Chapter 105: An Admiral is Deployed
The young staff officer standing across from him instinctively straightened his back. "Reporting, Fleet Admiral! All deployed intelligence teams have yet to return a sighting."
"However, please rest assured," he said, quickly stepping forward and pointing to several marked locations on the operational map. "We have established surveillance on Drum Island, Thor Island, Jaya Island, and the other islands surrounding Whiskey Peak. Additionally…"
The officer's finger moved to the location of the Alabasta Kingdom.
"Considering the high probability that they obtained an Eternal Pose from Crocodile, we have also arranged for surveillance personnel at several major ports along the Sandy River."
"The moment we have any news from any of these locations, we will report to you immediately!"
Sengoku stared at the red marks on the map, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
The deployments seemed as tight as a net, but the cunning brat had simply vanished as if he had evaporated into thin air. Could it be…
His gaze shifted downward, landing on a small, inconspicuous island to the side of Whiskey Peak. "Have we sent anyone to Little Garden?"
"There?" the staff officer was taken aback. "Normally, no ships dare to pass through that area. Not to mention the threat of the Island-Eater goldfish, it takes a whole year for the Log Pose to set on that island, so we just…"
Purupurupuru~
The Transponder Snail on the desk suddenly began to ring urgently, interrupting the officer.
"Hello? This is Sengoku, go ahead."
Sengoku picked up the receiver. After listening for a moment, his expression changed drastically. "Is that true? Are you sure?"
"It's the absolute truth, Fleet Admiral! We're sure!" an excited voice came from the other end. "We've been staking them out for three full days! We just saw them with our own eyes half an hour ago! The Curtain Call Pirates' ship has docked on Thor Island!"
"Where are they now?" Sengoku immediately asked.
"They went straight into the city and are now splurging at all the entertainment venues! It seems they plan to let loose here for a few days! If Headquarters sends someone now, you can definitely make it in time, Fleet Admiral!"
The air in the room instantly froze.
Sengoku slowly stood up and gave the order in a low voice, "Inform the three Admirals to come to my office immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
The young staff officer saluted and left, his face flushed with excitement.
Less than ten minutes later, the three highest-ranking military powers of Marine Headquarters appeared one by one in the Fleet Admiral's office.
Aokiji leaned lazily against the doorframe, his sleep mask still askew. He had clearly just been woken up. "Ara, ara… it's so late. Do we have to work overtime?"
"It can't be helped~~"
Kizaru sat on the sofa, his legs crossed, leisurely trimming his nails. "After all, that rookie's momentum is really terrifying. He took down Onigumo and a Warlord right after setting sail…"
He drew out his words, smiling. "If we let a guy like that continue to run wild, I'd have a headache and couldn't sleep at night if I were the Fleet Admiral."
"Shut up, Borsalino," Sengoku glared at him. "Let's get straight to the point. You all know the situation. Headquarters can't suppress the news of Crocodile's death for much longer. We must arrest this group before the story gets out of control!"
"I don't care about the others, but the Tachi Swordsman, Shane, and the Defector, Smoker… we need to capture those two alive if possible. With that in mind, who wants to go?"
"Ara, ara…"
Aokiji yawned and lazily raised his hand. "I'll go then. I've been on leave for a while, and it's been a long time since I've stretched my legs…"
"No, I'll go."
Before he could finish, a low voice suddenly interrupted him.
Aokiji and Kizaru were both slightly taken aback and turned to look at the man who had been silent since he had entered—
Akainu stepped out of the shadows, his eyes cold under the brim of his cap. "If I'm not mistaken, Kuzan, you and Smoker are on good terms. Can you really be ruthless with a former friend…? On that point, you can't be trusted."
"What do you mean by that?" Aokiji frowned slightly.
"It means what it means," Akainu said, his face impassive. "Scum like them, who are a stain on justice, must be completely eradicated. I have no desire for someone's personal feelings to allow a cornered rat to escape."
"Personal feelings?" Aokiji raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Are you talking about your own eagerness to avenge Onigumo?"
"Onigumo was our comrade-in-arms, and he died in the line of justice. Should he not be avenged?"
The two of them stared coldly at each other, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.
"This atmosphere…" Kizaru said, blowing the nail clippings from his fingers and shrinking into a corner of the sofa. "It's so scary~"
"SAKAZUKI!" Sengoku roared. "Have you forgotten what I just said?! You can go, but you must capture them alive if possible! That's an order! Do you hear me?!"
"...I understand," Akainu said after a moment's silence. He nodded and turned to leave. "But Fleet Admiral, the situation on the battlefield can change in an instant. If I'm forced to, don't expect me to show any mercy to a traitor."
With that, he strode out the door.
"..." Aokiji narrowed his eyes.
In the end, he said nothing and also left, but in the opposite direction.
Sengoku watched the two of them disappear, then looked at Kizaru, who was still focused on his nails. He sighed and sat back down behind his mountain of paperwork…
——————
At dawn, the morning mist still clung to Little Garden.
Shane was already standing in the open space surrounded by the giant skeletons, stretching his sore neck and shoulders.
The feast last night had been too much fun. He had let loose and had a drinking contest with the two giants, downing dozens of kilograms of liquor. His temples were still throbbing.
He looked up at the sky. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and the air was still filled with the scent of last night's bonfire.
"Oh, little brother Shane, you're up early!"
A thunderous voice suddenly came from behind him, and the ground began to tremble slightly.
Dorry, with his ten-meter-long giant sword slung over his shoulder, walked over with a smile. Brogy was beside him, secretly using the flat of his battle-axe as a mirror to comb his messy beard.
When he saw Shane looking at him, he quickly put the axe away and began to hum a tune, as if nothing had happened.
"Are you ready?"
Dorry grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "The special training of Elbaf shows no mercy, you know."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Shane cracked his neck, a look of excitement in his eyes. "Bring it on, you two! Give me everything you've got!"
"Haha, in that case…" Dorry suddenly raised his giant sword and swung it down without warning. "…it's already begun!!!"
VWOOM!
The screech of the giant sword tearing through the air was deafening. Shane, without a second thought, used Shave to dodge to the left.
"Gahahaha! Over here!"
Before he could even land, Brogy had already anticipated his position and swung his axe horizontally with a laugh.
Shane was startled. The instincts honed by years of training kicked in. He bent backward, his upper body almost parallel to the ground, and just barely dodged the axe blade.
WHOOSH!
The giant axe grazed his scalp, the wind from its passage making his face flap wildly. His pupils constricted, but the thrill of it all only made him more excited.
Starting off this intense, huh?
Compared to watching from the sidelines yesterday, facing this terrifying wind pressure head-on gave him a much deeper appreciation for the strength of these two legendary giants.
Not only was their strength monstrous, but they also possessed an astonishing agility that belied their massive size.
And most importantly, they were incredibly skilled at fighting together. Their combined attacks were far more than the sum of their parts and put him under an unprecedented amount of pressure.
This is it!
This is exactly what I was looking for!
His eyes gleamed, and he fixed his gaze on Dorry's descending giant sword—
At this rate, it wouldn't be long. He might even be able to master Observation Haki by tonight!
"The warm-up is over, little brother Shane!"
Dorry's voice boomed at that moment. "Be careful! From now on, Brogy and I are going all out!"
In the next instant, with the roar of the giants, a bone-chilling sense of crisis suddenly washed over him, sending a shiver down his spine and making the hair on his arms stand on end—
"Spear of Elbaf: Hakoku!!!"
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