The Den Den Mushi in Smoker's hand was currently mimicking the expression of the person on the other end.
Round-framed glasses, a serious expression, and even the pressure of a high-ranking official were transmitted through the radio waves.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Smoker opened his mouth, but his throat felt as if it were stuffed with a wad of water-soaked cotton.
He glanced at Kuzan, who was playing dead on the lounge chair nearby, and then at the Marines in the distance who were collecting the bodies of their comrades.
This report was too heavy.
"Smoker?"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's voice dropped a few notches, carrying a hint of impatience.
"Why aren't you speaking? Is the signal bad?"
"Or... did something irreparable happen over there in the North Blue?"
By the last half of the sentence, Sengoku's tone had clearly risen, revealing an irrepressible anxiety.
Smoker took a deep drag of his cigar, the pungent smoke choking his lungs and clearing his head slightly.
"Fleet Admiral."
Smoker hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.
"There is some good news, and some bad news."
"Which one... do you want to hear first?"
Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sengoku was holding a piece of senbei; hearing this, his movements suddenly stiffened.
The veins on his temples throbbed.
Snap!
The senbei was crushed to powder.
"Smoker! Are you making fun of me?!"
Sengoku's roar almost made the Den Den Mushi jump out of Smoker's hand.
"I'm very busy! I don't have time to play riddles with you!"
"I only want to know one thing right now!"
"That damn, damn virus!! Has it spread?!"
"As long as the virus hasn't spread, everything else is manageable."
Sengoku stood up abruptly, his chair making a harsh scraping sound on the floor.
He stared intently at the map of the North Blue on his desk, his heart beating like a drum.
That was a biological crisis sweeping the sea.
Even Vegapunk hadn't developed an antidote to counter it.
Once out of control, the whole world would be finished.
Smoker held the receiver further away and picked his ear.
"Regarding that, you can rest assured."
"The virus has been completely contained and has not spread beyond the waters of Iron Fang Island."
"Although that island was destroyed, the surrounding waters have been... handled by Admiral Kuzan, and are currently safe."
"As for the source of the virus, code-named 'Mordred', he has also been successfully... handled."
Smoker breathed a sigh of relief; the Fleet Admiral was quite reasonable after all.
In the office.
Sengoku let out a long breath.
"Whew..."
"Good! Excellent!"
Sengoku wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, a long-absent smile appearing on his face.
"I knew it. Although Kuzan is usually lazy, he's reliable at critical moments!"
"As long as the virus hasn't spread and the source is cut off, everything else is a minor matter!"
"Whether it's that bullshit Foundation or that madman called Mordred, they are ultimately vulnerable before Justice!"
Sengoku was in a great mood and grabbed a bag of senbei nearby, munching on them noisily.
"Smoker, you did well this time! I will apply to Headquarters to credit you with a great achievement!"
"Although the process might have been a bit thrilling, the result is good."
"As long as justice is served and the sea returns to peace, this is a victory for the Marines!"
Sengoku's voice was full of lightheartedness.
"By the way, you said there was some bad news?"
"What is it? Could it be that the warship's propulsion system is broken? Or is Kuzan sleeping over there again and refusing to come back?"
"Hahaha, no matter what it is, as long as the people are safe and the mission is completed, it's nothing!"
"You young people are just timid. Back when Garp and I were chasing Roger, Whitebeard, and the others, we even wrecked several warships."
Sengoku laughed, feeling incredibly refreshed.
The biggest threat had been eliminated; what bad news could be worse than the end of the world?
North Blue, on the deck.
Smoker heard the laughter from the receiver, and the muscles on his face twitched.
"Fleet Admiral, about the three people sent by the World Government..."
Before Smoker could finish, he was interrupted by Sengoku.
"Oh, you mean those three... ahem, those three agents from CP0?"
Sengoku's tone carried a hint of undisguised disgust.
"What about them? Are they pointing fingers again, trying to steal credit? Or do they want to take away Mordred's body?"
"Tell them, no way!"
"This time our Marines risked our lives for this, and the person was captured by Abel; it has nothing to do with the World Government!"
"Tell them to stay out of the way and stop hanging around in front of me, it's annoying!"
Sengoku clearly had a long-standing grudge against CP0.
These lackeys who directly served the Celestial Dragons often caused trouble for the Marines. For this North Blue crisis, they had come sniffing around like a swarm of flies.
Listening to the Fleet Admiral's complaints, Smoker's lips curved into a bitter arc.
"Fleet Admiral, they are indeed no longer annoying."
"Because... they are dead."
"All of them."
Beep—
The sound of static echoed in the air.
Marineford.
Sengoku stood up abruptly from his chair, his movement so large it knocked over the teacup on his desk.
Scalding tea splashed all over the floor, but he didn't notice.
"What did you say?!"
Sengoku's voice suddenly rose an octave, making the office windows vibrate.
"All dead?!"
Immediately after, an invisible wave was transmitted through the radio waves, a sign that Observation Haki was fully activated.
Sengoku stood in the center of the office, a golden glint flashing deep in his pupils.
His powerful Observation Haki instantly covered the entire Marine Headquarters building.
The hallway, the office next door, the training ground downstairs... after confirming there were no eavesdropping devices or unauthorized personnel within a hundred meters.
Sengoku sat back in his chair.
He picked up the receiver and lowered his voice to a minimum, scolding.
"You guys are too bold!"
"I know, I know you can't stand those masked fellows."
"They are usually arrogant and overbearing, and I've endured it for a long time too."
"Even if you were going to act, you couldn't kill all of them!"
"Couldn't you at least leave one alive to go back and report?"
"All three are dead, and there's not even a scapegoat. What do you think the World Government will think?"
"Sigh, Kuzan... that kid usually seems quite clever, why was he so reckless at the critical moment? Back when Garp and I together... God's... ahem."
Smoker: "???"
Smoker, holding the receiver, was completely stunned.
No, Fleet Admiral, did you misunderstand something, or did I? The only sequence in the World Government that can be associated with the word 'God' seems to be the Celestial Dragons' Holy Knights.
Holy crap, is the Fleet Admiral that fierce?