Marineford, Sengoku Office.
At this moment, the only occupants in the office were Headquarters Admiral Sengoku and Tsuru Vice Admiral. They sat on either side of the desk, with Sengoku holding a phone and attentively listening to the work report from the other end.
"Admiral Sengoku, those pirates have all been dispatched to Impel Down, but..."
"Just what? Spit it out!"
Sengoku felt a slight unease. Could that kid have pulled off something shocking again?
"It's just that these pirates' hands and feet were... severed!"
"..."
"Alright, let's apprehend them first, maintain surveillance, and instruct Magellan and the others to use... restraints to immobilize them. The Marines don't want another Golden Lion Shiki incident."
"Yes, Admiral Sengoku!"
Kachak
"Hahahaha! That kid did an excellent job. He truly didn't disappoint me!"
Sengoku set down the phone, a smile playing on his lips, clearly in a very good mood.
"What's going on? Our Marines haven't apprehended those Sanko yet."
Vice Admiral Tsuru observed Sengoku's demeanor and playfully made a half-joking remark.
"Emperor of the Sea? Humph! If it weren't for the World Government..."
"It's that kid, Atlas."
"Oh? Has that little Atlas fellow caused another major stir?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes gleamed.
"It's not a minor matter. You've just returned from the New World, so you might not be aware. That kid is now stationed in Sabaody Archipelago. A few months ago, he dismantled the slave market and took on several Supernovae. Recently, he's been capturing pirate groups one after another. Just a while ago, the director of Impel Down complained to me that the prison is nearly out of space and suggested giving Atlas a break. Hahahaha!"
"This doesn't seem like his usual approach."
"Tsk~ This kid went ahead and broke the hands and feet of those with Devil Fruit abilities, and tossed those without Devil Fruits into the sea to feed the fish!"
Sengoku sneered. Was that kid the type to have a soft heart?
"By the way, Tsuru, there's a piece of information about the Donquixote Family here. Take a look."
"Donquixote Family?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru was surprised. This surname wasn't ordinary. One of the Celestial Dragons' families in Mariejois bore the name Donquixote.
"About the Celestial Dragons?"
"That's correct. Do you still recall the renowned Donquixote Homing family from over a decade ago?"
"The Celestial Dragons who were clamoring to leave Marie Joie and live a normal life?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru had a vivid recollection of that unique Celestial Dragons family, but in the end, the Homing family was considered a disgrace to the Celestial Dragons. As a senior officer in the Marines, Vice Admiral Tsuru naturally was privy to this secret.
Suddenly, Vice Admiral Crane, who was perusing the information book, froze, "Rosinante is the son of the renowned Saint Homing?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru naturally knew Rosinante. Many years ago, when Sengoku went on a mission, he returned to headquarters with this adopted son by his side.
However, he never disclosed Rosinante's identity to their old comrades, and Vice Admiral Tsuru didn't give it much thought. There were countless orphans in the world, and it wasn't uncommon for Sengoku to suddenly want to adopt a son. After all, Sengoku had remained a bachelor for many years, and he was nothing like that rascal Garp.
"Yes, I didn't inform you earlier, primarily for security reasons. The fewer people who know, the better."
Sengoku admitted with a somewhat sheepish expression.
"Then, today..."
"After Rosinante learned that his brother Doflamingo had become a pirate and taken control of most of the underground forces in North Blue, he volunteered to go undercover in the Donquixote Family. And... he recently provided a tip. It seems Doflamingo is planning something significant undercover."
"So, I'd like Gion or you to dispatch some troops under your command to keep an eye on that location. It's a bit selfish of me. I'm always a bit concerned about Rosinante's safety."
Vice Admiral Tsuru remained focused on reading the information in his hand while his mind raced with thoughts.
"This Doflamingo is truly a born criminal, and he's incredibly ambitious. He's completely the opposite of that little guy Rosinante!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru sounded very certain and promptly made a judgment – pirates like Doflamingo were too detrimental to the world!
"No, I'll go there myself. Allowing a pirate with such a unique status to grow unchecked would be a significant problem for us in the Marines!"
...
"Moshi Moshi~ Old man Sengoku, is there something you need from me this time?"
In the office at Sabaody, Atlas was idly twiddling his fingernails when Sengoku suddenly called, sparking interest in Atlas's eyes.
He had nearly apprehended all the pirates in Sabaody, and the slave trading market had been completely eradicated. Lately, reports from the Marines below indicated that Coaters were frequently getting kidnapped. When Atlas initiated an investigation, these Coaters returned on their own after a few days.
According to Atlas's speculation, some pirates must have been behind it discreetly. If it were ordinary tourists, it wouldn't be necessary, and the Coaters remained silent about the incidents when they returned. It seemed the pirates had paid them quite a bit...
As for why they didn't simply kill the Coaters, that's a joke. If someone is killed, the Marines will pursue it relentlessly. Even if you flee to the New World, it won't be of any use!
After a group of pirates covertly kidnapped Coaters, they headed to the surface of Sabaody to engage in violence and provoke the Marines. Although they were intercepted by the patrolling Marines, they didn't inflict too many casualties.
However, upon receiving the news, Atlas dove into the deep sea and eradicated the group of pirates led by Vice Admiral en route to Fish-Men Island!
After the incident was reported by the World Economic News, nearly the entire world was in an uproar. Pirates who had not yet entered the New World were filled with dread. Even some pirates who were on their way to Sabaody turned around and fled upon receiving the news.
"You little brat, can't I contact you without there being some trouble?"
Sengoku chuckled and chided, has this kid been given a bad influence by that rascal Garp? I still recall him being quite polite when we first met him. Why does he treat me like an old man now?
"Of course. After all, you're my direct superior, and I still rely on you for my salary."
"Alright, enough of the banter. I indeed have a matter of importance to discuss with you this time."
Sengoku's expression on the other end of the phone became more serious, "Haven't you been griping to me about the shortage of manpower? Recently, Smoker returned from a mission. This guy can't get along with anyone, so I'm assigning him to your staff. Please do your best. Try to mellow out his stubborn temper!"
"Furthermore, I have an additional manpower for you. He's a promising young man with excellent physical abilities. With a bit of training, he could become a stalwart member of the Marines. Initially, I considered assigning him to that rascal Garp, but his character is truly unreliable..."
Knock....Knock....
While Sengoku was venting about Garp's unreliability, there was a knock on Atlas' office door...
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