"Enemy attack!"
Seeing Smoker, who had charged ahead, get taken down in one hit, Hina, who was following behind, grew anxious.
After alerting the team members behind her, she fully activated her Ori Ori no Mi abilities.
"Black Cage·Thicket of Thorns!"
Railings extended from her arms, completely encasing the fallen Smoker, followed by countless slender spikes protruding outward.
Just as she was about to pull Smoker to safety, the same hand that had struck him down descended once more.
The spikes, hard enough to pierce clean through a battleship, shattered upon contact with that hand.
However, the attacker seemed to be holding back—only breaking the spikes without harming Smoker, who was protected within.
After retrieving Smoker, the others caught up.
By now, the guild leader's office door stood wide open...
Michael stood inside, smiling at the members of the SWORD Forces.
For a moment, everyone froze in place.
They had considered that Michael might take action upon hearing about Kaido's attack on Wano...
But they never imagined Michael was already in Wano?
And judging by the scene... it didn't seem like he had just arrived.
Because from inside the office, Rosinante spotted Wano's shogun, Kozuki Oden, and his wife, Kozuki Toki.
Could it be that Michael had also obtained information about Kaido's impending attack on Wano Country? Or was there simply some business that brought him here?
But why, of all places, did he have to come to this Overseas Trade Promotion Association?
And that old man lying on the ground with his legs crushed...
He looked exactly like Kurozumi Semimaru!?
Rosinante's mind raced until his eyes met Michael's.
His long-unseen elder brother's eyes were filled with a chilling coldness.
'Oh no, we're screwed.' Rosinante sighed inwardly and emptied his mind.
There was no escaping this beating.
Rosinante wasn't the only one who thought so.
None of the members of the SWORD Forces were fools.
Even Smoker, who seemed the most reckless, possessed animal-like instincts...
One look at Michael's expression told them everything.
"How long has it been since I left the Marines? Have you all become so lax that you'd use such a wild boar charge approach for an arrest operation?"
"Everything I taught you - all forgotten, right?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "That's right, you've all been promoted to rear admirals and vice admirals these past few years, getting complacent, thinking you're so strong now?"
"Even suicidal people don't act this recklessly! The kids from the junior training program probably have more discipline than you!"
Michael's words struck deep.
Yet every member of SWORD sat in perfect seiza, humbly accepting the reprimand...
Including Stella and Crocodile...
Because they knew that even if Michael had ambiguous relationships with some of them... when it came to discipline, he made no distinctions between men, women, or rank!
But they also understood in their hearts that without Michael's direct supervision these past years, they had indeed let themselves go somewhat.
So...
Everyone knelt properly on the floor, awaiting Michael's final Judgement.
This scene was familiar to Yamato and Jack - sometimes they'd been among those being lectured too.
But for Kozuki Oden and Kozuki Toki, it was utterly bizarre.
A Revolutionary Army member scolding the Marines' elite SWORD Forces like misbehaving children.
Most astonishingly, these Marines all sat obediently on the floor, silently taking it.
More docile than the neighbor's dog.
"Is... is Michael really this authoritative?" Kozuki Oden whispered. "I never would have guessed!"
"How many times must I tell you - you should call him Father-in-law!" Kozuki Toki sighed, then continued.
"This is just Father's nature. He might seem more irresponsible than anyone normally, but he's utterly serious when it counts... Though I never imagined Father would still hold such influence over these pillars of the Marine's middle generation, even after leaving them."
As she spoke, Kozuki Toki's eyes gleamed with sudden understanding.
After all, she was the Revolutionary Saint who had received Michael's true teachings from the future eight hundred years ago.
With similar thought processes and understanding of Michael's personality, she quickly reached a conclusion...
Michael being expelled from the Marine was all part of the plan!
As this thought crossed Kozuki Toki's mind, flames of determination blazed in her eyes!
This was her adoptive father after all!
Too strong!
"Hey, isn't it a bit unfair to compare those kids from the junior division to us...?" Smoker muttered quietly, rubbing the large bump on his head.
"Unfair?" Michael looked at the stubborn Smoker and sneered, "Those junior division members are already carrying out Marine missions under Instructor Zephyr's supervision... Even the most unreliable guy like Luffy wouldn't pull the stunt you just did now!"
"Then why did you always do it before... Ow!"
Without mercy, Michael raised his hand and gave Smoker another whack on his existing bump, creating the iconic scene of a small bun atop a large bun.
"Nonsense! Because I'm strong enough that no one could ever knock me out with one slap!"
Michael coldly spat out these words, leaving Smoker completely speechless...
"All of you, report to old man Sengoku for punishment after we return..."
With that, he waved his hand, signaling the matter was closed.
In the next instant, Michael's expression changed faster than a dog's face.
"Oh my, aren't these my favorite subordinates? What's going on? Why are you kneeling on the ground? Feeling guilty?"
"..."
Veins bulged on the foreheads of all SWORD Forces members, but they restrained themselves.
They couldn't follow Smoker's path to certain doom!
"Ahem, brother, we came about Kurozumi Higurashi... She's Kaido of the Beasts' inside informant!"
"Oh, we already know about that."
"...Kurozumi Higurashi has been leaking information to Kaido's side, and now Kaido is preparing to attack Wano Country!"
"I just had a civilized pre-battle exchange with Kaido."
"...Hancock infiltrated Thunder God Island to gather intelligence from within, but we haven't received any updates yet."
"That also... Huh? Hancock? Infiltrated Thunder God Island?"
Michael suddenly looked up.
Could it be...
"What identity did Hancock use for infiltration?"
"Some revolutionary cadre called Miss Snake, I believe."
Michael... "Nice."