Pirates: Immortal, I maxed out Conqueror's Haki first

The familiar voice sounded somewhat strange to him now, leaving Xia Le momentarily dazed.

"Admiral Sengoku!"

He quickly recovered and spoke with a smile.

"I heard the Golden Lion launched a surprise attack on your G-18 fortress?"

Sengoku asked in a low voice.

"That's right."

Xia Le nodded, his eyes flickering slightly.

He was pondering the meaning behind this call from headquarters.

"What's the situation?"

Sengoku asked.

"The G-18 fortress no longer exists."

"We're building a new base."

Xia Le sighed.

"Do you need help from headquarters?"

Sengoku asked with a sigh of his own.

"Not for now. Thank you for the offer."

Xia Le smiled as he expressed his thanks.

"Ah!"

"Xia Le, there's no need to be so distant with me."

Sengoku shook his head and sighed.

"Even after the Ohara Incident, we're both still Marines."

"Aren't we?"

Xia Le fell silent at those words. Only after a long while did a faint smile appear on his lips.

"You're right."

"Though our ideas of justice differ."

"We're both Marines!"

Seated at his desk, Sengoku's expression tightened slightly. Naturally, he understood the implication behind those words.

"There's something else."

Tapping his index finger against the desk, Sengoku spoke in a low voice.

"Please go ahead, Admiral Sengoku."

Xia Le said.

"Our people in the Grand Line brought back a piece of intelligence not long ago."

Sengoku seemed to be choosing his words.

After a brief hesitation, his tone grew heavier.

"One of your men."

"Seems to have appeared aboard a pirate ship—as its captain."

Xia Le's eyes narrowed slightly at that. "Who?"

"Crocodile!"

Sengoku said.

"Oh?"

Xia Le grinned.

"Has that fellow defected?"

Kozuki Oden

"Are you asking me, Xia Le?"

"He's your man."

Sengoku narrowed his eyes, his voice deepening slightly.

He had his suspicions that Crocodile's return