Not just him—Kizaru, Aokiji, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru all wore peculiar expressions.
Everyone wanted to deal a blow to Whitebeard.
But the question was, among those present, who could inflict serious damage on Whitebeard in a direct confrontation?
If anyone had such strength, why would they be so troubled?
After all, that was Whitebeard!
He was recognized worldwide as the strongest man in the world. No one could injure him head-on unless he was already wounded.
Lancelot took in the expressions of Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru.
He noticed helplessness and anxiety on their faces—clearly, they were troubled by Whitebeard's immense power.
Yet, Lancelot's lips curled upward against his will, because he was now certain that these people hadn't thought of the method from the original story that could wound Whitebeard.
To Lancelot, this was like a gift falling from the sky!
How could he let such an earned merit slip through his fingers?
So he continued, "I recall that the Whitebeard Pirates have 43 subordinate crews under them. One of them was destroyed by Gol D. Roger."
Upon hearing Lancelot's words, Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru all froze.
A figure flashed through their minds.
"That's right! Squard!" They called out the name.
They understood Lancelot's meaning—Squard's original pirate crew had been destroyed by Gol D. Roger, and Whitebeard had concealed the fact that Ace was Roger's son from him.
This was a perfect opportunity to exploit!
Seeing their reactions, Sengoku slammed the table and stood up, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He continued, "Once Squard learns that Ace is Roger's son, he'll harbor resentment toward Whitebeard. We can exploit this to turn him into a sharp blade in our hands. As long as he can deliver a fatal blow to Whitebeard before the latter unleashes his full power, victory will be ours."
Upon hearing this, the others' eyes lit up, and excitement surfaced on their calm faces.
The success rate of this plan was high because Squard, as a captain under Whitebeard's command, was regarded by Whitebeard as a son—a member of the family.
After all, who would be wary of their own son and family?
If they could persuade Squard to take action, the consequences were imaginable...
Akainu's mind flashed with scenes of that moment, as if he were there.
A sinister smile crept onto his face, as though everything was under his control.
Akainu wasn't just ruthless, but also clever.
He knew that regardless of the outcome of this battle, Sengoku would head to the Holy Land.
The position of Fleet Admiral would then be chosen from among him, Kizaru, and Aokiji.
Akainu understood Kizaru well.
He knew Kizaru had no interest in the Fleet Admiral position and wouldn't become his rival.
Thus, his only competitor was Aokiji.
Akainu was convinced of this because he understood Sengoku's perspective.
Once Sengoku stepped down as Fleet Admiral, he'd recommend Aokiji to succeed him.
There were two reasons for this: First, Aokiji belonged to the same faction as Sengoku, second, Sengoku's ideals were at odds with his own.
Therefore, if Akainu wanted to ascend to the position of Fleet Admiral and establish his image of absolute justice within the Marines, he had to perform well in this intense battle and achieve enough merits to earn everyone's respect.
Only then would he have the opportunity to become the Fleet Admiral.
So he understood that this was his chance.
As long as this strategy succeeded, he could seize the initiative to attack the weakened Whitebeard and deliver a fatal blow.
Then he'd have the capital to compete with Aokiji.
Lancelot watched their expressions, as if he could see through their masks to the thoughts within their hearts.
He mused to himself, 'These guys must be calculating how to carry out this plan.'
Lancelot was confident in his judgment, believing this scheme would succeed.
After all, he was familiar with the original storyline and knew that Akainu had used this very point as a breakthrough to turn Squard against Whitebeard.
In the original story, Squard had contact with Marine Admiral Akainu during the war.
After learning that the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander "Fire Fist" Ace was the son of the Pirate King Roger, Akainu informed him that Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Whitebeard had an agreement.
The contents of this agreement left Squard shocked—Fleet Admiral Sengoku had promised not to execute Ace or the Whitebeard Pirates, but in exchange, the pirates of the New World—those 43 pirate crews—would be eradicated.
Believing Akainu's words, Squard took advantage of the chaos during the battle to strike Whitebeard with his massive blade.
The weapon was no small matter, piercing through Whitebeard's body and inflicting injuries.
Moreover, Squard's attack wasn't a fatal blow, but it struck a vital area, worsening the deteriorating condition of Whitebeard's body.
In that instant, his formidable combat power plummeted.
For him, and for Akainu alike, this was a perfect opportunity!
Lancelot's eyes narrowed. Then, he glanced at Akainu.
Seeing the excitement on Akainu's face, he knew what he was thinking.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Lancelot's lips.
'You want achievements, but don't I want them too?'
Lancelot thought to himself, 'Sorry, Red Dog!'
Tsk, tsk!
He chuckled in his mind, as if picturing Akainu's furious expression after his failure.
However, just as Lancelot was gloating, he sensed something off about the atmosphere. Scanning his surroundings, he noticed that everyone's eyes were fixed on him, each gaze carrying a different meaning.
Sengoku's eyes held a mix of scrutiny and appreciation, intrigued by Lancelot's actions yet wary at the same time.
Akainu stared at Lancelot, as though reassessing him, suspicious that Lancelot might have other schemes up his sleeve.
Kuzan's eyes, on the other hand, showed displeasure, disgusted by Lancelot's underhanded tactics. Garp's expression was blatant—his contempt and disdain made Lancelot feel awkward.
Yet, despite their differing opinions of Lancelot, no one voiced opposition.
After all, Garp's stance was clear.
A proposal beneficial to the Marines, no matter how much he disagreed with it, was something he couldn't oppose. Let alone criticize.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes, however, held a trace of gravity.
She pondered: Over the past few days, they'd been racking their brains, trying to find a suitable countermeasure but had failed to come up with anything.
Yet, this insignificant fellow before them had pinpointed the crux of the problem—it was unexpected.
Either this guy possessed a powerful intelligence network, aware of their discussions over the past few days, allowing him to devise a countermeasure because he'd long been contemplating how to deal with Whitebeard, or his mind was sharp enough to grasp the essence of the problem.
But neither possibility was what Vice Admiral Tsuru wished to see.
Because it meant their opponent wasn't just powerful, but might also possess intelligence resources or intellect.
Or perhaps both.
She, like Sengoku, wore an expression of apprehension.
…
Time flew by like a white steed galloping past a crevice, and in the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.
At the harbor, everyone stood ready as if facing a formidable enemy, the atmosphere tense.
The three Admirals—Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji—remained seated above, exuding pressure.
Originally, Sengoku had arranged for Lancelot to stay by Ace's side to ensure no unexpected incidents occurred on that front.
However, Lancelot refused this arrangement.
He had no intention of playing the role of a guard; what he sought were achievements…
Thus, Lancelot chose to stand in the harbor, waiting alongside the other Navy soldiers.
Soon, among the Navy personnel, he spotted two familiar figures. His eyes lit up, and he made his way through the Navy ranks as if everything around him was of no concern.
Wherever he went, whether it was vice admirals or ordinary Navy soldiers, they stepped aside, clearing a path for him.
This demonstrated Lancelot's current standing within the Navy.
Before long, Lancelot arrived before a man and a woman.
The man had short silver hair and wore a large coat with the word "Justice" written on the back.
A pair of goggles hung around his neck, and he held a Seastone jutte in his hand, his demeanor radiating vigor and heroism. This was Smoker.
Standing beside Smoker was Tashigi.
She now had long hair tied up at the back, no longer appearing naive, but instead carrying an air of dignified courage.
"Long time no see! Smoker, Tashigi!" Lancelot greeted them with a smile.
Smoker and Tashigi had noticed Lancelot's arrival early on, but their expressions were complicated.
After all, Lancelot was once an ordinary subordinate under Smoker, and not a valued one at that.
His rank had only been higher than Tashigi's back then.
Tashigi glanced at her own shoulder insignia, confirming that she was now a lieutenant commander.
In just one year, she'd risen from petty officer to lieutenant commander—a pace considered outstanding across the Navy.
Of course, this was due to Smoker's mentorship. Still, her own abilities had improved during this time.
Yet, when faced with the man before her, all her achievements seemed to pale into insignificance.
Tashigi composed herself, stood at attention, and saluted Lancelot.
"Greetings, Admiral Candidate!"
In contrast to Tashigi's formality, Smoker's attitude was more casual.
The corners of his lips curled into a faint, teasing smile as he said to Lancelot, "Lancelot, you've shocked people to the point of questioning their lives!"
Though his words carried a hint of jest, the astonishment in them was clear.
Over the past year, Lancelot had seemed possessed by the spirit of a war god, shattering everyone's expectations of his strength with feats.
Yet, these glorious achievements were as fleeting as flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water—overturned by new challenges… All of this was a shock to him and Tashigi.
After all, Lancelot had once been their subordinate and colleague.
Yet this former subordinate and colleague had now surpassed them in both strength and military rank.
How could they face this with equanimity?
Therefore, over the past year, they'd never worked so hard.
They trained day and night, improving their abilities, while pursuing pirates, fighting to maintain peace on the seas.
Because of this effort, their strength had improved, and their military ranks had risen.
Within this year, Tashigi had been promoted to lieutenant commander, while Lancelot had leaped from Rear Admiral to Vice Admiral.
At this moment, Lancelot also noticed their ranks.
Staring at their new insignia, he couldn't help but feel a surge of astonishment.
He'd never imagined that his presence and influence could cause such changes in these two people's life trajectories.
The speed of their promotions was beyond comprehension.
"Hmm..."
Just then, Lancelot's gaze was drawn to another direction.
There stood a group of figures—the current Warlords.
First to catch his eye was Hawk-Eye Dracule Mihawk, whose sharp gaze seemed capable of piercing through one's soul, making it difficult to meet his eyes.
Next was Bartholomew Kuma, his massive frame giving off a formidable presence.
However, the one who held Lancelot's attention was Boa Hancock.
Her tall stature stood out in the crowd, reaching a full 191cm, with a figure so remarkable it inspired awe.
Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, styled in an elegant hime cut that added to her noble bearing.
Hancock's forehead was broad, yet smooth and flawless. Her deep blue eyes resembled the profound ocean, with elongated and refined corners.
Her almond-shaped eyes held a certain coolness, as if indifferent to everything around her.
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