"Boss, you know how I am. I was just blowing off steam," Hans, the bruised and battered Petty Officer First Class, said through gritted teeth, his eyes clear and sincere.
"Reporting, senior official! I overheard Hans muttering something about 'ten years is not too late for a gentleman's revenge' just now."
"Fal, you bastard!"
Ignoring his two subordinates, who had dissolved into another round of bickering and horseplay, Roy's gaze drifted to Hanafuda not far away and the Den Den Mushi beside him. His heart, however, was calm.
In truth, the moment Sengoku's voice crackled through the Den Den Mushi, Roy had already sensed what was coming.
Having been in the Marines for so long, he naturally understood that the Warlords of the Sea were never good people and that their relationship with the Marines was not friendly. From what Roy knew of the original story, there had been more than one instance in which the Shichibukai attacked the Marines directly.
For example, Doflamingo attacked Smoker.
Crocodile attacking Smoker.
Trafalgar Law attacking Smoker.
"Tch... Thinking about it, Smoker really does have a talent for attracting trouble." Muttering to himself, Roy quickly brought his thoughts back on track.
Simply put, he believed that any Marine with even a bit of seniority would never truly regard the Shichibukai as allies.
Sengoku, who had seen countless vicious and brutal pirates in his lifetime, was even less likely to do so, especially after Hanafuda attacked Roy.
So the question was... So why would Sengoku personally intervene to spare Hanafuda?
The answer wasn't difficult to guess.
Roy knew that, although Sengoku was considered overly moderate by many hardline Marines and had made many compromises, his determination to eliminate pirates and end the Great Age of Piracy was undeniable. This was proven by his decisive launch of the Summit War in the original timeline.
He was a Marine who truly carried Justice in his heart.
His compromises were usually made only because the board he was playing on and the perspective he held were far broader.
In other words... He would only compromise for the greater good.
So here was the issue.
If Hanafuda were merely a Warlord, he wouldn't qualify as part of the "greater good."
But...
"If he's connected to 'Hundred Beasts' Kaido, then he might just qualify," Roy murmured to himself.
As a transmigrator, he knew full well that Hundred Beast Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, was secretly collaborating with the World Government.
The iron weapons produced by Wano Country under Kaido's rule were one of the key forces the World Government relied on to suppress the increasingly rampant rebellions of recent years.
Moreover, it was widely known that Hanafuda, the "Lizard King," was Kaido's closest confidant. Hanafuda firmly believed that Kaido would become the world's ultimate ruler, even entrusting his own children to Kaido's care. In return, Hanafuda had collected numerous Ancient Devil Fruits and Zoan Devil Fruits for Kaido's Beast Pirates.
Thus, Roy could clearly deduce why Hanafuda had become a Warlord.
"He's the bridge and spokesperson for the deal between the World Government and the Hundred Beasts."
This meant... that he couldn't die, at least not at the hands of the Marines.
Otherwise, setting aside Kaido's potential retaliation, the mere interruption of iron weapon supplies would plunge the entire world into even greater chaos.
That was the "bigger picture" that Sengoku cared about.
So what was Roy's opinion on all this?
The answer was: he didn't care.
Since Mol and Lanster were both alive, he had vented his anger, and Sengoku had guaranteed that Hanafuda would never target him again.
Therefore, as long as Hanafuda was willing to pay a sufficient price to redeem his life, Roy genuinely didn't care whether he lived or died.
To put it more bluntly... if defeating Hanafuda meant acquiring two Devil Fruits and 2 billion Beli, Roy wouldn't mind letting him respawn and grinding him until he went bankrupt.
Of course, Roy wasn't foolish enough to trust a pirate's promise.
'What if Hanafuda went back on his word and came looking for trouble again?'
The answer didn't need to be said aloud.
"Being a Marine makes killing you inconvenient, but the Twelve Zodiac are a different matter altogether."
At that thought, a trace of coldness flashed through Roy's eyes.
Just then, he noticed that the Den Den Mushi had finished its conversation with Hanafuda.
Then...
"Lieutenant Commander Roy!" Sengoku's voice rang out loud and clear.
Roy naturally walked over and picked up the Den Den Mushi at once.
"Well? Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
"He agreed." Sengoku said concisely, "Within a month, two Devil Fruits and 2 billion Beli will be delivered to Headquarters."
There was even a hint of amusement in his voice.
Just as Roy had guessed, while Sengoku had been forced to protect Hanafuda for the sake of the greater strategy, he was secretly pleased to see the Marines ruthlessly fleece the Pirate.
"Understood." Roy nodded, then hung up the Den Den Mushi.
He didn't spare Hanafuda another glance. Turning around, he called out to Hans and Fal.
"Hey, you two, stop fighting. If you're going to fight, do it back on the battleship!"
"Hey..."
At that moment, Hanafuda, who had been ignored, struggled to speak, anger burning in his vertical pupils.
"Roy Amos!"
It was the first time he had addressed Roy by name.
"You bastard..."
He seemed about to spit out some harsh words. But Roy didn't even slow his steps. So, Hanafuda's words died in his throat.
As he had said before, he believed in might as authority.
Only now did he truly realize that no matter what he said at that moment, it would mean nothing to Roy.
He was the defeated one, a dog with broken legs.
Roy was the victor, a proud, rising lion.
A lion does not turn back because a dog barks.
...
At the same time, in Marineford...
Inside the Marineford Main Tower in the Fleet Admiral's office.
Click.
After quietly hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's expression became complicated.
He felt joy, guilt, and relief.
Very quickly, however, his face became covered in black lines.
Because...
"Oi, Zephyr! Winning against Hanafuda, your disciple is impressive!"
"He is average at best. Honestly, that kid... I clearly taught him to keep a low profile."
"Roy has really grown, hasn't he? Hey, Zephyr, when I retire, would you help train my grandson, too?"
"I've already decided not to take on any more disciples. But you can let Roy train him for you."
"Oh? That sounds interesting. How about having your disciple train my grandson too? That kid's been influenced by Red Hair and keeps shouting about wanting to become a Pirate!"
"Hahaha! Naturally, no problem!"
There were three old men sitting in the office at that moment.
Vice Admiral Biros laughed heartily as he devoured a skewer of dango, sauce dripping all over the floor.
Vice Admiral Garp crunched on senbei, casually offering a piece to Zephyr beside him.
Even Zephyr, usually known for his composure and aversion to senbei, grinned widely and accepted a piece to chew on.
"I say, you three assholes!" Sengoku finally snapped.
He stood up abruptly and slammed his fist on the desk.
"That kid almost killed a Warlord! What kind of attitude is this, especially from you, Garp? That was my brand-new sofa!"
Under normal circumstances, when a long-serving Fleet Admiral like Sengoku lost his temper, most Marines would immediately straighten up.
But clearly, the three in front of him were exceptions.
"Hahahaha! It's good to see young people full of energy!" Garp chuckled, still munching on senbei with utter nonchalance.
"I never imagined that boy would unconsciously develop so many techniques! Truly, he's the perfect candidate for the Black Body Style!" Zephyr's aged face crinkled into a smile, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Sengoku wasn't praising his disciple.
The only one who understood Sengoku's true meaning was Vice Admiral Biros.
Then, the nearly retired old man stood up. "Sengoku, you bastard! What do you mean by this? Hanafuda attacked Roy first, and you're taking sides? You want a fight, old man?"
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, preparing for a fight with Sengoku.
"..."
Sengoku covered his face helplessly.
Not a single one of these old geezers gave him any peace of mind.
But just then, Zephyr stood up too.
"Sengoku," He said softly.
"Biros and I are old now. As for the government's affairs..." He paused for a moment. "I can't be bothered to concern myself with them anymore."
It was obvious what he meant.
After so many years in the Marines, it was impossible for Zephyr or Biros to know nothing about the World Government. They simply chose not to involve themselves for the sake of justice.
"But Roy is my one and only successor and the future commander to the Marine Detention Unit, chosen by Biros." Zephyr looked at his old comrade.
"Biros and I are close to retirement, but we're not too old to move around."
Upon hearing this, Sengoku fell silent for a moment.
"Hey, you two old bastards."
A very real flash of anger appeared in his eyes.
"Who do you think I am?"
He slammed the table hard. A powerful shockwave instantly sent the documents on the desk flying.
For Sengoku, known for his dignity and wisdom, this kind of emotional outburst would only ever occur in front of his closest friends.
"I am the Fleet Admiral of the Marines!"
He looked at Zephyr and Biros, speaking each word slowly and forcefully.
"Do you really think I wanted to help that pirate? If so, do you have any idea what punishment Roy should receive under military law for speaking to me like that!?"
He barked sharply.
"That's right.
The Marines are a military organization.
If an ordinary Marine had spoken to a Fleet Admiral like that, punishment would have been unavoidable. Yet Sengoku had tacitly accepted Roy's attitude and helped him secure substantial compensation.
The reason needed no explanation.
"A genius who isn't even thirty yet and has already defeated a Warlord and one acknowledged by you, Zephyr, and by Biros." Sengoku's eyes were razor-sharp as he spoke. "Do you really think I don't understand what he means to the Marines?"
Exactly.
No one understood this better than Sengoku.
Given Roy's potential, he was undoubtedly a strong candidate for Admiral, or even Fleet Admiral, in the future.
"He is the future of the Marines. Even without you saying it, I would protect him!"
But it was precisely because he knew this that Sengoku was so furious.
'My two old friends actually think I'm playing favorites?'
He was so furious that he almost wanted to roll up his sleeves and fight them right then and there.
But at that moment...
"Hahaha... forget it! Forget it!" Garp finished his senbei and chuckled, "But Sengoku, I am curious... Hanafuda's a stubborn old coot. How did you manage to convince him?"
He raised an eyebrow, clearly interested in the gossip.
Sengoku snorted coldly, then calmly said, "He's close friends with Kaido. Killing him would throw the seas into chaos. It would be troublesome for the Marines and the World Government."
"But by the same logic, wouldn't this be troublesome for Kaido as well?"
"If Hanafuda were killed, even if Kaido didn't start a full-scale war with us, he would definitely cause a huge scene. His 'ambitions' would also be affected. Hanafuda doesn't care about his own life, but there are things he does care about."
True friends. Children. Dreams. Ambition."
There was a clarity in Sengoku's eyes, calm as a Buddha's.
"Once a beast has a weak point, being tamed is only a matter of time."
But just as Sengoku displayed his wisdom...
"Oh."
Garp replied with a disappointed "Oh," then sat back down and continued eating senbei.
Sengoku: "... "
Before he could get angry again, the Den Den Mushi in front of him rang once more.
Sengoku took a deep breath and picked it up.
"Hello? Chief Commander Kong... Yes, it's me. Regarding Roy Amos, the matter has been resolved. It will be handled discreetly..."
His tone was calm at first.
Then, his expression gradually turned strange.
"Photographed again? When? Has the government already sent people to the newspaper island? "Mm... I understand. I'll make arrangements immediately."
He quickly hung up.
Facing the three pairs of curious eyes in front of him, Sengoku took another deep breath.
"Zephyr, your disciple won't be able to keep a low profile anymore. He's about to make a name for himself across the seas."
(End of Chapter)
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