"Sir, just as you predicted—the first layer of the 'fishing net' has been broken. But…"
The voice on the other end of the line came from Major Caesar aboard the W-292, his tone tense, breath tight with nerves.
Brian chuckled.
"But what?"
"But Astona's strength is… monstrous. The 177th and 211th Branches were crushed in seconds—no survivors."
Caesar was in command of the W-292, part of the third layer of the encirclement. At Astona's current pace, he would be facing the pirate soon.
Brian raised a brow, smiling faintly.
"Wiped out instantly, not a single survivor? Hmph, a bit beyond my expectations—but that's what happens when skill meets nerve. Astona's turning out to be interesting."
He hummed to himself for a moment, then said flatly:
"Withdraw your ship. I'm not losing my assets over this mess."
Caesar froze.
"Sir, retreating now would be… desertion!"
He was terrified—but he wasn't stupid. Desertion and disobedience on the battlefield were military crimes. It meant a court-martial, trial at Enies Lobby, and a one-way trip to Impel Down.
Brian's voice dropped, dangerous.
"Caesar, are you disobeying a direct order?"
"N-no, sir! I—I wouldn't dare!"
"Then use that head of yours and figure it out. Get my ship—and my men—out of there."
"But, sir—sir, wait—sir—!"
Click.
The Den Den Mushi in Caesar's hands went slack, its eyes half-closed in silence.
"Think of something?!" Caesar muttered in despair. "How the hell am I supposed to think of anything now?!"
But he didn't dare defy Brian.
Everyone in the 243rd knew how absolute his rule was—disobedience meant disappearance. His last adjutant had "vanished" that way.
Brian tossed the receiver aside, muttering curses.
"Idiot. If he loses my ship and my men, I'll gut him myself."
The soldiers nearby stiffened, chills running down their spines.
No one dared make a sound.
Brian's tyranny was infamous. Within the 243rd, he was an emperor in all but name—cruel, capricious, and untouchable.
Meanwhile, on Governor Karl's flagship, chaos spread as the Den Den Mushi of every adjutant began ringing at once.
Karl didn't even need to ask. The calls could only be more reports of disaster—one branch after another begging for support.
His expression darkened. This day was going from bad to worse.
Buru buru… buru buru…
Another snail phone rang, this one in George's arms.
He glanced at the Governor's thunderous face, swallowed, and carefully picked up.
"Governor, sir, reporting from the W-292. The engine room has… caught fire. We're retreating for repairs."
As the Den Den Mushi mimicked Brian's face, Karl's eyes bulged in outrage.
Before he could reply—click—Brian had hung up.
"That bastard! He actually ordered his men to flee in the middle of battle!"
Ann's eyes blazed with fury. As Chief of the Governor's Office, she didn't believe for a second that the W-292 had conveniently "caught fire"—not now, of all times.
Perod, the nobleman from the Kingdom of Sacra, sneered.
"Let those degenerates run. It's not like anyone expected them to contribute."
Ann glared.
"They can't go unpunished! This is battlefield desertion—if we let it slide, the other branches will lose their will to fight. Some might even follow their example and withdraw!"
"That Brian… he's truly out of control," Karl muttered, pressing a trembling hand to his forehead.
He hadn't counted on Brian's help to begin with—but he hadn't expected open defiance either. The desertion had struck a blow to morale that might be impossible to recover from.
They say bad luck never comes alone.
As Karl struggled to compose himself, another Den Den Mushi rang—this time, Claire's.
He answered immediately.
"Governor! The second 'fishing net'—it's been broken! Requesting permission to retreat—ahh! Fire! Forget it, abandon ship—!"
"Hello? What happened?! Speak!"
But the line went dead. The voices of Colonel Grady and the 199th Branch vanished completely.
One word remained burned into Karl's mind—fire.
So Astona was using fire to destroy the encirclement?
But what kind of fire could consume entire fleets so fast?
"Lower the lifeboats!"
Karl barked the order, wasting no time. He knew Astona wouldn't give him another chance.
"Aye, sir!"
George relayed the command.
Dozens of sailors moved at once, lowering small craft from both sides of the ships.
Quick, light, maneuverable—lifeboats were the only safe way to enter the Devil's Sea.
As they deployed, Karl snatched up his own Den Den Mushi and tried calling Brian directly.
Buru buru… buru buru…
It rang. And rang.
Nearby, one of Brian's soldiers whispered,
"Sir, the brown Den Den Mushi's ringing—it's the Governor's line."
Brian shot him a glare.
"You think I'm deaf?"
The soldier flinched, backing away and waving his hands.
"N-no, sir! I didn't mean—"
"Hmph."
Brian gave a cold snort. He knew perfectly well what Karl wanted—to drag him into the fight. But he wasn't about to rush.
The longer he delayed, the more desperate Karl would become—
and the higher Brian's bargaining power would rise.
And besides…
He had his own little plan—
to let Astona do the dirty work for him and wipe out those loudmouthed fools who'd mocked him back at the Governor's Mansion.
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