The tip of the Seven Stars Sword rested lightly against Zephyr's neck, and a faint, chilling smile curled at the corner of Rojen's mouth.
"Nothing much," He said casually into the Den Den Mushi. "I just wanted to tell Admiral Sengoku some bad news."
Sengoku's expression darkened across the line. A cold dread crept into his heart, but he forced down the sudden surge of anxiety and asked in a low, grave tone:
"What do you mean?"
"Admiral Zephyr," Rojen said with that calm, mocking smile, "is standing right in front of me."
Though the tone sounded almost playful, the subtle, devastating threat behind those words made Sengoku's face change instantly.
"What are your conditions?"
Sengoku immediately grasped the gravity of the situation and asked straight to the point. At the same time, his mind was reeling with disbelief. Zephyr, an Admiral of Marine Headquarters, one of their absolute top combat powers, had been captured? How was that even possible?
This reminded him of what had happened to Kizaru before… yet this time, the opponent's mysterious Possession System power seemed even stronger, so overwhelming that even a titan like Zephyr had been defeated.
"Conditions?"
Rojen sounded genuinely surprised by the question, then chuckled softly as he realized Sengoku had misunderstood.
"I have no conditions," He said lightly. "I'm just delivering the news. If you want to bring him back… then send someone stronger."
He paused for a moment before adding with a grin: "Oh, and one more thing, the Sabaody Archipelago might no longer be under your jurisdiction very soon."
"So you'd better hurry."
With that, Rojen hung up the Den Den Mushi without hesitation, cutting off the connection.
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku's face was as dark as a storm-tossed sea.
"Damn it!"
He clenched his fists, forcing himself to suppress the anger bubbling in his chest as he tried to think through a counter-plan.
He didn't believe Rojen was lying for a second. Zephyr's Den Den Mushi was a private, single-line communicator, only the Admiral carried it, and only the Marine top brass had similar units. The fact that Rojen had access to it, and had the audacity to contact him directly, said everything. Zephyr's situation was dire, self-evident.
What worried Sengoku more than anything now was whether his old friend, the veteran Admiral, was even still alive.
He sat in silence for a long while, his headache worsening the more he contemplated the enemy's move.
Finally, he called for the soldier waiting outside the office.
"Has Garp arrived yet?" He asked sternly.
"Currently, we're unable to reach him, sir," The soldier answered, startled by Sengoku's tone.
"That bastard!"
Sengoku slammed a fist on the table, his fury rising again. At such a critical moment, Garp had the nerve to disappear!
"Go and summon Kizaru," He ordered.
The soldier turned to leave, but Sengoku added sharply:
"And bring Rear Admiral Sakazuki as well."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldier saluted loudly and rushed off. As he exited the office, his heart pounded with disbelief.
"Kizaru and Sakazuki, both Admiral-level powerhouses… What in the world has happened to make Admiral Sengoku this tense?"
Indeed, as someone who had long served by Sengoku's side, the soldier could clearly tell that the Fleet Admiral was unusually agitated.
Before long, two imposing figures entered Sengoku's office.
"Admiral Sengoku, what's going on?" Kizaru was the first to arrive, dressed in his trademark floral-patterned suit, sunglasses in place, and his usual lazy expression. After his last near-death battle with Rojen, he had survived by sheer luck, an ordeal that had ironically pushed him to break through his limits and grow stronger.
"Mm. I'll explain once Sakazuki gets here," Sengoku said quietly, his expression grim.
Kizaru didn't seem to mind the wait. He simply found a seat and sat down casually.
Moments later, the second man entered, wearing a Marine cap, with a square, rough face and an impeccably neat uniform. His demeanor was strict and rigid, the very model of a severe Marine officer.
"Sakazuki." Sengoku rapped the table lightly.
"Admiral Sengoku, what do you need of me?" Sakazuki's face was cold and severe, exuding a chilling aura that made others instinctively keep their distance.
"Sabaody Archipelago is in trouble!" Sengoku stared at the two men and spoke in a low voice.
Those words surprised the two newcomers.
"I thought Zephyr was stationed there?" Kizaru asked, his curiosity finally piqued.
"The one in trouble is Zephyr himself!" Sengoku shook his head.
"What happened?" Sakazuki demanded.
"Remember Rojen? Our initial suspicion is that Zephyr has been brought under his control!" Sengoku's statement caused both men's eyes to narrow instantly.
Kizaru was intimately familiar with Rojen; and Sakazuki had often heard the name from colleagues, so both took the warning seriously.
"Any existence that defies justice must be annihilated!" Sakazuki said with chilling conviction.
"I want you two to head to the Sabaody Archipelago and suppress the situation there as fast as possible. Quell this pirate uprising." Sengoku said sternly.
"Admiral Sengoku, are you suggesting the place has already been overrun by pirates?" Kizaru replied in surprise. Besides Admiral Zephyr, Sabaody Archipelago is guarded by ten Vice Admirals, and the pirates are likely mostly newcomers. The power gap should be obvious!
"The situation is probably already critical," Sengoku shook his head. "So this mission is important. After you pacify the chaos, don't linger, return here immediately!" he added.
"I have a feeling that that brat is hiding some plot behind him!" Sengoku's tone was grave, he took Rojen, who had asked for no ransom but instead demanded reinforcements, very seriously. Something felt wrong. What exactly was Rojen planning?
"Yes, sir!" Kizaru and Sakazuki rose and answered in unison, understanding the gravity of the mission. An Admiral defeated and captured, the ramifications would be immense; the world would be shocked.
They stood, then left quickly.
"I'll go on ahead. Sengoku says it's critical over there!" Kizaru called to Sakazuki as he left headquarters. Tiny flecks of golden light shimmered around him as he vanished in an instant. The Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit), the travel speed it grants, was terrifying.
"Hmph. Rojen, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do!" Sakazuki said as he watched Kizaru disappear. He strode aboard a nearby warship and ordered it to set sail at once. Marine Headquarters was not far from the Sabaody Archipelago; they would arrive quickly.
Outside the Marine garrison on Sabaody Archipelago.
After Rojen hung up the Den Den Mushi, his smile vanished. Looking down at the motionless Zephyr beneath him, he felt a tactical headache coming on.
"Should I kill him?" "Probably not."
No matter the circumstances, slaying an Admiral would bring endless, uncontrolled trouble. Apart from the Possession System as his trump card, Rojen's own strength was still far from a true Admiral level. Moreover, killing Zephyr would drive the entire Marines to a frenzy, they would hunt and retaliate without cease.
Even men at the very top, like Whitebeard or the Golden Lion, would not lightly attack a Marine Admiral: first, because they're incredibly hard to kill; second, because it would provoke the Marines into uncontrollable vengeance. After all, while many powers existed in this world, none currently possessed the strength to overturn the entire world order.
"I can't kill him, that would collapse the Nether Soul operation!" Rojen reasoned. With his current force, he could not bear the consequences of assassinating Zephyr.
"Then seal him."
(End Of This Chapter)
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