Chapter 181: A Headache for Admiral
Boom!
A stack of documents slammed onto the desk, and the voice of Warlord Gokou resounded through the room, "What the hell are those CP guys doing? Enies Lobby has been completely leveled! It's disappeared from the map! What the hell have they done?"
CP9 hadn't even had a chance to report the capture of Nico Robin when Rodney, singlehandedly, arrived and obliterated Enies Lobby.
Spandam, who had been about to report this news to his superiors, was evaporated by the power of the Tailed Beast Sphere during their call. Spandam only knew that his son had captured a big fish, but the specifics were unclear.
Even the Den Den Mushi communication system in the Enies Lobby had been destroyed, rendering any useful information inaccessible.
The destruction of Enies Lobby severely damaged the World Government's reputation. Although it had nothing to do with Admiral Sengoku, there was no one else to blame but the Five Elders, and they gave him an earful, making him wish he could challenge them to an arm wrestling contest to settle things.
However, Sengoku, being an Admiral, had a sense of dignity and couldn't act recklessly. He suppressed his anger, returned to his office, and vented his frustration on the CP members who were not doing their jobs properly.
What a nuisance they had become.
He pinched his temples, frustrated by these petty matters. He was an Admiral of the Marines, not a janitor for the World Government. Where should he begin his investigation? From where?
Everything was so perplexing.
The World Government's capital... Enies Lobby... CP9... and Rodney?
Wait, why did that guy show up there?
He immediately retrieved some documents, which displayed that after massacring Mock Town, Rodney had flown into the sky on a hawk. Two days later, he appeared on the ship of the Straw Hat Pirates.
The Straw Hat Pirates... Garp's grandson...
Thinking of his eccentric old friend, Sengoku felt a sudden headache. Could he just give Garp's grandson a break?
Accompanying the Straw Hat Pirates to the World Government's capital, he stayed in his room the entire time. He went out briefly but quickly returned with Nico Robin.
The Devil's Child... Nico Robin...
Sengoku was well aware of the tragedy of Ohara and how it had changed Nico Robin. It had also transformed her protector, Kuzan, from an enthusiastic youth into a person with altered views on justice. He had gone from "Burning Justice!" to "Lazy Justice!"
Sengoku had turned a blind eye to Robin's activities, knowing that Kuzan was protecting her. The only ones truly pursuing her were the World Government, specifically CP, a group of secret agents cultivated by the World Government to handle unsavory matters.
"Could this mess have something to do with him?" Sengoku muttered to himself. He didn't entirely believe what was written in the documents.
Rodney had the ability to create clones and transform. What if it was a transformed clone?
There was a possibility.
Without concrete evidence, he couldn't act. For now, he maintained the appearance of harmony. They were on good terms, saying their pleasantries, but if they were to tear their masks off, it would create a formidable opponent for both the Marines and the World Government.
Rodney's power was growing at an alarming rate. He had defeated Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and had significant influence in the underworld.
Why did this guy always bring trouble?
Sengoku felt his temples throbbing. He sighed and said, "Let the CP handle this headache. Let whoever loves to meddle deal with it."
He was a Fleet Admiral, not the World Government's Chief CP Instructor. He had no interest in meddling with this mess. If the Five Elders wanted to investigate, they could go right ahead. He would simply divert their attention.
However, the destruction of Enies Lobby was quite significant. Only a few people on the island had survived and were still being rescued.
The Gate of Justice hadn't suffered much. The two giant gatekeepers, Oimo and Kashii, had survived by virtue of their distance from the epicenter of the Tailed Beast Sphere explosion. They were resilient giants.
According to their account, they had been attacked by a giant turtle with three tails. It had a gray shell, and the artists had drawn a picture of the creature based on their description.
Sengoku had that drawing in his hands now. Atop the turtle's head was a black sphere, as if it were preparing to release something.
The artist's skills were impressive, but there seemed to be some personal imagination involved. Although it had three tails, they were sharp and not the typical squared-off tails of Three-Tails Isobu. Additionally, it didn't have spikes on its body but rather had hard shell-like plates.
How was he supposed to find this thing? Could it be a rare Zoan-type Devil Fruit user?
Unable to make sense of it, Sengoku gave up entirely. He issued a direct order for someone to keep an eye on Rodney and the Straw Hat Pirates, informing them that this matter might be related to them.
"Where is Garp?" Sengoku asked.
A Marine reported, "Fleet Admiral, Vice Admiral Garp left Marine Headquarters a few days ago and headed to the World Government's capital."
"That scoundrel! He's probably going to visit his grandson!" Thinking of Garp's wrinkled face, Sengoku felt another wave of nausea. If it weren't for Garp's reputation as a "Marine Hero," he would have left the Marines a long time ago due to the trouble caused by his son and grandson.
He gave Garp a call, scolding him mercilessly before deciding that when he went to the World Government's capital, he would also pay a visit to Rodney.
"Hahaha, let the old man see how much that kid has grown! Hahaha!"
Rodney, who was enjoying a massage from Robin in the World Government's capital, inexplicably shivered. Robin asked, "What's wrong, Captain?"
"I don't know, I just have this eerie feeling, but I can't quite put my finger on it." He shook his head and asked, "By the way, how are Luffy and his crew doing?"
"I heard they get along quite well with Franky and his family."
"Those weirdos, huh?"
Franky was a weirdo, and his crew was just as strange. However, after Rodney casually saved Franky and his crew, he strangely got along with Luffy's group.
When Galley-La Company needed extra help, they voluntarily came and assisted. They even helped build the new Thousand Sunny using the materials from the Adam Tree.
Rodney had found their peculiarities appealing. Besides, he wanted to use the best materials to create the ship of his dreams for them. After all, he was a shipwright, and he could easily provide the specifications for a ship that suited his taste.
Plus, it wasn't like he was spending his own money.
"Captain, are you waiting for something? I have a feeling you're plotting something," Robin said, sitting beside him. Her Hana Hana Fruit abilities allowed her to create extra limbs, and she used her flower-powered arms to massage Rodney's shoulders.
"Well, I think Vice Admiral Garp
might come over to see his grandson. I'd like to meet him," Rodney replied.
"I didn't expect Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Luffy to be brothers," Robin commented unexpectedly. She was even more surprised to learn that Luffy's father was Monkey D. Dragon, the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army, making him quite the troublesome family.
"Oh, I forgot to tell Luffy that his other brother is still alive. Ace didn't mention it either."
Rodney had completely forgotten about it, but it wasn't a big deal. They would eventually find out.
"The Summit War..."
Before long, the Summit War would likely break out. Rodney had a premonition that after that battle, he would undergo a transformation.
He was starting to look forward to it. He didn't care if Ace was captured. He just wanted to know how much he could gain from that battle. It was the end of an era for the remnants of the old generation, and he wanted to witness it. Even if they became his enemies, he wanted to see it.
"Captain, what war are you talking about?"
"Nothing much. Business is already in motion. When we return, give it a year or so, and we can kick Doflamingo out." Rodney explained.
He had already established the necessary connections. There was no need to rely on Doflamingo anymore. Besides, he would have to share the profits with Doflamingo, so it was better to slowly take over the connections he had introduced. There was no need to rush. Would Trebol be pleased to see this?
But that guy would probably be wary of him, and that didn't matter.