After Ross and Gion had finished their intimate moment and emerged from the cabin, news from Kake quickly arrived.
Upon learning that Kake had left the warship an hour ago and his whereabouts were currently unknown, Gion's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"Saint Ross, I'll go kill him."
She knew very well why Kake had left. The cabin's soundproofing was mediocre, and since Kake had been waiting outside, it was no surprise that he had overheard something.
Since she had chosen Ross and Kake had chosen to leave, they were already enemies.
"Let him go. As long as he doesn't leave the Marines, spare his life. Or do you lack the confidence to become stronger than him under my command?"
Now that Gion had given herself to him, Kake was no longer so important.
Kake and Gion were the finest students of this generation of Zephyr's Training Camp, standing head and shoulders above the other students. They were also the only two to be granted the rank of Commodore immediately after graduation.
Without Kake as a point of comparison, how could Ross better highlight how good he was to Gion?
"I'll become stronger than him. If he ever stands in your way, I'll kill him with my own hands."
Gion's face brimmed with confidence. She had never been weaker than Kake to begin with.
If she still could not far surpass Kake with Ross backing her, she might as well become Ross's slave.
Three days later.
The warship drew closer and closer to Ohara. The ships of the other Vice Admirals gradually joined them as well, and together they sailed toward Ohara in a mighty formation.
"Master, aren't you afraid the people of Ohara will escape?"
On the deck, Stella looked out at the Marine forces surrounding them on both sides, unable to understand why the people of Ohara were not fleeing.
"Gion, answer that for her."
Ross smiled and shook his head, handing the task of answering to Gion.
If the Marines' Buster Call were so easy to evade, it would not be known as a taboo of the seas.
"Stella, you can't escape by running."
Gion gently shook her head. As someone from the Marine system, she had never participated in a Buster Call, but she had studied related cases.
"First, information about a Buster Call only circulates among the upper ranks of the Marines and the World Government. The people in those places have no way of receiving advance notice."
"Second, the Buster Call fleet only gathers the day before reaching its destination, normally leaving the locals no time to react."
"Even if civilians are to be evacuated, that can only happen after the Marines have completely surrounded the area and eliminated all local armed forces."
"Finally, the Buster Call is a joint operation between the World Government and the Marines. The Marines carry out the destruction, while the World Government dispatches the CP Organization in advance to infiltrate and assist in completing the Buster Call."
Until recently, Gion had only had a vague understanding of that final point. These past few days had given her a firsthand understanding.
After she had offered herself to Ross, the World Government liaison duties originally handled by Ross had all been transferred to her.
Over the past few days, CP9 commander Spandine had reported Ohara's situation to her every day, leaving her thoroughly familiar with everything happening there.
Cipher Pol was the World Government's secret intelligence agency under Enies Lobby. Publicly, it only had eight divisions, CP1 through CP8, responsible for investigating affairs across the world.
In reality, the CP Organization also had CP9 and CP0, two violent agencies directly under the World Government. The former handled special incidents, while the latter answered directly to the Celestial Dragons.
Simply put, CP9 stood above the other CP divisions, while CP0 stood above CP9.
With Ross's status, he could mobilize everyone from CP1 through CP9, and even some members of CP0 had to obey his orders.
At present, Gion was effectively his representative within CP0, her status only slightly below Zephyr's.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
A series of heavy footsteps sounded as Sakazuki and Zephyr appeared on the deck.
"What is it?"
Ross glanced at the two of them. It was rare to see them come looking for him together.
"Saint Ross, we've just received intelligence that the renegade Marine Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul has appeared in Ohara. He is suspected of leaking the Buster Call plan in advance."
Sakazuki had always been blunt, and he got straight to the point.
"Saul... I seem to have heard that name before."
Ross wore a faint smile as he turned his gaze toward Zephyr.
CP9 had informed him of this news several days ago. The Marines had received it much later.
He knew well of Saul's great reputation, but in this Buster Call, he was merely a minor figure. What Ross was more curious about was what Saul had to do with him for these two to come looking for him.
Ross still remembered this Buster Call clearly, since it was Robin's flashback arc.
When Robin was eight years old, the World Government discovered that Robin's mother and the scholars of Ohara had been studying the Poneglyphs, so it launched a Buster Call and destroyed the entire island.
Saul had been the first Marine to discover Robin's mother Olvia's whereabouts. He had also participated several times in operations to capture ships investigating history, and thus grew dissatisfied with the Marine higher-ups' methods. He released Olvia and refused to carry out the Buster Call plan.
Afterward, the Marines attempted to capture Saul. He escaped, but he was seriously wounded by the Marines and drifted to Ohara.
In the end, through Kuzan's mercy, both Saul and Robin survived. Only Olvia and the scholars of Ohara were completely wiped out.
"The original plan was for giant Vice Admiral Jaguar D. Saul to carry out the Buster Call, but he not only released the wanted criminal Nicole Olvia, he also chose to defect. Saint Ross, those Marine families in your palace were implicated by Saul."
Zephyr had no particular feelings toward Saul. Most Marines found it difficult to accept something like a Buster Call, and Zephyr could understand that.
But because Saul's defection had affected a large number of other Marines and destroyed their families, Zephyr could not help feeling troubled by the outcome. As a result, he had little goodwill toward Saul.
He admired Saul's resolve in refusing to carry out the Buster Call, but he also despised Saul for dragging others down with him.
People could not act on impulse. In the end, they had to pay for their actions.
Perhaps it was because he saw a reflection of himself in Saul that Zephyr's feelings toward him were so complicated.
Back then, it had also been his mercy in refusing to kill that had made some pirates fearless, ultimately bringing disaster upon his wife and children.
Perhaps the fewer people like Saul there were, the better.
"That idiot has no idea how many people his foolish actions will get killed." Sakazuki snorted coldly.
His assessment of Saul was simple: foolish and naïve. Having him as a colleague was pure misfortune.
There had originally been no need to carry out a Buster Call at all. The root of everything was Saul letting Olvia escape, which was why the higher-ups decided to destroy Ohara, wipe out the scholars' base, and then capture them one by one.
Besides, harsh measures were needed in troubled times.
Saul's kindness would not make evil restrain itself. It would only make others think the Marines were weak, driving even more pirates out to sea.
Only by letting everyone know that becoming a pirate led only to death, and defying the World Government led only to death, would there be fewer and fewer pirates in the world.
"What do you need me to do?"
Ross neither agreed nor disagreed, instead asking why the two had come.
Ross made no judgment on Saul's kindness.
As long as Saul did not drag him down, Ross still hoped there would be more good people in this world.
Otherwise, he would not even know who to point his gun at.
"Fleet Admiral Kong wants to know how you intend to deal with Saul," Sakazuki said bluntly.
Sakazuki understood very well what Kong was thinking. If they directly killed Saul, it might give the doves within the Marines some ideas.
But in Sakazuki's view, those idiots in the dovish faction would be best off dying in battle against pirates. Kong, that fence-sitting Fleet Admiral, should also hurry up and get lost, preferably making way for Sengoku, a hardline hawk, as soon as possible.
At this time, Sengoku was the true highest-ranking leader of the hawks, advocating justice that ruled over all.
"How does Vice Admiral Sakazuki want to handle him?"
If Sakazuki could see it clearly, Ross naturally could as well. He saw through Kong's intentions at a glance.
Wasn't Kong just taking advantage of his youth, trying to make him unknowingly take the blame?
If Kong had said it outright, Ross truly would not have minded.
But if Kong wanted to play petty tricks, then Ross would not carry that burden.
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