"They are not ready yet."
This was the second time that Onigumo had heard these words from his superior.
Vice Admiral Sakazuki was still standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the scene below.
To Onigumo, those veteran soldiers had already undergone a noticeable transformation compared to when they first arrived at headquarters. A month of retraining had allowed all the soldiers to regain the demeanor they once had in the unit.
Even the major generals in charge of training couldn't help but praise Vice Admiral Sakazuki's wise decision to re-enlist veterans. Unlike those clueless rookies, these men stood with strict discipline, steadiness, and composure—like silent statues—displaying a quality completely different from new recruits.
With just a little more training, in merely a month, these veterans from all over the world could form a formidable fighting force.
For those major generals who had spent years fighting on the front lines, there were clear standards for evaluating soldiers.
To Onigumo, the performance of these retired veterans in training was already comparable to the active-duty soldiers under his command—if not superior in certain aspects.
He couldn't understand why Sakazuki was still dissatisfied.
But understanding or not, he had another matter to report.
Onigumo pulled out a document from the folder tucked under his arm—it was newly intercepted intelligence from the Information Department.
"Vice Admiral, this is the latest bounty list intercepted by CP agents from the underworld in the New World. The second-ranked target on the list is one of our own. He was previously on the Beasts Pirates' bounty list, but now the bounty has doubled."
"Hah! Ridiculous. Mere pirates daring to imitate our wanted notices?" Sakazuki turned around, sneering in contempt.
He was a bit curious. "Is it Crocodile, now that he's officially joined the Seven Warlords? Or maybe Borsalino, since he gave them trouble last time?"
"Uh… Vice Admiral, the bounty is on the Navy's 'Deceiver,'" Onigumo said as he handed over the document.
Sakazuki paused for a moment. "Deceiver?"
It was the first time he'd heard this name. For the past year, he had been entirely focused on building the expeditionary force and hadn't had the time or interest to check underworld bounty lists.
He had no idea which unknown figure had recently made a name for themselves in the New World. The last guy who dared to call himself "Deceiver" had long been six feet under.
But Onigumo's next words left Sakazuki speechless. "Deceiver is Lindemann."
Look at that—just after being branded with the stigma of the "Burning Legion," now there was a new title for his subordinate.
Although he had indeed sent that fox to the New World to stir up trouble, it had been over half a year. How was it that the Beasts Pirates still hadn't let this go?
Sakazuki found it baffling. Lindemann had recently been staying in Elbaf with Borsalino, showing no particular activity. Why was his bounty on the rise in the underworld? And of all times, why did this have to happen just when he was assembling the Burning Legion?
"What exactly did that brat do?" The Vice Admiral shook his head and casually took the report to read. "Interesting. That fox is worth more than you now, Onigumo."
It wasn't unheard of for Marine Vice Admirals to be placed on the New World's underworld bounty lists, but Lindemann, holding only the rank of Rear Admiral, had managed to surpass several well-known Marine Vice Admirals on the list.
That certainly made things interesting.
Apparently, Kaido, the captain of the Beasts Pirates, had gone alone to stir up trouble in Edward's territory. First, he was held back for half a day by Marco and the division commanders, then he was surrounded when Whitebeard himself arrived.
After taking a severe beating, Kaido returned only to be informed by Jack, who was responsible for protecting the "Ambassador of Wano," that he had fallen into a Navy scheme.
Enraged, Kaido immediately issued a bounty in the underworld.
The conflict between these two major New World pirate groups had already spread far and wide across the seas, though the exact cause remained unknown.
All that was clear was that the underworld had mysteriously added a new bounty target with the alias "Deceiver."
Meanwhile, Gecko Moria, who had frequently clashed with the Beasts Pirates, happened to be present during the town battle.
Seeing this as a golden opportunity to damage the Beasts Pirates' reputation, he spared no effort in spreading the story.
If Kaido alone had been fooled, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But even his "Three Calamities" and several key officers had been thoroughly deceived by the Navy.
Had it not been for the fact that the Marine spy exposed his identity during the escape, Drought Jack might have continued charging headfirst into Thriller Bark under "Deceiver's" provocation.
In response to this public humiliation, the Beasts Pirates doubled the bounty on Lindemann in the underworld and immediately began hunting Moria.
"Looks like Moria's good days are numbered," Sakazuki concluded. This rising star in the New World had chosen the wrong opponent this time.
"Vice Admiral, do you also think Gecko Moria will lose to Kaido in this battle?" Onigumo asked.
Sakazuki tapped his index finger against the desk. "Without a doubt. He might be able to take some advantage over Jack, but against Kaido? He doesn't stand a chance. They aren't even in the same league."
"Report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. The selection for the second Warlord of the Sea—he and the staff should deliberate on it."
"Yes, sir!" Onigumo saluted and quickly stepped toward the door.
"One more thing," Sakazuki called out just as Onigumo was about to leave the office. "Has our pet pirate been behaving himself lately?"
Onigumo immediately understood. "Crocodile has already left the New World and is heading to the first half of the Grand Line. The Navy is monitoring his movements along the way."
Since the Seven Warlords system was established, Crocodile had been the first major pirate to join. Even though he had passed the Marine Headquarters' evaluation, simply monitoring his movements was far from sufficient for a man as cunning as him.
Speaking of the Desert Crocodile, Sakazuki naturally thought of Little Robin.
Without her translating the Poneglyphs to reveal Pluton's exact location, Crocodile could search every inch of Alabasta—a province-sized island—and still never find it.
"Ah… ah… ACHOO!"
At that moment, a young girl shopping for groceries with Gion in a Marine town suddenly sneezed.
Gion, holding a paper bag full of ingredients, turned her head with concern. "Are you not used to sleeping in my dorm? Did you kick off the blanket?"
Robin obediently shook her head. "No, Gion-nee, I'm not sick. I just suddenly felt my nose itch."
She had previously been staying with Jonathan, but now that he had been appointed as the commander of Marine Fortress G-8, their warm little home was once again empty.
Just like the days in Ohara.
Robin had cried when saying goodbye to the kind Jonathan and his wife, but she hadn't thrown a tantrum. Instead, she had sensibly suggested that she could live and train with the newly arrived female recruits from headquarters.
At twelve years old, she was already quite independent. Having taken care of herself from a young age, Robin was like a little grown-up.
Still, Sakazuki, who had recently been crowned "Marine Headquarters' Best Dad," couldn't help but worry. A child entering adolescence needed the guidance and care of adult women, as well as communication with family.
As his official girlfriend, Gion took it upon herself to take on this crucial task.
In gratitude, Sakazuki even offered to personally cook a meal to thank her—leading to the scene unfolding now.
"Say, Robin, what do you think Sakazuki will cook?" Gion asked, a bit worried, as she carried a large paper bag full of ingredients, ranging from seafood and beef to vegetables.
"Don't worry, Gion-nee. We just need to prepare some simple home-cooked dishes. I'm not expecting him to make anything—"