On the other side, aboard a standard Navy warship, Momonga held the Den Den Mushi, one eyebrow lifting slightly.
"Oh? Near the waters around Slankrif Island? I'm already in the area. Since I've run into it, I might as well go take a look..."
After hanging up, Momonga pulled a Vivre Card from his coat and handed it to the Navy Captain beside him.
"Proceed in the direction indicated by this Vivre Card."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Momonga!"
The captain replied at once, taking the card and moving off to make the arrangements.
...
Meanwhile, at the G-5 Marine Base, Ortoren was temporarily recuperating. His new command center had yet to be completed, and the supporting medical facilities still weren't in place.
Personally, he didn't think his injuries were a big deal, but under Gion's firm insistence, he had returned to G-5 along with Yixiao and the others to rest and recover.
There was also the matter of relocation to deal with. He wouldn't be stationed at this base long-term, which meant Rouge, Robin, and Ace couldn't continue living here either. Naturally, they would be moving with him.
At the moment, inside Ortoren's residence, he was lying face-down on the sofa, lazily holding a newspaper as he skimmed through it.
There wasn't any major news worth paying attention to.
In truth, his mind wasn't on the paper at all. His thoughts were elsewhere.
"It's about time I made a trip to Skypiea," Ortoren thought to himself. "The gold reserves up there should be put to use soon, shouldn't they?"
In the past, he had left it alone because he couldn't handle that much gold, nor did he have a suitable place to store it. But now, as an Admiral and the governor of the New World, retrieving that gold came with far fewer concerns. As long as he kept things discreet, it could still be hidden.
Part of the reason he wanted to bring the gold down was Tesoro's "Golden City" plan, which required a solid reserve of capital to support it. On top of that, Doflamingo had already begun pushing the Marine Police project. While there wasn't any immediate financial strain, it was only a matter of time. Maintaining tens or even hundreds of thousands of troops was no small expense.
These days, Ortoren could be considered wealthy, but he also had many large-scale plans running at the same time. Capital flowed in and out constantly. If the pressure grew too heavy and something unexpected happened, breaking the chain of funds, it would be a serious problem. Bringing down Skypiea's gold now would give him much more breathing room.
As for how to reach the Sky Island, that wasn't an issue at all anymore. There was no need to wait for the Upward Stream near Jaya, nor to depart from the World Government's exclusive Skypiea route, the Summit of the West.
He could simply have Issho take action. With his ability, ascending into the sky from anywhere was entirely possible.
And with Issho around, transporting Skypiea's gold down would be far easier as well.
Just as Ortoren was thinking through all of this, the Den Den Mushi on the coffee table beside him suddenly started ringing.
He glanced over, mildly surprised, then picked it up.
"Fleet Admiral? What instructions do you have?"
This sudden call was from none other than Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
On the other end, Sengoku's voice was calm and steady.
"Ortoren, there's a political assignment coming down from Mary Geoise that I need to inform you about."
"Huh?"
Ortoren frowned slightly. "What happened this time? Does it really involve me?"
"You could say it does," Sengoku replied. "In the North Blue, there's a pirate crew claiming they've obtained the Ope Ope no Mi. This Devil Fruit has been personally requested by the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise. In the underworld, it's been priced at fifty billion Belly. That crew intends to sell it to the World Government, but..."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Their captain is named Diez Barrels. He was once an officer stationed at Marine Headquarters. After failing a mission, he feared punishment and chose to defect, falling into piracy. Because of that, he harbors deep distrust toward both the Navy and the World Government. For this transaction, he decided to use an underworld intermediary as a guarantor. The broker he chose was Doflamingo..."
Hearing this, Ortoren was stunned.
The timeline didn't make sense.
Last August, Bone had gone missing. By September, his disappearance on Hachinosu had been confirmed. In October, Ortoren arrived at G-5 and began assembling the fleet. By early November, he led the G-5 fleet to Hachinosu, and everything that followed unfolded from there.
Now it was only the beginning of Sea Circle Calendar 1505. Just a couple of days ago, he had celebrated New Year's Eve at G-5. He couldn't remember the exact timing of the Ope Ope no Mi incident, but it definitely shouldn't have been happening now. No matter how he thought about it, it should've been pushed back by at least a year or two.
Then again, considering that Doflamingo was one of Ortoren's closest partners, in the original course of events, Doflamingo wasn't even a Navy Vice Admiral at this point.
He wasn't even one of the Shichibukai yet.
Now, he was already the King of Dressrosa. Many things had indeed undergone drastic changes.
And Doflamingo was someone with immense influence in the North Blue. It was entirely possible that changes in his personal trajectory had caused this matter to be inexplicably pushed forward.
Still, Ortoren found it intriguing. Even if the timing had shifted, the people involved seemed to be the same.
"So?" Ortoren asked.
"Ahem..."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku cleared his throat before continuing.
"Have you heard the legend surrounding the Ope Ope no Mi?"
"Something about granting eternal life, right? I've heard a little," Ortoren replied casually.
It sounded impressive, but the seas were full of legends about immortality. The Ope Ope no Mi was just one of many.
Stories like the Fountain of Youth, the Elixir of Immortality, and even the 'Pure Gold' Ortoren remembered, something that had practically been proven to exist, were all said to grant eternal life.
Compared to the Fountain of Youth, the Elixir of Immortality, or even the Ope Ope no Mi, Ortoren found most of them vague and unrealistic. The Ope Ope no Mi at least sounded somewhat plausible, but its conditions were far too harsh. First, the user had to awaken their abilities. Then they had to give up their life to perform the immortality surgery. Just hearing it made the whole thing sound impractical.
Pure Gold, on the other hand, struck Ortoren as far more promising. If he ever seriously needed to consider longevity, that seemed like a much more realistic direction to pursue.
"Hm..."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku acknowledged him, then continued.
"Whether it's true or not, I can't say for certain. But when it comes to these matters, the Celestial Dragons have always preferred to be cautious rather than take risks. That's why the Ope Ope no Mi has long been listed at fifty billion Belly in the underworld. As for Doflamingo, he himself came down from Mary Geoise, so he's naturally aware of these secrets. I'm concerned he might develop ideas he shouldn't. If that happens, it will put us in a very difficult position."
"So you want me to keep an eye on Doflamingo?" Ortoren asked
"And make sure the Ope Ope no Mi transaction goes through?"
"He is your man," Fleet Admiral Sengoku said quietly.
"It will be easier for you to communicate with him."
He didn't spell it out, but the implication was obvious.
After a brief pause, Sengoku continued.
"This matter was personally assigned by the Five Elders. They've made it clear that the mission must be completed. If you handle this well, the Five Elders will surely look upon you favorably. It will also help build trust and make things easier for you in the New World. One move, two benefits."
Ortoren thought to himself that Sengoku's godson probably wouldn't see it that way. Rosinante truly had a talent for dragging his allies down with him.
In the original course of events, he had sabotaged Doflamingo first, then turned around and thoroughly ruined his own godfather, Sengoku. Out of trust in Rosinante, Sengoku hadn't concealed the information about the Ope Ope no Mi when Rosinante asked him about it.
The result was that Rosinante used Marine intelligence to hijack his own father's mission and handed the Ope Ope no Mi straight to Trafalgar Law.
In the end, Doflamingo got absolutely nothing. He made the trip for nothing and even managed to offend the World Government and the Marines all over again.
As for Sengoku, the mission failed outright. He didn't even catch a glimpse of the Ope Ope no Mi.
To make matters worse, Rosinante died in the process. Sengoku couldn't even vent his anger. All he could do was grieve over his death.
Afterward, he was likely dragged up to Mary Geoise by the Five Elders more than once and thoroughly criticized.
It was clear just how spectacularly Rosinante had screwed over his own father. With such a "good son," it wouldn't have been strange for Sengoku to lose a few years of his life from sheer frustration.
All of this ran through Ortoren's mind, but aloud he simply said,
"Alright, I understand. I'll follow along and observe the process."
As for the final outcome, Ortoren had no intention of making any guarantees. He had no desire to complete the mission and hand the Ope Ope no Mi over to those bastards in Mary Geoise. That would be nothing but a waste.
But if he personally stepped in to obstruct it, the responsibility afterward would be enormous.
On the other hand, if Rosinante stepped forward and took the blame, Ortoren wouldn't mind seeing that at all. Rosinante had a powerful background. A legitimate Celestial Dragon by birth, and the adopted son of a Fleet Admiral. Even if he completely ruined the mission, it wasn't like he'd be executed for it.
Sengoku had no biological children. This was his only godson. As Fleet Admiral, he still had enough face to keep him alive.
Of course... that meant the Fleet Admiral himself would have to suffer a bit.
"Tsk. What a way to screw over your own father," Ortoren sighed inwardly.
...
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