Grand Line, the Devil's Triangle.
The sea was shrouded in mist, with no sunlight in sight.
The Groudon Ship advanced through the fog, quickly shaking off the pursuing naval vessels. Though the surroundings weren't particularly scenic, they were at least safe.
"Smoker really should experience this thick fog environment for himself," Gurd mused as he gazed at the dense mist.
This peculiar environment was likely the result of the Smoke Fruit's Awakening.
Pushing a Devil Fruit's abilities to their limits, especially through Awakening, could permanently alter the environment. For instance, Thunder Island in the New World was perpetually struck by endless lightning.
Even some Paramecia-type fruits could achieve similar effects.
In the New World, there was an uninhabited island that floated upside-down in the sky, with reversed gravitational pull. Ships passing by would be sucked onto the island—perhaps the result of the Gravity Fruit's Awakening.
If Smoker had been a bit more creative and developed his abilities toward techniques like Silent Killing Technique, cloning, or illusions, he would undoubtedly have more potential than just being a punching bag shrouded in smoke.
Alas, everyone was a brute at heart.
Gurd turned his gaze to Fujitora.
"Long time no see, Brother Issho."
"Commander Gurd."
Fujitora's mood was grim.
If possible, he didn't want to bear the stigma of being a traitor or leave the Navy. But given the circumstances, he couldn't stand idly by.
He didn't know how much impact his actions had, but at least they allowed some civilians to escape the battlefield in time.
Even saving one more person was worth it.
Gurd studied Fujitora carefully.
He had come to the Kingdom of Lulusia to recruit the Revolutionary Army, never expecting things to turn out this way.
Now, the Revolutionary Army was nowhere to be found, but Fujitora had boarded his ship.
"So, you're really planning to join us?"
"I acknowledge Hoenn's ideals. Justice should not serve the powerful—justice exists to protect the people," Fujitora replied slowly.
The God's Knights' trampling of lives had completely disillusioned him with the World Government. As for the Hoenn Government, he had been keeping an eye on it.
Unfortunately, being blind, his understanding of Hoenn mostly came from hearsay—much of it slanderous.
Even so, he could still glean useful information from it.
Aokiji, Smoker, Dore...
These renowned officers had all joined Hoenn, which spoke volumes about the Navy's underlying issues.
Moreover, he had sensed fear toward Hoenn among many Marine officers—an emotion unbecoming of soldiers.
What kind of reason would make an organization of justice fear another of the same nature, even going so far as to slander it relentlessly?
He already had his answer.
Fujitora hesitated for a moment before making an awkward request. "Commander Gurd, if I may be so shameless... I wish to serve as an Admiral in the Hoenn Navy."
"No problem," Gurd replied with a smile.
His organization was small, so the benefits had to be better.
"Any other requests?"
"Well..."
Fujitora took a deep breath. "When I joined the Navy, I had aspirations. I want to abolish the [Warlords of the Sea System]!"
"That shouldn't be too difficult either," Gurd mused.
Before he set out, the Cross Guild was about to go to war. By now, it was likely already over.
With four former Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea backing them, even if the Cross Guild couldn't defeat the Navy, escaping shouldn't be a problem.
The simplest way to abolish the Warlords of the Sea System is to eliminate them. Given the World Government's efficiency, replacements certainly wouldn't keep up with the death rate.
In fact, only four Warlords of the Sea remain now, one of whom is Kuma—who guards the Straw Hat Crew's ship and doesn't follow orders.
Losing one or two more would reduce the Warlords of the Sea to an industry joke, rendering their existence meaningless.
Gurd smiled as he spoke.
"As the future Admiral of Hoenn, you won't need to abide by the World Government's policies. If any Warlord of the Sea displeases you, feel free to beat them up or arrest them!"
"..."
Fujitora looked stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
What a straightforward and brutal approach!
Coincidentally, among the remaining Warlords of the Sea, there was indeed one wicked target he wanted to capture—Donquixote Doflamingo!
Fujitora's expression darkened.
"Commander Gurd, as far as I know, the 'Heavenly Yaksha' Doflamingo has close ties with the Beasts Pirates. If I intend to arrest him, will you stop me?"
"No."
Gurd crossed his legs with a grin.
"Hoenn and the Beasts are now two entirely separate organizations with opposing ideologies. As long as it doesn't escalate into all-out war, I won't interfere."
"If you want to capture Doflamingo, you only need Aokiji's approval—he's the Fleet Admiral of the Hoenn Navy, and you fall under his command."
"As for Doflamingo, if he dies by your hand, he can only blame his own weakness. No one else is at fault!"
"One more thing—the Beasts Pirates likely won't sit idly by. They'll probably send someone to reclaim Doflamingo. Handle it as you see fit."
Small-scale clashes between the two factions would cost a fair amount of resources, especially ships, but they'd also serve as training exercises—weeding out the incompetent while nurturing the strong.
With the World Government as their common enemy, neither side would engage in major conflict. Besides, one operated primarily in the North Sea while the other was in the New World, so friction between them was naturally minimal.
"Then this old man can rest easy!"
Fujitora smiled in relief.
His greatest concern had been Gurd—not only was he the Commander of Hoenn, but he also held influence second only to Kaido within the Beasts Pirates.
He also knew Hoenn and the Beasts were like brothers. Facing the formidable World Government, it wasn't yet time for them to part ways.
If Gurd had forbidden it, his plans would have faced major obstacles.
Gurd extended an invitation with a grin.
"Brother Issho, if I recall correctly, Gekko Moria's territory lies within these waters. Care to pay him a visit?"
"Moria?"
Fujitora pondered before nodding.
His knowledge of Moria was scarce—the man had kept an extremely low profile ever since his defeat by Kaido twenty years ago, rarely making waves except when summoned by the World Government.
Rumors placed Gekko Moria's ship somewhere in the Devil's Triangle.
Based on his judgment, Moria didn't seem as dangerous as Crocodile or Doflamingo.
Besides, navigating this eerie fog-covered sea without getting lost was already a challenge—finding Moria's ship would likely be near impossible.
"Commander Gurd, can you actually locate Moria's ship?"
"I have my ways!"
Gurd flashed a confident smile.
Just as he was about to demonstrate, Chikara hurried over and whispered in his ear, "Lord Gurd, Gunko has woken up."
"Alright, I'll head over now."
Gurd stood up.
"Issho, I have some matters to attend to. Let's talk later."
"Understood."
Fujitora nodded in acknowledgment.
He knew exactly why Gurd was leaving.
That woman from the God's Knights was currently aboard this very ship
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