"Are you sure you're not kidding me? How long does it take to go from Sabaody Archipelago to Dressrosa, even for the Marines' newest ships? A week at least! Is that really possible?"
Kizaru's voice carried disbelief as he glanced at Sengoku.
Ignoring Kizaru's astonished look, Sengoku stood abruptly from his seat, his expression hard. "Are you certain? Was it really him, Kaito?"
"Marshal Sengoku, there's no mistake," Maynard answered seriously through the Den Den Mushi. "I saw it clearly with my own eyes! He was standing midair with Jack the Drought's corpse in his hand!"
Sengoku exhaled through his nose. "I see. Since the Doflamingo incident has been resolved, return to headquarters as soon as you can."
"Yes, Marshal Sengoku!"
The call ended.
Kizaru leaned back with a lazy whistle. "You heard it… What do we do now? Yesterday, that kid was still in Sabaody Archipelago, and today he's already in Dressrosa. Repulsion—his powers don't fit any single type of Devil Fruit. What in the world is that man's ability?"
Sengoku rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated. "Let's not focus on Kaito for now. Jack is dead. Kaido will go berserk once he learns of it, and his rampage will throw the entire New World into chaos. Without you stationed there, Kizaru, that chaos could very well spread to us."
Kizaru tilted his head. "Then… should I go back now?"
"Yes," Sengoku replied, eyes narrowing as a spark of calculation crossed them. "If Kaito had only killed Doflamingo, there'd be little I could do. But Jack? I have an idea."
Crane, standing nearby, sighed softly. "You're planning to kill two birds with one stone again, aren't you?"
Sengoku smirked faintly. "That's right. Leak the news of Kaito killing Jack through the underground black market. Let Kaido know who was responsible. With his temper, he'll hunt the boy down himself."
"And we'll wait until Kaito finishes his deal with us before acting," Crane added. "Otherwise, Akainu could get caught in the crossfire."
"Exactly," Sengoku confirmed, his tone cold and deliberate.
Meanwhile, high above the clouds, Ayanami Kaito had no idea that Sengoku was already plotting behind his back.
Traveling at high speed, Kaito descended through the skies and arrived at Sabaody Archipelago by evening.
After grabbing a quiet meal at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, he headed toward the local Marine branch, hands in his pockets and his expression calm.
Night had already fallen, and the sky was an ocean of stars.
Outside the elegant Marine building, two guards stood watch with strict expressions.
"Who goes there? State your business!" one Marine barked.
"Bounty exchange," Kaito replied casually, tossing a wrapped package forward with a faint grin.
He'd spent too much in the past few days—barely enough left to eat, and Kaguya's expenses were nothing short of a nightmare.
"Damn it," Kaito muttered suddenly, slapping his forehead.
After killing Jack, he had gone straight to the Marines for the bounty and completely forgotten the treasure hoard Doflamingo left behind in Dressrosa.
The King of the Underground World had made fortunes selling slaves, weapons, and intelligence. His assets were worth at least a billion Berries—and Kaito had left them all behind.
"I really picked up a sesame seed and dropped a watermelon," he groaned, shaking his head in frustration.
The two guards eyed his shifting expression warily, hands subtly inching toward their rifles. Luckily, another Marine soon stepped out and escorted Kaito into the building toward the bounty office.
Inside, a smug-faced clerk leaned back in his chair, glancing up lazily. "You're here to exchange a bounty? Do you even know what time it is?"
"Collins," said the Marine beside him—Colonel Wiener, judging by his tone. "Just finish up before dinner."
"Yeah, yeah, Colonel Wiener," Collins drawled, rolling his eyes. He glanced back at Kaito. "Name, bounty amount, and—oh, right—there's a 10% processing fee."
"Ten percent?" Kaito's brows furrowed. "That's the first I've heard of that."
Collins snorted. "Of course! Sabaody's different from other bases. Too many expenses, not enough funding from headquarters, so we take a little cut."
He smirked impatiently. "Come on, tell me the target's name and amount. I'll need to confirm it before we hand over the Berries."
Then he muttered under his breath, "Every night it's the same damn paperwork…"
"Collins, watch your mouth," Colonel Wiener said sharply.
"I know, I know," Collins replied in mock innocence.
Wiener clenched his fist, forcing himself to let go. He hated this subordinate's arrogance, but Collins' uncle—Vice Admiral Onigumo—wasn't someone he wanted to offend.
Collins slammed his hand on the counter. "Hey, are you deaf or something? I said show me the bounty! Don't just stand there like an idiot!"
Kaito sighed softly. He'd planned to ignore the fool, but Collins' tone grated on him more with each word. His irritation over losing Doflamingo's treasure wasn't helping either.
If he couldn't vent that frustration on treasure… then this Marine would do.
"Collins, huh?" Kaito said quietly, his eyes narrowing. "Your tone's really starting to annoy me. Sorry—but it looks like you won't be seeing the sunrise tomorrow."
Collins blinked, then burst out laughing, doubling over with tears in his eyes. "You? Are you planning to kill me? Here? In a Marine base? You must've lost your mind!"
When his laughter died, he sneered. "Do you even know who my uncle is? Vice Admiral Onigumo! One of the five who led the Buster Call! You touch me, and you're finished!"
Kaito tilted his head slightly, unamused. "You talk too much."
Before Collins could react, Kaito's hand flashed forward—his fingers clamping down around the man's wrist.
Crack!
The sharp sound of bones snapping echoed through the office. Collins let out a pig-like scream, collapsing to the floor and clutching his mangled wrist.
"Bastard! You broke Collins' arm!" Colonel Wiener's face hardened, though there was an unmistakable glimmer of satisfaction behind his eyes. He'd wanted to shut the man up for months. "I'm sorry, but I have to detain you until Vice Admiral Dalmatian arrives!"
Kaito turned slightly, his calm expression returning. "No need. You'd better call him here yourself. It'll save everyone some trouble."
The quiet confidence in his voice made the air grow heavy. Wiener felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Kaito wasn't bluffing—he meant it.
The colonel couldn't help but feel that the fool on the floor had brought this upon himself.
---