"The White Wolf Pirates have set sail again!"

In Marineford, within the Fleet Admiral's office, Fleet Admiral Zō Yama took a drag of his pipe. Never had he felt such a headache as now.

"Nissen, where do you think they're headed?"

"No idea. But one thing's certain—this won't be a small move."

Sitting in the guest chair, leaning on a cane yet still looking vigorous, the old man replied gravely: "Last time White Wolf Magnus went to Elbaf was likely an accident. If he'd really been prepared, he'd have brought his veteran crew. But in reality, neither Roya nor Lily were present—Magnus held off all of our top brass alone. That's why the operation failed."

Of course, everyone knew…

The real reason the operation failed was that mysterious woman in the kimono who whisked Magnus away with some unknown power—not even Kong and Rona could stop her.

"Could it be Wano?"

Zō Yama ventured a guess. It was already a done deal that the White Wolf Pirates had allied with Elbaf's giants.

But the Giant King couldn't leave Elbaf.

And the White Wolf Pirates' momentum was still all on Magnus himself.

His other crewmates were strong… but not strong enough to change the game yet.

"If they really ally with Wano's samurai… then even the elders will have to take notice."

As the current Navy Chief Strategist, Portman Nissen was an old comrade of Zō Yama, and a former admiral himself, whose seat had since been filled by Rona.

He was supposed to retire peacefully like Sebas… but Sebas had died on his final mission—at Magnus' hand.

"What do you think of the Five Elders' proposal?"

Since there was no way to trace the White Wolf's current whereabouts, there was little point speculating. Nissen brought up another topic.

"You mean planting some of our best talents as undercover agents within the White Wolf Pirates?"

"Exactly."

Nissen tapped his cane on the floor.

"The CP tried to place an inside man, but fumbled the chance. Too late to fix it now."

"But it gave me an idea."

"What is the White Wolf lacking right now? People. Skilled crew! Why are strong new recruits popping up under Magnus? Because he's collecting talented young seeds!"

One glance between Zō Yama and Nissen was enough. They didn't voice the obvious suspicion—Magnus had somehow acquired something akin to pure gold, granting him far more life than they'd ever expected.

That would explain why he was taking the time to nurture rookies.

Why would an old pirate at death's door bother cultivating the next generation?

If that theory was true…

Then for many years to come, the White Wolf Pirates would remain the Navy's great enemy—possibly even outlasting Zō Yama and Nissen, threatening their successors.

"The White Wolf is still young. If we can plant a nail now, it may not bear fruit immediately, but in ten or twenty years, our people will be in high places."

Nissen's eyes burned with resolve.

"And one day, when we uncover the secret of Magnus' rejuvenation, and move to crush the White Wolf Pirates, our people will deal the final blow!"

It was a tempting plan.

After all, most pirate crews didn't have the Navy's recruitment channels. Their so-called powerhouses were the rare few who survived brutal infighting.

And with Magnus' protective attitude toward newcomers, all they needed was to send one or two highly talented undercover cadets, and sooner or later they'd climb the ladder.

One fails? Send two.

Two fail? Send three.

If nothing else, the Navy had manpower.

"You've already got candidates in mind, haven't you?"

"Yes."

Nissen set two dossiers on the desk.

"These are this term's new cadets. Clean backgrounds, still green enough not to draw too much attention. No chance of intel leaking."

"Zephyr? Tsuru?"

"That's right. Both possess the hearts of true Marines. Zephyr has an unshakable sense of justice. Tsuru has a sharp, flexible mind—strong-willed but not rigid."

"There were two others I considered, but they talk too much. No telling when they'd slip up, so I didn't choose them."

Most importantly, Zephyr and Tsuru didn't know each other well. He could use their separate reports to double-check their loyalty.

"Any risks?"

"Any plan carries risks," Nissen replied. "I don't expect two cadets to topple Magnus outright. But what if? Even if only one of them worms into the White Wolf's inner circle, that's already a win.

"And if they fail? Well… they're just two unproven rookies. Nothing we can't afford to lose."

Zō Yama pondered. He sensed something slightly off—a flaw in the plan. But what plan didn't have flaws?

They were just talented cadets. In this ocean, plenty had talent, but few ever grew into true powerhouses.

Untested talent was just talent.

"I approve it."

Zō Yama finally nodded.

A plan that, if it failed, cost only two rookies, but if it succeeded could topple the White Wolf? No reason not to try.

After all, many great pirate crews in history had fallen to Navy ambushes thanks to well-placed moles revealing their movements.

This time would simply take longer—because this target was far stronger.

Thus, with one order from Navy HQ…

Two cadets disappeared from the Navy Academy.

And the world gained… two new pirates.

(End of Chapter)

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