Chapter 164 - - Mikaro’s Layout_1

—————✧✧✧✧—————

"Wait and speak later."

Mikaro glanced at him and signaled for the doctor to continue.

A short while later.

The doctor had tested every general in the room, cutting a similar wound on Antonio’s arm, then observing their bleeding and healing speeds.

The result.

Antonio healed the fastest.

The blood stopped flowing from the wound in less than a minute.

Two minutes later, the wound had healed.

Then.

The doctor bandaged the wounds of the other generals, saluted General Mikaro, and left.

Mikaro flicked his finger ring, and the other generals regained their ability to move, while only Antonio remained under added gravity. He couldn’t help but give a bitter smile, “General Mikaro, my key word needs the status of a general, and I will not betray. You really don’t have to be so defensive against me. If I wanted to betray, I wouldn’t have come back after the battle of Herd Island. I have always considered myself a member of the navy.”

“What are your abilities?” General Mikaro asked.

“All for One,” Antonio said. “When I am the commander, my troops will be fully aligned with me.”

“Anything else?” General Mikaro asked.

“Arm Making,” Antonio replied with a bitter smile. “I can use a god’s-eye view to command the army and deliver orders directly to every person in my force.”

Whoosh!

The conference room erupted into an uproar.

Every general looked at Antonio in disbelief.

A general stood up, “General Mikaro, please execute Antonio. If what he says is true, then he poses a great threat to the empire; no general can match him.”

General Mikaro twirled the ring on his finger, staring at Antonio without speaking.

“General Carl, without me, who will confront Paul?” Antonio said. “Paul has tamed the Sea Beast Enke, and moreover, he swims faster in the sea than a sailfish. No matter whether he has been possessed by an examinee or made some deal with Selma, do you truly have the capacity to kill him?

And in the entire world, there are more than five hundred people who have been possessed by examinees. Perhaps some are with the pirates. When they hold power and turn against the navy, what will you use to respond? What if someone has the same abilities as me?”

“Since you have such abilities, why did you lose the battle at Herd Island?” another general questioned.

“Under the circumstances then, even if I revealed my abilities, I could not defeat Paul and Laurent Swann’s fleet. I had too few ships, and I thought it more important to bring back the intelligence and more of the navy,” Antonio responded.

“Antonio, what would happen if I strip you of your rank?” Mikaro asked.

“My abilities would be significantly weakened,” Antonio replied after a moment of silence. “Moreover, I would not be able to command a single ship.”

“What do you think would be Paul’s key word if he is an examinee?” Mikaro asked.

“At first, I thought it was chaos, but later, I considered it to be control, of course, there is also the possibility of confusion, or something like domestication…” Antonio said, “Paul’s actions are too strange; it’s completely impossible to accurately determine his keyword.”

Admiral Mikaro interrupted him, asking, “Has there been any change?”

Antonio was stunned.

“Looking at Paul’s growth, he has always been making changes,” Admiral Mikaro said. “He changed the name of his ship, altered the pattern of his flag, and even didn’t hesitate to use the rumors of the Fish Era in an attempt to change the entire world’s name. If his keyword is change, could that explain everything he has done? He started with changing himself, and is now on to changing the entire world…”

Antonio looked at Admiral Mikaro strangely: “General, what you say makes sense, but it does not explain how he can control the Sea Beast Enke.”

Admiral Mikaro said, “What if Enke’s cognition was changed by him! You also mentioned just now, besides a keyword, there are advanced skills. Perhaps his skill is changing others’ cognition!”

“It’s not out of the question,” Antonio said, “But the rumors of the Fish Era have already spread. More people will change their names out of luck. Unless people recognize this rumor, return the world changed by Paul to its original state, he will continue to grow.”

“Antonio, can I trust you?” Mikaro asked.

“Of course, General, our interests are aligned,” Antonio quickly stated his position.

“Going forward, we will cooperate fully with Paul, purge the other pirates and candidates with key words. You will carry out this task specifically. In the days to come, you will roam the seas. You will receive orders and supplies, and without orders, you must not return to shore. If you make a merit, I will appropriately increase the number of your troops, enhance your power.

However, the moment you come ashore, you will be regarded as a traitor, the Royal Navy will issue a proclamation, relieving you of your position as Admiral, and cutting off all your supplies. Then, your identity and abilities will be revealed to the world. Are you willing?” Admiral Mikaro asked.

“I am willing,” Antonio sighed with relief, agreeing once again.

“Alright, be off now, set sail immediately with your two hundred warships. From now on, you just need to wait for orders,” Mikaro once again twirled the ring on his finger, lifting the suppression from Antonio, staring intently at him as he ordered.

His finger never left the Ring of Gravity.

Antonio stood up, glanced at Mikaro, saluted militarily, and strode out of the conference room. With his identity exposed, there was no point in staying. Returning to the sea was his domain.

Unity of purpose wasn’t just a platitude; how could he become useless just by being stripped of his rank as Admiral?

The reason he didn’t directly confront Paul was just to preserve his strength!

The restrictions Mikaro placed on him weren’t significant.

The ocean was vast, islands were many; if the Royal Navy did cut off his supplies, he could simply turn to piracy.

With his abilities, before long, he could rise as a new Pirate King.

Admiral Mikaro’s accurate guess of the keyword “change” suggested he too was likely a candidate. Possessing the Ring of Gravity, with an unknown keyword, it was simply too risky to stay by his side.

…

“General, why let Antonio go? He’s not our man; he cannot be trusted,” the General who previously wanted to execute Antonio stood up and said, “Even if we cut off his supplies, he can survive. Many pirates come from deserters of the Navy.”

“Carl, I need Antonio’s abilities,” Admiral Mikaro glanced at him and said, “Besides, he’s right. The accursed candidates will leave this world after the Sea God Scepter appears. Before that time, they will kill each other until a victor emerges. It’s too costly for us to eliminate them; better let them fight like dogs.

Moreover, I’ve found more than one candidate in the Navy. I will send someone to restrain Antonio.

Your task now is to thoroughly investigate the candidates hiding in the Navy and to find Selma. I need to know if the heavy reward for a child is true. If not, invite Selma over to help the empire clear up the rumors of the Fish Era…”

✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦