After ending the call, Lancelot dialed Burns' Den Den Mushi.
It connected quickly.
"You finally remember to call me?" Burns had a proud expression on his face, though his words came through gritted teeth.
Clearly, the recent events Lancelot had stirred up had greatly boosted his reputation.
His status in Holy Land Mariejois was now rising rapidly.
Before, to put it nicely, he was just a dog of the Celestial Dragons.
If he licked their boots well enough, they might throw him a bone. He had no real power whatsoever.
But now things were different.
The Celestial Dragons were even actively giving him authority. He had now been assigned to CIPHER POL 1.
Cipher Pol is the secret intelligence agency under World Goverment, under the control of Celestial Dragon.
There are officially eight organizations: CP1 to CP8, with CP9 being a special agency hidden in the shadows, while CP0 reports directly to the Celestial Dragons.
This CP1 is the highest-ranking department within CP's public structure.
So, you can imagine its status and authority.
Although it can't compare to CP0 which reports directly to the World Nobles, it holds equivalent status to CP9.
The only difference is that one operates in the shadows while the other is public.
This means his status and authority are equivalent to that of CP9's director.
Such status and power are even higher and stronger than that of a Marine Vice Admiral.
For him, this was already quite satisfying.
Burns' expression and demeanor were faithfully reproduced by the Den Den Mushi and displayed before Lancelot.
Lancelot was momentarily taken aback before breaking into a smile: "Old man, what good fortune have you come across?"
Burns lifted his head proudly: "Your old man is now the director of CP1, making me essentially the third most important figure in the CP's organization."
"Oh?" Lancelot's eyes lit up.
If it were any other department, he wouldn't have cared much.
After all, any of his subordinates could achieve similar status and authority.
But CP's was different. From now on, he could obtain crucial intelligence the moment it became available.
This would significantly enhance his intelligence capabilities.
He couldn't help but smile as well.
But he quickly composed himself and got down to business. "Can you arrange a call for me with either Figarland Garling or Figarland Shamrock?"
"What?"
Burns was inwardly startled.
Despite being a man of status and position himself, in the eyes of the Celestial Dragons, he was still just a minor underling.
His heart tightened.
Because in his view, anything the Celestial Dragons hadn't voluntarily given, if you proactively asked for it—that was considered quite disrespectful.
No, it should be said that the Celestial Dragons would see it that way.
Over the years at the Holy Land, he had witnessed many such situations.
Few who acted this way ended up well.
However, he immediately thought of his son's unique circumstances.
Frowning slightly, he said softly, "First tell me your reason. If it's truly necessary to speak directly with those two esteemed individuals..."
He paused here, then gritted his teeth and finished, "I'll go request an audience with them."
Lancelot didn't waste words and stated directly, "I've found Vergo, the one who went missing from G-5. He was tricked by the Beasts Pirates and has been hiding to recover from his injuries! But misfortune turned to blessing—he accidentally ate the Zoan-type dragon-shaped Devil Fruit. Now he's become an Ability User similar to Kaido. Combined with his mastery of Rokushiki and Armament Haki, his current strength is quite remarkable."
"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the top Vice Admiral in the Marine Headquarters. In a fight, he'd likely be on par with Tokikake and Momousagi. Moreover, since he just ate the Devil Fruit, his power will rapidly increase in the short term."
"I expect it won't be long before he reaches Admiral-level strength. After all, this Devil Fruit suits him perfectly. So, I want to ask the two esteemed individuals to secretly support him. Later, when both he and I attain the positions of Admirals, the Marines won't be as disobedient as they are now."
Burns' eyes lit up sharply, filled with shock and a touch of delight.
"You recruited him under your command?"
Lancelot nodded: "I saved his life and made him considerable promises. With both gratitude and benefits, winning him over wasn't difficult."
"Hahaha..." Burns was overjoyed and laughed heartily.
But then Lancelot added another point: "There's also a man named Issho, a Paramecia-type Gravity Fruit Ability User, and also a Great Swordsman. His Observation Haki is exceptional... His strength is at Admiral level. He's already joined G-5. But when recruiting him, I promised he would be exceptionally promoted to Vice Admiral and become the commanding officer of the G-5 branch."
"What?"
Burns, who had been sitting, immediately leaped up from his chair.
The Vergo Lancelot mentioned earlier would only reach Admiral level later.
But this one—straight up at Admiral level from the start!
How could he not be shocked?
Admiral!
That was the Marine's highest combat power... Meaning Lancelot not only possessed strength comparable to Kaido himself but also had a subordinate with Admiral-level power?
"Gulp..."
Burns couldn't help but gasp sharply.
Now he finally understood where Lancelot's confidence came from.
Earlier, when he learned that Lancelot had proposed sending Ace back to Marine Headquarters, having the Marines confront Whitebeard head-on while Lancelot stalled Kaido and Charlotte Linlin in the New World, he had been utterly dumbfounded.
Taking on two Emperors of Pirates? Forget Lancelot; even the Marine Hero Garp would be nothing more than cannon fodder.
Fortunately, he later learned that Kizaru, Tokikake, and Shiryu were going to provide support, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief and finally set his mind at ease.
With these three added to the mix, even if they couldn't secure a victory, holding the line shouldn't be a problem.
But now... it doesn't seem to be going that way!
Add to that Vergo, a Vice Admiral with the caliber of a candidate for Admiral, and Issho, who possesses the strength of a full Admiral.
Good heavens!
This isn't just about stalling the enemy—this is shaping up to be an annihilation battle!
Perhaps completely wiping out two great pirate empires is still a tall order, but taking down one of them shouldn't be too difficult, right?
"Hiss..."
At this thought, Burns couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Because if things played out this way, the achievements would be monumental.
Tokikake and Momousagi may have become candidate Admirals early on, but they've never accomplished anything on this scale—not even matching Lancelot's previous feat of standing up to Kaido in battle.
So, if this really succeeds... Should any changes occur in the upper echelons of the Marines, the first to ascend to the position of Admiral would undoubtedly be Lancelot.
Without a doubt.
He might not even need the assistance of Figarland Garling and Figarland Shamrock.
"Alright... I'll go request permission now."
Finally, he understood why Lancelot had the confidence to send him to seek out Figarland Shamrock and Figarland Garling and demand a direct communication line.
Because Lancelot now possesses not only the strength but also the influence to back it up.
After all, if you count Yamato, Sasaki, Ulti, Page One, Denjiro, Kikunojo, Ashura Doji, Kawamatsu, Vergo, Issho, and Shiryu... The high-tier combat power Lancelot currently commands amounts to at least one-third of the entire Marine force.
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