Chapter 168

Just as Akainu finished speaking, the scene shifted to another location.

In the backdrop, a town appeared, sounding like Dressrosa. The townspeople were asking about Doflamingo's decision to leave the Shichibukai, and it was evident that they were not pleased with the outcome. This also meant that Doflamingo would be relinquishing the throne of Dressrosa.

This scene was extremely ironic in the eyes of many people. A pirate, Doflamingo, was unexpectedly trusted and cherished by the townspeople. Dressed in white with a mask, the CP0 appeared on a high platform.

The people recognized them, "It's CP0, directly under the Celestial Dragons' Government officials. What are they doing here?"

The onlookers were curious about CP0's purpose. With Doflamingo leaving the Shichibukai, did CP0 come to apprehend him?

However, CP0's statement left everyone stunned, "Stay calm, people of Dressrosa. Regarding the news about Doflamingo leaving the Shichibukai and abandoning the throne of Dressrosa... it was a mistake made by the media, a false report!"

False report!!!

The people watching were in shock. They believed that Law's plan had succeeded, and Doflamingo was forced to give up his position in the Shichibukai. But now, CP0 was here to explain otherwise.

The implications were clear. This was a conspiracy, and the World Government had struck a deal with Doflamingo. Moreover, if that was the case, then Admiral Fujitora, sent by the Marines, wasn't here to deal with Doflamingo but rather to go after Law and the Straw Hat Pirates' alliance. They were aiding Doflamingo in rescuing Caesar.

This thought filled the townspeople with rage. They couldn't contain their anger, especially after witnessing what Caesar had done in Punk Hazard, especially seeing the suffering those children endured. The people were outraged.

Furthermore, the Five Elders couldn't possibly be unaware of the situation because Smoker had already reported the events at Punk Hazard to them. But instead of taking action against Doflamingo, they joined forces with him to stage this play of "Doflamingo's false resignation from the Shichibukai."

They dispatched CP0 to prove it was a mistake and sent Admiral Fujitora to help Doflamingo retrieve Caesar. How could anyone remain calm after learning all this? The old folks were utterly shameless. They couldn't help with the situation in Punk Hazard, and now they were aiding Doflamingo.

Was this World Government even worth existing?

Did this government truly deserve to be called the World Government?

Was there any justice left in the Marines, who helped scum like Doflamingo retrieve Caesar?

The people were infuriated, their disappointment knew no bounds. They saw the World Government as their enemy, standing on the opposite side of the people.

Many people lost all hope in the World Government. They believed that such a government had to be destroyed; there was no hope left. They needed a new government, a new Navy. They wanted to live under a different sky, far away from those despicable individuals who only cared about their own interests.

Not only that, they wanted to drive these guys off their pedestals!

The world didn't belong to, nor should it belong to, these scum. The world belonged to everyone!

This scene disappointed countless people, including many in the Navy. It was enough; they felt ashamed to continue serving in such a Navy.

How could they continue like this?

It was no longer the justice they once believed in; it was not even close to justice. They had now joined the villains!

Were they supposed to become the bad guys?! Weren't they the Marines?!

Sengoku's face turned stern, although he had anticipated this turn of events. He hadn't expected the government to go this far to aid Doflamingo.

Tenryuubito... Sengoku narrowed his eyes but remained silent.

At this moment, the scene shifted to a beach, and people immediately thought it could be the designated location for the exchange between Law and Doflamingo. Was the trade about to happen?

Then, as expected, Law appeared on the screen.

In the next moment, another man also appeared in the footage. A blind man dressed in purple robes and carrying a wooden cane appeared on the screen. He held a Den Den Mushi, seemingly contacting someone.

"Fujitora, what the hell is going on? How could the Marine Headquarters make such a mistake and report it falsely?" The voice of anger came from the Den Den Mushi.

"Yeah, it's infuriating. I'm heading to Mariejois to meet with the Five Elders and find out. Sorry, I'll talk to you later," Fujitora responded.

At this moment, everyone watching immediately realized that the person talking with Fujitora on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was the newly appointed Admiral Fujitora.

As they focused on his face, they remembered another piece of news that had been reported in the newspapers not long ago. The man who had become the new Admiral in the NEO Navy. His picture had also been released in the newspapers.

And the face in the newspaper was exactly the same as the man on the screen.

In other words, Fujitora, who was supposed to become an Admiral in the Marine, had already joined the NEO Navy under Zephyr's leadership. He made his choice!

Now, even the strong individuals who were supposed to become admirals have given up on the Navy and chosen NEO Navy. What does this mean?

Everyone's spirits were lifted, as they saw NEO Navy as the righteous choice!

Many who were already considering joining NEO Navy were now even more excited.

In contrast to the people's excitement, the Five Elders' faces turned unpleasant, as if they had eaten something foul and were feeling nauseous.

Fujitora had indeed chosen to join the NEO Navy instead of the regular Marines. This was distressing for the Marines as they lost one admiral while NEO Navy gained one. This meant they suffered a loss of two admirals, a significant setback.

Moreover, what was even more distressing was that this event proved that the public was already starting to lean towards NEO Navy. If the powerful individuals in society were turning to NEO Navy, soon the general population would follow, including both affiliated and non-affiliated countries.

The last thing they wanted was to see defections within the Navy, which would lead them to total isolation with nothing left.

Damn it!

How did things escalate to this point?

Why did they suddenly face such a formidable enemy? What was the reason behind it all?

"Now we must prioritize dealing with NEO Navy. Otherwise, this could become the government's fatal flaw."

"How do we deal with them?"

This was the key question, something that had troubled them for a long time—how to handle NEO Navy.

If Zephyr's health was failing, and he only had a few years left to live, then NEO Navy would naturally crumble over time. But if Zephyr had another ten or twenty years to live, the World Government could face their demise before Zephyr's death.

They would be in deep trouble before Zephyr's death.

The only way now was to proactively deal with NEO Navy.

But how to handle them was the issue.

With NEO Navy joining forces with the Revolutionary Army, and having two admirals' strength on their side, dealing with them wouldn't be easy. The Marines would need at least four or five admirals' strength to have a chance of defeating them entirely.

However, if they could separate the Revolutionary Army from NEO Navy, then they would only need three or four admirals, combined with CP0, to guarantee success.

The current problem was finding an opportunity. They needed to catch NEO Navy off guard for any chance to succeed.

At this moment, a CP walked in and conveyed a message to them.

Their spies had discovered that NEO Navy was advancing towards Punk Hazard in the New World.

The Five Elders' faces immediately brightened with joy; this was the opportunity they needed.

NEO Navy probably saw the live broadcast and wanted to cause trouble in Punk Hazard. The Revolutionary Army probably hadn't managed to join them in time. With only Zephyr and Fujitora, it was possible to wipe out NEO Navy.

They had received intelligence that the Navy had dispatched Kizaru, Kuzan, and Fujitora as the main forces to Punk Hazard.

As they thought of Kizaru and Kuzan, the Five Elders' faces darkened. They couldn't rely on them anymore. They might let this rare opportunity slip away.

The Five Elders immediately contacted Akainu, who was at Mariejois, and asked him to go to Punk Hazard. They gave him full command, and Kizaru, Kuzan, and Fujitora would listen to his orders. They must eliminate NEO Navy, and CP0 would accompany them.

Not only that, the Five Elders also contacted Kizaru, who was heading to G5 Marine Base, and asked him not to bother with Vergo for now. He should deal with NEO Navy in Punk Hazard first.

Among those going, the Five Elders trusted Kizaru the most. Although Akainu was ruthless and stubborn, it was Kizaru who personally killed Zephyr. They believed that Kizaru would bring them good news this time.

Once they came back to their senses, even the Five Elders were surprised. They had instinctively started to regard Kizaru as the most reliable admiral among the three.

Yet, this person was clearly the least reliable of them all.

Why did it end up like this?

This left the Five Elders with a deep sense of helplessness.

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Check out my Other Projects Too (Advanced chapters on P@treon) :-

=> The day of studying in Hogwarts.

=> Marvel: All the famous scenes were exposed by me.

=>The most wasteful fruit among pirates(New)

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(End of this chapter)