"Honestly." Dante watched Zephyr's retreating back and shook his head. "I told you, nothing's going to go wrong. I didn't build all this from scratch just to abandon it and run off to the New World to become some pirate."
He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Fine. Looks like I'll need to divert the World Government's attention after all."
At the same time, elsewhere.
Smoker stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand with a faint smirk.
Beside him, Tashigi, who had kept silent throughout, hesitated, then said, "Captain Smoker, did Captain Dante..."
"Forget about him. And remember this, we don't know him very well." Smoker waved a dismissive hand, his voice impatient. "Don't let that madman drag us down with him."
He ignored Tashigi, who still looked like she wanted to speak, and stared at the Den Den Mushi again. Finally, he sighed, and dialed a number.
Then his expression hardened. Before the other side even had a chance to speak, he spat out the words, "I'm reporting a crime. Dante, Captain of Marine Branch 16, is planning a mutiny!"
The World Government doesn't just dispatch a large contingent of Celestial Dragon guards to accompany and protect them. It also notifies the island's residents and the kings of allied nations to prepare for their arrival.
On the Marine HQ side, someone has to contact the local stationed Marines to protect Celestial Dragons during their excursions. If the destination is particularly dangerous, they even have to deploy a large force to escort them the entire way.
Celestial Dragons descending to the world below was a massive headache for the Marines.
So when Sengoku received orders from the World Government, he was already nursing a headache in the Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Can't those World Nobles just stay put in Mary Geoise? If they want something, send those Celestial Dragon guards to buy it. If they're really that bored, they can stroll around the Sabaody Archipelago." Sengoku rubbed his forehead, grimacing down at the orders in his hand. "Why are they heading to the East Blue again? Don't they know Marine HQ is swamped?"
He looked up at the sofa across from him. Garp had been eating nonstop since he arrived.
"If I'd known you'd be this useless, I would've had you come back later." Sengoku snapped. "You could've been in the East Blue playing bodyguard for Celestial Dragons."
"Bwahaha, now that's what I call lucky! Seeing those piles of trash gives me a splitting headache too!" Garp kept eating, chuckling. "Also, I should remind you, when I'm on vacation, I'd really rather you not talk to me about work!"
"You've got the nerve to talk to me about vacation? And don't stand there cursing Celestial Dragons right in front of me, are you trying to get court-martialed?" Sengoku's jaw tightened.
He'd given him a single week off. If Sengoku hadn't personally called him, the man would've stayed in the East Blue for nearly a month.
What, was he thinking of retiring just like Zephyr?
And after finally coming back... the man had the gall to ask for reimbursement for his vacation expenses?!
"You should be grinning ear to ear that I haven't docked your pay. No, wait, why am I even bothering to argue with you about this?"
Sengoku caught himself. He looked back down at the orders and sighed. "Celestial Dragons on an excursion..."
But who should he send?
Smoker was in the East Blue. He could send him, but that kid's temper worried him.
Celestial Dragons personalities... as Fleet Admiral, it wasn't appropriate for him to say this, but deep down he knew, those people were truly despicable.
Smoker had a stubborn streak a mile wide. If he wasn't so difficult, Marine HQ wouldn't have specifically sent him off to the East Blue to be tempered in the first place.
Chances were, if he saw Celestial Dragons pulling something, he'd end up clashing with them directly.
The incident with Dante back then had blown up into a huge scandal.
That kind of incident was best avoided if at all possible. They couldn't afford another mishap.
As for Dante, he'd spent the last few years being tempered in the East Blue too, and he'd changed quite a bit. His handling of social graces and politics was excellent now, but given what had happened back then... it was still best to avoid any meeting between him and Celestial Dragons.
Who should he choose? If Morgan and Nezumi were still around, they'd be perfect. One corrupt on his power, another a groveling coward. Whatever Celestial Dragons said, those two would do it, they'd keep those nobles perfectly comfortable.
Too bad both of them had already been brought down for corruption, bribery, and colluding with pirates.
Come to think of it, why were there so many corrupt officials in the East Blue?
In just a few short years, two base commanders had already been taken down.
Sengoku sighed, tapping his fingers on the desk. He raised his head to look at Garp.
Compared to the other three seas, the East Blue's security was still quite high.
And now that Mock had left the East Blue, plus the old bastard Garp just got back, things should be reasonably secure there for a while. No truly vicious pirates were likely to surface.
Except.
Celestial Dragons descending from above still needed close attention. No accidents whatsoever could be allowed. If anything happened to a Celestial Dragon, it would spell disaster for the Marines and the local islands alike.
"If it comes to it, we'll just have to send a unit from HQ to escort them personally."
Sengoku sighed in resignation. Then, as if something else had occurred to him, he let out a dismissive scoff. "Smoker and Dante... hmph. What is so great about the East Blue that neither of Marine HQ's two most talented Captains wants to come back? I'd sure like to know!"
"Who knows?" Garp munched his snacks, thoroughly unbothered. "Maybe because they've got a Romance Dawn over there!"
"Romance Dawn? Didn't you and Kuzan say it was a bar? What's so special about it? You both never shut up about the place!" Sengoku grumbled and shook his head. "Forget it. Let's deal with the Celestial Dragon travel arrangements first."
He paused briefly, frowning.
A moment later, it came to him.
Sengoku's frown deepened, his voice turning grave. "Have Captain Hina-"
But before he could finish, the Fleet Admiral's dedicated Den Den Mushi on the desk suddenly rang.
*Purupurupuru, purupurupuru~*
Still frowning, Sengoku picked up the receiver. "Yes? What is it?"
A few seconds later, his stern expression flickered into something else entirely.
"You've confirmed it? Oh, Captain Smoker reported it?" Whatever answer came through the line made his jaw tighten. "Fine. I understand."
*Click.*
He dropped the receiver, folded his hands in front of his jaw, and sat there, furious.
Garp studied him with open curiosity, still eating. "What happened, Sengoku? Don't tell me Mock pulled something big again?"
"...Mock hasn't stirred up anything major. This time, it's the East Blue Navy 16th Branch..."
Sengoku shook his head, his face still dark. He paused. Then his voice went hard.
"Dante Ashford has turned traitor."
Silence.
Garp froze mid-snack, staring blankly. He gave his ear a good scratch.
What? New Year's barely behind them and that brat already turned traitor? What's there to turn traitor over?
Is the free military budget not good enough anymore? Female pirates not fun enough? And why didn't that punk tell him first?
But before the bewildered Garp could get a single word out,
"What is that brat playing at?" Sengoku slammed both palms on the desk and shot to his feet. "What, does he want revenge for his teacher? Or did he get bored with female pirates and decide to try being one himself? Does he have any idea how busy Marine HQ is right now? And he picks this moment to drop more work on our heads?"
He rounded on Garp, furious. "Does the East Blue ever run out of problems? First corrupt officials, now traitors? And didn't you personally guarantee me that kid was clean? He defects now, and he's in league with a Shichibukai?"
"Er... truth is, I'm not actually that close with the kid-"
"You son of a bitch, now you tell me you're not close? Go to hell! If you're not close, why was he sending you gifts?" Sengoku's temper snapped as he watched the old bastard shamelessly try to wash his hands of the whole thing. But he forced himself to take a deep breath, there was still work to do. He shot Garp a glare. "We are having a meeting. Get your ass in gear and call everyone here for a meeting. We settle this now!"
Because here was the thing.
Celestial Dragons were about to descend from above.
And now this?
When the Marines arrived at the meeting room and heard the news, everyone froze.
Of course.
It wasn't shock at a branch base commander staging a coup. It was the sheer absurdity of it. A single branch Captain going rogue, an East Blue branch Captain, no less, and they'd gathered everyone here for a meeting this dramatic?
They exchanged bewildered glances, then turned their puzzled stares toward the head of the table, where Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat with his fingers interlaced, his expression grim.
===============
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