"Fleet Admiral."
Lorne cut him off.
"I'm a Marine, not a watchdog for the Celestial Dragons."
"You can relay those exact words to the Five Elders."
The Den Den Mushi clicked as the call ended.
Sengoku stared at the silent Den Den Mushi and slammed the receiver back onto its cradle.
"That little brat..."
Tsuru lifted her teacup and took a small sip.
"At least he agreed to come back."
"Agreeing to return and obeying orders are two different things."
Sengoku rubbed his temples.
"He was right. He's not suited to bodyguard work."
"Chain a wild beast up to guard a door, and sooner or later, something will go wrong."
"Then how do you plan to assign him?"
"Let's get him back first."
Sengoku rose and walked to the window, looking down over Marineford's harbor.
"Everything else can wait until he gets here."
Nameless Island, the temporary camp.
Lorne hung up the Den Den Mushi and looked up at his subordinates gathered around the campfire.
Ethan, Ryan, Bakel, Kuina, and fifty bandage-covered Marines from the Vanguard Squad were all waiting for him to speak.
"Pack up."
Lorne stood.
"We leave first thing tomorrow morning. We're returning to Marineford."
"Returning to Headquarters?"
Looking bewildered, Ryan sat up straight, clutching his bandaged chest.
"Why?"
"Weren't we going to keep clearing out the pirates in the first half?"
"Orders from above."
Lorne offered no further explanation.
"The Reverie is coming up. Every rear admiral out on assignment has to return."
"The Reverie..."
Ethan adjusted his glasses and quickly caught on.
"Was this the Five Elders' decision?"
Lorne glanced at him without denying it.
Ethan pressed his lips together and asked no more questions.
Bakel clicked his tongue and slapped his knee hard.
"What a letdown."
"We finally got a satisfying fight, and now