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"Then I'll trouble you to make the trip, Fujitora. I'm swamped at the moment."
Rowen quickly spoke into the Den Den Mushi, cradling it between his shoulder and cheek while stamping documents with a seal and stacking them neatly.
He finally understood why that old bastard had refused to become an Admiral back in the day. He thought it was because Admirals, at that level, were more like politicians, clashing with his own sense of justice. To remain on the front lines, he'd declined the position.
But now he realized it wasn't just an excuse.
Becoming an Admiral really is exhausting!
In the Marine hierarchy, only the Fleet Admiral outranks the three Admirals. Their role is crucial: distributing responsibilities, improving efficiency, and preventing the Fleet Admiral from burning out.
Essentially, they're like prime ministers in a feudal system, sifting through Vice Admiral reports and escalating critical issues to the Fleet Admiral.
Especially after Gorōsei approved his plan for certain regions, the influx of daily reports during the initial implementation phase was overwhelming.
No wonder it's so exhausting.
"I need to find a way to get out of this!" Rowen muttered to himself.
Digging a hole and burying myself in it— how embarrassing.
…
Meanwhile, far out at sea on a mission, Koby and Ain, who were shopping with female officers like Momousagi, both shivered, feeling a sudden chill.
…
"By the way, what's Law up to?"
"Trafalgar, huh…"
Fujitora, flying on a makeshift platform of rubble, scratched his head.
"He took Cutty Flam's heart and said he's waiting for the Straw Hats to come to him for a proper fight."
"But don't worry. According to your plan, even though Cutty Flam doesn't trust us, his hatred for the government outweighs everything else. He won't cause trouble regarding the Blueprint."
'Hiding it? Why?'
Fujitora was shocked by Rowen's audacity and even more surprised that everything unfolded as predicted. After they revealed the truth, Cutty Flam, now known as "Franky," voluntarily handed over the Pluton Blueprint.
This timeline's Franky was different. Iceberg's death and the reality of Poseidon being taken by the legendary "Celestial Dragons' rebel" Orrick made him realize the Blueprint held the key to the future!
If he kept it hidden, the world would face irreversible ruin!
So, following his conscience, he entrusted the secret passed down through generations of Water 7 shipwrights to Rowen, despite never meeting or exchanging a single word.
This, simply put, is trust between men.
Rowen trusted Franky. This cyborg might seem unreliable, but he was one of the few mature and thoughtful Straw Hats.
Franky also took a gamble and placed his hope in Rowen.
Everything Rowen had done so far aligned with his values. He was the most promising figure to overthrow the existing government.
At the same time, this was a way to protect the Straw Hats, preventing others from coveting them.
With their strength alone, possessing the Pluton Blueprint would only bring disaster. After spending time with them, he saw the Straw Hats as comrades, as Fujitora said.
But…
"I understand the reasoning."
Rowen slightly opened his eyes, utterly baffled. "Is he just bored?!"
'I'm swamped with work, and you're just sitting around, looking for trouble?!'
'The Straw Hats will definitely come to reclaim Franky's heart and storm the Thriller Bark. Besides strengthening their bonds and increasing their strength, what's the point of all this?'
'Instead of this charade, why not finish those experiments for me?!'
'Are you just looking for something to do?'
Fujitora: "..."
'What should I say?'
'It does seem like he's just bored.'
As the Shichibukai "Surgeon of Death" who took over the Florian Triangle after "Gecko" Moria, Law's puppet army solidified his dominance.
And the relationship between Law and Rowen wasn't a secret among the higher-ups. The only potential threat, the World Government, wouldn't dare touch him.
However, Law is still young. Even with Rowen's assigned tasks, he yearns to roam the seas instead of waiting for orders day after day.
Fujitora shared his speculation. Hearing this, Rowen pondered for a moment. "Alright, that's indeed an oversight on my part."
"After this mission, tell him he can go wherever he wants… Coincidentally, the Gorōsei have approved my plan. There will definitely be ambitious pirates trying to exploit the chaos in certain regions. If he encounters any, he can help clean them up."
'So, in the end, he still has to work, right?'
'You're just being petty because you're overworked and want to make him suffer too!'
Fujitora looked utterly speechless.
Then he shook his head and chuckled.
But he was willing to put in the effort!
This was why he was willing to work under Rowen, going from collaborator to something akin to a subordinate.
No matter what ambitions the Soryu (Azure Dragon) had, his plans were tangible and aimed at benefiting the people!
After coming this far, if anyone tried to ruin everything… Fujitora silently gripped his cane sword. He would be the first to stop them!
Even if it cost him his life, he wouldn't hesitate!
Knock, Knock, Knock…
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
After giving a few more instructions, Rowen hung up the Den Den Mushi and said calmly, "Come in!"
"Rowen, something huge has happened!!!"
The person who entered wasn't the expected messenger but Zephyr… Seeing this, Rowen slightly narrowed his eyes.
"What's wrong, Sensei?"
"Jinbe ran into Orrick in the New World and was severely injured. Now he's heading to the Holy Land to meet with the Gorōsei!"
Hiss…!
Rowen sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. "What did you say?!"
…
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Tap, tap…
The thick soles of leather shoes clicked against the bluish-gray stone tiles. The tiles beneath their feet began to rotate, carrying the entire group forward.
"What a nostalgic feeling!"
Standing on this "artificial floor," Orrick rested both hands on his cane and took a deep breath of the breeze, as relaxed as if he were on a leisurely outing.
"When I was a child, I loved playing on this road. Sometimes I'd even hand over my slaves to the managers to make them speed it up."
That's right, this stone road wasn't moving due to some mechanical mechanism.
Beneath the floor, countless slaves used their strength to turn gears, propelling the tiles forward.
It's utterly inhumane!
Behind him, aside from Kizaru, who was staying behind at Headquarters, Aokiji, Rowen, and Akainu had all arrived, following the old Vic, their expressions unreadable.
"Orrick!"
Old Vic's eyes were filled with disappointment and shock. He couldn't help but speak up. "Won't you stop this?! Give it up!"
"Give it up?"
Hearing this, Orrick turned back, slightly narrowing his eyes.
"Why should I?"
"Besides, Mr. Vic, you should know that I'm not the type to give up easily."
"It's like when a starving person suddenly sees a pot of delicious food—why would they stop?"
"Don't you agree, Soryu (Azure Dragon)…?"
"Indeed, why stop when something is within reach… under normal circumstances."
Rowen looked at him expressionlessly, then suddenly smiled.
"But there's one condition— it has to truly be within reach."
"You, who've been forced to return and negotiate with the Gorōsei, don't seem to fall into that category."
"Tch! As sharp as ever, aren't you, Marine Soryu (Azure Dragon)."
Orrick's face darkened, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled faintly. "A long time ago, I told Lirisk that someone like you is best dealt with by killing, but he didn't succeed."
"It was I who made sure he couldn't succeed!" Rowen suddenly interrupted with a domineering tone.
"You didn't think that just because I wasn't held accountable afterward, I'd let my guard down after attacking a Celestial Dragon, did you, Mr. Orrick?"
In other words, the biggest difference between the two was that Rowen's ambitions had started early, while Orrick's only surged after Lirisk was brought back.
The subtle exchange between them was lost on the others, who simply thought Rowen was provoking Orrick. Akainu rolled his eyes and ignored it.
Orrick's expression turned gloomy, and he frowned slightly.
"Is that so? Interesting!"
(End of Chapter)