Chapter 323: The Opportunity Has Arrived

The Navy's earlier worries have become reality: the entire North Blue Naval Academy was uprooted by a mysterious force, leaving not even a single tile behind.

Only a handful of powers on the Grand Line could accomplish all this without anyone noticing.

The Four Emperors, the Morning Star Group, the Revolutionary Army...

Upon hearing Sengoku place the World Government among the suspects, the high-ranking Navy officers present immediately displayed varied expressions.

The Fleet Admiral finally harbors dissatisfaction toward the World Government.

During the Battle of Marineford, the Navy Headquarters was erased from the map, yet the mastermind behind it all has instead become the aloof Celestial Dragons.

From that moment on, dissatisfaction and questioning toward the World Government within the Navy could no longer be suppressed.

Had Fleet Admiral Sengoku not held it back, the Navy would have likely split long ago; who would have thought that even Fleet Admiral Sengoku now feels dissatisfied with the World Government.

Then where should the Navy go from here?

"The Four Emperor Kaido has a precedent of kidnapping people in the East Blue, so naturally he is the prime suspect."

Sengoku stopped speaking halfway through his sentence.

It was only because he suddenly realized: if Kaido truly did this, why did Xiao Xiao Xian Bei not send the news back to Navy Headquarters in advance?

Could it be... could it be that Xiao Xiao Xian Bei has defected?

Pondering carefully for a moment, Sengoku felt the possibility of Xiao Xiao Xian Bei's defection growing increasingly likely.

Within the Navy, Xiao Xiao Xian Bei was merely an inconspicuous Private Second Class, while within the Beasts Pirates, Xiao Xiao Xian Bei is one of the Three Calamities, the Drought Viegol.

It's over; Sengoku's intestines are twisted with regret.

In recent years, the Navy has successively endured the Battle of Marineford, Saint Saint Saint Saiwen cancelling the bounty on the Morning Star Group, internal factional strife among Lin Li, the Four Emperors causing chaos in the new Marineford, and the Great World Conscription.

Distracted by these affairs, Sengoku had overlooked the most critical point.

He never promoted Xiao Xiao Xian Bei.

While the attendees pondered, Sengoku suddenly slammed the table several times, his face now covered in regret.

How could he make such a basic mistake?

He, Sengoku, is a strategic general!

"Sengoku?" Vice Admiral Tsuru asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Sengoku waved his hand: "Little Tsuru, you take over the meeting; let me recover for a moment."

If the speculation holds true, Vergo has likely already defected and joined Kaido.

Then whether the intelligence Vergo previously transmitted was accurate must now be met with a huge question mark.

Especially since Vergol was born in the North Blue and entered the Navy through the Naval Academy... truly damn it.

All traitors must die!

Through Vergo's defection from the Navy, Xiao Mi Guo's firm belief in justice is even more highlighted.

Even if she cannot return to the Navy, Xiao Mi Guo still reports intelligence to him from time to time.

The key intelligence that Blackbeard is Lox's son was transmitted by Xiao Mi Guo at the risk of her life.

Sengoku sighed repeatedly in his heart, even beginning to doubt whether he was truly fit to continue serving as Fleet Admiral.

But if he resigns, Xiao Mi Guo will never be able to return.

In fact, with Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's current power, he could fully restore Xiao Mi Guo's identity, but this would require Saint Saint Saint Saiwen to know about Xiao Mi Guo's undercover status.

Sengoku simply dared not gamble.

What if, what if Saint Saint Saint Saiwen cuts down Xiao Mi Guo with a single slash; by then, he would have nowhere to cry.

Even as the meeting reached its midpoint, Sengoku remained in a daze.

Seeing this, Chief of Staff Tsuru had no choice but to make a decision.

"Kuzan, go to the North Blue and search for clues along the original site of the academy."

"Understood."

Just as the Navy dispatched Admiral Aokiji to the North Blue, the Beasts Pirates' headquarters was holding a grand banquet to welcome the Vinsmoke Family into the Beasts Pirates family.

Kaido raised his wine glass and began to test the viewpoint proposed by Vergo—loyalty testing.

"Brother Gaji, after you finish this cup, there are three more."

A few days ago, the old woman Charlotte Lingling sent Gaji back; after all, the facilities needed for raising offspring do not exist in Whole Cake Island, but only on the Germa Snail Fleet.

Gaji's face was flushed, his eyes blurred with drunkenness.

"Big brother... brother... I cannot hold my liquor."

The five Vinsmoke siblings sat behind Gaji; the green-haired Yonji occasionally secretly pinched Xiao Shan Zhi.

Xiao Shan Zhi seemed not to feel the pain, his attention fixed on his pale-faced mother, Sora.

After his mother was knocked unconscious last time, her condition worsened; now her face was covered in dense beads of sweat, yet she had to force herself to endure until the banquet ended.

None of the five siblings noticed that a gaze was occasionally directed at them.

Vergo swirled his wine glass.

The Captain opened a kindergarten in Wano, and the five Vinsmoke siblings are undoubtedly the highest-quality students.

But the key lies in how to get these five little ones away from the Beasts Pirates and send them to Wano.

Vergo knew that Kaido regarded the five Vinsmoke siblings as the future of the Beasts Pirates; not only did he care for them meticulously, but he also subjected the six-year-old Reiju to Oni-style hellish special training—

Beating them, beating them three times a day.

Getting them sent to Wano would be harder than climbing to heaven, but Vergo enjoys challenges of high difficulty.

Just as Vergo was pondering,

Sora suddenly spat blood and fainted; Xiao Shan Zhi, who was constantly watching his mother, crawled and ran to her side.

"Mom, Mom, Mom!"

Seeing this, Kaido hesitated for a few seconds, glanced at Vinsmoke Gaji lying on the table and snoring loudly, and suddenly realized this was a heaven-sent opportunity to subdue the five Vinsmoke siblings.

"Quick, quickly call the physician."

Not long after, the Beasts Pirates' physician arrived, examined for a moment, and shook his head.

"Lady Sora's illness has already penetrated to the marrow; no medical treatment can cure her, unless..."

Kaido refuses to miss a good opportunity?

"Unless what? Speak up, you brat."

As long as we save the mother of the Five Little Ones, giving Gazi to Charlotte Lingling is no problem—let them two work hard to have children.

"Unless we find a user of the Surgical Fruit."

Upon hearing this, Kaido fell silent, while Vergo's eyes lit up: an opportunity had arrived.

"Boss." Vergo quietly stepped beside Kaido, deliberately lowering his voice.

"Really going to save her?"

Kaido snapped: "We must save her—at any cost."

"What, you've got a plan?"

Vergo showed signs of hesitation.

"The Surgical Fruit user, Phoenix, is currently in Wano. Our Beasts Pirates and the Morning Star Clan are enemies—it's truly difficult."

"But if we claim we're taking Lady Sora to Wano to care for Yamato, Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen won't easily refuse."

"The Morning Star Clan can't just stand by and let her die."

Kaido's face broke into a smile: "You're the one with the sharp mind—do it exactly as you say."

Yet another problem arose.

Sora refused to be separated from her children.

In the end, Kaido compromised, dispatching Scourge of Fire and Scourge of Drought to escort Sora to Wano for treatment, with Xiao Shan Zhi accompanying them.

Kaido had deep reasoning behind this decision.

Xiao Shan Zhi is the only one among the Vinsmoke five siblings who has not awakened his ability; even though forcibly detained by Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen, he remains within Kaido's acceptable limits.

Kaido must be cautious.

Precisely because his beloved daughter Yamato was taken and held by Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen to this day.

At the Oni Island port, Kaido solemnly instructed his younger brothers Jin and Vergo.

"Remember to stay safe."

"Don't worry, Brother Kaido."

"Jin and Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen are of the same clan—there are only two of us left in this world. He shouldn't dare attack me."

Kaido nodded; precisely because of this, he had assigned Jin and Vergo to go to Wano.

Jin handles the networking; Vergo's sharp mind allows him to adapt on the fly.

Xiao Shan Zhi? Consider him a bonus.