"That bastard really said that?"
Akainu slammed his fist on the desk. "Is he trying to teach me how to do my job?"
"I don't know why he let us go either..." The transponder snail on the desk was puffing on a cigar, blowing clouds of smoke. "He even told me to pass a message to you."
"Oh, and he left this behind."
The nearby fax den den mushi spat out a slip of paper.
Akainu picked it up, glanced at it, and then tossed it aside. "What kind of nonsense is this..."
"I don't understand it either. It seems Buggy wants to attract merchants to his territory to earn money," the transponder snail said. "That guy actually wants to put bounties on Marines too..."
"Wishful thinking. Does he even have that many Berries? If pirates knew how to do business, what would we need merchants for?" Akainu said disdainfully. "He must have other motives for doing this."
"You don't need to worry about the rest, Smoker. You should focus on improving your own strength."
Although Akainu looked down on Smoker's personality, among the younger generation of Marines, Smoker was already considered outstanding.
At least he was better than that useless Koby!
"Then I'm hanging up, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki." The transponder snail blew a smoke ring and disconnected the call.
Kizaru picked up the slip of paper from the desk and looked at it. When he saw the mention of mysterious products to be developed in Wano Country, he couldn't help but glance at the little snail on his shoulder.
Sakazuki, you'll suffer if you underestimate Buggy; he might really just want to open up a trade route.
If Buggy can produce a large number of transponder snails for sale, this trade route might truly become a Golden Route.
Even without a product like transponder snails, the Sea Stone for sale would have people fighting over it. No one can ever have enough of such strategic materials.
Wait, if Buggy gets rich, he wouldn't actually put bounties on Marines, would he? Kizaru didn't want his face appearing on a wanted poster; it would be so troublesome... "Damn it, why did the NEO Marines go and join Buggy!" Kizaru said.
Ain't's ability is the key to breeding transponder snails, but why would they, who hate pirates the most, suddenly run off to Wano Country?
"Borsalino, now is not the time to discuss the NEO Marines." Akainu glared at Kizaru.
'You don't know anything at all, Borsalino...' 'You don't know anything at all, Sakazuki...' The two looked at each other, the same thought crossing their minds.
"From now on, have all Marines mobilize to go out and capture pirates." Akainu thought for a moment and issued the order.
"Sakazuki, although crushing pirates is our duty, doing this is helping Clown Buggy." Kizaru hadn't expected Akainu to act this way.
Once Buggy gets maritime commerce up and running, Kizaru couldn't imagine the speed at which he would accumulate wealth.
"You know it's our duty. Buggy is slaughtering pirates on a large scale. If we do nothing, where will the Marines' honor be?" Akainu said loudly.
"Although Impel Down is quite empty now, if we capture too many pirates in a short time, it won't be able to handle it," Kizaru countered.
A sharp glint flashed in Akainu's eyes. "Pirates with too many crimes will be executed on the spot to relieve the pressure on Impel Down!"
If Clown Buggy can kill them, why can't I?
"You're becoming as extreme as Teacher Zephyr," Kizaru sighed.
Once the shackles of slaughter are opened, it's hard to put them back on.
"It's different. These are extraordinary times, and I will take full responsibility. Go do your work, Borsalino," Akainu said in a low voice. "We must protect the glory of the Marines!"
"Fine, I only have one request. Look into the NEO Marines and see if they can be brought back to the Marines." Kizaru finally couldn't help but speak up.
"I will consider it myself. Borsalino, your task is to capture pirates—the more, the better."
Akainu ushered Kizaru out of the office.
Akainu used his Observation Haki to scan the surroundings. After finding no one nearby, he took out a black transponder snail, preparing to contact Ain.
What exactly happened there that Borsalino is so concerned about?
At the Wano Country Transponder Snail Research Base, the transponder snail on Ain's person let out a low cry.
"Your transponder snail is ringing. Aren't you going to answer it?"
"This... " It's an alarm I set," Ain explained stutteringly.
Who could tell her why Aokiji was appearing here?
While she was breeding transponder snails, Aokiji had suddenly appeared at the research base, frightening her.
"Since when do transponder snails have that function?" Aokiji said calmly.
He had taken a brief tour of Wano Country, discovered this research base, and unexpectedly saw the NEO Marines.
He thought the NEO Marines had disbanded after Teacher Zephyr's death. He didn't expect to run into them again in Wano Country, and for Ain to have become a researcher here.
"It was recently developed." Ain saw that the transponder still on her was still ringing incessantly, so she had no choice but to take it out and use her ability.
The black transponder snail turned into a larval form and stopped calling out.
"The alarm clock function development failed; it wouldn't stop ringing. It seems transponder snails don't need this function," Ain explained lamely.
Using a black transponder snail to research an alarm clock? Are transponder snails so abundant nowadays?
Aokiji didn't believe Ain's words at all.
The black transponder snail in Akainu's hand suddenly entered a dazed state.
"This is..." Akainu suddenly had a bad premonition.
Had something happened to Ain?
But he couldn't do anything now, and Borsalino had already been sent out.
Should he contact Black Horse and have him send more spies over?
"So you've been here breeding transponder snails this whole time?" Aokiji hadn't expected Ain's ability to be used like this.
"That's right." Ain casually placed the larval transponder snail into a glass greenhouse.
"Kuzan, why did you come here?"
"I wanted to see what the country Buggy transformed would look like..." Aokiji said.
"Wait, you're not thinking of joining the Buggy Pirates, are you?" I have thought of a possibility.
"Something like that," Aokiji said.
"How could you fall to such a degree? You were once the Marines' highest combat power!"
Ain said indignantly.
"Arara, I haven't been that for a long time," Aokiji laughed. "I'm just a pirate now. And..."
"Aren't you also working for the Buggy Pirates, Ain?"
"I..." Ain was suddenly speechless.
"What you're doing is quite meaningful. Keep it up, Ain."
Aokiji naturally knew the importance of transponder snails.
"But don't mess with those alarm clock transponder snails anymore, or you'll be in danger!"
Aokiji had already guessed who was on the other end of that black transponder snail.
Sakazuki, you're not an honest man either!
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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