Holy Land - Mary Geoise.
"The report from the Marines' CP Department is here. Chin Jao's approval rating is higher than Hanafuda's, and they've provided their reasons for choosing Chin Jao."
Saint Marcus Mars, the warrior god of the environment with a goatee, spoke while holding a document.
"Chin Jao... the one from Kano Country..."
Saint Warcury clasped his ten fingers together and said in a deep voice, "If it were twenty years ago, he would indeed be qualified. But now, even if that Drill Head of his is restored, it's hard to say how much strength he has left in his old age."
"As the Seven Warlords of the Sea is a new system, I think it's better to keep it youthful."
...
Saint Mars continued reading the document. "In terms of strength, he is currently known to be on par with the Marines' Uchiha Griffin."
"According to Marine Headquarters' assessment, coupled with the power of the Happo Navy, Chin Jao is more than qualified to serve as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Uchiha Griffin?" Saint Warcury turned to look at Saturn. "Saint Saturn, you are the one responsible for this person. Has he grown a lot compared to six months ago?"
Six months ago, on the Sabaody Archipelago, Griffin's raw power was roughly at the level of a Rear Admiral. By relying on his peculiar abilities and special techniques, he could barely trade blows with a Vice Admiral.
The standard for a Warlord, however, was to be stronger than an average Vice Admiral at the very least.
...
Saint Saturn was silent for a moment, his eyes slightly downcast.
"I received Vegapunk's analysis report yesterday and was just about to bring it up in today's meeting."
"The following is a direct quote from Vegapunk's report. Please judge for yourselves."
"He said... 'People always say I possess wisdom that surpasses the world by 500 years. I dare not agree. But Uchiha Griffin absolutely possesses a physical talent that surpasses the world by 500 years!'"
"A combat instinct rooted in his very being, top-tier fighting and learning abilities, the overwhelming perception and mental pressure of the Sharingan, and a Zoan-type fruit that compensates for his inherent lack of recovery."
"Under equal strength, he is a flawless, perfect combat organism. A special individual who seems to have been born for victory."
"After completing his Armament Haki, his comprehensive evaluation is—unquestionably a Vice Admiral-level combatant."
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"A nineteen-year-old Vice Admiral-level combatant... that's even more exaggerated than Garp back in the day."
"You can't put it that way. It could be that his power grows quickly in the early stages, only to slow down or even stagnate later on."
"In our long lives, very few people have ever reached that level."
"That's true."
Saturn tapped his cane with his fingertip and said slowly, "The most important thing is..."
"There is almost no difficulty in creating replicas of those eyes of his!"
"And their biological adaptability is extremely high. Even the latest prototypes can be applied to ordinary people. Aside from a greater mental drain, the enhancements are almost entirely positive!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the other Elders changed slightly.
...
"Internal assessments show that possessing the Sharingan is equivalent to having basic Observation Haki, and it provides extremely high dynamic vision, greatly enhancing one's strength..."
"If we could mass-produce these eyes and apply them to the CP Department..."
The Elders exchanged glances, realizing just how significant this was for the World Government.
If they had several thousand Vice Admiral-level combatants, who would need the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
If they had even more, the very existence of the Marines would become less necessary!
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"I suggest we immediately induct Uchiha Griffin into the God's Knights Order From Blade and forbid him from leaving the vicinity of Mary Geoise!"
"This original specimen is too precious. We cannot let him remain in the lower world!"
"It's not just the Sharingan. If we could mass-produce his clones..."
This Elder was already fantasizing about possessing an invincible Sharingan army.
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"That's what I said to Vegapunk at the time, but..."
Saturn shook his head. "He analyzed Uchiha Griffin's Bloodline Factor and discovered that this special bloodline degenerates rapidly if it goes too long without combat."
"According to Vegapunk's speculation, if he can maintain a certain frequency of combat, there's a possibility his Sharingan could evolve further."
Saturn took a deep breath. Even with all his experience, he was astonished by Vegapunk's report.
"As long as Uchiha Griffin's eyes evolve again and he grows to the level of an Admiral, Vegapunk is confident he can mass-produce Warlord-level combatants!!"
...
A brief silence fell.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea system was a major project for the World Government in recent years. On the surface, it was to balance the situation on the seas. Covertly, it was to suppress the development of the Marines. And there was an even deeper purpose.
Through their research on King, the World Government had obtained the bloodline of the Lunarian Tribe.
The Five Elders wanted to use this bloodline as a base, fusing it with the bloodlines of powerful pirates from across the sea to create powerful humanoid weapons.
That was why one of the conditions for becoming a Warlord was to offer a bit of one's own blood every time they paid their share of plunder.
It was euphemistically called a physical examination, a benefit for serving the World Government.
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"The Lunarian Tribe, who originally resided on the Red Line, and their opposite, the Frozen Continent Snow Uchiha Clan..."
The bald Saint Nusjuro rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, a hint of suppressed excitement in his tone. "I truly want to see how powerful a creation that fuses the bloodlines of these two tribes would be!"
"Indeed... That would be a vital combat force for maintaining world rule, providing assistance for that great personage to shape the world!"
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"The choice for the Warlord is irrelevant now. Let it be Chin Jao."
Saint Warcury made the final decision. "What's important now is the matter of how to handle Uchiha Griffin."
"We can't let him stop fighting, yet we must ensure he safely reaches the Admiral level..."
"This is a contradictory problem. To grow into an Admiral-level combatant, it's impossible to avoid life-and-death struggles."
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"Then... shall we send people to protect him in secret?"
"Not feasible." Saint Saturn shook his head. "With his perception, you'd need at least a Vice Admiral or stronger to avoid his notice, and we don't have that kind of manpower to spare at the moment."
"Then send people for him to kill, to stimulate his growth!"
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"If that CP0 from the Buccaneer Tribe were still around, it would have been good to send him to be killed..." said Saint Shepherd Ju Peter.
He was referring to Barladi, whom he had dispatched to guard his descendant, but whose whereabouts were now unknown.
"No need for such trouble..."
Saint Warcury's handlebar mustache twitched slightly. "We just need to send him to a suitable battlefield while ensuring his safety."
"And right now, isn't there one..."
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The conference room fell silent for a while before Saint Saturn spoke again.
"Uchiha Griffin is very important, but he still has one flaw."
"And you mean?"
Saturn lowered his gaze. "He is a Marine. A Marine influenced by Zephyr's ideology."
"At the time, I only saw him as an excellent test subject and didn't realize his growth potential was so terrifying. Otherwise, I would never have agreed to let him go there!"
"Zephyr... is that guy still clinging to the Marines? He's as stubborn as Garp."
"He needs to be dealt with... We can't let him continue to influence the Marines."
"The Marines exist for the World Government, not to protect those ignorant, lowly commoners!"
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"I have a solution..."