It was true. Although Sean lacked Observation Haki, he could still sense his surroundings within a certain range by relying on his Reiatsu.
Lucci's previous movements had naturally been captured by this sense. Consequently, the moment the lightning struck, Sean used Hekireki to restrain him and shift him directly behind his back.
He had been waiting... waiting for the exact moment Lucci would arrive at this position and unleash his final, full-power strike—the moment where, even if Lucci realized the trap, he would be unable to evade.
This victory was less about raw power and more about calculation. Otherwise, even if Sean were capable of defeating Lucci, it would have taken much longer—unless he was willing to risk everything and expose all his trump cards, such as the Bakudō or other Hadō spells that couldn't be explained away as lightning.
Outside the battlefield, tens of thousands of Marines looked at one another, their faces a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and uncertainty.
After about ten seconds, someone finally let out a cheer, and suddenly, the entire parade ground erupted.
A fifteen-year-old boy—merely a student in the Elite Training Camp—had won. At first, no one had paid much attention to Sean, assuming he was just some hot-blooded youth who had stepped in because he couldn't stand the sight of the Marines being humiliated.
But he had actually won!
And with that level of strength... it was doubtful that even the Admirals were this powerful at his age.
"Sean, well done!" Sengoku stepped into the arena, clapping Sean on the shoulder. He could no longer hide the smile on his face. The Marines had been destined for humiliation, but Sean's intervention had completely reversed the situation. Sengoku was thrilled.
"Old man Sengoku, Lucci is quite impressive. Any way we can recruit him into the Marines?"
"That... I'm afraid not," Sengoku replied, blinking before shaking his head.
Sengoku knew Lucci was exceptional. Given the current lack of new talent in the Marines, he would have welcomed Lucci with open arms if it were possible. But it simply wasn't. Lucci belonged to CP9, a direct intelligence agency of the World Government. Even as the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had no authority to demand personnel from them.
"Old man, don't you know how to use your head?"
"What do you mean?"
"A trade. Don't tell me you still haven't gotten that list from Nezumi after all these days."
"This..."
Sengoku felt a wave of awkwardness. He really hadn't managed to get the list; Nezumi had been stubbornly tight-lipped.
"Then let me give you three names. Go talk to Spandine. The Marines will trade three for one..."
"Wait, we'll discuss this in my office!" Sengoku immediately interrupted him. There were too many people around for such a conversation.
'''
Half an hour later, after the affairs at the parade grounds were settled, Sean followed Sengoku into the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Alright, Sean. You can speak now."
"Vice Admiral Loife, Vice Admiral Singer, and Vice Admiral Sanders."
"So it really is those three..."
"Old man Sengoku, it sounds like you already suspected them?" Sean asked, somewhat surprised.
"Yes. The strength of those three hasn't actually reached the level of a Vice Admiral; they'd even struggle to be considered Rear Admirals."
"What? They can barely pass for Rear Admirals, and you still let them be promoted to Vice Admiral?"
"Because... they have too many military achievements on their records."
Sean understood immediately. With Spandine as their backer and the assistance of the CP, fabricating achievements was easy. If they needed intelligence, Spandine provided it. If they needed combat results, Spandine could arrange for clandestine assistance or simply have agents kill the target, allowing the three officers to return with the heads and claim the credit. After all, assassination was the CP's specialty.
Thus, these three climbed the ranks to Vice Admiral, using their status to secure even more benefits for Spandine. Vice Admiral Sanders, in particular, was responsible for managing intelligence across the branches of the four seas, giving him immense power to manipulate information.
Otherwise, was it really possible that the Headquarters' top brass remained completely ignorant of Nezumi's decades of chaos in the East Blue? Clearly, Sanders had suppressed all the relevant intelligence, leading to the current state of affairs.
If it were any other Vice Admiral, Sengoku might have hesitated, even to acquire a young genius of Lucci's caliber. But these three... Sengoku didn't hesitate for a second.
Their strength was lacking, they were barely Rear Admiral level, and they were parasites within the Marine. Trading them for Lucci? It was a bargain.
More importantly, given their rank, these three definitely knew a great deal about Spandine's dirty laundry. If those secrets were exposed, Spandine might be able to shift the blame in front of the Five Elders again, but he would definitely lose a layer of skin in the process.
Therefore, Spandine would be forced to accept this trade.
"However... Sean, are you truly willing to give up these three just to get Lucci?"
Sengoku hadn't forgotten the message Sean had sent through Smoker. He knew Sean's bottom line: every single Marine involved in the corruption had to be purged. If they were traded away now, they would escape justice.
"The big picture comes first. I understand," Sean replied.
Sengoku's opinion of Sean rose even further. He hadn't expected the boy to have such a sense of strategic priority. Truly a talent for the ages.
However, Sengoku didn't hear the thought echoing in Sean's mind:
'They'll have to survive the trip to Spandine first!'
That was Sean's true intention. The trade would happen, but the parasites of the Marine had to be purged. Not a single one would escape.
'''
After Sean left, Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi and called Spandine.
"Well, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, can Lucci bring the prisoner over now?"
"I'm afraid not. Lucci lost, so he cannot."
"Impossible! Among the Marines of the same generation, absolutely no one can defeat Lucci!"
"You can ask Lucci yourself. The Marines aren't as shameless as you are."
"You...!"
Lucci had actually lost? And to someone of his own generation within the Marine? Spandine was completely stunned.
"Rest assured, Nezumi will not have the chance to speak again before he dies, just as we agreed last time."
"I hope you keep your word, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
Although Lucci's defeat was a shock, Spandine found the result acceptable. As long as Sengoku fulfilled his promise to execute Nezumi without letting him talk, it was fine.
However...
"By the way, I want someone from your CP9!"
"Who?"
"Rob Lucci. I'm certain he'd be a perfect fit for the Marines!"
"Impossible!"
'Rob Lucci? Sengoku, have you had too much to drink?'
"What if I offer three Marine Vice Admirals in exchange?"
"Vice Admiral Loffy, Vice Admiral Singer, and Vice Admiral Sanders!"
As Sengoku finished speaking, the face of Spandine, as mimicked by the Den Den Mushi, widened its eyes in absolute shock.
'''
Ten minutes later.
After hanging up the call with Spandine, Sengoku looked completely satisfied, even humming a little tune to himself.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean in a secret base, Spandine was in his room... frantically smashing everything in sight!