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"You now have only two choices! Either we coexist peacefully, and the World Government will get a 20% discount when ordering ships from Water Seven in the future!"
"Or, we'll fight to the death! But if you cannot eliminate all of us in one strike, then those Celestial Dragons had better never leave Mariejois! My subordinate, Soi Fon, is not known for frontal combat; she excels at assassination!"
Since he had chosen to threaten them, he had to go all the way.
Attacking Water Seven would yield no practical benefit and would only invite major trouble. Auguro was confident the Five Elders wouldn't do something so unrewarding.
Of course, if the Five Elders genuinely ignored the warning, Auguro wouldn't mind letting them experience the combined power of his two Captains!
While the old Auguro might have had to worry about many things, with two Admiral-level Captains, Soi Fon and Byakuya Kuchiki, at his disposal, there was no reason for him to back down!
"Heh! Sith Auguro! I hope you can bear the consequences of angering the World Government!"
One of the Five Elders sneered and immediately hung up the Den Den Mushi.
In Water Seven, Auguro smiled and put the device away.
Iceberg, beside him, looked worried.
"Lord Soul King, did the negotiations fail?"
The Five Elders' reaction clearly showed they hadn't been swayed by Auguro's threat!
Unexpectedly, Auguro shook his head with a laugh.
"No! They agreed!"
Seeing Iceberg's confused look, Auguro explained, "The Five Elders! They have to save face, of course! They couldn't possibly agree to my threat."
"What they meant was that this matter is closed for now, but if they find an opportunity in the future, they won't be polite to us."
"They just agreed like that?" Iceberg found it completely illogical.
Auguro stated, "The World Government cannot afford another God Valley Incident!"
"God Valley Incident?"
At this, not only Iceberg but also Lucci and the others looked puzzled.
Auguro raised an eyebrow.
"You CP9 agents don't know about it either?"
Lucci nodded. Although CP9 had high authority, the God Valley Incident was clearly far beyond their clearance level.
After a moment's thought, Auguro briefly recounted the story of the once-mighty Rocks Pirates and the incident they caused at God Valley.
"Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, and Shiki the Golden Lion were all once in the same pirate crew!"
Lucci felt his worldview shattering. These were all legendary pirates who shook the Grand Line!
And Auguro was telling him they were once subordinates of one man?
How immensely powerful must that man have been?
Kalifa adjusted her glasses and noted, "It took the combined effort of Garp and the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, to repel the Rocks Pirates. No wonder the World Government covered up this event!"
"Whether it was the slaughter of the Celestial Dragons or the Navy teaming up with the Pirate King—both are massive scandals!"
In that moment, though they didn't consciously dwell on it, a seed was planted deep in their hearts: The World Government is not invincible!
Auguro sneered.
"Since then, the Celestial Dragons rarely hold group gatherings. Even when they do, they are heavily escorted by the Navy. They fear a repeat of that incident."
"While we disdain those corrupt leeches, the World Government treats them like precious treasures!"
At this, Soi Fon's beautiful face showed profound disgust.
"A bunch of parasites who dare to presume themselves as 'Gods'! Only the Soul Reapers created by Lord Soul King are worthy of that title!"
"If I ever encounter them, I will make sure they understand the consequences of their presumption!"
Auguro and his subordinates held a complete and utter distaste for the Celestial Dragons.
Ending the discussion, Auguro placed Lucci and the others under Soi Fon's command.
He had enough personnel for the high and mid-levels, but he was still short of grassroots agents!
Just then, the system prompt sounded.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the hidden mission: Uphold My Nation's Might. You have significantly boosted the Divine Nation's prestige in the eyes of the World Government. Reward: One Hundred Guards (Hyakunin Eitai)."
Perfect!
System, you truly provide help when it's needed!
Auguro waved his hand, assigning half of the recruits to Soi Fon to quickly establish an intelligence network. The other half remained to protect Water Seven.
Following this incident, the extra Achievement Points Auguro could receive daily rose to 300 points! This was not only because he had strongly asserted his presence before the Five Elders, but also because of Water Seven's huge reputation. The best shipyard on the Grand Line was not just a title! Currently, a pile of Navy orders was waiting to be fulfilled!
With the manpower settled, Auguro also handed the training methods for Armament and Observation Haki to Lucci and the others. He then granted them the freedom to operate. Auguro didn't care how Lucci did it, but he expected to see an initial, effective intelligence network within one year. For this task, he authorized unlimited use of both personnel and funds!
The reason for the one-year deadline was that the main storyline was set to begin after that. The seas would become utterly chaotic, and without intelligence, they would miss too many critical events.
Auguro also specifically contacted Vivi (of the Alabasta Kingdom), and the two factions formally established a cooperative agreement to jointly build an intelligence network.
Having finalized matters in Water Seven, Auguro finally had time to fulfill his promise to Laboon!
Due to the existence of the Senkaimon (World-Gate), Auguro felt completely confident leaving Water Seven. Even if trouble arose, he could return at top speed.
Furthermore, Byakuya Kuchiki, currently on Skypiea, would be able to provide immediate support. As long as they held out for the first few minutes, the enemy would face a siege by two Captains!
He also wanted to see if anyone would be tempted to strike at Water Seven in his absence!
A few days later, Auguro's group arrived at the Florian Triangle (Devil's Triangle).
This area was perpetually shrouded in thick fog, with hundreds of ships sinking here every year—a genuine graveyard of the sea!
"What an unpleasant place!" Nami pulled her clothes tighter, clearly uneasy about the sunless area.
Auguro activated his Observation Haki, carefully exploring for a while before a smile appeared on his face.
He pointed a finger in one direction.
"Head that way!"
As the Desert Rose sailed forward, the group gradually heard a sound.
"What is that? Are there ghosts here?" Nami shuddered in fear, quickly grabbing Auguro's arm.
Robin listened intently for a moment, then said uncertainly, "It sounds like someone is humming a song! It seems to be the pirate song, 'Binks' Sake!"
Auguro gave her a thumbs-up.
"Exactly! It's 'Binks' Sake! The Brook we are looking for is over there!"
Soon, the singing grew clearer. Through the thick fog, a massive pirate ship slowly drew closer. A blurry figure was gently swaying on the deck.
In the next second, a skull with a massive afro appeared before them.