Less than three seconds after Tesoro set down the golden stag beetle–shaped receiver, the Den Den Mushi rang again.
"Buru buru buru."
Reid raised an eyebrow. "Answer it."
The Den Den Mushi instantly returned to its original form, its tone now ten times more respectful than before. "Honored King of the Mist, we were discourteous earlier. May I ask about your upcoming itinerary? I will personally await your arrival on your next island."
Reid thought to himself that the old man on the other end probably believed the call had been cut because he had not shown enough respect. How would he know that Reid simply did not want to listen to another round of bureaucratic nonsense? Before crossing over, Reid's boss had fed him empty promises nonstop. Now it was the same flavor of hollow words, just with a different voice.
"I am Reid."
Before he could finish the sentence, the Den Den Mushi's eyes drooped low. Based on Reid's experience, the person on the other end was definitely kneeling by now.
Reid reflected for a moment. Was he really that unreasonable?
"My lord, please speak."
"You know the seas are full of danger. And me? I am merely a weak, pitiful, defenseless king of an affiliated nation. Traveling to Mary Geoise is far too dangerous. I need the Navy to dispatch at least one admiral to ensure my safety."
The Den Den Mushi straightened at once. "No problem at all, Your Majesty. Protecting allied nations is the Navy's duty. I will notify the Five Elders immediately and have the Navy escort you."
Reid shot Vette a glance and pulled a face. Vette responded with an equally childish expression.
"With the Marines so busy, why don't I just go to Marineford myself?" she muttered.
"The way Lord Reid understands the people's hearts is truly profound. It is an immeasurable honor for your nation to have a king like you. My admiration for you flows like a mighty river, endless and unbroken, like the bright moon in the heavens…"
Thirty minutes of praise were skipped.
Tesoro did not hang up. He enjoyed dealing with straightforward people like this. Even the Den Den Mushi on the other end was sweating.
"All right, all right. I have always been humble. That is enough. Go make the arrangements," Reid said, finally noticing the strange looks his crew were giving him.
What was wrong with chatting a bit longer when they admired him so much?
"Understood, great King Reid. Your radiance will surely illuminate your kingdom. I will make the arrangements at once. Mary Geoise awaits your arrival."
Enel's apple slipped from his hand and hit the deck with a dull thud. "…What?"
Moria poked half his head out from the shadows, chuckling. "Heh heh heh. Weak? Pitiful? Defenseless?"
After the call ended, the official immediately contacted the Five Elders. He was the very person who had extended the invitation to the King of the Mist. Reid had the authority to contact the Five Elders directly. Ordinary officials did not.
The moment the Den Den Mushi connected, the official dropped to his knees, forehead pressed to the ground. "My lords! King Reid has agreed to attend the World Council, but he has one request. He wants the Navy to dispatch an admiral as an escort. His reason is that he claims to be 'weak, pitiful, and defenseless'…"
The blond Elder adjusted his glasses. "Does he think he is funny?"
The bald Elder rubbed his temples. "Forget it. Just grant his request."
The Five Elders rarely discussed matters at length.
"Very well. Handle it as you see fit."
The Den Den Mushi snapped shut without another word.
"What?!" The official jerked his head up, staring at the disconnected Den Den Mushi in disbelief. He knew that none of the people sent to deal with Reid last time had survived. And yet he had completed the mission just like that? He was not CP0, but he felt more effective than CP0.
Falky Tianshan strode into Marineford with his head held high, polished shoes clicking crisply against the marble floor. A squad of CP agents followed behind him, each holding gold-edged credentials.
Indeed, when standing before Reid and the Five Elders, he barely had a name. But the moment he arrived at Marine Headquarters, he became Lord Falky Tianshan, bearer of "edicts" from King Reid and the Five Elders themselves. He felt as though he might float off the ground.
"Listen up, all of you!" he declared, standing at the center of the Marineford hall. Perfect. None of the big shots were present. This was his stage. He pointed dramatically at empty air. "King Reid, no, Lord Reid, will soon arrive at Mary Geoise! His noble body is of the utmost value and must not suffer even the slightest harm! You Marines must observe the following!"
He unfurled a scroll with theatrical flair and cleared his throat.
"First, he must be escorted personally by a Navy admiral for the entire journey, and the ship's speed must not exceed twenty knots to avoid turbulence."
"Second, the route must avoid all Sea King nesting areas. If the weather changes, activate the bubble shield immediately."
Tokikake, passing by with a bouquet of flowers in his arms, stopped short. "…Bubble what?"
"Third!" Falky's voice rose sharply. "Lord Reid prefers peace and quiet. Therefore," he jabbed a finger toward the harbor, "send all those rookies who keep shouting 'justice' to scrub the decks!"
The entire Marine Headquarters fell into dead silence. With the upper leadership absent, no one dared make a decision.
Inside Sengoku's office, smoke hung thick in the air. Tsuru calmly organized documents, Garp crunched rice crackers loudly, and Sengoku stared at the image transmitted by a surveillance Den Den Mushi. Falky Tianshan was issuing orders in the main hall with great authority.
"Pfft!" Garp took a bite, crumbs spraying onto Sengoku's face. "Since when did Reid get this level of support from the World Government? Hahahaha!"
Sengoku wiped his face, veins bulging on his forehead. "That bastard Reid. Defenseless? He is the Sea Emperor, the most dangerous existence we know!"
Reid glanced down at his own chest in an imagined rebuttal. Stop spreading nonsense. You are in the wrong place. If you want to see true evil, go look at a super genetics institute.
Tsuru gently set down her teacup. "But he is, after all, the king of an affiliated nation. And," she cast a meaningful glance at the military budget report on the table, "ten percent of the Navy's funding comes from his 'donations.' Tesoro just informed me that he intends to add another five percent. That is already the upper limit of what the World Government can tolerate."
Sengoku's face twisted as if he had swallowed a fly but could not bring himself to spit it out. He took a deep breath and scanned the room. The three younger admirals were all absent. Only his two old comrades remained.
Perfect.
Sengoku suddenly put on a kindly smile. "Please invite Lord Falky in."
By the time Falky entered the office, tea and snacks had already been prepared.
"Lord Falky, you must be tired. Please, have a seat," Sengoku said warmly.
Falky paused, then grew even more smug. "Hmph. At least you know better. As for Lord Reid's itinerary…"
"We understand completely," Sengoku interrupted with a smile. "Admiral Aokiji will personally escort him. I will have the hulls coated with anti-fouling paint. Even if we are not diving, it is best to be fully prepared."
Garp hid in the corner, face red as he struggled to hold back laughter.
"As for the rookies," Sengoku continued, "I have already ordered them all to scrub the decks."
Falky nodded in satisfaction. "That is more like it. Remember, Lord Reid likes…"
"Quiet. We know," Tsuru added softly. "We have also prepared special rice crackers. Lord Reid should enjoy them."
Falky eyed them suspiciously. "You are all being unusually cooperative. Why?"
Sengoku's smile did not waver. "Out of respect, of course. He is the king of the largest affiliated nation."
Falky fell silent.