"Give the order to have soldiers lying in ambush inside the prison. Don't let Straw Hat Luffy and his crew successfully rescue their comrades, Drake Rick..."
After placing a chess piece Jonathan gave instructions to his subordinate Drake.
"Yes!! I won't let any of them escape. I'll go and make the arrangements now..."
Drake Lake raised his hand in salute.
"Okay, go down..."
Jonathan waved for him to go and make arrangements for the personnel.
Click...
Shortly after he left, a gust of air suddenly blew open the window of Jonathan's office, and a blood-red figure rushed in from there.
"Aren't you going to catch them yourself? You know, if you take action yourself, Luffy and the others will have a very difficult time escaping from your grasp, let alone rescuing his crew..."
The blood-red figure, Luo Chen, paused for a moment before speaking to Jonathan.
"Hehe, how can the commander-in-chief personally go out on the mission?"
If I have to do everything myself, then what's the point of having these subordinates?
Besides, I can't keep cleaning up their messes forever. This is a great learning opportunity for them, so naturally they won't let it pass them by.
Jonathan didn't look up, continuing to stare at the chessboard in front of him as he answered.
"Really? I understand now. No wonder you watched them escape safely. So that's how it is!"
Hearing Jonathan's answer, Luo Chen finally understood why Jonathan, the strongest person in the fortress, hadn't made a move in the original story.
It turns out he had considered this possibility; he might be transferred back to headquarters.
And his subordinates, who had always lived under his wing, would have been left to fend for themselves if Jonathan had always taken matters into his own hands.
If he leaves, it will be a devastating disaster for Navarone Fortress.
That's why he used this precious opportunity to arrest the Straw Hat Luffy as a test for his subordinates.
"Hmm, I understand what you just said, and that they escaped from my fortress unharmed?"
"Heh, don't joke around. My plan hasn't even started yet! How can you be so sure that kid can escape from here?"
Upon hearing Luo Chen's whisper, Jonathan looked up at him, puzzled.
"No, I'm referring to another possible scenario, if you continue to be unwilling to take action."
That would make it very likely that they could escape this Iron Fortress safely.
Luo Chen shook his head and said to him.
"Really? You could have foreseen this situation? However, I cannot agree with you."
You know, my men are also very skilled. A bunch of newbie pirates shouldn't be a match for them."
Jonathan disagreed with what Luo Chen said; in his view, his soldiers were all exceptionally talented.
Under his arrangement, they could be arrested and brought to justice even without his personal involvement.
"Is that so? Then I'll wait and see how this little pirate you speak of defeats your excellent soldiers and rescues his comrades."
Luo Chen smiled and did not refute his words. He walked to the chair in front of him, sat down, picked up a chess piece, placed it on the chessboard, and said to him.
"Hey!! Let me out right now! I'm Colonel Shepherd, the Navy's special envoy. Be careful, or I'll report your commander and you bunch of traitors to the higher-ups."
"Hey, did you hear me...?"
Meanwhile, inside the naval prison, Usopp and Zoro were in the same cell. A man, around 30 or 40 years old, was gripping the iron bolt on the cell door and shouting at the soldiers outside.
"Captain Shepherd, the special envoy from Marine Headquarters..."
Oh right, I remember that was Robin in disguise. So, now it's my turn to put on a good show... Hehehe!!
Usopp looked at the man and thought to himself.
"Give up, Con D. Oriano. A real man should just admit it like we did."
Are you still indulging in those unrealistic fantasies?
Usopp said coolly from behind him.
"Hmm... what? Con D. Oriano? What is that? I don't know any of you. Stop trying to get on my good side."
I am Colonel Shepherd, a special envoy from headquarters, not the Con D. Oriano you're talking about.
Hey, let me out right now, or I'll report you.
The man looked at Usopp with a puzzled expression before snapping at him.
"Hey, have you forgotten? We're best buddies, Con D. Oriano!"
Open your eyes wide and look carefully, it's your friend Usopp...
Usopp looked at him with a sincere expression and said.
"What 'Con D. Oriano'? I've already told you, I don't know you at all..."
The real Shepherd wanted to explain, but the matter had been so convoluted that it was impossible to clarify.
"Haha, see? I told you you're a pirate. Still trying to argue? Even your crew knows you. What else do you want to say?"
The soldiers guarding outside heard their conversation and smiled as they spoke to him.
"No, I've already said, I'm not the pirate from Con D. Oriano they're talking about at all..."
Shepherd anxiously tried to explain to them.
" Con D. Oriano..."
Zoro called his name and charged at him.
"What?!"
Hearing the other person locked up with him calling his fake name, he answered in bewilderment.
Bang...
"Forehead..."
Thump...
Shepherd was knocked unconscious by Zoro's head-on collision and collapsed to the ground.
"Great, Zoro, perfect... That's it, Robin, you should be thanking me..."
After seeing Zoro knock the man unconscious, Usopp turned and chuckled sinisterly.
"Your expression is too obvious; there's no way to hide it..."
Zoro walked past Usopp and reminded him.
"What?!"
Upon hearing his reminder, Usopp immediately reverted to his original expression, sitting upright and staring straight ahead at the outside.
"Report..."
Shortly after Shepherd was imprisoned, a marine immediately ran to report the situation to Jonathan.
"Come in..."
Jonathan's voice came from inside the office.
"Yes..."
The marine pushed open the door, went inside, and saluted Jonathan.
"Is there something you wanted to tell me all this way...?"
Jonathan looked at the young soldier and asked,
Even before Drake led his troops out, he had already issued orders that unless there was special news, there was no need to come here to report to him.
Now that the soldier had come over, it was likely important news for him, so he asked directly.
"This..."
The soldier looked hesitantly at Luo Chen, who was sitting in front of Jonathan.
"What? Should I excuse myself so you can have a talk?"
Luo Chen then stood up and addressed Jonathan.
"Hmm... it's okay, go ahead and say it!"
Jonathan noticed the soldier's worry but didn't care and told him to report the news to Luo Chen.
"Yes, Commander, just now we arrested a man who claimed to be Special Envoy Shepherd."
In a conversation between two Straw Hat Pirates members inside the prison, he said his name was Con D. Oriano.
Based on our observation, he must be their companion Con D. Oriano!
The soldier informed him of the situation.
"Okay, I understand. You can go now..."
Another envoy named Shepherd? And his name is Con D. Oriano?
After listening to the soldier's report Jonathan told him to leave, then pondered for a moment and murmured to himself.