"Those two little guys are indeed good candidates." said the crane in the phone bug.
"But they have just experienced a war and need time to settle. If the task is given to them, it will have to wait at least three months."
"If Teach chooses to betray the entire Whitebeard Pirates, he must have a backup plan." Sengoku said.
"I have been dealing with Whitebeard for many years. There are countless pirates on the sea who are hostile to him. It is very likely that Teach will take advantage of these pirates."
"So the risk that Teach will form a new pirate group cannot be ruled out."
"Teach is being hunted by the Whitebeard Pirates. He can no longer stay in the new world. He will definitely escape to the first half of the Grand Line or the four seas." Akainu said solemnly.
"I will organize it for Annan. Three months will be enough for them to form a team."
………………
"Three months?"
Esdeath was lying on the hospital bed, looking at Annan who was peeling an apple, and said in surprise.
"General Akainu actually allowed you to stay in the East China Sea for such a long time?"
"What, isn't it taking too long?" Annan said angrily, handing the apple to Esdeath.
"Of course, three months is enough for the two of us to explore the entire East China Sea." Esdeath took the apple, took a bite, and said while eating.
"When things go wrong, there must be a monster. Tell me, he must have made you do other things."
Annan sighed: "In three months, we will be asked to go to the headquarters to perform a special mission."
"What is the specific mission?"
"Keep it secret. If you tell me, you have to implement it now." Annan said.
"Not only that, he gave me an organization, and now I can command three hundred naval forces."
Three hundred naval personnel, more or less, is exactly the number of people a small warship can carry, and Annan's current military rank can only command a small warship.
"He actually assigned you a job? Have you been promoted? Or has your right to move freely been taken away?" Esdeath wondered.
In the navy, there is a price to be paid for obtaining the right to move freely, and this price is that you cannot lead troops, that is, you cannot have a subordinate navy.
With the right to move freely, you can go wherever you want. But if you still have military power and subordinates, you are no different from a pirate.
Since Annan and Esdeath gained the right to move freely, they have always been polished commanders.
What, you mean Feng and Ling? Aren't they maids responsible for daily living? They can't fight, they are just responsible for daily living.
The Ice and Fire Man is also nominally part of the Navy's scientific force. The members on the ship, like Kurome, a modern scientific doctor, obey Vegapunk's orders.
There are exceptions. For example, if you reach the rank of lieutenant general, you can have your own ship and travel around with your subordinates.
However, judging from the current situation, defeating the Golden Lion will naturally not allow Annan to be promoted to lieutenant general. It will only confiscate the right to free movement.
"Then are you now incorporated into that lieutenant general's team? Ghost Spider? Dauberman? Or are you directly incorporated into General Akainu's team?" Esdeath asked.
Without the right to move freely, of course he has to return to the navy. With Annan's current status, he will definitely be assigned to Akainu's faction.
"Um... the boss didn't say anything." Annan rubbed his hair, "He just told me that we have a staff of three hundred people, but he will neither give me a warship nor a navy."
"A bad check?" Esdeath touched her chin, "Did he say anything else?"
"No more." Annan leaned back on his chair.
"Didn't you talk to your old man on the phone? What did he say?"
"I didn't say anything. The headquarters is planning to block the news about the Golden Lion. If you are promoted, you have to come to the headquarters for the award. There is also news from the Science Corps that the Ice and Fire Man will be returned to the factory for maintenance and then be transformed.
Turned into a small warship that can accommodate 300 people."
The Iceman can only accommodate a hundred people, which is smaller than a small warship.
"Wait, how many people are there?" Annan stood up suddenly.
"Three hundred people." Esdeath also came to his senses, "Admiral Akainu gave you the establishment of three hundred people... Isn't that just for this purpose?"
"Absolutely." Annan said, "I asked him why he didn't give me a boat, but he was waiting for me here."
"This is great." Esdeath clapped her hands and sat up from the bed.
"Now we have three months to swim around the East China Sea and borrow a warship from Smoker. Let's set off now!"
"Leave now?"
Annan looked at Esdeath's bandaged upper body, "Is your injury healed?"
"It's almost healed. I'll be fully recovered when we get to our destination." Esdeath said with a smile.
……………………
One month later.
East China Sea, Sambas Sea area.
Sea restaurant baratine.
Annan and Esdeath sat by the window.
While the food was being served, Annan asked, "Is there any other place you want to go?"
"Hmm..." Esdeath thought for a while: "The country on the bridge?"
"Isn't that the first place to go?" Annan shook his head.
"Kingdom of Goa?"
"We just came back from there."
"Bharati?"
"We are sitting in Barati now."
Esdeath looked up and thought for a long time, and suddenly felt a little lost.
In one month, I visited all the places I was interested in in the East China Sea.
"The journey to the Kingdom of Goa ends here."
Annan opened a parchment scroll, skipped a long list of place names, and ticked the Kingdom of Goa at the bottom.
"One more meal, and we'll finish all of Barati's dishes."
"At that time, the trip to the East China Sea will be declared completely over."
Chef Paddy put the dishes on the table with the smile of a big dog watcher on his face.
"Mr. Annan, Miss Esdeath, all the dishes you ordered have been served."
"Okay, thank you." Annan smiled at the chef who looked like Popeye, took out some Baileys from his pocket, and handed it to Paddy.
"Here's your tip."
"You are so generous." The smile on Paddy's face became even brighter. He took the money from Annan with both hands, nodded repeatedly, and then walked away backwards.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "The chef said it is indeed true, the navy is indeed a wealthy owner."
Pike counted the purchases in his hands and thought to himself.
Fortunately, every time they come, that bastard Sanji is sent out to purchase ingredients. If he doesn't see Miss Esdeath, he will definitely compete with me to serve the food."
"strangeness."
Annan kept watching Pike walk into the kitchen, wondering in his heart.
"I remember that Sanji was working as a chef here. I've been here so many times, but why haven't I seen him once?"
After counting the days, it was almost time for the boy to go to sea.
After arriving in Donghai for more than a month, Annan also thought about nipping the big trouble in the bud. After all, all the core figures of the Straw Hats were here.
But strangely enough, no matter how Annan tried to create "accidental encounters", he just couldn't meet these people.
For example, the 153 branch located in Shields Town would be delayed by other things when applying to go there several times, such as encountering pirates on the road or a broken ship.
By the time they arrived at Shieldstown, the 152nd branch had successfully "defeated the upper".
And Sanji, every time he came back from a trip, he and Esdeath wanted to have a meal with Barati. They had eaten more than a dozen meals, but they didn't come across more than ten meals.
I asked the Popeye sideways, whether he was out shopping for ingredients or learning recipes...
It was as if something was protecting them.
It's really... quite interesting.
"The staff in Balatiri must all be pirates. Why don't we catch them all before we leave?"
Esdeath said casually while eating the food.
"Red-footed Zepp was once a great pirate who crossed the Grand Line."
"He has been running a restaurant for so many years, and the world government has not held him accountable." Annan yawned, "Just turn a blind eye. No one from the navy or the search bureau in the East China Sea came to arrest him, which means there is no threat.
We won’t worry about it anymore.”
Esdeath nodded and looked towards the kitchen.
"The Navy doesn't care about him, but he does care about us. Every time we come here to eat, he is very nervous."
"It's not because of your domineering appearance." Annan said while eating the food.
When Annan and Esdeath came to Barati for the first time, they happened to encounter a group of pirates who robbed them. These pirates offended Esdeath, and the whole Barati was crushed by her overbearing blow.
Others don't know what's going on, but after so many years of hard work, Zhepu naturally knows Bawangse.
"Since then, he has never been nervous when he saw us coming over," Annan said.
"Just think of it as a lesson to him." Esdeath finished the food and wiped her mouth.
"After eating, the old man wants to see me for something. I want to go back to Rogge Town. Do you have somewhere to go? I'll give you a ride."
"I really have a place to go."
Annan lowered his head and glanced at Muramasa who was putting it aside.
"Go somewhere that recognizes this knife."
………………
Seymour Shiki Village, Yishin Dojo.
Unlike the previous bustle, there was deathly silence in the dojo.
"Hai...Navy! What are you doing here?"
A trainee from the dojo said to Annan fearfully.
"Is it because of Zoro? Damn it, he became free when he became a pirate, but he got us in trouble instead." The trainee couldn't help but remember it from his heart.
Roronoa Zoro, the former East China Sea pirate hunter, became a pirate after the Branch 152 incident, but now they are just small pirates, the kind that don’t even have bounties. Except for people from his hometown, there are no other pirates.
People know this.
Annan ignored everyone's reactions. When he came here, what he wanted to see the most was the grand staircase. If there was such a thing as said in his previous life, if he fell down and would die, Annan wanted to take it away. It was a powerful weapon to kill the enemy.
But the most important thing right now is obviously not this.
"I am the owner of this dojo, Koushiro." Koushiro walked out of the back room.
"I wonder what this navy guy is doing."
"Since it's a dojo, of course I'm here to compete." Annan said with a smile, "I wonder if you, the owner of the dojo, will accept my challenge."
"Brother is joking, my gym can't handle the challenge of a great swordsman." Koushiro said with a smile, "I hope you won't make fun of me."
"Seymour Zhiji Village, it also has another name - Shuangyue Village." Annan said.
"The Shigetsuki clan is a powerful daimyo family in Wano Country. Am I right, Mr. Shigetsuki Koushiro?"
"Your Excellency is..."
Koushiro still had a smile on his face, but his tone changed.
Annan smiled and waved to Muramasa.
"People from Wano country probably don't remember this sword."
"This is... Muramasa?!"
Shigetsuki Koushiro looked puzzled.
………………
The back room of the temple.
Annan finally saw the grand staircase.
"It doesn't seem like there's anything strange about it," Annan commented.
Just like the red-haired arm, the Grand Staircase is one of the most unsolved mysteries in One Piece.
But Annan can prove that this staircase is just an ordinary staircase.
What? Let me try it myself and dream, I won’t go.
"Muramasa is one of the twelve swordsmen of the Supreme Knife. Under normal circumstances, it will not break or break." Koshiro Shigezuki put on a pair of gloves and carefully inspected Muramasa.
"Looking at this cut, it should have been caused by a collision with a famous sword that is comparable to it, and the user at that time... was not Your Excellency."
Shigetsuki Koushiro put down Muramasa and said to Annan.
"Oh, that's amazing, you can see this." Annan said in surprise.
"After all, Muramasa is a famous sword that chooses its owner." Shigetsuki Koushiro smiled, "If it is used by someone other than the one it recognizes, it will not only backfire on the user, but also damage itself, just like it is now."
"But this user has not suffered any backlash." Annan asked curiously.
At that time, Esdeath directly used the overlord color to forcefully tame Muramasa, and there was no backlash.
Shigetsuki Koushiro pointed to the fragment of the blade placed on the white cloth.
"This is also a kind of backlash."
"Okay." Annan said speechlessly, "As a person from the country of Wano, do you have any way to repair it?"
Shigetsuki Koushiro frowned in a rare way.
"Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it. The Shuoyue family is a master of using swords, but not a master of making swords. There should be craftsmen in Wano who can repair Muramasa, but now Wano has been in a state of isolation..."
"Ah..." Annan sighed.
"But my father once mentioned that there is an island country near Wano Country, a country established by the survivors of Wano Country. It should be possible to restore the Muramasa there."
"The remnants of Wano? A country established?" Annan looked confused, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, you are in the navy, so you naturally have channels to distinguish the true from the false." Shigetsuki Koushiro said with a smile.
"In that case, I won't bother you."
Annan thought for a moment, put away Muramasa, stood up and left.
Shigetsuki Koushiro watched Annan leave the gym, with a trace of regret flashing through his narrowed eyes.
"Sasaki Musashi, is this the person you found to entrust?"
"The Navy...is this really okay?"
Shigetsuki Koushiro sighed.
"The country of Wano... I will never go back in this life."