Late at night.
Marine Headquarters.
The lights were still on in Rock's office.
A massive sea chart lay spread across the long table, with flags planted around the Four Seas, the New World, the Golden City, Sabaody, and several non-member nations.
The Den Den Mushi gave a low ring.
Then Tesoro's smiling voice came through.
"Admiral Azure Dragon."
Rock sat behind his desk, lightly tapping his fingers against the tabletop.
"Speak."
Tesoro did not beat around the bush.
He recounted the unusual activity on the Sabaody Archipelago: Red-Hair's crew landing on the island, members of God's Knights appearing, the eruption of Conqueror's Haki, and the news that Blackbeard had become entangled with the songstress Uta.
By the end, Tesoro's smile had grown even wider.
"Red-Hair flew into a rage on the spot."
"That Conqueror's Haki could be felt from across half of Sabaody."
"If the intelligence is correct, Teach likely obtained Uta's location through the World Government."
The Den Den Mushi fell silent.
The only sound in the office was the waves crashing against the shore outside.
Rock said nothing. He merely looked at the approximate sea region where Blackbeard was located on the map, his gaze calm.
Teach, wielder of both the Dark-Dark and Tremor-Tremor Fruits.
And now he had set his sights on the Sing-Sing Fruit.
It had to be said, this man was indeed far smarter than most pirates.
He was not merely trying to stack destructive power.
He understood very clearly that against monsters truly standing at the pinnacle, raw destructive power alone might not be enough.
Rules were what truly made things dangerous.
The Hobby-Hobby Fruit, the Sing-Sing Fruit, and other Devil Fruit abilities that seemed insignificant but could overturn a battle under certain conditions.
Once such fruits fell into the hands of someone ruthless