The revelation of Edward Weevil's identity had ignited the seas.
So were skeptical, but most took it as truth, leaving Whitebeard fuming as he downed several barrels of sake, unable to quell his anger.
He wanted to clarify the situation but found himself at a loss for words; explaining it would only add to his embarrassnt.
"Whoever takes him down will be my favorite son," Whitebeard declared to his sons, looking at Diamond Jozu and the others. This supposed son was a thorn he hoped they could remove.
...
On a Navy warship, Sengoku was constantly receiving updates, monitoring the reactions from islands worldwide.
The response was explosive.
The Seven Warlords' reputations were now firmly established.
"It's ti for us to step in," Sengoku said, straightening his uniform and walking with steady steps toward the center of the scene.
The cara focused on Sengoku.
No introduction was necessary. His presence alone signified the top echelon of the Navy.
Sengoku strode in with an air of authority and took his place, casting a commanding gaze over the Seven Warlords before speaking in a voice of absolute authority: "From now on, rember your positions!"
Each of the Seven Warlords displayed different expressions, but none dared to object.
Everyone watching was in awe, captivated by Sengoku's presence. Here was a man who could reprimand the Seven Warlords without hesitation—a testant to his status as Fleet Admiral.
This alone reminded everyone that, no matter how powerful the Warlords were, the Navy and the World Governnt held ultimate authority.
The World Governnt and the Navy had elevated the Warlords to such heights, but they were ultimately the ones reaping the rewards.
"Forming the Warlords is just the beginning," Sengoku continued, but instead of sitting down to negotiate as many had anticipated, he walked over to a specific spot along the eting table.
Peering down at the ground, he nodded to a nearby Marine carrying a visual Den Den Mushi. The Marine aid the device at the ice-covered ground beneath Sengoku's feet, where a faint mound could be seen beneath the frozen surface.
"Right here, beneath my feet, lies the final resting place of the criminal Kuke," Sengoku stated, tapping the ice lightly with his boot.
Those watching couldn't help but focus their attention.
Everyone knew Kuke had fallen on Island No. 1, but the island spanned several kiloters—few had known the exact spot.
"Is that truly where Kuke's remains lie?" many murmured, looking at the screen with a mixture of reverence and awe.
"Kuke accomplished much during his life, yet he ultimately t his end here, at the hands of the Navy, now buried beneath my feet," Sengoku said with a slight smirk.
The silence was almost palpable as everyone watched Sengoku.
"Does he really have to go this far?" Whitebeard muttered, furrowing his brow. "This isn't like Sengoku—does he really need to tarnish Kuke's mory, a hundred days after his death?"
Red-Haired Shanks took a contemplative sip of his drink, while Kaido's eyes blazed with fury as he watched Sengoku's display of victorious pride.
"If Gion and the others decide to join the Beasts Pirates, I'd be more than willing to destroy the Sabaody Archipelago for them," Kaido growled.
...
"Kuke… I suppose he's a hero in many people's eyes."
Those words sent ripples across the seas.
While many civilians held such thoughts privately, it was shocking to hear such a statent from the Fleet Admiral himself.
What was Sengoku trying to imply? Had he co to regret killing Kuke?
Did this an that the Navy and the World Governnt were admitting fault in their execution of Kuke—a man who had freed slaves, taken a stand against World Nobles, and even dismantled the Governnt's Judiciary Island?
Unless the Navy had turned against the World Governnt, that seed impossible.
"No, he doesn't deserve to be called a hero. He was a traitor—a narrow-minded man with a petty heart."
Everyone was stunned.
This sounded like an attempt to sar Kuke's reputation, but where was the evidence?
"Kuke didn't co out of nowhere—he was once a mber of the Navy."
Once again, the world was left reeling.
Kuke had been part of the Navy's new recruits, a fact the Navy had long concealed to avoid embarrassnt.
Now that Kuke was dead, however, Sengoku was determined to destroy the noble image many held of him, painting Kuke not as a hero who resisted tyranny but as a bitter, vengeful man.
"He was Navy?" Gasps filled the air.
Though a hundred days had passed since Kuke's death, he remained a figure of intrigue.
From his invasion of Mariejois to his subsequent feats, Kuke's actions had captivated everyone.
One mystery above all had fascinated people—his origin. Kuke had seed to appear out of nowhere, accomplishing unprecedented feats in his short career.
"So Kuke was part of the Navy? Was he a talent grood by the Navy itself?"
"Why would Kuke, a Navy-trained fighter, turn against the World Governnt? What secrets lie behind this conflict?"
Sengoku's words fueled the flas of curiosity and speculation, as everyone strained to catch every word he said next.
"It's true," Sengoku continued under the watchful eyes of the world. "Kuke was once a mber of the new recruits, and his instructor was Admiral Zephyr."
In just a few short sentences, Sengoku had hooked the audience.
"So Kuke trained as a recruit, and Admiral Zephyr was his ntor? A hundred days ago, Admiral Zephyr even participated in the operation to hunt him down. Does that an the battle was, at its core, a clash between a teacher and a student?"
In the minds of many, an epic drama of teacher-student rivalry played out.
"What is Fleet Admiral Sengoku trying to say?" wondered Smoker and Tashigi, both forr classmates of Kuke in the new recruits.
Although Kuke had once been part of the training camp, he hadn't strictly been a mber of the Navy, nor a genuine defector.
In fact, he'd been expelled from the training camp—dismissed without reason. While he had his share of grievances, during his ti there, Kuke hadn't wronged the Navy.
So why was Sengoku bringing this up now?
Wouldn't this ultimately reflect poorly on the Navy?
Smoker shook his head, puzzled. "Could they really be stooping so low as to fabricate sothing out of nothing?"
Tashigi also shook her head. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku would never resort to sothing so disgraceful."
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 144 at patreon/Emik01.
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