"I am Marduk!"
"My name is Surtur!"
A black cloud and a ball of fire also squeezed into the spacious office, floating happily in the air above Cross's head.
The Jimmy brothers looked at Cross at the door and the black cloud and fireball floating above his head, and their eyes met in surprise.
Fortunately, as the president of the Jimmy Trading Company, Jimmy Myers was well-traveled and knowledgeable. He knew that the two creatures were a Devil Fruit ability, so he didn't show any surprise.
Instead, he stood up from the sofa with an eager expression, quickly walked over to Cross, and said with a smile, "I've long heard of Commodore Cross. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation. So young and so accomplished!"
"Hello, I am Jimmy Myers, the president of the Jimmy Trading Company!" Myers shook hands with Cross, and didn't forget to greet Marduk and Surtur.
Afterward, Myers enthusiastically invited Cross to sit on the sofa and told his female secretary to brew a pot of the finest black tea. The blonde secretary respectfully turned and left, closing the door behind her.
After Cross sat down, Marduk and Surtur hovered behind him, one on each side, glaring at the Jimmy brothers across from them.
"I apologize for the unannounced visit, President Jimmy!"
"It's an honor for the Jimmy Trading Company to have you visit, Commodore Cross!"
"You're too kind, President Jimmy!"
"..."
Myers managed to calm down and exchanged a few pleasantries with Cross, while Capo next to him was clearly scared out of his wits, his eyes darting around in terror.
Knock, knock, knock~
Soon, a knock on the door sounded again. The beautiful blonde secretary pushed the door open, holding a tray with a gold-rimmed glass teapot and two white porcelain cups.
Myers had the secretary pour the tea and proudly introduced it. "This is a premium-grade tea from Tea Island called 'Summit Black Tea,' reserved for the Celestial Dragons. I only bring it out when I'm entertaining important guests. Please, Commodore Cross, have a taste!"
"Oh, 'Summit Black Tea,' the legendary black tea. I must have a try, then!" Cross could hear the boast in Myers's words, but he didn't care. He picked up the teacup and took a small sip of the hot tea.
It truly lived up to its reputation as a premium red tea for the Celestial Dragons. The tea was rich and smooth on the palate. A hint of bitterness was followed by a sweet, fruity fragrance that lingered in his mouth, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.
"This is good tea~!" Cross praised without hesitation.
"Hahahaha~ I'm delighted that you're satisfied, Commodore Cross. When you leave, I'll give you half a pound!" At this, Myers winced a little but quickly explained, "Commodore Cross, don't think I'm being stingy. This kind of premium 'Summit Black Tea' is very rare, and even with my good relationship with the World Government, I haven't been able to get much of it!"
"I cannot accept something without earning it. It's already my good fortune to be able to taste this precious tea, and I would not presume to ask for more," Cross said, shaking his head and putting down his teacup, his words conveying his rejection.
"Haha~ It's a blessing for good people like us to have righteous men like Commodore Cross in the Marines. But this is just a personal gift from me to show my admiration for you!" Myers said enthusiastically, as if he hadn't heard Cross's refusal.
In truth, Myers had seen Cross's name and photo in the newspaper before, so he knew that he wasn't an ordinary Commodore, and thus, he had to be treated differently.
"Well, if President Jimmy insists on giving it, I won't refuse." A smile appeared on Cross's face, but before Myers could feel happy for two seconds, Cross got straight to the point. "But the tea has been drunk, so it's time to talk business. I'm sure you've received the document and know why I'm here!"
"Of course I did, but I don't understand what this has to do with the Jimmy Trading Company. After all, you've already had that batch of medical supplies for half a month. If there was a problem, you should have contacted us then, right?" Myers's face slightly darkened, but his smile didn't fade.
Cross could hear the implication in his words: since it had been half a month, if there was a problem, it must have been an internal issue within the Marines, not with the Jimmy Trading Company.
"And this must be Jimmy Capo-san?" Cross knew that Myers wouldn't admit it directly, so he shifted his gaze to the man who looked so much like Myers beside him.
Capo feigned composure and forced a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Commodore Cross. I'm Jimmy Capo. Can I help you with something?"
"Half a month ago, you were the one who delivered that batch of medical supplies worth 300 million Berries, weren't you?" Cross asked, staring at Capo.
Gulp...
Under Cross's intimidating gaze, Capo swallowed nervously and replied, "Y-yes, that was me. But Commander Partt of Branch G-2 signed for them. Even if there were some substandard products, it's not my fault."
"I've investigated the logistics department at Branch G-2. There are indeed a lot of things like fake accounts and kickbacks, but they're all within a tolerable range. However, they don't have the guts to replace 150 million Berries worth of medical supplies with substandard ones. Because they also know that once something like this is exposed, everyone in the logistics department will be the first to face the consequences," Cross said, his expression flat and his voice calm. "Do you know? Because of those substandard medical supplies, 67 seriously injured Marines died on the spot, and another 183 wounded turned from lightly injured to seriously injured and eventually died. There were also 62 people who had to have amputations, 33 of whom only needed simple hemostatic medicine, gauze, and bandages to heal!"
Cough, cough...
Myers coughed lightly and said with a heavy expression, "I never expected such a thing to happen at Branch G-2. I offer my deepest condolences. However, I can assure you that we were unaware of this matter, and that batch of medical supplies was sent to Branch G-2 only after our strict inspection."
"Of course, to show our sympathy to the innocent Marines who were sacrificed and injured, the Jimmy Trading Company is willing to offer 100 million Berries. I ask that you please take it with you, Commodore Cross." Myers finished and patted Capo beside him. Both of them lowered their heads, showing their "deep condolences."
Seeing this, Cross almost laughed. While he knew that they would never admit it, their ability to feign ignorance and lie so brazenly was truly astonishing.
Immediately, Cross's expression turned cold, and he said unceremoniously, "Right now, I only know that Capo-san is the principal culprit. I'm not sure if President Jimmy and the Jimmy Trading Company were involved in deceiving the Marines, so please stop putting on this act in front of me. It's disgusting."
Hearing this, Myers's face darkened, and he said angrily, "Commodore Cross, I respect you as a Marine, but it's going too far for you to accuse my brother of wrongdoing without concrete evidence!"
"I know you won't admit it, but I'm not a lawyer or a judge, and I don't care about evidence. So, Capo-san, you'd better come with me to Branch G-2 honestly, or I won't mind using some aggressive methods!" Cross's expression was mocking, and his tone was sarcastic. "By the way, on my way here, I took a stroll down the street and heard a strange story. Apparently, a few days ago, a corpse was found on the beach. It was a manager from the Jimmy Trading Company. The island's security officers came to investigate and concluded that the person committed suicide... Hmm, by being shot eight times in the back!"
Capo's face turned pale, and he subconsciously stuttered, "Th-that was a suicide! The security officer said it was a suicide! It must have been... it must have been a suicide!"
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