"The Seven Warlords are nothing more than seven powerful pirates recruited by the Marines to maintain balance across the seas…"
"By nature, before being recruited, they were all vicious pirates…"
"So… to the Marines, they aren't truly indispensable."
"Since that's the case… the fact that this King of Heroes could kill Crocodile already proves his strength."
"Compared to the other Warlords, he has no prior record at all."
"A powerhouse like this… we don't necessarily need to push him to stand against us."
"Perhaps… we can recruit him as a Warlord."
"Not only would it fill the vacant position, it would also significantly raise the overall quality of the Seven Warlords!"
Hearing this—
Sengoku, Tsuru, and Kizaru all nodded slightly.
This approach—
At least for now—
Had its rits.
After all—
Even vicious pirates could be recruited.
So a figure like the King of Heroes, who had never appeared before—
Naturally fell within consideration.
The only concern—
Was his origin.
"I disagree!"
Sakazuki turned his head sharply, his gaze locked onto Kuzan, his voice cold and resolute.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! The dignity of the Marines cannot be violated!"
"This man… has already trampled on Marine authority! He must never be recruited as a Warlord!"
As soone who upheld Absolute Justice—
Sakazuki had no interest in weighing pros and cons.
What he wanted—
Was simple.
To crush all evil!
And in his eyes—
Anything that stood against the Marines—
Was evil!
"Sakazuki…"
eting his gaze, Sengoku's expression remained steady as he shook his head.
"This man… and whatever stands behind him—we will uncover it eventually. But not now."
"Right now, we know too little about him…"
"If we can recruit him as a Warlord… then with the power of our intelligence network, we can follow the trail and uncover clues."
"And when that ti cos… we can judge him properly."
Without a doubt—
Sakazuki's proposal was rejected outright.
The balance of the seas had only just stabilized.
Sengoku had no intention of testing a mysterious figure like the King of Heroes with their highest combat forces.
Therefore—
Kuzan's suggestion—
Was the safest option.
"But, Fleet Admiral—"
Sakazuki gritted his teeth, still wanting to argue.
"That's enough, Sakazuki. This matter is settled."
Sengoku's voice turned firm, cutting him off once more.
Then his gaze shifted toward Kizaru.
"As for recruiting the King of Heroes… I'll leave that to you, Borsalino."
The King of Heroes had already proven capable of killing Crocodile.
That ant his strength was at least at the level of an Admiral!
Such individuals—
Were exceedingly rare across the seas.
Sending an elite Vice Admiral would not show sufficient respect.
And the reason for choosing Kizaru among the three Admirals—
Was simple.
His Devil Fruit ability.
With Kizaru's speed—
Even if the King of Heroes suddenly turned hostile—
He could withdraw safely.
"Eh… eh…"
"So I'm the one who has to go again?"
Kizaru spread his hands, casting a resentful glance at Sengoku and Kuzan.
If not for the two of them—
He could have been peacefully enjoying his ti at Marine Headquarters…
Sengoku ignored his complaint and continued:
"And Tsuru…"
"Have the intelligence division investigate everything they can about the Uruk Empire and the King of Heroes."
"If there truly are inheritors of the Uruk legacy hiding in the shadows…"
"They won't be able to leave no trace behind…"
…
Like a raging storm—
As ti passed—
The news of Crocodile being killed by a mysterious figure calling himself the King of Heroes spread rapidly across the entire sea.
Countless people were left in shock…
For many—
The Seven Warlords were figures far beyond reach!
For an unknown individual to kill one—
It was simply unbelievable!
Not to ntion—
That this so-called King of Heroes had been described as surpassing the Four Emperors!
That claim alone—
Caused many to scoff in disbelief.
They dismissed it as nothing more than sensationalism…
However—
It didn't take long before everything changed.
When a pirate appeared—
Displaying the powers of the Sand-Sand Fruit—
The entire sea fell silent…
And then erupted into chaos!
No one doubted the newspaper anymore!
"He's dead! One of the Seven Warlords, Crocodile, is really dead?!"
"It's true! That pirate showed the Sand-Sand Fruit abilities—and even used Crocodile's signature move, Desert Spada! Many people saw it!"
"There can't be two identical Devil Fruits in the world! Only when the original user dies will the fruit reappear sowhere else!"
"If that's the case…"
"Then it can only an one thing…"
"Crocodile… is truly dead!"
"That man… that self-proclaid King of Heroes…"
"Really killed him!"
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