Although Lena followed Jack without question—so much so that if he ever defected from the navy and became a pirate, she would undoubtedly stand by his side—her loyalty wasn't blind. From the moment she learned of his plan, she realized that staying with him wasn't just about repaying his kindness for saving and mentoring her. It was also the path to achieving her own dream: a world without war, without pirates.
According to Jack, the future of the seas would no longer be plagued by piracy. Instead, they would be filled with adventurers—free-spirited explorers like Luffy, who were more suited to that title than "pirate."
Over the years she spent following Jack, Lena had encountered countless pirates who had set sail purely in pursuit of their dreams, never harming civilians—in fact, some even helped those in need.
The ones they fought against were not these dreamers but the true scourge of the seas—ruthless pirates who looted, murdered, and burned everything in their wake. In essence, their actions weren't so different from those of the navy. The only distinction was that one operated under the banner of justice, while the other consisted of individuals chasing their own ideals of freedom.
"Alright," Jack nodded, his expression resolute. "Since the Revolutionary Army has agreed to move forward, we need to inform Whitebeard as well. Your task is to find Jinbei. As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he should be able to pass on our message."
Lena hesitated before responding with a sigh. "Sir, Jinbei won't be able to contact Whitebeard. He refused the navy's summons and was stripped of his title as a warlord. He's currently imprisoned in the Impel Down."
"What? That thick-headed shark! Didn't I warn him about this a long time ago? How did he still end up locked up?" Jack frowned, irritation evident in his voice.
"Forget it," he sighed after a brief pause. "Since things have come to this, find another way. If there's no alternative, head to Fish-Man Island. Whitebeard must have left a contact there. Also, shouldn't the Fish-Man warriors that Neptune promised me have arrived by now?"
Lena nodded. "Yes, the Fish-Men have sent a battalion, but they don't fit in with the navy. To prevent any conflicts, I stationed them at our base instead. Our allies there share our ideals—they won't discriminate against the Fish-Men and will help them integrate into the navy more smoothly."
"Smart move," Jack praised. "I overlooked that before. The reason the Fish-Men have struggled to integrate into human society for so long isn't just their own doing—our attitude toward them is a major part of the problem. Starting from our base is the right approach."
He then added, "Since the Fish-Men are already here, you don't need to go in person. Just send one of them to deliver the message."
Lena nodded and turned to carry out his orders, but before she could leave, Jack called out, "Wait a moment!"
She stopped and turned back, puzzled. "Sir? Is there something else you need?"
"The Revolutionary Army may have agreed to deploy their forces, but they're unlikely to trust me outright," Jack mused, his eyes narrowing. "They'll probably start with a test run, probing the defenses before committing to a full assault. When that happens, I want our people to strike swiftly—move into Mariejoa while they're occupied, seize as much treasure as possible, and retreat before the guards have a chance to respond. No delays, no unnecessary risks. As for the Revolutionary Army? Ignore them entirely."
Lena hesitated for a moment before voicing her concern. "Sir, are you certain Mariejoa has additional guards? Most of our naval forces have been concentrated at Marineford because of this crisis. With only the Celestial Dragons' personal guards stationed there, they shouldn't be able to hold off the Revolutionary Army for long."
Jack let out a sigh, his expression turning grave. "If the Celestial Dragons had only that meager defense, they would have been overthrown long ago. Even within the navy, there are plenty who despise them. The reason they haven't acted isn't loyalty—it's fear. Do you think every Fleet Admiral truly serves the Celestial Dragons? No. They simply understand the delicate balance of power. Even when the Celestial Dragons overstep their bounds, the navy is forced to uphold the status quo—for the sake of so-called world peace."
He fell silent for a moment, then added, "Dragon must know there's more to Mariejoa's defenses than meets the eye. Yet he still agreed to this operation. That means he has a plan, or at least the confidence to follow through. Though, knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if this is all for show—just a symbolic effort to honor our agreement before he pulls back at the last moment."
Jack wasn't particularly concerned. As long as the Revolutionary Army made an appearance in Mariejoa, Sengoku's carefully laid plans would be thrown into disarray, significantly increasing the chances of rescuing Ace. Based on his knowledge of past events, Ace had originally managed to escape, only to turn back because of Akainu's provocations. It was that moment of hesitation that led to his fatal injury—Akainu's merciless fist striking him through the heart while he was trying to protect Luffy.
By orchestrating a raid on the Celestial Dragons' treasure, Jack was not only securing valuable resources but also ensuring that the Revolutionary Army bore the brunt of their wrath. He didn't know the full extent of their hidden trump cards, but he doubted they would be deployed so easily. With only the incompetent guards and CP agents to rely on, there was little chance they could repel the Revolutionary Army, let alone reclaim the stolen treasure.
This would force the Celestial Dragons to demand reinforcements from Sengoku, compelling him to divert naval forces back to Mariejoa. Once that happened, Jack's objective would be achieved—the disruption would weaken Marineford's defenses, shifting the blame for any failure away from Sengoku and onto the Celestial Dragons themselves. After all, had it not been for their interference, the navy might have decisively crushed Whitebeard's forces.
If Sengoku managed to escape blame, the inevitable confrontation between Aokiji and Akainu might never take place, preventing the navy from losing one of its strongest admirals. That, in turn, would give Jack the perfect opportunity to bring Aokiji over to his side.
Even highly classified information, such as the "Navy Headquarters' Confidential Special Forces—SWORD," remained beyond Jack's reach, a clear indication that the upper echelons of the Navy still viewed him with caution. He understood that only by steadily climbing the ranks could he gain access to deeper secrets and refine his plans accordingly.
After hearing Jack's words, Lena fell into a brief silence before turning to leave. The realization weighed on her—she was still too weak, while Jack was advancing at an astonishing pace. A quiet sense of frustration settled within her as she felt increasingly unable to support him.
"My lord, I will catch up. For my dream and for yours," she murmured to herself as she stepped out of Jack's ward, determination burning in her eyes.
During this time, she had been honing her swordsmanship under Gion's guidance. But after witnessing Gion's spar with Jack, she understood that no matter how gifted she was, the gap between them remained vast.
Thinking of the Toad sage mode, which was just within reach—
"Looks like I need to earn more diamonds," Jack murmured, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
With that decision made, Jack wasted no time. He immediately began channeling his chakra to restore his strength while simultaneously consuming soldier pills. However, since these pills had cooldown periods, he knew he had to rely on himself to recover as much as possible.
With many of his eight gates now unlocked, Jack's total chakra had increased significantly, along with his recovery speed. This time, he had not only amassed a considerable number of diamonds but had also gained a substantial amount of experience. His level had now surpassed 25 and was on the verge of reaching 26.
As for his newly acquired attribute points, he didn't allocate all of them solely to chakra. Some gates also required a certain level of physical fitness, so he strategically distributed points into strength and physique as well. This would allow him to unlock more gates sooner, accelerating his overall progress.
The real dilemma was that, at this crucial moment, he couldn't set sail to hunt down bounty targets. So how was he supposed to obtain the remaining diamonds he needed?
Moreover, since he had resolved not to participate in the upcoming war at Marineford, he also had to conceal the fact that his strength had fully recovered. The mere thought of it gave Jack a headache.
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