"That's the situation."
Randall spoke into the receiver.
The Den Den Mushi was wearing round glasses, indicating that Fleet Admiral Sengoku was on the other end.
"Right, I understand!
Headquarters will send people to escort Vice Admiral Asfer and the others back to Headquarters."
Then Sengoku changed the subject, his tone less serious than before.
"You've really made a name for yourself this time, kid."
There was even a hint of amusement in Sengoku's voice.
"Hey, didn't I already make a name for myself with Golden Lion?"
Randall sounded unconcerned.
"That's true, but there's still a difference.
This time, you lured more than sixty pirate crews into a trap and wiped them out in one go.
The most important detail is that you didn't let a single person escape.
The deterrent effect of that is far beyond what some defeated dog who escaped from prison could offer."
Sengoku chuckled.
Clearly, he was pleased with this outcome.
Randall paused, then grasped what Sengoku meant.
True, someone like Golden Lion was simply too far removed from most pirates.
News like that hardly felt real to most of them.
But what Randall had done this time hit entirely differently.
After hanging up, Randall stood and looked at Christa and Aequus on the nearby sofa.
Both sat in exactly the same posture, legs together, hands on their knees, backs perfectly straight, their solemn expressions tinged with nervousness.
When she saw Randall looking over, Christa gave him an ingratiating smile.
"Big brother~"
Then she ran over to Randall, took one of his hands, and shook it gently.
She tilted her head up and gazed at him with big, watery eyes.
"Ahem, I'm telling you, that won't work!
Special training! You're not getting out of it!"
Randall gave a tactical cough and discreetly turned his face