"A Good Death"

North Blue.

The area where the World Government official ship sank.

Across the vast ocean, goose-feather-sized snowflakes continued to drift through the gray, overcast sky.

"Yes, Marshal Kong... according to the route provided by the government's CP department, I have arrived at the scene of the incident."

On the warship, Sengoku held a military Den Den Mushi, his face grim as he made his report.

He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and swept his gaze rapidly across the surface of the sea.

"There are not many obvious traces left at the scene."

"Yes, I understand."

Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku could not help but let out a long, heavy sigh.

"The diving team has already been dispatched; the higher-ups attach great importance to this incident."

A figure wearing silk robes and a mask with eerie patterns appeared beside Sengoku like a ghost, a hoarse voice drifting out from beneath the mask.

Sengoku nodded, though he felt somewhat skeptical in his heart.

The sea was surging with turbulent waves, with only a few scattered shipwrecks floating on the surface; occasionally, charred and decaying limbs could be seen, making it impossible to confirm any specific identities.

The Holy Land Mary Geoise had already determined the exact time of the incident based on the moment Saint Childers's Vivre Card had burned to ash.

And from the time of the incident until Sengoku and his team arrived at the scene... a full three hours had passed.

Three hours... the raging sea was more than enough to swallow every piece of evidence and trace that might have been left behind.

At this point, what was the use of even sending in a diving team?

To go to such great lengths over a dead Celestial Dragon... and even let Byrnndi World slip away in the process—Sengoku felt more than a little displeased.

However, no matter how absurd it seemed, this was an order issued by the World Government; no matter how dissatisfied or skeptical he felt, Sengoku would still fulfill his duty and do his best to complete it.

The government had already issued a gag order.

After all, once this incident was exposed, it would weaken the government's authority and damage its prestige.

But because this incident involved a Celestial Dragon, it was extremely sensitive and thorny, truly a headache.

Sengoku subconsciously glanced at the deck not far away, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

He, an Admiral of the Headquarters, was busy until his head was spinning, yet Borsalino, his subordinate... that bastard was just lying on a beach chair drinking watermelon juice, acting as if none of this had anything to do with him.

"Borsalino!!"

Sengoku couldn't help but grit his teeth and roar.

"We are on a mission!"

Hearing Sengoku's voice, Borsalino raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and grinned:

"Coming, coming..."

He slowly set down his watermelon juice, stood up from the beach chair, and walked over.

"Did you find anything!"

Sengoku asked irritably.

"Let me see..."

Borsalino rubbed the stubble on his chin with one hand, pushed up his sunglasses, and observed the "crime scene" with a look of intense focus.

Two seconds later, his mouth suddenly hung slightly open, as if he had discovered something interesting, and he said with an exaggerated expression:

"How terrifying... the Celestial Dragon died so cleanly... not even a scrap of flesh was left behind..."

The atmosphere turned icy cold in an instant.

The deck was deathly silent.

"Caw, caw, caw..."

A few crows flew across the sky.

Sengoku: ...

CP0: ...

The gathered Marines: ...

Borsalino: ( ︾▽︾)

Sengoku: ...

Feeling the killing intent rising from the CP0 agent beside him, Sengoku's eye twitched repeatedly. He struggled to suppress the urge to pin this yellow-skinned monkey to the deck and beat him up, gritting his teeth as he hissed:

"Borsalino, you bastard!! Get the hell out of my sight!!"

Borsalino raised his hands again, his face full of innocence.

"Alright, alright..."

He walked back with a look of regret, muttering under his breath:

"It was clearly you who asked me to come and help..."

Then, he lay flat on his beach chair again, slowly picking up his watermelon juice.

"There really is no helping it, is there..."

Hearing Borsalino's "muttering," Sengoku's face turned from green to white, twitching as his fists clenched and unclenched, then clenched again.

He wished he could give himself two hard slaps across the face.

If only he had known, he would have chosen Sakazuki as his adjutant!!

Both had graduated from the military academy with honors as the top of their class and were known as "monsters"... at least that gloomy brat Sakazuki wasn't this infuriating!

How could he have been so blind back then to pick this bastard Borsalino.

Sengoku covered his forehead in agony.

But there was no use regretting it now.

Sakazuki's personality was far too paranoid, and he took extremely radical attitudes and measures toward pirates, often even going so far as to disobey orders.

That was something Sengoku could not tolerate.

Although Borsalino often made him fly into a rage, at least when it came to obeying orders, he was still acceptable.

Sengoku let out a long, stifled sigh.

Looking at the cold, indifferent "face" of the CP0 agent, he offered an awkward smile, just about to say something.

"Brrr... brrr..."

The ringing of a military Den Den Mushi suddenly sounded, cutting Sengoku off.

Sengoku frowned, shot an apologetic look at the CP0 agent, and answered the call.

"Hello, this is Sengoku."

A boisterous, hearty laugh erupted from the Den Den Mushi.

"Hahahaha, Sengoku!! How is the situation on your end!?"

"You've already taken care of Byrnndi World, right? I'm already finished on my side... you wouldn't believe it, I punched Chinjao the Drill's head so hard it caved in!!"

"It was such a satisfying battle... hahahaha!!"

The Den Den Mushi vividly mimicked a face picking its nose while laughing heartily.

Sengoku chuckled:

"Chinjao the Drill, leader of the Happo Navy, the world-renowned Iron-Headed Drill... you actually caved his head in? He must be gnashing his teeth in hatred for you, Garp..."

He shook his head.

"My mission failed. An emergency situation arose, and I let Byrnndi World escape."

"An emergency situation? What kind of emergency..."

Garp scratched his head, then winked and teased:

"That doesn't make sense, hey, hey, hey... Sengoku, don't tell me you couldn't beat Byrnndi World and the mission failed... so you're just making up an excuse?"

Sengoku retorted irritably:

"Go away, I'm busy here. A Celestial Dragon from the World Government met with disaster in the North Blue, and I am currently investigating under the orders of the World Government."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sengoku realized he had messed up.

Sure enough, Garp's joyous, unrestrained laughter erupted from the Den Den Mushi:

"Hahahaha!! A Celestial Dragon died? Good riddance!!"

"I just don't know who took out that piece of trash, otherwise I'd really like to thank them in person..."

"Hahahaha!! Beautifully done!!"

As Garp's laughter continued, Sengoku's face grew darker and darker.

The killing intent radiating from the CP0 agent beside him grew increasingly dense, almost as if it were freezing the air itself.

"I'm telling you, Sengoku, it's just a Celestial Dragon. If they die, they die; there are plenty of those things in the Holy Land."

"Just investigate a little to go through the motions. That kind of trash deserved to die anyway, hahahaha..."

Seeing Garp getting more and more carried away, Sengoku cautiously glanced at the motionless CP0 agent beside him and finally couldn't help but grit his teeth to "remind" him:

"Garp, you can't say things like that. That is a noble World Government aristocrat."

"Tch, stop putting on an act, Sengoku. Don't think I don't know that in your heart you..."

Sengoku felt a jolt go through his entire body and hurriedly grabbed the Den Den Mushi, roaring:

"Garp!! A representative of the World Government's CP0 is right next to me!!"

The deck suddenly fell silent.

A second later, "Ah, forget everything I just said... retract it, retract it!"

The Den Den Mushi representing Garp made a gesture of denial.

Then, "Brrr--"

The communication was suddenly cut off.

Sengoku: ...

He stood there, dumbfounded for a few seconds.

Then, blinking his eyes, he gave a light cough, put away the Den Den Mushi, and looked toward the silent CP0 agent standing beside him.

His expression suddenly turned incredibly "serious" and "solemn" as he said in a deep voice:

"Ahem, we shall begin our investigation immediately!"

Meeting the hollow, indifferent gaze behind the CP0 mask, Sengoku waved his fist, looking righteous and iron-willed as he declared:

"At all costs!"

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! We must uncover the truth!!"