Chapter 346 Sea Circle Calendar 1516
"There's nothing to be done, Sengoku-san."
In a certain Navy base in the New World, Kizaru sat leisurely in a chair trimming his nails. Before him sat a Den Den Mushi. "That Brett fellow is simply too strong. There's nothing we can do about him."
"Kaido and Charlotte Linlin did try their utmost to stop him, but he broke through them easily."
Navy Headquarters.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sighed somewhat helplessly.
Before the Five Elders had deployed Kizaru, he'd felt uneasy.
And indeed, this attempt had also been futile.
Just how strong had that bastard Brett become by now?
"This isn't your fault. After all, the opponent was that guy."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku said.
Even Kizaru—who looked so carefree—couldn't help falling somewhat silent now.
He was a Navy Headquarters Admiral—without question one of the world's peak powerhouses.
Yet the Fleet Admiral was saying taking Brett down being impossible was normal.
This couldn't help making one feel rueful. When had Navy Headquarters Admirals become so weak?
After ending the call with Kizaru, Sengoku sighed. "Though saying this is unseemly, I'm truly struggling to imagine how we could possibly defeat that Brett fellow."
This time had been a combination of two Pirate Emperors plus one Navy Admiral.
They hadn't taken Brett down even with this. The next time they wanted to seize an opportunity, who knew what kind of lineup they'd need to deploy.
"Is that fish-man Brett truly so powerful?"
Sitting on the opposite sofa was the man who'd recently acquired the Fujitora title—a new Navy Headquarters Admiral who'd stood out in the World Military Draft.
The man's tone was somewhat grave.
"Extraordinarily powerful."
Sengoku said with a serious expression. "His battle record hasn't spread much across the seas, but his strength is absolutely beyond question!"
"In future battles, never try to fight that man one-on-one! Probably no one in this world can defeat him head-on anymore—not even Roger or Rocks from back then!"
"I see."
Fujitora nodded knowingly.
For the Fleet Admiral commanding the world's strongest military force to say such things, that Mr. Brett's strength had probably truly reached terrifying extremes.
"What a scary guy, hahaha."
Sitting beside Fujitora, another man—the guy nicknamed Ryokugyu—leaned leisurely against the sofa's soft backrest. This man who looked more like a thug than a soldier in temperament grinned.
"Don't worry, Sengoku-san. If I really encounter that guy, I'll definitely choose to run away immediately without hesitation."
"You bastard..."
Sengoku's mouth twitched.
I only told you not to lose your head, not to desert the battlefield.
"In any case, let's see what response comes from above."
Mary Geoise—the Five Elders had also fallen into melancholy.
"Failed again."
Saint Saturn sighed. "Should we say that bastard Brett has good luck? It was so close."
Just a little closer, and the weapon of destruction would have arrived above that battlefield. The next instant could have reduced that bastard Brett to ashes.
But at precisely such a critical moment, that bastard Brett had fled back into the deep sea, vanishing from the battlefield in a flash. They could no longer pursue him.
"There will still be opportunities."
Saint Warcury also sighed. "Right now we can only console ourselves with that."
This wasn't an ordinary failure.
That bastard Brett wasn't alone. In his hands were Poseidon and Pluton's blueprints.
The longer this dragged on, the greater his threat became.
And their opportunities would only decrease.
"I think we can even start preparing for war."
Saint Ju Peter suddenly raised his head, speaking with a grave expression. "The same kind of war as eight hundred years ago."
The other four Elders fell silent.
The World Government had existed for eight hundred years now. During these eight hundred years, they'd encountered countless challengers.
But without question, these challengers had been like ants trying to shake a tree—easily eliminated from history by the government.
But that bastard Brett was different.
His power was unprecedented—the strongest challenger the government had faced in eight hundred years.
Probably only eight hundred years ago—the government's first and strongest opponent—could compare with him.
"Joy Boy... is it?"
Saint Nusjuro murmured softly.
"This guy isn't a Rubber Fruit user."
Saint Mars's voice was cold. "And even if he truly were this era's Joy Boy, so what? Eight hundred years ago, Lord Imu led the government to victory. Eight hundred years later, now, we will still triumph!"
The Five Elders nodded in unison.
Yes, no matter what kind of enemy, Lord Imu was still there!
As long as they followed behind that lord, they were invincible.
On Brett's side, he'd already brought the two little girls back to Fish-Man Island.
"Father!"
Little Princess Shirahoshi threw herself into her father's arms as he came to greet her.
Well.
That wasn't quite accurate. After all, King Neptune's size wasn't larger than Shirahoshi's. Rather, Neptune was embraced by Shirahoshi.
"There, there."
Neptune gently patted his somewhat excited daughter's back, then looked toward Brett. "Brett, I've troubled you this time."
"No—"
Brett shook his head. "It's me being selfish that troubled you all."
"Not at all!"
Nana—who was reminiscing with her mother—grinned. "This trip was really fun! I saw so much scenery I'd never seen before! First time truly understanding what the human world looks like!"
"Yes."
Princess Shirahoshi turned her head from her father's embrace and nodded lightly.
"So then, Brett—"
Neptune asked seriously. "Were there any gains this time?"
"Lots of gains!"
Nana made faces at her mother. "Mama, I saw so much scenery you've never seen!"
"How proud of yourself you are."
Miss Milian smiled without warmth, both hands pulling at her daughter's cheeks, stretching them into various shapes.
"Waaah!"
Nana could only scream.
Brett chuckled softly. He looked at Neptune. "Everything went smoothly."
"I see."
Neptune nodded lightly, raising his hand to gently rub his daughter's head.
This child must have suffered hardships.
After brief pleasantries, Brett returned to his office and immediately contacted Zephyr and Dragon.
He told them about that thing he'd encountered in the previous battle.
"I suspect that's the Celestial Dragons' national treasure—the World Government's greatest trump card!"
Brett warned gravely. "That's absolutely not something to underestimate. Everyone needs to be more careful going forward. If your whereabouts are exposed, it could be very dangerous!"
Though he hadn't personally witnessed that thing's power, the powerful voice he'd heard wouldn't lie.
"Understood."
Zephyr and Dragon naturally took this very seriously.
The government's ultimate weapon couldn't be ignored in the slightest.
Time flowed slowly onward.
Sea Circle Calendar year 1515 passed. Sea Circle Calendar year 1516 arrived.
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