Chapter 46: Pawn?

(A/N: Well apparently, my work finished earlier than I expected. So here today Chapter)

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For the Marines, the establishment of the Seven Warlords system was like a slap in the face from the government in front of the whole world. 

It meant that because the Marines had not done a good job of maintaining peace in the seas, the government would recognize seven notorious pirates as lawful pirates, leaving the Marines helpless. 

They had to watch as scum who had once killed their comrades suddenly became officially recognized colleagues.

Furthermore, to save face for the World Government, as long as the Seven Warlords didn't go too far, such as massacring countries or killing Marines in public, the Marines couldn't touch them. 

Just like when Rear Admiral Hordy and over two hundred Marines died at the hands of the Donquixote Family. 

The Marines knew the culprits and even tracked them down but had to let them go due to their status.

Because the culprits didn't commit the crime publicly, the Marines had to help cover up their actions to avoid stirring up trouble in the seas. 

There couldn't be anything more humiliating. Byakuya didn't believe that Sengoku didn't know about this. 

But if Sengoku did know and still decided to transfer Byakuya to this position, it was indeed intriguing. 

Byakuya silently pondered, "Could this old guy be planning to use me as a pawn?"

Sengoku and the others were not pleased with the Seven Warlords system, but since they had previously agreed to establish it, they couldn't oppose it now and risk angering the government. 

While other Marines harbored dissatisfaction, they were powerless because they lacked a leader to spearhead any opposition. 

But now, Byakuya had emerged, a Marine Rear Admiral with the strength of an Admiral.

If he were to have a strong conflict with the Seven Warlords, or even kill them, how would the government react? 

Moreover, Byakuya's master, Zephyr, also held high prestige within the Marines, as eighty percent of the senior officers in the Marines had graduated from the training camp. 

If Byakuya alone wasn't enough, together with the Chief Instructor Zephyr and some Marines who were already dissatisfied with the Seven Warlords system...

Such a force would make the government cautious. "Hmm, it seems that none of those who become Fleet Admirals are easy to handle." 

Byakuya was quite confident in his speculation. He reckoned that he was chosen by Sengoku as the best candidate to eliminate the Seven Warlords system. 

Even though Byakuya was being used as a pawn by Sengoku, he didn't feel the slightest resentment; instead, he thought it was quite good.

Before the situation reached its boiling point, regardless of whatever outrageous actions Byakuya took, Sengoku naturally had to help cover them up. 

Byakuya still needed his identity as a Marine for now. Moreover, as the leader in eliminating the Seven Warlords system, Byakuya's prestige within the Marines was naturally quite high. 

There were pros and cons to this matter, but the choice was ultimately in Byakuya's hands.

Whether to feign ignorance and turn a deaf ear to this matter or to start causing trouble for the Donquixote Family and become a vanguard against the Seven Warlords system, Byakuya quickly decided in his heart. 

Byakuya looked up at the eagerly anticipating Lacy, smiling, "I'll handle this matter. I'll avenge Vice Admiral Hardy and the other two hundred Marines."

"Really?" Lacy's eyes lit up with excitement. "Do you need to inform Chief Instructor Zephyr?" 

Byakuya knew that Lacy still didn't believe that he, a Rear Admiral, had the authority to deal with the Seven Warlords. 

However, Byakuya didn't defend himself; instead, he explained, "I'll report to Master Zephyr once I've thoroughly investigated this matter, so you can rest assured."

Lacy trusted Byakuya's words without doubt, bowing to him and saying, "On behalf of Vice Admiral Hardy, thank you!" 

The next day, a Marine Rear Admiral's warship once again arrived at Island 27 of the Sabaody Archipelago. 

Although no Marines were welcoming them at the pier this time, it still caught the attention of many pirates. Marine Rear Admirals weren't exactly common.

In the first half of the Grand Line, only relatively important islands would have Marine Rear Admirals stationed. 

It was indeed unusual for two Marine Rear Admirals to appear at this place in two days. 

"Rear Admiral Byakuya around?" Smoker, cigar in mouth, looked solemnly at the nearby Marine base, his eyes filled with experience. 

"Yes, I didn't expect Byakuya to graduate so quickly."

There was a hint of melancholy in Tashigi's tone. "How could this happen so fast?" Six months ago, Byakuya entered the training camp. 

Garp indeed transferred Smoker from Loguetown to the Grand Line half a year ago, putting him in charge of a relatively important island. 

In this half year, Smoker had dealt with many pirates, rising from Captain to Rear Admiral.

Even on the open sea, Smoker had gained a reputation as the "White Hunter". 

Many pirates would go out of their way to avoid him, fearing his pursuit. 

But just a week ago, he received a call saying that Byakuya had graduated and used his privilege to select him. 

After hanging up the phone, Smoker didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Following Byakuya was his own choice, and he didn't regret it.

But was this happening too quickly? He had only been free for half a year, and now he was about to be "tormented" by Byakuya again. 

"Let's go. If we're late, it'll be even worse," Smoker took a deep breath, feeling like he was walking to his execution, and stepped off the ship. 

Tashigi also held Shigure tightly in her arms, bowed her head, and followed Smoker off the ship. 

The pirates around, seeing the newcomers, were immediately terrified.

Some pirates muttered curses under their breath, "Damn, why is it the White Hunter?" 

"You mean he's Smoker, the Rear Admiral with the Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability?" 

"Who else could it be? Why would he come here?" Pirates from different crews had various expressions. 

Some pirates looked at Tashigi behind Smoker with lustful eyes, saying greedily, "That girl behind Smoker looks pretty good."

A pirate nearby shot back coldly, "That woman is a swordswoman. She's probably killed more pirates than you've ever seen." 

"If you're itching for a fight, you can try your luck. Let's see if her sword is harder or your neck." 

The pirate who was eyeing Tashigi felt a chill down his spine as if a blade were pressed against his neck.

"A young Marine Rear Admiral came a few days ago, and now even Smoker the White Hunter is here. 

Looks like trouble's brewing in the Sabaody Archipelago!" Some of the more cautious pirates had already begun preparing to leave Sabaody. 

However, those pirates who felt confident in their strength were fearless. 

After all, in the lawless zone, there were no restrictions, and even the Marines dared not openly arrest pirates there.

This had been an unwritten rule for many years. As long as this rule remained unchanged, they didn't care about anything else.

<End Chapter>

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