North Blue.
The area where the World Government ship had sunk.
On the vast ocean, heavy snow still drifted beneath the gloomy gray sky.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Kong... According to the route provided by Cipher Pol, I've reached the scene."
On the warship, Sengoku held a Military Den Den Mushi and gave his report with a grim expression.
He adjusted his black-framed glasses and quickly scanned the surface of the sea.
"There aren't many obvious traces at the scene."
"Yes, I understand."
After ending the call, Sengoku couldn't help letting out a long breath.
"We've already sent out the diving unit. The higher-ups are taking this incident very seriously."
A figure in a silk robe and a mask with strange patterns appeared beside Sengoku like a ghost. A hoarse voice drifted out from beneath the mask.
Sengoku nodded, though inwardly he couldn't help feeling unconvinced.
The waves churned across the sea. Only a few pieces of wreckage floated on the surface, and now and then, charred, rotting limbs could be seen. It was impossible to confirm anyone's identity.
Mary Geoise had determined the exact time of the incident based on when Saint Childers's Vivre Card had burned away completely.
And by the time Sengoku and the others had reached the scene... a full three hours had passed since the incident.
Three hours... The raging ocean was more than enough to swallow any evidence or traces that might have been left behind.
At this point, what good would sending out a diving unit do?
All this fuss over a dead Celestial Dragon... They'd even let Byrnndi World escape for nothing. Sengoku couldn't help feeling a little irritated.
But no matter how absurd it was, this was an order from the World Government. Even if he was dissatisfied, even if he thought it was pointless, Sengoku would still do his best to carry it out responsibly.
The Government had already issued a gag order.
After all, if this incident came to light, it would weaken the Government's authority and damage its reputation.
But the incident involved a Celestial Dragon, making it extremely sensitive and difficult to handle. It was certainly a headache.
Sengoku subconsciously glanced at the deck nearby, and the corner of his mouth twitched despite himself.
He, a Marine Headquarters Admiral, was run off his feet, while Borsalino, his own adjutant... that bastard was lying on a deck chair, drinking watermelon juice as if none of this had anything to do with him.
"Borsalino!!"
Sengoku gritted his teeth and roared.
"We're on a mission!"
Hearing Sengoku, Borsalino raised both hands in surrender and grinned.
"Coming, coming..."
He leisurely set down his watermelon juice, got up from the deck chair, and ambled over.
"What did you find?" Sengoku asked irritably.
"Let me take a look..."
Borsalino rubbed the stubble on his chin, pushed up his sunglasses, and studied the "scene" with a focused expression.
Two seconds later, his mouth fell open as if he'd spotted something interesting. He put on an exaggerated expression and said, "How scary. The Celestial Dragon died so thoroughly... There isn't even a scrap of flesh left..."
The mood turned icy in an instant.
The deck fell utterly silent.
"Caw, caw, caw..."
A few crows flew across the sky.
Sengoku: ...
CP0: ...
The Marines: ...
Borsalino: ( ︾▽︾)
Sengoku: ...
Feeling the killing intent gradually rising from the CP0 agent beside him, Sengoku's eye twitched repeatedly. He fought to suppress the urge to pin that yellow-skinned monkey to the ground and beat him senseless, then gritted his teeth.
"Borsalino, you little bastard!! Get out of my sight!!"
Borsalino raised both hands again, looking completely innocent.
"All right, all right..."
He walked back with a regretful expression, muttering under his breath, "You were the one who asked me to come help..."
Then he stretched out on the deck chair again and leisurely picked up his watermelon juice.
"Can't be helped..."
Hearing Borsalino's "muttered" words, Sengoku's face turned from green to white. His features twitched as his fists clenched and unclenched, over and over.
He could have slapped himself twice.
He should've made Sakazuki his adjutant!
The two of them had graduated from the same Marine academy class as top students and were known as "monsters"... At least that gloomy brat Sakazuki wasn't so infuriating!
How had he been blind enough to pick Borsalino, of all people?
Sengoku covered his forehead with one hand in anguish.
But there was no taking it back now.
Sakazuki was too stubborn. He took an extremely hard-line approach to pirates and often disobeyed orders.
That was something Sengoku could never tolerate.
Borsalino might often drive him into a rage, but at least he was reasonably obedient when it came to following orders.
Sengoku let out a long, stifled breath.
He looked at the cold, expressionless "face" of the CP0 agent and gave an awkward smile, about to say something.
"Buru buru... Buru buru..."
The Military Den Den Mushi rang without warning, cutting him off.
Sengoku frowned, cast an apologetic look at the CP0 agent, and answered the call.
"Hello, this is Sengoku."
A hearty, carefree laugh boomed out of the Den Den Mushi.
"Hahahahaha, Sengoku!! How's it going over there!?"
"You've taken care of Byrnndi World, right? I'm all done over here... You should've seen it—Chinjao's head caved right in under my iron fist!!"
"That was one hell of a fight... Hahahahaha!!"
The Den Den Mushi vividly mimicked a laughing face with a finger stuck up its nose.
Sengoku laughed.
"Chinjao the Drill, leader of the Happo Navy, the Iron Fist Drill renowned throughout the world... You caved his head in? I bet he hates you with a passion now, Garp..."
He shook his head.
"My mission failed. An emergency came up, and Byrnndi World got away."
"An emergency? What kind of emergency...?"
Garp scratched his head, then waggled his eyebrows.
"That makes no sense. Hey, Sengoku... You didn't lose to Byrnndi World and fail the mission, did you? Did you just make up an excuse?"
Sengoku replied irritably, "Oh, get lost. I'm busy here. A Celestial Dragon, one of the World Nobles, met with disaster in the North Blue. I'm investigating under orders from the World Government."
The moment the words left his mouth, Sengoku knew he'd made a mistake.
Sure enough, Garp's hearty laughter boomed through the Den Den Mushi.
"Hahahahahaha!! A Celestial Dragon died? Good riddance!"
"I wonder who took out that piece of trash. I'd really like to thank them in person..."
"Hahahahaha!! What a great death!"
As Garp laughed, Sengoku's face grew darker and darker.
The killing intent radiating from the CP0 agent beside him grew stronger and stronger, almost as if it could freeze the air.
"Hey, Sengoku, it's just one Celestial Dragon. So what if he died? There are plenty more of those things in the Holy Land."
"Just do a little investigating and go through the motions. Trash like that deserved to die anyway. Hahahaha..."
Garp grew more and more carried away. Sengoku nervously glanced at the motionless CP0 agent beside him, then gritted his teeth and tried to "remind" him.
"Garp, you can't put it like that. They're highly respected World Nobles."
"Come on, Sengoku, don't pretend. Don't think I don't know what you really—"
Sengoku jolted and grabbed the Den Den Mushi, roaring into it.
"Garp!! The World Government's CP0 representative is standing right beside me!!"
The deck suddenly fell silent.
A second later—
"Ah, none of that counts... Take it back, take it back!"
The "Garp" on the Den Den Mushi made a face as if denying everything.
Then—
"Buru—"
The call suddenly disconnected.
Sengoku: ...
He stared blankly for several seconds.
Then he blinked, cleared his throat, put away the Den Den Mushi, and looked at the silent CP0 agent beside him.
His expression suddenly turned extremely "serious" and "grave." In a deep voice, he said, "Right. Let's begin the investigation!"
Meeting the cold, hollow gaze beneath the CP0 agent's mask, Sengoku waved his fist and declared with righteous indignation and unwavering resolve:
"At any cost!"
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! We must uncover the truth!!"
Before you continue