While Blackbeard and his crew were trapped inside the Crown of the King, over in the New World, where Loa was...
Buru Buru Buru.
"Hello, Vice Admiral Tsuru? What is it?"
"We just received word that Kaido and Blackbeard intercepted our warship and attacked your Turtle Island. You knew about this, didn't you?"
Intercepted?
Nice choice of words. Just throw all the blame on the pirates. The Marines always had to stay so "clean."
Loa nodded and answered bluntly, "Of course. I knew half an hour ago."
"Then why are you still behind us? Your base is under attack. Aren't you going back to check on it?" Vice Admiral Tsuru asked in surprise.
Was Loa really willing to abandon Turtle Island to protect Robin?
Vice Admiral Tsuru narrowed her eyes. She could accept that outcome, but it fell short of the best possible result. She gave nothing away and continued in an astonished tone, "Your enemy is Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Yonko! And there's a traitor from Whitebeard's ship whose strength is nothing to scoff at! Aren't you worried at all?"
"Why would I be worried, Vice Admiral Tsuru?"
Loa smiled and took the juice Robin handed him. "It's only Kaido and Blackbeard," he said, taking a sip. "Frankly, I was hoping for a bigger haul! If a few more enemies came out of the woodwork right now, then I'd call it a great harvest!"
"What do you mean?"
A bad feeling suddenly gripped Vice Admiral Tsuru. She ran through everything she knew about Loa and recalled how he had conducted himself in the Marines. She drew a sharp breath.
"Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral 'Ice Dragon' Loa: a terrifying man who plans for every possibility, yet insists on solving every problem with violence!"
The assessment had come