"Do you remember the friction I had with Doflamingo's Donquixote Family a year ago?"
Sengoku nodded, looking at Jake with a faint trace of confusion in his eyes.
"I do recall, but that was a year ago. Why bring it up now?"
"Because it wasn't until recently, during a large-scale purge operation in the North Blue, that I confiscated some documents related to the Donquixote Family and accidentally connected the two incidents."
Sengoku frowned slightly, then tapped the desk lightly with a hint of exasperation.
"Stop playing coy, brat. Otherwise, next time I'll leave you hanging when you're most eager to know something."
Jake didn't laugh at the remark.
Instead, he pulled out a thin document from his pocket and handed it to Sengoku.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this document contains information about a spy the Donquixote Family planted to monitor the Marine forces. While it doesn't explicitly state who the spy is, based on the timeline, this person has likely already secured a minor position within the Marines."
"This kind of thing? It's irrelevant. You don't need to worry about it—we're already aware."
"Aware?!"
At this point, Sengoku's expression remained largely unchanged.
Truth be told, having reached his position, his tolerance for many things had expanded greatly compared to before.
Unlike Garp, whose temper was once as fiery as his own, Sengoku believed his composure now far surpassed the other's by leaps and bounds.
He looked at Jake, a faint glimmer of approval in his eyes.
Then, before Jake could react to what was happening, Sengoku continued speaking.
"Jake, you're still young, so it's normal that there are many things you don't understand. The Marines are an extremely vast organization. We can't possibly identify whether every new recruit might be a spy or agent from opposing forces. That's why there are actually many informants from other factions within the Marines - from the Underworld, the Pirates', the Celestial Dragons'... too many to count. But don't worry, all factions do this. Everyone's equally dirty; no one's clean."
As he spoke, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Sengoku's lips, and his voice carried a hint of pride.
"Jake, I've told you before, haven't I? Due to its overly large and bloated system, the Marines can't completely identify spies sent into our ranks by other organizations. After all, in this world, as you know, too many people die in various accidents or disasters. And when these things happen, it's often not just one person's death—it could mean the complete collapse of an entire family. For those children from shattered families, the Marines is their only refuge."
As Sengoku spoke these words, the tense atmosphere in the room eased slightly.
He then continued, addressing Jake.
"Jake, I know you're cautious, but you still need to gain more experience in these matters. Let me tell you something else—the Marines's recruitment system could have changed its lengthy and chaotic procedures long ago. But do you know why it hasn't been altered to this day?"
Hearing this, Jake was genuinely taken aback.
The level of intrigue here—was this really the same world as the one he'd known in his previous life called One Piece?
"The reason is simple. Since we've lowered the threshold for entry significantly, we've made the path to advancement extremely difficult. As I mentioned earlier, because we can't verify the backgrounds of all new recruits or identify whether they're spies sent by other factions, we've had to adapt."
"Thus, our cumbersome recruitment system serves another purpose. Whether you're clean or not, you'll have to spend four to six years in the Marines's lower ranks before you even have a chance to be promoted. And to move up, you must either achieve great merits or make significant contributions to the Marines."
"Once this system was implemented, most spies became reluctant to continue. Not only would they be thrown into Impel Down if discovered, but some of the... eccentric inmates there have rather disturbing tastes—they don't discriminate between men and women when it comes to their... amusements. How did you put it again? Something about 'too little for too much'?"
At this, Jake chuckled and replied.
"Too little pay, too much work, and high risk. It'd be strange if anyone still wanted to be a spy."
Sengoku laughed as well and nodded.
But before he could say more, Jake looked up, meeting his gaze directly, and spoke slowly.
"But the reason I brought up spies is that during my earlier investigation, I found information on paper stating that the former Corazon of the Donquixote Family has infiltrated the Marines. Based on the assessment of his abilities in the records, he's likely already reached the rank of lieutenant. This only strengthens my resolve to go to Flevance for another purpose—to catch that bastard who dared to deceive me."
However, Sengoku wasn't paying much attention to Jake's words at this moment.
The moment he heard about Corazon of the Donquixote Family, his entire body tensed up.
Even someone as composed as him couldn't help feeling immense unease and worry upon hearing news about his most beloved adopted son.
And the words Jake spoke next escalated Sengoku's concerns to their peak.
"Doflamingo lost his important Stone-Stone Fruit user Pica recently, which has greatly intensified his hatred toward the Marines. The spy he planted within the Marines might very well sacrifice countless innocent soldiers at a critical moment. That's another reason why I'm going to Flevance—to completely dismantle the Donquixote Family that has taken root there!"
Only then did a faint smile appear on Sengoku's face.
His adopted son Rosinante was a very intelligent child and surely wouldn't make mistakes in such matters.
But still, just to be safe, it wouldn't hurt to have Jake go and check...
At this thought, even someone as thick-skinned as Sengoku felt his face grow slightly warm.
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