"What are you doing, Garp?! Release the World Government agent immediately!"
Fleet Admiral Kong shouted, though he didn't rise from his chair right away.
He watched the CP0 agent's face turn from pale white to a suffocating purple.
He waited until Garp had squeezed the man's shoulder for a solid ten seconds, letting the sound of cracking bones echo in the room.
Only then did Kong slowly advise him to stop.
"Hmph," Garp grunted.
He released his grip.
The CP0 agent collapsed to his knees, clutching his shattered shoulder, gasping for air like a fish out of water.
"A dog remains a dog," Sengoku said coldly, stepping forward to stand beside Garp. "No matter how noble its master is."
Sengoku glared down at the masked agent.
Usually, the "Buddha" was calm and collected, but seeing his mentor and superior treated with such disrespect ignited a fire in him.
"You are a fucking mob who doesn't know his place," Sengoku threatened blatantly. "Even if you were killed right here, in this room... do you really think anyone would avenge you? You are expendable."
The agent trembled.
He realized he was in a room with three monsters.
"Enough," Kong said, his voice regaining its authority. "Let him go."
Kong didn't want to escalate the situation into a full war with the Cipher Pol.
Giving the lapdog a painful lesson was sufficient.
The CP0 agent scrambled to his feet, cradling his arm.
He didn't dare to make eye contact with Garp again.
"You... you will regret this," the agent whispered weakly.
Knowing he was outmatched, he quickly withdrew, running out of the office and down the corridor.
As he ran, pain throbbing in his shoulder, he secretly vowed in his heart to make the Marines pay for this humiliation!
...
The door clicked shut.
Kong sighed, rubbing his temples. He looked seriously at the two written orders left on his desk.
"Alright," Kong said, sitting down. "The pest is gone. Let's review the Five Elders' orders. I've analyzed them, and the intent is clear."
He picked up the first order: Transfer Christian Raleigh to G-5.
"This is politics," Kong summarized. "Due to Borsalino's poor performance in the North Blue—specifically his laziness leading to the worker uprising in the Eryoku Kingdom—the World Government lost a key intelligence base. They are dissatisfied."
"But," Kong continued, "Borsalino is currently working directly under you, Sengoku. He is a Logia powerhouse. Their attitude toward him is ambiguous; they want to punish him, but they need him."
Sengoku nodded. "So they target his brother instead."
"Exactly," Kong said. "I suspect the meaning behind transferring Raleigh to the G-5 branch is to warn Borsalino. They are using Raleigh as a hostage, a disposable pawn to say, 'We can mess with your family.'"
Having dealt with the World Government and the Five Elders for many years, both Kong and Sengoku immediately saw through the scheme.
It was a petty move to save face.
However, when Kong thought about Raleigh's peculiar nature, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Those old men might have miscalculated," Kong grinned. "Raleigh... he always manages to surprise people. Wherever he goes, he comes up with strange solutions to chaotic situations. He turned the North Blue crime rate upside down."
"I truly hope he can achieve great things at the G-5 branch," Kong mused.
Regarding Raleigh's safety, neither Kong nor Sengoku had any particular concerns.
"The G-5 branch is known for its high danger level," Sengoku noted. "It's a lawless nest of ruffians in the New World. But... it is currently under Sakazuki's command."
"Exactly," Kong agreed. "Sakazuki is rigid, but he protects his own. Raleigh will be fine under him. This transfer won't impact our internal affairs much."
Kong pushed the first paper aside. "Now, moving to the second order."
Capture Dr. Vegapunk.
Kong frowned. "This order is challenging. The Five Elders want us to cross the Calm Belt and raid a hidden island. But we currently possess no reliable technology to navigate that stretch of sea."
"However," Kong tapped the desk, "Vegapunk does. His team has already developed paddle-ships capable of traversing it. If we capture Vegapunk, we acquire that technology for the Marines."
Hearing the strategic value, Garp immediately shouted.
"Bwahahaha! What's so difficult about this, Kong-san?"
Garp slammed his fist into his palm. "We don't need fancy ships! We can just send a few strong fighters to swim across! I can do it! We just swim there, grab the scientist, steal his ship, and sail back! Easy!"
Kong blinked.
Garp's words seemed to give him a new direction.
But after thinking for a moment, Kong shook his head.
"No."
Sengoku, sitting on the sofa, spoke up to shoot down the idea.
"Garp, be realistic. The number of fighters capable of swimming across a Sea King nest is very limited. Excluding Devil Fruit users, currently only you and Zephyr in the headquarters can accomplish this."
Sengoku counted on his fingers. "Zephyr has already departed for the New World to train recruits. He won't be returning anytime soon."
"And you?" Sengoku pointed at Garp. "You are terrible with directions! Even if you could swim across the Calm Belt alone, I'd worry you wouldn't be able to find the island. You'd probably end up in the South Blue by mistake!"
Garp picked his nose, looking away. "Details, details."
Sengoku was well aware of Garp's unreliability.
Without a navigator, the Hero of the Marines was useless.
"The main issue," Sengoku continued, "is that we don't know Vegapunk's exact location. How did the World Government locate his base? Do they possess technology to cross the Calm Belt?"
Kong frowned seriously, recalling the classified briefing he had glanced at.
"I'm not certain about their technology," Kong said. "But rather than a ship, I thought of another possibility. Perhaps the Cipher Pol agent who discovered the location is a Fishman. Or a Fishman hybrid."
"That would explain how he swam there," Garp nodded.
"But our Marine doesn't have such personnel at that level," Sengoku sighed. "Should we try to find someone?"
Click.
Just then, the office door pushed open.
It was Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer.
"Tsuru," Kong smiled. "Perfect timing. We need your brain."
After Kong recounted the situation, Tsuru didn't say a word.
She walked straight to the bookshelf and pulled out a large nautical chart of the North Blue and the Calm Belt.
She spread it over the desk.
"The CP0 report mentioned that the agent swam for about four hours to reach the target from the edge of the safe zone," Tsuru stated calmly.
"An elite agent's swimming speed is roughly 15 to 20 knots," Tsuru calculated. "So, that's approximately 70 nautical miles deep into the belt."
Tsuru took a compass and a red pencil.
She made marks on the edge of the Calm Belt. Then, she marked several islands in the North Blue.
"These islands," Tsuru pointed, "are where Vegapunk's associates—Queen and Caesar—were spotted plundering supplies. If we triangulate their last known coordinates with the swim distance..."
Tsuru drew a circle on the map in the middle of the blank ocean.
"This," she tapped the paper, "is the most probable hiding place. There is a cluster of uncharted deserted islands here."
Garp and Sengoku stared at the map, impressed as always.
"The distance isn't too far," Tsuru concluded. "Garp's proposed method of swimming could work physically, but it's strategically messy if they need to transport prisoners."
Tsuru looked up, her eyes sharp. "I have a better idea."
"Let Kuzan go."
"Kuzan?" Kong asked.
"Yes. His Devil Fruit ability is the Ice-Ice Fruit," Tsuru explained. "He doesn't need a ship. He can freeze the sea surface into a solid path. He can walk there, and the troops can march behind him."
Kong's eyes lit up. "Of course! He can neutralize the Sea Kings by freezing the water!"
"The only question," Kong muttered, "is whether Kuzan has enough stamina to freeze 70 miles of ocean and still fight."
"He does," Garp spoke up with great confidence.
"I believe in Kuzan's strength," Garp grinned. "He's been lazy lately, but don't underestimate him. That brat has been training with me. He already possesses Vice Admiral-level strength. Creating an ice path is just a warm-up for him."
Garp had taken a liking to the young man.
They shared a similar lazy justice, but Garp knew Kuzan was a monster in the making.
"It's decided then," Kong announced, slamming his hand on the table.
"Operation Capture Vegapunk is a go."
"Garp, you will lead the team. Take Kuzan with you. His ice will be the bridge. Your fist will be the hammer."
"Sengoku, you remain at Headquarters to manage the fallout with the World Government."
"And as for the first order..."
Kong reached for the Den Den Mushi on his desk.
He dialed a specific number.
"I will personally call Raleigh," Kong said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I need to notify him about his 'promotion.' I wonder how he will take the news."
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