Friendship Between Two Slackers

"You... you..."

Seeing the soldiers acting as though they only knew Austin and not the Five Elders, Spandine's face turned green on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

"What the hell do you bastards mean by this?!!!"

"Aren't you afraid I'll report all of this to the Five Elders?!!!"

Spandine roared furiously, so enraged that he was nearly out of breath.

He had thought that after hearing this, Austin and the others would become wary or change their attitude.

But the reaction he got was...

"Oh~"

Austin casually set the Den Den Mushi aside and pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket to eat.

"I don't really care. If you want to report it, go ahead anytime."

"Nani?!!!"

Spandine, who had grown accustomed to the good life among the World Government's high-ranking officials, simply could not imagine that anyone would dare speak to him like that.

His shock was no less than the Celestial Dragons' disbelief when King Luffy later dared to strike them.

"What kind of attitude is that? Do you really think I wouldn't dare?!!!"

As he spoke, Spandine made to pick up another Den Den Mushi and report the matter to the World Government's highest authorities.

But Austin's offhand remark froze him in place.

"I don't mind, but you might die, you know~"

The words sounded threatening, yet his tone was utterly calm.

It was precisely that unusual calmness that made Spandine hesitate.

"Y-You... what did you say?!!!"

A petty man who cherished his own life like him could never be moved by lofty rhetoric about justice. But speak to him in terms of his personal interests, and it worked every time.

"Isn't it simple?"

Austin bit into his chocolate and stared directly at the Den Den Mushi.

On the other end, before Spandine,