At Port Ohara, Borsalino sat on a stone pier, leisurely trimming his nails with a pair of clippers.
The Ortoren warship slowly docked at the harbor, and soon Ortoren disembarked with Olvia by his side.
The first to greet them wasn't Borsalino but Spandine.
After all, this was a joint operation between the Marines and the CP organization. Even though the case was solved, a great deal of intelligence had come from CP, so there was no way the Marines could claim all the credit.
"Vice Admiral Benn!!!" Spandine greeted enthusiastically, once again unleashing his infamous handshake technique. Before Ortoren could react, Spandine had already seized both his hands and was shaking them vigorously.
"Hahaha, Commander Spandine! It's been a while. You've worked hard. This mission's success owes a lot to your CP-9 team!" Ortoren didn't mind Spandine's approach. His face lit up with equal warmth as he returned the pleasantries.
"Not at all! I've long heard of your outstanding capabilities, Vice Admiral Benn, but this time I saw it with my own eyes. What our CP couldn't accomplish for so long, you resolved as soon as you stepped in. You even captured the Pirate King in the South Blue along the way! Truly unbelievable!" Spandine said, his excitement genuine.
While some of his words were flattery, most were sincere—Spandine truly thought Ortoren was remarkable.
"And about that matter with the Freedom Fighters earlier, my thanks again. That South Blue affair was practically an extra achievement handed to me..." Spandine added.
Before, he had simply valued Ortoren's potential. Now, seeing him rise from Rear Admiral to Vice Admiral at rocket speed, it was clear Ortoren had entered the upper ranks of the Marines. Even without connections, he fully deserved the title of Marine high command.
This made Spandine feel his investment had paid off. He believed Ortoren's current rank was only temporary. With his talent and strength, as long as he avoided mistakes and kept advancing, he would at the very least reach the level of an Admiral candidate.
To add such a heavyweight to his network—how could Spandine not be delighted?
After a round of mutual praise, Borsalino finally put away his clippers and strolled over with a grin.
"Oh~" Ortoren let out an exaggerated sound, tilting his head and smirking playfully. "Well, well, well! Isn't this Borsalino? A few days apart and you're still a Rear Admiral?"
Borsalino paused, then laughed and shot back, "You brat, already getting cocky, huh?"
"Hey, hey! What do you mean brat? See these shoulder insignia? I'm your superior officer now!" Ortoren said with mock seriousness.
But as soon as he finished, he burst into laughter, and Borsalino joined in, both of them laughing heartily.
When the laughter faded, Ortoren asked, "Anyway, I haven't been keeping track of the Scholar case. I was too busy with Roger's situation. What's the current progress? Has Professor Clover already communicated with Mary Geoise, or what's the status?"
Ever since reporting Ohara's situation to Admiral Sengoku in the South Blue, Ortoren hadn't touched the matter again. The follow-up was left entirely to CP, so he wasn't sure about the details.
Borsalino shook his head. "I know even less. My orders were simply to come here and pick someone up. That's all."
Seeing this, Spandine quickly stepped forward. Leading Ortoren and Borsalino toward the island, he explained, "Let me give a quick summary. Right after you, Rear Admiral Benn, reported the Ohara incident, our CP unit arrived immediately. We sealed off the entire Ohara Sea to ensure no one escaped. Meanwhile, Professor Clover has already communicated with the higher-ups in Mary Geoise. The talks were tense at first, but now we've reached an agreement. However, they insist on meeting Olvia in person..."
Soon, under Spandine's guidance, Ortoren and the others arrived at the Tree of Knowledge.
"I see. Then I won't interfere in the follow-up. I'll just fully cooperate with your CP organization." Ortoren patted Spandine's shoulder and added, "Well then, I'll leave Olvia to you. Take her inside."
This kind of routine task was exactly what Spandine liked—low risk, yet it allowed him to showcase his importance, ensuring he wasn't just treated like a background figure.
Spandine agreed on the spot, then took Olvia and headed into the Tree of Knowledge.
Ortoren and Borsalino found a shady spot nearby, sat down, and started chatting.
"You're really something. When the news of Roger's capture broke, I was shocked even over in Punk Hazard..." Borsalino remarked.
"Pure luck. I wasn't even looking into him at first—one lead just happened to point straight to him..." Ortoren waved a hand modestly.
After a pause, he lowered his voice. "How's that thing I mentioned last time? What did Dr. Vegapunk say? Any confidence in treating my condition?"
Borsalino looked puzzled. "It's not some taboo topic. Why all the secrecy—why whisper like you're plotting something?"
After ribbing him, Borsalino continued, "The doctor's take is this: if your condition is purely psychological, it's hard for him to intervene. But if it's truly tied to your bloodline, then treatment might be possible. You'll need to cooperate, though—standard bloodwork, physical exams, all of that is unavoidable..."
His tone drew tighter as he dropped his voice. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Handing over blood samples to a top-tier scientist is extremely risky..."
"How so?" Ortoren arched a brow, feigning ignorance.
Sharing a secret was a way to build rapport. Seeing Borsalino willing to talk, Ortoren didn't press—he just played dumb and asked.
Sure enough, Borsalino lowered his voice further. "It's somewhat classified, but for you... there's no need to hide it."
After a beat, he went on, "Punk Hazard's still under construction, but some research directions are already set. One of them is a weapons-of-war project—and I'm on the team..."
"That incredible!?" Ortoren blurted. "I always thought you were just insanely strong. Didn't expect you to have serious scientific chops, too! No wonder Admiral Sengoku put you in charge of the Science Unit. So you're actually on Dr. Vegapunk's level?"
Borsalino flushed and waved his hands quickly. "I'm nowhere near that. You're giving me way too much credit!"
"Huh? Didn't you just say you're part of the team?" Ortoren asked, confused.
"Ahem... yeah, I'm involved—but as experimental material and a sample source," Borsalino admitted, embarrassed.
Ortoren blinked, then slapped his thigh and burst out laughing.
"Keep laughing and I'll blow my top!" Borsalino glared, flustered.
Clutching his stomach, Ortoren said, "Sorry, sorry. You know us Marines—we're professionally trained. No matter how funny it is... hahaha..."
Seeing Borsalino about to snap, Ortoren hurriedly reined himself in. Borsalino snorted and said coolly, "Anyway, this project involves factors related to Devil Fruit users. Your Goro Goro no Mi alone is top-tier material. On top of that, your physical constitution is arguably the most unique and exceptional specimen in the Marines. If you hand your blood over to Dr. Vegapunk, I guarantee he'll use it for experiments. From what I've seen, his curiosity is off the charts. He won't be able to resist."
Ortoren thought it over, then said, "So by your logic, the risk is pretty high..."
"Yeah. That Lineage Factor stuff also ties into cloning tech. Wouldn't surprise me if you end up seeing a copy of yourself..." Borsalino added.
After a brief pause, he continued, "That said, Dr. Vegapunk is a man who values his credibility. My suggestion: wait for a chance to meet him in person, hash out the details, then decide."
"Got it. When the time comes, I'll head to Punk Hazard, meet Dr. Vegapunk, and then make the call. Thanks for this, Dr. Borsalino," Ortoren said seriously.
Borsalino shot back, exasperated, "Call me 'Doctor' again and I really will lose it!"