Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 435 This war meeting is unbearable to watch.

In this battle to defeat Crocodile, apart from Doflamingo, Sasuke Uchiha, and Black Zetsu, all other members of the Akatsuki organization will participate.

Uehara Naraku glanced at Yakushi Kabuto, looking at his most trusted subordinate, and asked softly, "Kabuto, I will be meeting with Major General Drake tomorrow."

"During this meeting, I'm going to reveal all of Baroque Works' intelligence. Do you have any way to ensure that I can join the Navy at his invitation without arousing his suspicion?"

"certainly."

Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses and chuckled, saying, "It just so happens that Admiral Aokiji gave Major General Drake the golden Den Den Mushi from the Buster Call. Lord Naraku, just let me handle the arrangements."

After arranging Crocodile's affairs, Uehara Naraku turned to look at everyone present, his gaze slowly shifting until it settled on Doflamingo: "Doflamingo, just make sure you don't cause any trouble on your end..."

"Fufufufufu...Yes, ma'am!"

Doflamingo spread his palms, his smile almost impossible to suppress: "Right now, I'm just a small-time pirate trembling under the pressure of that monster Kaido..."

"That's settled then!"

Uehara Naraku waved his hand and said, "All members in Alabasta, await my next orders tomorrow!"

"clear."

Kabuto slowly pushed up his glasses and said in a low voice, "I'll find a way to arrange for Rear Admiral Drake to invite Lord Naraku to join the Navy right away."

Aokiji: "..."

Is it really appropriate for you to be so arrogant in front of a general?

However, Aokiji was really curious about how Kabuto Yakushi had managed to make Uehara Naraku's joining the Navy so seamless.

late at night.

Aokiji witnessed the entire meeting where Kabuto Yakushi seduced Major General Drake, and he felt uneasy about it. He himself had become a pawn of Kabuto Yakushi.

the next day.

Major General Drake encountered Naraku Uehara once again.

The rear admiral bluntly demanded a detailed discussion with Uehara Naraku, stating his conditions in a somber tone: "Uehara Naraku, you now have two choices."

"What?"

Uehara Naraku couldn't help but look up in surprise.

Rear Admiral Drake slowly pulled out his golden Den Den Mushi and said solemnly, "This is the Den Den Mushi for the Buster Call. Once the call is connected, the Navy will immediately deploy ten powerful warships and elite naval forces to wipe out the entire Alabasta."

After Rear Admiral Drake finished speaking, seeing Uehara Naraku's expression change drastically, he continued, "The Buster Call can only be used in an emergency. If the Navy does not obtain accurate intelligence from Baroque Works, it will destroy Baroque Works at the cost of the entire Alabasta."

We've discovered that Baroque Works' most active area is Alabasta. Baroque Works is one of the most dangerous organizations on the entire sea; eliminating it will inevitably come at a price. Furthermore, Admiral Aokiji of the Marine Headquarters is on his way.

"..."

Uehara Naraku glanced at Drake with a grim expression: "The Buster Call was used to destroy Vice President Nico Robin..."

"That's right."

Rear Admiral Drake nodded and continued softly, "Besides the Buster Call, there was also the personal command of a Marine Admiral. Without specific intelligence, the Navy had no choice but to make this decision; it was also an order from the World Government!"

That sounds incredibly fake.

However, Major General Drake believed that it was enough to intimidate the people in front of him.

After saying that, Major General Drake slowly put away the golden Den Den Mushi and continued softly, "Besides that, there is another way, which is to tell us about Baroque Works and cooperate with us to directly destroy Baroque Works. Only in this way can the innocent citizens of Alabasta survive."

"What's the difference between the Navy doing this and pirates...?"

Uehara Naraku looked up at Drake with a heart full of despair, but the naval rear admiral's gaze was more resolute than ever before.

Obviously...

If Uehara Naraku refuses, it seems likely that Major General Drake will actually press the golden Den Den Mushi and directly launch the Buster Call.

Uehara Naraku nodded as if he had no other choice, and whispered, "You guessed right, Baroque Works' headquarters is indeed in Alabasta, and the leader is none other than Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea..."

After Crocodile's defeat in a fierce battle against Whitebeard, he has been hiding in Alabasta for years, absorbing the hidden power of this desert nation... Now his power can easily destroy a city!

I've never met a Marine Admiral, and I don't know how powerful they are, but I know how terrifying Crocodile is. He merely used a single, clandestine attack in the desert, and he destroyed the great Alabasta city of Yuba.

Uehara Naraku recounted Crocodile's immense power bit by bit.

In addition to this, he also revealed the long-standing membership list of Baroque Works to Major General Drake, including the purpose of Baroque Works.

"Baroque Works has always been based here."

Uehara Naraku rubbed his forehead and continued softly, "Crocodile believed that Alabasta, as one of the twenty nations that once created the World Government, held countless secrets that could make him stronger, and now he has indeed become stronger..."

"..."

Major General Drake listened to everything with a calm expression.

Although his heart was in turmoil, his face remained calm. He simply nodded repeatedly, indicating that he was listening attentively.

Drake memorized all of this information.

Now Drake is more concerned about the next suggestion Kabuto Yakushi gave him: to take this opportunity to invite Uehara Naraku to join the Navy.

the other side.

After Uehara Naraku finished recounting the secrets of Baroque Works, he suddenly grabbed Major General Drake's wrist and said in a deep voice, "I don't believe the Buster Call can eliminate Crocodile; it will only kill innocent civilians in Alabasta..."

"I know."

Major General Drake nodded, took a deep breath, and slowly bowed to Uehara Naraku, offering a low apology.

"I only threatened you with the Buster Call to get you to provide us with information about Baroque Works. If you have someone to blame, blame me!"

Rear Admiral Drake maintained his bowing posture and continued in a deep voice, "There's one more thing. This time I won't use the Buster Call, but that doesn't mean the Navy won't continue to use such devastating attacks..."

Rear Admiral Drake lowered his head further, his voice becoming more sincere: "To avoid this situation from happening again in the future, I would like to invite you to join the Navy's secret special forces."

I hope we can fight together, help the Navy gather intelligence, change the way the Navy fights against powerful enemies, and in the future be able to precisely attack evil pirates like Crocodile who hide their true colors, instead of being forced to use indiscriminate methods like the Buster Call.

"..."

Uehara Naraku remained silent.

Major General Drake is quite capable!

He must have received tutoring from Kabuto yesterday!

On one hand, he adopts a humble posture, and on the other hand, he presents a righteous and awe-inspiring reputation. How could Uehara Naraku, who is loyal to the Navy and kind-hearted, possibly refuse?

I can finally infiltrate the Navy...

From then on, he could finally openly leak information to the Navy, use the Navy's power to fight other pirates, and influence the situation at sea.

Uehara Naraku reached out and helped Major General Drake to his feet, sighing, "Mr. Drake, I really can't refuse your offer. I'm just someone who can do a little bit of insignificant work..."

"...We are all the same."

A smile appeared on Drake's face.

In fact, Drake himself didn't seem to smile much, and his smile now looked a bit stiff: "Mr. Uehara, welcome to the Navy. From now on, we'll be colleagues."

in the afternoon.

Due to the urgency of the situation.

The Navy's SWORD Force Operations Conference was then convened.

Rear Admiral Drake was the first to announce the appointments of the Fleet Admiral: "Yakushi Kabuto is promoted to Captain of the Navy Headquarters, and Uehara Naraku is appointed Lieutenant Commander of the Navy Headquarters."

"..."

Uehara Naraku and Yakushi Kabuto had different expressions.

A smile appeared on Kabuto's face, Naraku Uehara sighed softly, and Aokiji, who was secretly eavesdropping outside, looked speechless.

What's the point of holding this operational meeting...?

The SWORD unit consists of three people, two of whom are undercover agents. Can't Major General Drake be a little more vigilant?

Major General Drake was not alarmed at all; in fact, he felt a little relieved. At least for now, his SWORD unit was on the right track, and the first mission to lead the annihilation of the Baroque Works could finally be officially carried out.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku also placed high hopes on the SWORD force, even granting it the authority to mobilize all naval forces around Alabasta for support.

"Let's first discuss destroying Baroque Works and capturing the current Shichibukai, Crocodile!"

Rear Admiral Drake looked at his two subordinates and said softly, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku has given the order that we can arrest Crocodile directly. Evidence can be gathered later, as the Navy is currently preparing to replace the Shichibukai..."

"This requires Major Uehara to provide intelligence."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and calmly said, "To avoid too many people finding out about this, let's find a secluded place to capture Crocodile first, which will also prevent causing too much trouble for the Navy."

"Um."

Major General Drake nodded and said in a deep voice, "In that case, we'll need to find a deserted place in Alabasta..."

"There are quite a few places like this."

Uehara Naraku's finger landed on the central desert region on the Alabasta map, and he explained, "He usually stays in the Rainlands, occasionally showing up at the port to kill some pirates as a show, but recently he's been going to the center of the desert more often..."

Uehara Naraku's expression gradually became complicated as he said, "If this were in the center of the desert, there would be absolutely no one who could be a match for a Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit user..."

"In battles on land, Logia-type Devil Fruits are not the only deciding factor."

Kabuto Yakushi interrupted Naraku Uehara, adjusting his glasses and opening his palm to introduce, "Major Uehara, do you know why Major General Drake was placed in such high regard by Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"

Kabuto's expression gradually turned serious: "Major General Drake is a rare Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, an Ancient Zoan, Allosaurus form. His combat prowess on land is equally astonishing..."

"alright."

Major General Drake interrupted Kabuto Yakushi, slowly closing his palms and placing them on the table: "In the next few days, we'll search for a suitable area to locate Crocodile. This is our SWORD unit's first mission, and we absolutely cannot afford any mistakes."

"Yes."

The pharmacist adjusted his glasses.

Rear Admiral Drake clenched his fist little by little, and calmly continued, "I am not arrogant enough to believe that I can defeat Crocodile, but I will not back down in the face of evil pirates..."

"..."

Aokiji, standing outside the door, couldn't help but put on his blindfold.

Aokiji simply couldn't bear to watch this strategic meeting.

First update...

and also

(End of this chapter)