Human Nuclear Bomb

Inside the office.

The atmosphere was still frozen in that moment of "cognitive collapse."

Rosinante had yet to fully recover when Sengoku straightened up again.

The pressure and composure belonging to a Marine Admiral returned at that moment.

"Enough."

He lightly tapped the desk.

"The joking ends here."

Rock clicked his tongue, as if his fun had been interrupted, then bit into another rice cracker.

"I wasn't joking~"

Sengoku ignored him outright.

He opened the documents on the desk, the pages rustling softly.

A moment later, he pulled one out.

"Let's talk business."

The document was pushed across the desk.

"The matter in Loguetown—it's already escalated."

"Faster than expected."

He paused, his gaze darkening slightly. "The World Government has already reacted."

As those words fell.

It was as though the air in the room had been pressed down by something invisible, even the light seeming to dim.

Rock's movements paused slightly, but only for the briefest moment.

He continued lifting his teacup and took a light sip.

"Oh?"

"Which side?"

Sengoku looked at him with deep eyes.

"The Five Elders."

As those three words fell, Rosinante's body suddenly tensed, his back instantly going rigid!

It was an instinctive reaction.

Sengoku continued, "That speech of yours—"

"And your public order for the Shichibukai to wipe out pirates."

"Their assessment is—"

He paused there, as though carefully choosing his words.

"You're overstepping."

The words fell, and then—

"Pfft."

He could not hold back his laughter.

"Overstepping?"

Rock raised his head, a faint trace of mockery in his eyes.

"Killing pirates counts as overstepping too?"

Sengoku did not laugh. Instead, his expression became even more serious.

"The issue isn't the 'killing.'"

"It's that—"

He stared at Rock, speaking each word distinctly.

"You're defining the rules."

That statement stripped away the surface and exposed