"So, what are you saying?"
Kizaru's voice still had a long drawl, but the look in his eyes behind those brown sunglasses had lost all trace of a smile.
On the other end of the den den mushi, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice was filled with exhaustion and gravity.
"Why did Dragon appear in the East Blue?"
"Why now, of all times, in the Goa Kingdom?!"
"The timing is all wrong!"
Sengoku's analysis was calm; if he didn't know Garp's character, he might even suspect that he had told Dragon about Boss Bai Ye.
"Are you saying Dragon's appearance in the East Blue is related to Boss Bai Ye?"
Kizaru asked tentatively.
"There's a strong possibility."
Sengoku nodded.
"Tsuru and I have analyzed it, and we can't find any other reason for him to go to the East Blue at this time. We must prepare for the worst."
Kizaru didn't speak, just listened quietly.
"Listen carefully, Borsalino. Your primary mission has changed."
Sengoku's voice was extremely low, as if every word weighed a thousand pounds.
"At all costs, remember, at all costs!"
"You absolutely cannot let Dragon make contact with that man named White Night!"
"Oh my, this is truly..."
Kizaru was about to make a witty remark to lighten the mood.
He had finally managed to get a vacation, only to run into a fellow disciple who had fallen into evil ways. This was a move even their master couldn't break.
"And!"
Sengoku rudely cut him off.
"The situation on the seas right now is very unsettling!"
"I don't know which damned scoundrel leaked the news of Kuzan's defeat in the East Blue!"
"Now, the entire sea is in turmoil because of this news!"
"Whitebeard, Kaido, Golden Lion... those monsters entrenched in the New World have all turned their gaze to the weakest East Blue!"
"Do you understand what this means?!"
The expression on Kizaru's face completely froze.
He certainly understood.
He now somewhat regretted taking on this mission.
"Once the Revolutionary Army, or those pirates, get their hands on the power of the 'Dungeon Shop'...
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice was filled with unprecedented fear.
"The Revolutionary Army will gain an endless supply of strong individuals!"
"The Four Emperors will become even more lawless!"
"The balance of the entire world will be completely overturned! The consequences would be unimaginable!"
"Borsalino, we cannot gamble!"
"The Marine... cannot afford to gamble!"
Click.
The den den mushi was hung up.
On the deck, a deathly silence fell.
Kizaru slowly, slowly turned around.
His characteristic, cynical smile, for the first time, completely vanished.
In its place was an extremely rare expression, one named "trouble."
"Oh dear..."
He took off his sunglasses and rubbed his throbbing temples with his fingers.
"This is truly..."
"From paid leave to true Gaban hell."
His lazy tone was still there, but its core had completely changed.
It was a mix of annoyance and gravity at having to go all out, unable to slack off.
He straightened his body.
The next second.
His entire body instantly disintegrated, transforming into countless shimmering golden light particles.
The terrifying aura of the Marine's highest fighting force was unleashed without reservation, making the entire warship groan under the strain.
"Gion-chan."
Kizaru's emotionless voice echoed from within the light particles.
"Transmit my order."
A solemn Gion suddenly looked up.
"Full speed ahead."
The moment the words fell.
Whoosh—!
A dazzling golden beam of light tore through the calm sky!
That light, at a speed exceeding the warship's limit and beyond human visual capture, shot straight into the deepest part of the East Blue.
Leaving only a lingering golden trail on the sea surface.
Marineford.
Fleet Admiral's office.
Click.
As the den den mushi was heavily hung up, the entire room fell into a brief silence.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku let out a long, long sigh of relief, that breath filled with unspeakable exhaustion and heaviness.
He raised his hand and pressed hard on his constantly throbbing temples, feeling that all the difficult situations he had handled in his life combined did not compare to the mental and physical exhaustion of this one day.
"Although Borsalino usually seems unreliable, at such a critical moment, he is more dependable than anyone."
Beside him, Great Staff Officer Tsuru picked up her teacup, gently blew on the floating tea leaves, her tone as calm as ever, carrying a soothing power.
"I hope so..."
Sengoku gave a wry smile, lowered his hand, his eyes full of gravity.
"The East Blue now can no longer be described as a 'Uzumaki.'"
Sengoku slammed his fist heavily on the desk.
"It's practically the end of the world!"
"Don't forget, that scoundrel Garp is there too."
Tsuru slowly took a sip of tea.
"With those two Marine's highest fighting forces there, at least, they can stabilize the situation."
At the mention of Garp, Sengoku's expression immediately became even more complex, a mix of relief and headache.
"That guy... he himself is the biggest unstable factor!"
"However..."
Sengoku sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"You're right, having them there is better than not."
After a brief silence, Sengoku's hawk-like sharp gaze once again turned cold.
"The problem now is, how did the news leak out?!"
"Kuzan's report was top secret, S-class! The people who could access this report are few and far between!"
"Could it be..."
Sengoku's eyes scanned every corner of the office, his voice carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
"There's a traitor among us?"
Tsuru put down her teacup, the bottom of the cup hitting the desk with a crisp, light sound.
She shook her head.
"No, I don't think so."
"Oh?" Sengoku cast an inquiring look.
"Think carefully, what kind of intelligence is circulating in the New World right now?"
Tsuru's eyes were wise, as if she could see through all appearances and reach the core.
"The rumors only say that an 'Admiral' suffered a crushing defeat in the East Blue, but no one knows it was Kuzan."
"They only know the location is the 'East Blue,' but they don't know the specific island."
"Most crucially, 'Dungeon Shop' and 'White Night,' these two names that could drive the world completely mad, haven't leaked out at all."
Every word from Tsuru was like a precise surgical knife, dissecting the chaotic situation layer by layer.
Sengoku instantly understood her meaning, his taut nerves slightly relaxed, but his face still looked grim.
"You mean... the level of the mole isn't high?"
"Exactly."
Tsuru nodded, confirming his guess.
"This rat most likely only pieced together the keywords 'Admiral,' 'East Blue,' and 'crushing defeat' by eavesdropping or from some personnel responsible for logistics dispatch."
"He doesn't know the full truth of the matter at all, and can only transmit these fragmented, sensational pieces of intelligence to stir up the situation."
Hearing this conclusion, Sengoku let out a long sigh of relief.
This was indeed a blessing in disguise.
If even White Night's name and abilities had been leaked, he dared not imagine what crazy actions the World Government and the Celestial Dragons would take.
That man had personally told Kuzan that he could "resurrect the dead"!
"Even so, it's enough!"
Sengoku gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Just a few keywords almost ignited the entire New World!"
"This damned rat! Don't let me catch him!"
"This, on the contrary, shows that our core confidentiality mechanism has not been completely infiltrated."
Tsuru's tone remained calm.
"This rat is deeply hidden. To be able to transmit intelligence from the heavily guarded Marineford to Donquixote Doflamingo's hands is no ordinary feat."
"We'll investigate slowly. As long as he wants to continue transmitting intelligence, he'll eventually reveal his tail."
Tsuru stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the magnificent Marine fortress below.
"Now, all our energy must be focused on the East Blue."
"That's the stage that will determine the world's direction."