helplessly. "But if the opponent is Rosinante, once his Devil Fruit awakening ability is unleashed, I am destined to only play a supporting role. There's no helping it. His ability restrains mine far too much."
"Is his ability really that suppressive to you?" Kuzan asked with some confusion.
"I've tried it before. Once light enters his domain, it automatically collapses," Borsalino said. "It's very hard for me to fight inside his territory. If I were to encounter him alone, I would turn around and run without hesitation."
"Leave Rosinante to me," Sakazuki said flatly. "You just watch."
"I'll act depending on the situation," Kuzan replied. "After all, if you make your move and I join in, our abilities will restrain each other."
"Then I'll contribute a bit as well," Borsalino said. "But if I see him use his Devil Fruit awakening, I'll retreat immediately and start testing his ability from a distance."
"In short, we will restrain you as necessary," Sengoku said firmly. "Remember the objective of this mission. The priority is to probe how much Rosinante's strength has improved, in preparation for the real battle to come. Don't lose sight of the goal."
"Yes," Kuzan replied.
"Understood," Sakazuki said.
"I don't want to fight him to the death either," Borsalino added.
All this time, Rosinante's absence had cast a shadow over every division of the Gray Kingdom.
But that shadow was suddenly shattered by a single report.
On the most eye catching front page of a newspaper appeared a massive photograph.
The photo showed a luxurious cruise ship.
If it were merely a cruise ship, it would naturally not qualify for the front page.
But this cruise ship was rampaging through the first half of the Grand Line. Whether pirates or Marines stood in its path, before they could even get close, they were all knocked unconscious by an overwhelming, tyrannical aura.
Yet even that was not the most important part.
What truly mattered was that anyone with even a basic understanding of the Gray Kingdom would recognize this cruise ship as the personal vessel of Dragon King Rosinante.
Moreover, the photograph clearly captured a man lazily reclining on a beach chair atop the cruise ship, casually glancing toward the reporter's camera. His face was unmistakably visible.
Although he had not appeared for three years, there was no doubt about it.
He was the captain of the Gray Kingdom.
The man known as the Dragon King.
Holding the newspaper, Jack revealed a faint smile.
"So you've finally shown yourself. Then it's time to cleanse the trash within the divisions."
A ferocious grin spread across Jack's face.
At the same time, the captains of the other divisions revealed identical smiles.