"The leader of the Revolutionary Army—Dragon—seems to be acquainted with Vegapunk."
Robin rested her chin on her hand. "You can tell from his words and actions that he knows Vegapunk very well. It's not just a matter of intelligence gathering."
"They were companions for a time in the past."
"So that's how it is? As expected of you, Ron."
"After all, I'm a prophet."
"Are you planning to fully commit to that identity?"
"It has no downsides."
Ron ended the topic and extended an invitation to Robin. "You happened to return just in time for the training session. It might be a good start."
"You mean for me to rejoin the team?" Robin asked curiously.
"No, not for now. But we can't keep leaving you dangling forever, can we?"
Ron smiled. "Since you're a partner, we should think things through properly."
"Ufufufu, how considerate of you."
Robin smiled, feeling a weight lift from her heart.
Being left outside for so long, she had worried about her future.
Although her fundamental purpose was still the Poneglyphs, and she was the only one in the team who could read the ancient script, being excluded inevitably made her fear that she might one day be discarded.
That relief was clearly written on her face.
Ron said nothing. He understood what she meant.
At this point in time, Robin had not yet experienced the Enies Lobby incident, so she naturally could not devote herself with the same resolve as in the original story.
All he could do was give her a sense of security, like this.
Soon, reassured by his answer, Robin left.
But almost immediately, someone barged noisily into Ron's room.
The Pirate Prince—White Horse Cavendish!
"Ron, it's been almost ten days already. What exactly do you want me to do?"
Cavendish plopped down in front of Ron, confusion mixed with impatience. "You're not keeping me penned up on this sky island just because you're wary of my brilliance, are you? Sure, the people here are great—every single one is talented, and they all speak so nicely.
But I'm someone destined to achieve a great cause!"
"Oh? From the sound of it… are you planning to punch the World Government and kick the current Four Emperors?"
"Ahem, cough, cough… maybe, possibly, probably in the future… Anyway, I have to do something sooner or later."
Cavendish laughed awkwardly a couple of times, not daring to actually take that bait.
I mean—
He hadn't even beaten a vice admiral yet. Wasn't this getting ahead of himself?
Arrogant as he was, he wasn't completely blind to reality!
"Then how about becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
Cavendish froze. "Aren't they just lapdogs of the World Government? Who knows how many pirates despise those former pirates who work for the World Government."
"So what?"
Ron chuckled. "Don't you know the reputation of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Only seven individuals on the entire ocean.
Every one of them is a top-tier figure with fame spread across the seas.
Isn't that kind of prestige a good thing? You know, one of the ways I became famous was by defeating a Warlord."
"Well… that's true."
Cavendish hesitated rarely, then seemed to think of something. "But—
Aren't the candidates for the Seven Warlords chosen by the World Government and the Marines?"
"Leave that to me."
Ron kept smiling, but his expression grew a little colder. "There have to be people to maintain the Seven Warlords system.
If casualties appear among the current Seven Warlords, they'll be forced to choose successors from the list.
But who they choose is their business. Who remains alive on that list—that's our business.
Or are you saying, Cavendish, that you actually lack confidence?"
"How could that be!"
Cavendish straightened his back, his face full of disdain. "If I want to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, then I will become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
"That's the spirit. Your first step toward becoming a great figure will start with becoming a Warlord."
Ron applauded in stride, happily egging Cavendish on. "However, to avoid any accidents, you'd better study Haki and martial discipline properly.
After the training ends, I'll have Zoro test your combat strength. If you don't pass then—"
Before he could finish, Cavendish sprang up as if stung.
"Absolutely not! Losing to you is one thing, but losing to your subordinate—what kind of joke is that!That green-haired mosshead—I will absolutely not lose to him!"
"Let's hope so."
Ron replied perfunctorily, said a few nice words, and sent Cavendish on his way.
Making him one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was a recent part of the plan. After all, the time until the Paramount War was drawing closer and closer.
Given Ron's current position, it was obvious he couldn't stand on the Marines' side.
Therefore,
Many aspects required preparation in advance.
Cavendish was merely one link in the chain.
'The plan is gradually taking shape. If everything goes smoothly…'
Ron leaned back in his chair, contemplating future plans.
'There will be massive attrition among the current Seven Warlords of the Sea. After that, Cavendish and I will both successfully enter the system.
That means, of the seven seats of the Seven Warlords, I control two.
Hawk-Eye is unshakable, and his strength is overwhelming—he can't be driven as a chess piece through schemes.
Blackbeard will become one of the Seven Warlords through the achievement of betraying Ace's lineage and capturing him.
But he doesn't appear in the first half of the Paramount War, and when he does appear, he becomes an enemy to both sides, so there's no need to interfere.
Jinbe will be imprisoned for his opposition and will abandon the Seven Warlords to join Whitebeard's forces.
That essentially weakens the Marines while strengthening Whitebeard.
Gecko Moria and Doflamingo alike will both be dealt with after they've served their purpose.
After that, all that's left is to calculate the replacements.
That pirate who caused the deaths of Zephyr's students might become a replacement.
Could that trigger Zephyr's departure and the early establishment of the NEO Marines?
The rest is unclear. Perhaps the Supernova at that time might become replacements?
Would it be better to let Urouge out? Maybe I could secure yet another seat.
If that's the case, the Supernova would also need to be eliminated.
I might not be able to influence the decisions of the World Government and the Marines, but I can ensure that the only options left on their list are the ones I want.
Of course,
This is only calculation—it can't be used as actionable intelligence right now.
Even so… seven seats, one vacant, two controlled, four remaining. That's still a bit too many.
The Pirate Empress's Amazon Lily… I might need to make a trip there.'
Ron's gaze flickered as he thought of someone else. "But what truly holds decisive weight—
Is the now extremely aged Whitebeard. If he were in his prime,
Then after the Whitebeard Pirates rescued Ace, the Marines in the Paramount War would not have it easy—and that would be beneficial to me.
At the very least, after that war, I could shift my focus toward the Four Emperors."
Bit by bit, he organized the information, adjusting the finer details of the plan.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't the same as his original idea.
But—
Ron knew very well that he wasn't a genius. All he could do was think constantly and choose the best direction based on circumstances.
Just as he had decided to make Cavendish one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and deliberately arranged for him to join the training.
Perhaps that man wasn't suited to be a core member of the team.
But his sense of gratitude and his short-term controllability were enough for Ron to choose him.
Morality, character, ambitions—
None of that mattered.
A chess piece only needs to fulfill the role of a chess piece. That is what matters most!
Yes.
At this moment, Ron was calculating how to weaken the Marines' strength.
Ultimately, if his ideals were to be realized, he would have to confront both the Marines and the World Government.
The latter was almost entirely unknown—the Five Elders and the God's Knights were both blank spots in terms of intelligence.
Even after seeing Kuma's storyline, all that was known was that Bonney encountered Saturn on Egghead Island and fought him.
Saturn, one of the Five Elders, seemed to display a unique demonic ability.
But his actual strength remained unknown.
The Marines, on the other hand, were different. As the "shield" standing in front of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government,
They possessed immense power, with large numbers of Marine talents and top-tier fighters.
Three Admirals, more than a dozen vice admirals, over 100,000 elite troops, and more than a million soldiers.
Just as Doflamingo had said, compared to the Four Emperors, the Marines were the most terrifying hegemonic force on the seas.
Even after the Paramount War,
After enduring all manner of events, the Marines would still retain formidable strength.
Akainu would rise to Fleet Admiral, the three Admirals would be replaced but remain at full strength.
The banner of "justice" itself was immensely attractive.
"If the Marines aren't weakened, it will be difficult to act against the World Government afterward.
And the greatest opportunity is the Paramount War in the near future.
The Whitebeard Pirates and their forty-three allied crews versus the Marines' one hundred thousand elite troops, plus the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the three Admirals, and the Fleet Admiral.
That is the original lineup of opposing forces, and the final result is Whitebeard's defeat.
But I don't want to see that result, so I need to pry open the Seven Warlords link first."
Ron made his final summary, locking in what he needed to do next.
With that thought, he took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number, calling Betty of the Revolutionary Army.
"Moshi moshi?"
"It's me. I want to find someone through your Revolutionary Army."
"Who?"
"Issho."
"With just a name, that's going to be difficult for us."
"Of course I have his appearance. Don't underestimate a prophet."
"All right, all right."
Betty took out pen and paper, writing down what Ron dictated.
"Short black hair, a ring of beard around the mouth.
Usually keeps his eyes closed; even if he opens them, only the whites are visible.
There's an 'X'-shaped scar on the left side of his forehead, extending across his eyes.
He's tall, wears a light purple kimono, a scarf, inner bracers he favors—
W-whoa, this is ridiculously detailed. Are you sure you haven't met him before?"
Soon, Betty exclaimed in amazement. "Should I be glad I'm not your enemy?
Otherwise, you'd strip me bare without me even realizing it… Hm? Admiral-level strength? Are you serious?"
"Of course. He might not be comparable to the current three Admirals, but he's absolutely an Admiral-class powerhouse."
Ron said seriously. "Honestly, you'd better handle him cautiously. He's a good person, though."
"I understand. We'll inform you if there's any news, and we'll do our best to hold him up for you."
Betty added, "But can this favor count as one Chester?"
"It can."
Ron settled the matter and then hung up the phone.
(End of Chapter)