One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

"Luffy's grandfather could never be close friends with a Celestial Dragon's lackey."

"I think you are already aware of what we have done in the Kingdom of Alabasta."

"Perhaps we... could be more open and honest."

"You and the World Government were never on the same page, were you?"

The moment the words fell, Marshal Zhan Guo paused slightly with his clasped hands, and his index finger stopped tapping.

His deep eyes were fixed on V, his gaze seemingly piercing through the eerie blue light of the mechanical prosthetic eye and reaching the depths of the other's soul.

Does Fleet Admiral Sengoku obey the World Government?

The answer is yes.

This is not only because his power comes directly from the World Government's appointment, but also because he can only maintain a wide range of order and promote a relatively stable peace by relying on the resources and systems controlled by the World Government.

However, does Sengoku, who obeys the World Government, equate to the Celestial Dragons' "lackeys"?

This point is probably worth considering.

Like Garp, Sengoku's inner sense of "justice" always pointed towards protecting the majority of ordinary people and maintaining overall peace.

However, constrained by the current world order and historical legacy, he often has to weigh the balance between "achieving absolute justice" and "maintaining a working order," and sometimes has to temporarily set aside the pursuit of absolute justice for a few individuals in order to save the overall situation.

In other words, Sengoku was performing his duties within the system, but behind his actions always existed a creed of justice that was independent of the Celestial Dragons' will and belonged to him alone.

If necessary, he can become an enemy of the World Government or even the Celestial Dragons.

And this is the key reason why V chose to be frank with the Warring States:

"Since you've been so frank, let's not beat around the bush anymore, Marshal of the Warring States."

The V-shaped prosthetic eye gleamed with a ghostly light:

"Marshal of the Warring States Period, you know very well that with this technology, I can easily assemble a formidable force of multi-talented individuals in a short period of time..."

"But I personally have no intention of doing that."

"On the one hand, we are limited by resources; on the other hand, suitable personnel are not readily available."

"However, I think... these two points are probably not a problem for you."

"Imagine an army capable of using multiple Devil Fruit abilities, yet utterly unafraid of seawater and seastone..."

"What kind of shock will this bring to the world?"

"By then, the power of discourse you wield will far surpass what you have today."

"And the things you really want to do, and are capable of doing... will also increase significantly."

Sengoku remained silent for a moment, his eyes sharp as an eagle's: "Conditions?"

V's lips curled up:

"First, the Navy needs to provide sufficient rare metals and advanced materials. I will give you the list later."

Second, I want to take the hearts of the ability users in the Navy.

Don't worry, I won't harm their lives; in fact, I'll make them even stronger.

Smoker's example is right in front of you.

third……"

He paused, his voice low but clear:

"Give me temporary research access to Level 6 of Impel Down."

“I need to get in touch with those ‘special prisoners’ and observe the stability of their abilities in extreme environments.”

Zhan Guo's pupils contracted slightly: "The sixth floor... do you know what's locked up there?"

“That’s precisely why it’s worth cooperating.” V’s smile deepened. “You gain a batch of controllable ‘multi-capable’ individuals, enhancing the navy’s high-end combat capabilities; I gain experimental samples and resources to continue refining the technology.”

"As for the World Government... as long as the results are controllable, they will not oppose 'more powerful tools'."

The Warring States period was lost in thought.

As dusk settled outside the window, only the ticking of the clock remained in the conference room.

Finally, he raised his eyes:

"Materials and fruits can be discussed. But Impel Down... that's a department on par with the Navy. Even I don't have the authority to move it around at will."

"unless……"

"You were able to reach a cooperation agreement with Vegapunk and submit an application to the World Government in the name of the Naval Research Force."

"Even so, the chances of success are not very high."

Although the naval research force is named after the "naval", it is actually a relatively independent third-party organization located between the World Government and the Navy Headquarters.

To some extent, its authority to mobilize resources within the World Government is even greater than that of the Navy Headquarters.

"No problem!"

V, who understood Vegapunk's true intentions, immediately agreed.

He believed that once Vegapunk learned of the capabilities of his system, the support he would provide would be even stronger than anticipated.

But then again...

V gave Sengoku a meaningful look.

He truly is Garp's best friend; after all, they're family.

Once they were completely honest with each other, Sengoku was surprisingly willing to go to such lengths to plan for the Straw Hat crew.

This support even exceeded V's initial expectations.

Chapter 104 SWORD Squad (Seeking monthly votes~)

On that day, no one in the navy knew what Sengoku and the newly appointed Shichibukai had said to each other.

But when the conference room door opened again, Vice Admiral Momonga only saw a harmonious scene of the Navy and pirates getting along amicably.

The subsequent signing ceremony for the Seven Warlords of the Sea also proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

In the presence of several vice admirals, Luffy officially wrote his name on a document bearing the World Government's insignia.

Thus, the Straw Hat Pirates officially became members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, or what pirates call "the World Government's lackeys."

However, what they didn't know was...

On the afternoon of the same day the signing ceremony was completed, V and Luffy were summoned to a secret room by Sengoku.

In front of the two of them, Sengoku pushed open a hidden door behind a bookshelf, revealing a secret storage room of about ten square meters.

There were no windows inside, and only an emergency light in the corner provided dim illumination.

The three figures, who had been waiting inside, were clearly outlined under the light.

On the left is a young woman wearing a white navy cape, with epaulets indicating her rank of colonel.

She had smooth, light yellow short hair, with a striking highlight on her forehead that resembled peacock feathers.

The naval girl smiled.

But if you look closely, you can catch a faint, almost imperceptible hint of ill intent beneath that smile, as if someone is plotting something.

What is most striking is the long whip that serves as a belt around her slender waist.

Even in the complex combat system of the One Piece world, characters who use a long whip as their main weapon are truly rare.

Waiting with her was a young but composed and reserved male officer.

He wore a navy cap with an extra-long brim, and his fluffy green hair hung down, almost obscuring his eyes.

He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his posture seemingly relaxed and at ease. However, beneath that seemingly languid body, the muscles in his body were subtly taut, exuding a tension that could erupt at any moment.

The third figure was particularly eye-catching.

It was a very burly man who took up almost half of the storage room.

He wore only a red short-sleeved shirt that opened his upper body, revealing his rock-like, well-defined chest and abdomen, the bulging muscles gleaming with a metallic sheen under the dim light.

He wore a pair of dark, loose-fitting trousers on his lower body, and his bare feet were firmly planted on the ground, as if he were rooted to the ground.

"They," Sengoku turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three figures in the storage room, his tone calm and certain, "are the first batch of candidates to undergo your ability modification."

As Zhan Guo finished speaking, the three people in the room had different expressions, but their eyes were all focused on V, with scrutiny, curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

"Let's start from the left," Sengoku gestured.

The first one was the young female navy officer with short, light blonde hair.

She took a half step forward, the long whip at her waist swaying slightly with the movement, and a half-smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

"Commodore of the Marine Headquarters, member of SWORD Squad, Peacock." Her voice was clear and crisp, yet carried a playful tone. "Paramecia-type Whip-Whip Fruit user. My ability is to make anything I whip submit to me."

"I wonder... if you can withstand my whipping~"

SWORD team members?

Upon hearing this unfamiliar title, V's eyes suddenly flashed, and her memories swirled rapidly in her mind.

If he remembered correctly, SWORD Squad was a secret guerrilla squad composed of special naval personnel who had submitted their resignations to the Navy.

This team has complete autonomy and does not need to take direct orders from the Navy's regular command.

Even if a member does something "out of line" during an operation, they can be dismissed from the Navy at any time and take full responsibility on their own, thus ensuring that the Navy as a whole is never implicated.

Peacock of the SWORD squad...

Although he wasn't a very important character, V still had a deep impression of him.

After all, her Devil Fruit ability, which is full of S&M vibes, is hard to forget.

"If that's the case..."

V's gaze shifted, and just then, the second person began to introduce himself.

The young officer, his hat brim pulled low and green hair obscuring his eyes, didn't move, remaining leaning against the wall. His deep voice echoed in the small space:

"Commodore of the Navy Headquarters, member of SWORD Squad, Prince Gross."