But this kid? He didn't notify anyone, made no preparations, and just went for it straight away.
That is Kaido.
Can you even handle... him?
Sengoku paused, his mind racing.
Wait... I was so enraged by this guy earlier that I lost my composure, but there's another crucial point.
Just how strong has Lancelot become?
Let's set aside Kaido, the opponent he'll soon face.
Just consider the Big Mom Pirates' Snack, Broye, and Custard, along with the Beasts Pirates' Jack—which of them is easy to deal with?
Charlotte Snack, the 25th son of Emperor "Big Mom" (Charlotte Linlin) and one of the top executives known as the "Sweet Commanders."
He is the Minister of Fries with a bounty of 600 million Berries.
Charlotte Broye is the ninth daughter and twentieth child of the Charlotte Family, the Minister of Meringue stationed on Meringue Island.
Her bounty is 300 million Berries.
Charlotte Custard, the sixth daughter and sixteenth child, is also an executive.
Although not one of the Ministers, she is a key figure in the pursuit forces of the Big Mom Pirates.
Her bounty is 450 million Berries.
With these three joining forces, there are very few in the world who can take them down.
Then there's Jack the Drought, one of the "All-Stars" of the Beasts Pirates.
He is a trusted confidant of Kaido, a user of the Ancient Zoan Elephant-Elephant Fruit, and captain of the Mammoth.
He serves as the Governor of the Kuri region in Wano Country.
His bounty is a staggering 1 billion Berries.
There's no need to even debate this guy's strength. He is arguably stronger than Snack, Broye, and Custard combined.
Yet, Lancelot still managed to severely injure him.
His strength... is at least above that of an elite Vice Admiral at Headquarters.
It might have even reached the level of an Admiral.
After all, the achievements are there and cannot be falsified.
At this moment, Sengoku began to suspect whether Lancelot had been secretly trained by the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
Otherwise, how could such a powerhouse appear out of nowhere?
Most importantly, this kid had previously lived in Mary Geoise, acting like a lavish spendthrift.
Back then, his strength was so poor it wasn't even worth noting—at most, the level of a Marine Lieutenant.
"Hah..."
Sengoku's mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts, but he couldn't grasp a solid answer.
He could only suppress them for now.
He spoke into the Den Den Mushi, his voice stern.
"But that's Kaido... How dare you?"
As soon as Sengoku said this, Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji all nodded in agreement.
The Fleet Admiral's words truly resonated with them.
Forget about Lancelot, a mere Rear Admiral; even if they faced Kaido alone, they wouldn't be confident of victory.
He is one of the Four Emperors of the New World, known as the "Strongest Creature" and famed for his dominance in one-on-one combat.
Hearing this, Lancelot also dropped his casual demeanor, his tone turning serious on the other end of the line.
"I'm not confident I can defeat him. But I am confident that he won't be able to defeat me either."
"What?!"
Sengoku, Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru, Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji all exclaimed in surprise.
At this point, Sengoku became even more convinced of his earlier suspicion.
Based on his observations, Lancelot was a man who planned carefully.
If he didn't have the strength, he would never act this recklessly.
After exchanging a few final pleasantries, they ended the call.
However, after hanging up, the Fleet Admiral's office fell into silence once again.
No one present was a fool; they naturally understood just how unbelievable the situation was.
"Hah..."
Sengoku took another deep breath to calm himself, then turned his gaze toward Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Feeling Sengoku's eyes on her, Tsuru couldn't help but smile wryly.
"It seems we've all underestimated this Rear Admiral."
Her expression then turned serious as she shifted the topic. "However, what's most crucial for us now is to consider the following two points."
"First, regardless of the details, Lancelot defeated Snack, Broye, and Custard, even subduing two of them. Immediately after, he severely injured Jack, ultimately leading to Jack's death at the hands of Broye and Custard."
"Such achievements cannot go unrewarded. But if we are to reward him, how should we do it? He was just promoted to Rear Admiral—could we possibly promote him directly to Vice Admiral?"
"If he really gets promoted, his influence within the Navy will inevitably grow. Once he becomes a Vice Admiral, he must possess matching authority. But given his background... would it be a good thing for the Navy to let him rise so quickly?"
"Second, regardless of whether Lancelot's strength is truly enough to withstand Kaido, as senior officials of the Navy, should we send someone to support him?"
"Not sending anyone seems unjustifiable. Never mind his father, Burns—we wouldn't even be able to explain it to the Celestial Dragons if he died. But if we do send someone, who should we send?"
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji one by one, finally settling on Garp.
Garp sat frozen.
"..."
Garp, who had been happily watching the drama unfold, was utterly dumbfounded.
Looking at Vice Admiral Tsuru with disbelief, he said, "Tsuru-chan, are you asking me to go?"
Hearing this, Tsuru offered a slight, apologetic smile and shook her head. "Under normal circumstances, you would indeed be the most suitable. After all, you've fought Kaido more than once and know his strength best... but..."
As her voice trailed off, Tsuru's gaze shifted to Kizaru.
Kizaru stiffened. "..."
'Well, damn.'
While enjoying the show, he never expected to become part of the cast.
Wasn't lazing around in the Science Division perfectly fine? Sipping tea, eating rice crackers, and gazing at the sky—life was beautiful.
Why would anyone want to pick a fight with a madman like Kaido? That was just asking for trouble.
Kizaru opened his mouth, wanting to refuse. But before he could speak, he realized he had no grounds to decline.
Among everyone present, he was the fastest.
Only he could arrive there in time.
If it were anyone else, sailing there on a warship would likely mean the battle would be over before they even arrived.
"Sigh... what a hassle~"
Kizaru reluctantly stood up, his body dissolving into particles of light as he transformed, heading instantly in Lancelot's direction.
Seeing this, Tsuru's lips curled into a faint smile.
Though Kizaru was notoriously lazy, when it was truly necessary to act, he wouldn't hesitate.
Otherwise, he never would have attained the position of Admiral.
But soon, her smile faded.
She turned back to look at Sengoku.
"The support has been decided. But what about Lancelot's rank? Should it be raised?"
Sengoku fell silent.
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