As the Straw Hat Pirates' ship continued sailing toward Raijin Island, Law finally let out a sigh of relief.
If that bunch had insisted on tagging along to Zou, it really would've been a huge pain.
Each of them had a background more outrageous than the last. Fighting wasn't an option, scolding wouldn't work either. Thankfully, just dropping the Fleet Admiral's name was enough to keep them in check.
"Law-dono, they... seem like quite the interesting group," Kin'emon said, stroking his chin.
He had noticed that Law's relationship with these pirates wasn't as simple as mere acquaintances. And that strange raccoon-dog doctor even called Law senpai...
Wait—could Law-dono actually be a tanuki?!
"Oi! Kin-dono, are you thinking something rude right now?!" Law snapped.
"N-No! Of course not..."
With Nami and Robin gone, Momonosuke finally relaxed. After all, adorable children were always adored by beautiful women. As the heir of the highest noble lineage in Wano, and with a stunning beauty for a mother, Momonosuke naturally possessed an innate cuteness.
So, Nami and Robin had been teasing and doting on him for quite a while…
He almost passed out again.
Ten years of traumatic "beauty encounters" and a hundred brutal "ways to die" in his training had taught him one thing: beautiful women were incredibly dangerous creatures...
That curly-browed guy and the weird skeleton were both fawning over Nami and Robin. At this rate, they wouldn't even know how they died...
"Law-dono, what are you doing?"
Momonosuke watched as Law pulled out a Den Den Mushi, a chilling smile spreading across his face—and shuddered. That eerie smile could only mean one thing: someone was in deep trouble.
Brrrr—kacha!
"Ohhh~ Law? To what do I owe the honor of a call from God's favorite surgeon?" came a voice steeped in swagger.
It was Enel.
"You've got a mission, don't you?" Enel continued. "Having trouble already?"
Both Law and Enel were "on the same side" now, and both held the title of Warlord of the Sea, so they had a decent rapport.
Law gave a dark chuckle and said, "Enel... everything on my end's under control. But I just discovered something... interesting."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"You know the pirate crew known as the Straw Hat Pirates, right? That bunch… They're heading straight for your Raijin Island."
"I just ran into them. They took down Moria two years ago, and they're a hell of a lot stronger now. Just saying, you might wanna watch your back. Wouldn't want the mighty 'God' getting sunk by surprise."
"...Hah. You think I would get sunk?" Enel scoffed. "Moria? That guy hasn't made waves in years. But the Straw Hats, huh... interesting. Their ties with the higher-ups run deep. You calling me to deal with them?"
"Don't tell me... you got shown up by them?"
"Not a chance. But you're about to face someone from the Paramecia class who's completely immune to lightning. I figured I'd give you a heads-up so you don't get your divine ego fried. That certain someone would laugh himself silly."
"Oh, you mean you'd be the one laughing, huh? Brat..." Enel clicked his tongue, but his curiosity was piqued. "So... the Gomu Gomu no Mi, huh? I've heard of this Luffy guy. Alright, let's see what he's got."
"But I gotta admit, I'm suspicious you'd be so considerate."
"You're overthinking it. Bye."
Kacha!
Law hung up, a sly smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Perfect. That should keep the Straw Hats tied up with Enel... And if push comes to shove, Enel might even call in Urouge."
"That way, our trip to Zou can go off without a hitch."
"..."
Kin'emon and Momonosuke trembled.
Law-dono was terrifying.
...
A few days later, in the Navy Headquarters office, Wright was going through paperwork when Ain hurried in.
"Fleet Admiral-sama! Urgent intelligence report!"
"Oh? What is it? Luffy and his crew causing trouble again?"
Shortly after Law had set sail, reports had already come in that the Straw Hats were about to land on Raijin Island...
Let them go. Who cared? Unsurprisingly, the Straw Hats and Enel had already clashed. Though Enel's lightning had no effect on Luffy's rubber body, the speed and Observation Haki boost from his lightning attacks were still a major threat.
The current Enel had mastered pre-emptive elementalization using Observation Haki to dodge attacks, and with his dual-color Haki, he was evenly matched with Fourth Gear Luffy. Neither could gain the upper hand.
For Luffy, this was his second battle against a Logia-type user since Ace. If he hadn't been immune to lightning due to his rubber body, Enel might have overwhelmed him—anyone with a normal body would need to burn through a ton of Haki just to survive the lightning.
Right now, Luffy was focusing all his Armament Haki on offense, but even that wasn't enough to beat Enel. It was frustrating.
Still, this battle helped deepen Luffy's grasp of Observation Haki.
But that was days ago. By now, the Straw Hats had likely left Raijin Island. Enel had reportedly told them that Law gave him a heads-up, and out of respect for Law and Wright, he let them go...
Of course, as Enel would say, "A god has pride. It's definitely not because I couldn't handle that damned rubber!"
"There's more…" Ain said, her voice serious. "Fleet Admiral-sama, we've uncovered intel on 'Red the Aloof.'"
Wright raised an eyebrow, interest clearly piqued.
"That old man, huh? What did you find?"
Ain stepped forward and handed over a file, clearly impressed.
"Just as you suspected, sir. Patrick Redfield's pet tanuki is no ordinary animal."
"It—it's not an 'it' actually. He seems to possess human-level intelligence. Speaks, calls Redfield 'Boss,' and appears to be a Devil Fruit user!"
"Oh?" Wright flipped through the file, brows lifting slightly. "So it really can bring to life things drawn on leaves?"
"Exactly, sir. And yes, there's a connection to the Straw Hats."
Ain clearly knew about the tangled history between the Straw Hats and certain high-ranking Navy officers, and looked a little troubled.
"Recently, our surveillance spotted Redfield and his tanuki separating. He seems to be searching for something. But the tanuki encountered the Straw Hats and struck some kind of deal… Now they're following Redfield's trail—with the tanuki in tow!"
"Confident bunch, aren't they?" Wright said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Even after reading the reports from Marineford, they still don't get it, huh? That old man—who dared to show up alone on a battlefield full of the Navy's finest—is a monster beyond their comprehension."
"But then again… the more they know, the more they'll want to charge in. That's just who they are."
"Pass down my orders. Have Vice Admiral Smoker tail Redfield based on the latest intel. A pirate of that caliber making moves is never a trivial matter."
"If 'Red the Aloof' poses a threat, Smoker must hold him off. I'll have Admiral Kuzan stationed nearby, ready to reinforce."
"And if there's a chance to bring him down, the fastest—Admiral Borsalino—will strike as backup."
"Have T Bone and Cavendish fortify G-11 in Smoker's absence. If anything escalates beyond their control, they're to call in Admiral Fujitora immediately from the New World."
Ain covered her mouth and smiled. "Understood, sir!"
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