"I am curious... why would someone like you, practically the second-in-command of Charlotte Linlin's crew, want to bring her to justice?" Kong asked from his chair, looking at the man submerged in seawater.
"Why does the Admiral care about that?" Streusen replied with a gloomy expression. "You should be more interested in how I can help you capture her and bring her to justice..."
There was something strange about people after they became completely blackened.
If this had been the old Streusen, standing before an Admiral, he might have pissed himself in fear.
But now... even as a prisoner, with his life entirely in the other man's hands, he wasn't afraid at all. He could even talk back without the slightest intimidation, almost as though he were speaking to an equal.
This change caused by blackening really needed to be studied.
Kong had noticed it too. Something about Streusen felt wrong. The man wasn't scared in the slightest, and that interested him.
But at the same time, Kong remained wary of Streusen's motives.
"It's true that I'm more interested in how you can help me," Kong said. "But I'm also concerned about why you want to do it. You stayed with Charlotte Linlin for nearly twelve years. You could even be called the man who led her onto the path of piracy... and now you suddenly want to bring her to justice?"
Kong looked at him for a moment before letting out a humourless chuckle. "I find that very funny..."
Streusen lowered his head slightly. Fear, guilt, and shame appeared in his eyes, and his voice trembled as he spoke. "I... I didn't do it by choice... it was the only thing I could do to stay alive..."
Kong raised an eyebrow. "Not by choice? The only thing you could do?"
"The first time I met Linlin... I happened to witness her doing something horrible..." Streusen said, his expression darkening. "And... I was terrified that the same thing would happen to me. Even back then, when she was just a little girl... she was a monster. Compared to her... I was just a young man. A weak man..."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "And then she threatened me... told me to become her cook. Serving her all these years was never my choice. I had no choice at all... I didn't dare go against her..."
By the end, Streusen looked every bit like a victim. There were even tears in his eyes.
Kong was taken aback.
He was still sceptical, but he also wanted to hear more. After all, how Charlotte Linlin, a talented six-year-old girl who was supposed to join the Marines, had instead ended up on the path of piracy was still a mystery to them.
Even the Marines who had gone to collect her were beaten badly by her… how did all that happen?
So he asked, "What horrible thing did you see?"
Streusen trembled and shook his head. "I... I don't think you want to know... it's too horrible..."
"Now you've made me even more curious," Kong said, his tone turning harsher. "Tell me."
Streusen hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Ca... cannibalism..."
Kong's expression changed instantly. "Canni...balism?"
For a moment, he wondered whether he had heard wrong.
And it wasn't just him.
Sengoku, Blue Grass, and Tsuru, who had been watching the interrogation from the side, all widened their eyes.
Had they heard that correctly?
Cannibalism?
Charlotte Linlin had engaged in cannibalism... and Streusen had witnessed it?
Some of them felt their stomachs churn. Even these veteran Marines had the urge to vomit when they heard the word cannibalism.
"You... are you serious?" Kong asked.
"Yeah..." Streusen nodded. "I wish I wasn't… but I saw it all happen with my own eyes. On her sixth birthday... she ate them all. The foster mother of the orphanage... and all the innocent children there too..."
Then he added, his voice trembling, "I... I wanted to run away from her... but she had already noticed me. That little girl... that devil wearing human skin... had already seen me."
He swallowed hard. "I thought she was going to eat me, too. I had no choice... so I did everything I could to save my life. I told her about the only thing I was good at... cooking. And somehow... I managed to convince her not to eat me..."
A strange silence filled the prison.
No one knew what to say.
It was simply too much to take in.
A six-year-old girl... eating her foster mother and the other orphans during her own birthday party. What kind of sick celebration was that?
The story only made the four Marines see Linlin as an even greater threat than they had imagined.
Until now... they had only seen Charlotte Linlin as a monstrous woman and a pirate. But after hearing about her cannibalistic tendencies, they felt sick to their stomachs and began to see her as a true monster wearing human skin.
'Is that what happened to that woman, Caramel...?' Kong thought.
He knew about Caramel. He knew she had once intended to sell Linlin to the Marines. But then she had suddenly and mysteriously vanished.
Even when the CP searched for her, they found nothing. They found no trace of the other orphans from her orphanage either. All of them had disappeared as though they had been erased from the face of the earth.
At the time, there had been many theories about what might have happened.
But no one had ever expected the truth to be this horrifying.
They had all been eaten.
And now that he thought about it... It actually made a sick sort of sense. If they had all been eaten, then of course there would have been no bodies, no clues, no trace of them at all.
Kong seemed to accept the possibility that Streusen might really have been a victim if Linlin truly was a cannibal. Honestly, he could no longer blame Streusen for being afraid.
Sengoku, however, still looked doubtful and couldn't help asking, "If what you're saying is true... then why did you wait until now? You could have informed the Marines about this long ago. Why wait until now?"
"Yeah... why wait until now?" Kong narrowed his eyes. He had almost overlooked that problem himself. If Streusen had witnessed Linlin's monstrosity back when she was only six years old, then why had he waited more than twelve years to come forward?
Wouldn't things have been much easier if Streusen had surrendered long ago? The Marines could have brought Linlin to justice before she became as powerful as she is today.
Something about this felt suspicious.
Streusen's heart tightened when he heard the question, 'As expected...'
Still, he had prepared for this.
"Until now... I didn't have the courage," he said. "After witnessing that incident, I was always afraid... always on edge. She was already monstrously strong before she ate them... and after she ate them, she became even stronger. After seeing all of that with my own eyes... I didn't dare act recklessly."
Everyone stared at him in confusion. "She became stronger after eating them? What do you mean?"
How the hell could she have become stronger just by eating those people?
Streusen hesitated for a moment before finally revealing something... a secret that could throw the entire world into chaos, "After eating them... she acquired the power of the Soru Soru no Mi."
"!!!!!"
Instantly, everyone's eyes widened, and their breathing stopped.
Kong shot to his feet, "You... what... what did you just say?"
"I... I know it sounds unbelievable... b-but Linlin told me herself..." Streusen said shakily. "The Soul-Soul power originally belonged to her foster mother... and after Linlin ate her... she gained that power too..."
The room fell silent.
Streusen understood exactly how terrifying that information was.
If what Linlin had said was true, then it meant that when someone ate a Devil Fruit user... they could inherit that person's power.
Whether this was really true... whether it only happened in the special case of the Soul-Soul Fruit... Streusen didn't know.
But he understood just how dangerous that information was.
Because if word of this ever spread across the world, there would be countless people willing to commit cannibalism in the hope of stealing Devil Fruit powers.
Until now, nobody had any way of knowing where a Devil Fruit power would reappear after its user died. Plenty of people wanted to control that process, but they couldn't. The power always respawned randomly, in some random fruit, somewhere in the world. It was nearly impossible to predict or control.
But if this cannibalism method were real... Then, obtaining a Devil Fruit power would become far easier.
You want a Devil Fruit ability, but someone else already has it? Then eat them... and take the power for yourself.
Not everyone would be willing to eat another person.
But if there were even a chance to gain a Devil Fruit power by damning themselves just once... then plenty of people would do it. Those obsessed with power. Those with no morals. Those sick, sadistic bastards.
They would absolutely do it.
Which meant this matter was far more serious than anyone in the room had first realised.
The matter was so serious that Kong and the others felt they needed time to process everything themselves.
So they ended the discussion there, left Streusen behind in his cell, and headed to the Vice Admiral's office to discuss the matter in private.
Streusen watched them leave with a smile. "Linlin... your end is coming soon..."
He had deliberately made sure to describe the incident as something Linlin had done willingly. He had not painted it as a tragedy, an accident, or a mistake.
No.
He wanted the Marines to see her as something even worse than they already believed.
And he wanted himself to look like the victim.
That way, they would be much easier to manipulate... and far more willing to accept his help in bringing her down.
…
Inside Vice Admiral Blue Grass's Office, all four of them sat or stood in silence.
Finally, Tsuru could no longer hold back her thoughts, "Admiral... do you really think what that guy said is true?"
Earlier, she had felt curious, and even a little envious, about how Charlotte Linlin had become so strong despite being a woman.
But now...
Now she just felt sick.
She would rather remain weak than do something like what Linlin supposedly had.
Even so, she couldn't help wondering whether the others actually believed the story Streusen had told them.
"I... don't know..." Kong said, shaking his head. He truly didn't know.
But then the silent Sengoku finally spoke. "Some of the things he said are indeed true."
"Are you serious, Sengoku?" Everyone immediately turned to look at him.
"What did you sense?" Tsuru asked.
Since Sengoku possessed the Mythical Zoan Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu, he possessed wisdom far beyond that of an ordinary person. His power also allowed him to vaguely sense the spirit and emotions of others.
So if Sengoku was saying that Streusen had not lied about certain things... Then this was an extremely serious matter.
Before Sengoku could say anything, his Transponder Snail suddenly began to ring.
Buru buru... buru buru...
Sengoku pulled out the snail. The moment he saw the face on it, annoyance flashed across his expression.
Still, he stepped out of the office for a moment and answered the call in case it was some kind of emergency.
Kacha...
"What is it, Garp?" he asked.
"Sengoku... where the hell have you been?" Garp asked from the other side while absent-mindedly picking his nose.
"I'm with Admiral Kong, dealing with important matters," Sengoku replied flatly. "Why are you calling? Is there a problem?"
"A problem? Bwahahaha! What are you talking about?" Garp laughed. "I was just getting bored here. I wanted to see if you wanted to eat—"
"I don't have time for that right now!" Sengoku shouted, cutting him off. "If you didn't call for anything serious, then stop bothering me!"
And with that, he hung up.
Kacha...
"This idiot... he's always pissing me off..." Sengoku muttered with a sigh as he turned and started walking back to the office.
Then, suddenly, the Transponder Snail began to ring again.
Buru... Buru... Buru... Buru...
Kacha...
"Garp, you bastard... didn't I tell you I don't have time to deal with your—" Sengoku shouted.
Then he stopped.
The face on the Transponder Snail wasn't Garp's.
"Etto... is this Rear Admiral Sengoku...? Did I call the wrong number...?" a timid voice asked from the other side.
Sengoku immediately realised he'd fucked up. "R-Right... yes, you called the right number," he said quickly. "Who is this?"
"Ahh... I-I'm sorry... I wanted to report that the pirate Charlotte Linlin has attacked the Standing Kingdom. The town has been devastated... General Topher Chris was killed, and the Marines at the local base aren't in any condition to fight... please... we need help...!!!"
Hearing the desperate plea, Sengoku's expression changed instantly.
He immediately rushed back into the office. "Admiral... Charlotte Linlin is currently at the Standing Kingdom!" Sengoku reported. "They've requested aid...!!!"
"The Standing Kingdom, is it?" Kong immediately rose to his feet.
After everything he'd learned from Streusen about Linlin, he felt an even greater urgency to bring her down. "How far is the Standing Kingdom from here?" he asked at once.
"It would take at least several days to sail there..." Blue Grass said.
"Several days...?" Kong frowned. The chances of capturing Linlin were slim. By the time they arrived, she could already be long gone.
But they couldn't just sit here and do nothing.
"Let's go, Sengoku. We're setting sail for the Standing Kingdom," Kong said as he strode out of the office. "We'll row the damn ship ourselves if that's what it takes to get there faster."
"What about Streusen?" Sengoku asked.
"Bring him too. He might still prove useful," Kong replied as he headed toward the docks.
Halfway there, however, he stopped and turned back toward Blue Grass and Tsuru. "About that matter..."
Before he could finish, Blue Grass gave a solemn nod. "It won't leave this room. There's no need to worry."
The matter of obtaining Devil Fruit powers through cannibalism was far too serious. They weren't even willing to report it to the higher-ups without Kong's direct orders.
Even within the Marines, it was better if that information never spread.
Kong nodded and let out a quiet breath of relief before leaving with Sengoku, who dragged the captured Streusen along with him.
…
Meanwhile, at the Standing Kingdom—
"Is everything ready...? Is there anything left?" Linlin asked, one hand on her hip as she looked over her crewmates.
"Everything's ready, Ane-san... We managed to store enough food, water, booze, gold, and supplies to last us a long time," one of the pirates replied.
Another crewmate nodded. "Yeah... Standing Kingdom is pretty rich. We got a lot of gold, too. It was a damn good pillage. Not to mention, we got to have a lot of fun too…"
"Oooooo!!!" the rest of the crew shouted in agreement.
"Well then... let's set sail," Linlin ordered.
"Oooooo!!!"
The crew cheered as the pirate ship, which had only docked in the port of Standing Kingdom for half a day and the previous night, finally set sail.
Back in the port town, the residents looked at the destruction the pirates had left behind, the injured, the looted homes, the wreckage everywhere, and some of them collapsed to their knees.
"Fucking pirates... they... they took everything!!!"
"It's okay... It's okay... at least... at least we're still alive... as long as we're alive... there's still hope... wooo..." someone cried in relief.
Even if they had been robbed, at least they had been left alive. That was something to be grateful for... right?
But not everyone could even feel grateful for that.
Some of the women sat there with torn clothes, dishevelled hair, bruised bodies, mangled limbs, wounds, and vacant eyes that made it painfully obvious what kind of violence they had suffered.
In their state, many of them would rather have died.
After enduring what they had, being alive no longer felt any different from being dead.
At the very least... they were already dead inside.
This was what pirates truly were… this is what the horrors left behind by pirates are truly like.
The idealistic, good-hearted pirates that appeared occasionally were rare exceptions. Most pirates took whatever they wanted without caring about the consequences, food, booze, treasure, and women. They used them however they pleased and then sailed away over the horizon.
The picture looked beautiful… but the scene left behind was tragic.
That was the true nature of piracy.
There were still some 'good' pirates out there... but this was the norm.
Even within Charlotte Linlin's crew, rape and pillage were not forbidden, despite Linlin herself being a woman. To her crew, it was simply normal.
In fact, if Linlin had never met Zechs and things had not developed between them, she herself might have been among those taking what they wanted by force. The difference was that her targets would have been men... but the point remained the same because rape against men is also rape. Even if sexual violence against men may not be dealt with the same seriousness, the crime is still a crime.
And even after starting a relationship with Zechs, Linlin still never forbade that sort of behaviour among her crewmates.
Because, in her mind, there was nothing wrong with it.
A pirate took whatever they wanted; that was simply how things were.
Even if Linlin's ultimate dream is to create a country where all races can live equally, she still didn't deem anything wrong with this behavior… because it's normal for a strong person to take something from the weak. That's the rule of this dog-eat-dog world. If anyone is to be blamed… then, it's the weak women and the weak men who failed to protect themselves. That's it.
Of course, if these weak men and weak women were part of her country, then perhaps she'd not allow such transgressions or suffering to be inflicted on her people, but as it stands, the people of Standing Kingdom are not her people… they are not the residents of Totto Land, so… whatever happens to them, it doesn't matter.
But putting that aside, as the ship sailed onward, Linlin lounged lazily on a beach chair, enjoying the sunlight.
Compared to the gloomy, drunken, depressing mood she had been in over the past few days, she looked strangely radiant today, appearing happy and even humming to herself.
Naturally, the crew noticed the change and began whispering among themselves.
"Ane-san... she doesn't seem to be in a bad mood today..."
"She isn't drinking either..."
"Did something good happen yesterday?"
"Hm... but I remember Ane-san just came onto the deck and went straight to her cabin to sleep. She only came out this morning. She stayed in there the whole night and didn't even bring anyone with her..."
"I wonder what's going on...?"
"Whatever it is... It's great that Ane-san is feeling better."
The crew had actually been quite worried about Linlin these past few days.
Fortunately, she seemed to have recovered.
As for the reason, none of them asked. The fact that she was feeling better was more than enough.
Unlike Linlin's crewmates, when Rob noticed that Linlin was doing better, he felt that it was finally time to talk.
So, after some hesitation and mentally preparing himself, he approached the woman and politely said, "Charlotte-san..."
Linlin opened her eyes and blinked at him. "Rob?" she said before asking, "What's up?"
She wondered what the navigator of Zechs' crew wanted to talk about... 'Oh... I probably don't need to wonder...' she thought, already fairly certain.
And sure enough, Rob said exactly what she had expected, "Charlotte-san... I wanted to talk about my captain..."
He hoped that mentioning his captain wouldn't make Linlin sad or ruin her mood.
Fortunately, that didn't happen at all. Not only did Linlin not become upset, she even apologised, "Yeah... I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this earlier..."
"It's okay... You were going through a lot too..." Rob said politely before continuing, "Now that you've calmed down... There was something I wanted to ask..."
"You want to go search for Zechs... don't you?" Linlin asked before he could finish.
"Well..." Rob nodded. He really did. "Even if he might already be dead... I still want to search for him..."
Linlin waved her hand dismissively. "There's no need to worry. And you don't need to go looking for him either..."
Rob remained unconvinced.
"Well... Linlin-san... actually..." He hesitated, thinking that Linlin wanted him to give up on Zechs. "I owe Captain a lot... and I don't think I can just stop searching for him and give up this easily. I... I don't mean to disrespect you or imply that you don't care about him or anything... but my friendship with Captain... and the others on our crew... we've been through..."
He tried to explain himself carefully, hoping she wouldn't take offence and would still allow him to search for Zechs, even if she personally didn't want to.
"I understand what you're saying," Linlin replied. "And that's exactly why I'm telling you that you don't need to search for him because he is alive..."
Rob froze. Then he blinked, wondering if he had heard her correctly. "You... you just said..."
"Yup... Zechs is alive..." Linlin nodded.
"How... how can you be so sure?" he asked, pressing her. "Did he contact you? Did you speak to him over a Transponder snail?"
"Ahem... we didn't exactly speak through a transponder snail… but… I still know. As for how I can be sure... well... even if I explain it, it might sound a little unbelievable..." Linlin said, unsure whether Rob would believe her.
"Please tell me... even if it sounds unbelievable..." Rob insisted.
"Alright... if you really want to know... the reason I'm certain is that... Zechs has indeed been contacting me… It's just that not through a transponder snail… but through dreams..." she said, watching Rob's expression closely to see how he would react.
After all, she had already met Zechs twice in her dreams... and during the last one, they had spent hours together. By now, she was completely certain that he was alive. They had even agreed to meet regularly in their dreams... and, truthfully, she was already looking forward to it.
The only thing she wasn't certain about... was whether Rob would believe her.
And sure enough, he looked doubtful. "This... well... you're communicating with Captain through dreams...?"
"I told you... you might not believe it..." Linlin replied.
"Well... even if you say that..." Rob hesitated before asking, "Can you explain more? If he's contacting you through dreams... then how is he? Where is he? Why hasn't he returned to us?"
Linlin nodded and, without hiding much, explained many things. She told him a little about what Zechs had experienced, what he had told her, and the other things they had spoken about.
The more Rob listened, the more uncertain he became. He had no way of knowing whether Zechs was truly alive... and he couldn't even rule out the possibility that Charlotte Linlin was simply imagining it all and convincing herself that these dreams were real.
Of course, he wanted to believe that Zechs was alive... But how was he supposed to believe something like this?
Linlin noticed the doubtful look on his face. She thought for a moment before suggesting, "How about this... the next time I meet him in my dreams, I ask Zechs something that only the two of you would know. If he tells me something like that, and I tell you afterward... you'd feel more certain, right?"
Rob's eyes lit up immediately. "Yes... that would work."
There were things that only he and Zechs knew. Linlin had no way of knowing them, and her imagination shouldn't be able to invent those details.
So if Linlin could tell him something like that... then he would finally be able to believe.
"Alright... then wait until tomorrow. I'll meet him again in the dreamscape tonight and ask him," Linlin said.
"Understood... then I'll wait..." Rob agreed.
And with that, the matter was settled... though Rob was already looking forward to tomorrow.
…
More than a day after Linlin had already left, Admiral Kong's warship finally reached and docked at the port of the Standing Kingdom.
But, as expected... Linlin was already gone.
"Damn it..." Kong cursed.
He had expected this, but that didn't make him any less angry.
They only had a real chance of capturing Linlin while she was on land. Once she returned to the sea, catching her became far more difficult.
Worse, they had no idea where the hell she had sailed off to by now.
"Help deal with the situation here," Kong said as he headed toward the local Marine base with the captured Streusen in tow.
He hadn't spoken much with Streusen aboard the ship earlier because he'd been too busy pushing the crew to sail faster.
But now that Linlin was gone... he intended to speak with him again and find out what the man was thinking about how he'd help them capture Linlin and bring her to justice.
Naturally, Sengoku accompanied them as well. There was something about Streusen that bothered him.
He could sense that something was deeply wrong with the man... something rotten and disgusting lurking beneath the surface, and because of that, he felt it was best to keep a close eye on Streusen.
…
"Oh... it seems the Admiral is quite frustrated..." Streusen remarked as he looked at Kong's grim expression. Then he asked, "Would you like me to cook something for you? I'm sure I could make something excellent to ease your stress..."
"You don't need to concern yourself with that," Kong replied. If he wanted something to relieve his stress, he'd rather eat a few bananas. Those worked well enough.
"In that case..." Streusen continued, "how about we return to the matter of bringing Charlotte Linlin to justice?"
Kong fell silent for a moment, wondering whether he should agree.
If everything Streusen had said was true, then perhaps it was only right to trust him and accept his help.
But instead of agreeing immediately, he asked about something else.
"What happened between Charlotte Linlin and Asmodeus Zechs? Weren't they supposed to get married? Did that fall apart?" Kong asked. "According to our intelligence, some of Asmodeus Zechs's crewmates are still aboard Charlotte Linlin's ship... but Asmodeus Zechs himself hasn't been seen for quite some time."
At the mention of Asmodeus Zechs, Streusen's expression darkened.
He didn't even want to think about that bastard.
Zechs had humiliated him and was the reason Linlin had become so cold toward him. If not for Zechs's existence, Linlin would never have thrown him out of the crew.
Without a doubt, Streusen hated Zechs from the bottom of his heart.
The hatred was so deep and ugly that he couldn't stop it from showing on his face.
Kong and Sengoku both raised an eyebrow when they noticed the flashes of hatred on Streusen's face.
They understood more or less what was going on, but neither of them pointed it out. Instead, they waited for him to continue.
Eventually, Streusen snorted and said, "Asmodeus Zechs... he's most likely already dead."
"Most likely dead?" Sengoku repeated.
"What do you mean, most likely?" Kong asked sharply. "Don't you know for certain whether he's dead or not?"
Streusen hesitated for a moment before explaining.
He told them how Zechs had gone off to rescue one of his crewmates. Kong already knew about that part, since it had happened right in front of him.
What he hadn't expected to hear was what came after.
"He disappeared?" Sengoku asked. "Are you sure?"
"Linlin tried to contact him. Zechs's own crewmates tried to contact him too... but none of them got any response," Streusen said. Then he added, "For a while, Linlin even thought the Marines had captured him. That's why she kept hunting down Marine ships—to find out whether you'd arrested him or not."
"So that's why she was attacking those warships..." Kong muttered.
He had known about the attacks.
What he hadn't known until now was the reason behind them.
"By now... he's most likely dead," Streusen said.
"What if he isn't dead?" Sengoku muttered doubtfully. "What if he just left after making a bunch of empty promises?"
Based on the reports Sengoku had read about Zechs, it wouldn't have been entirely out of character. He seemed to build relationships with women... and then abandon them.
But Kong shook his head, "No. I don't think he'd do that to Charlotte Linlin."
He had fought Zechs himself that day. Zechs had been given the chance to escape, and Kong had practically handed him that opportunity.
Yet Zechs hadn't run.
Instead, he had fought desperately to keep Kong from capturing Linlin.
If he hadn't fled when he could have avoided all that trouble, then why would he suddenly run away afterward? It didn't make any sense.
"It's more likely that he had some kind of accident while trying to rescue that girl... and died," Streusen said.
"Now that I think about it... the currents that day were extremely strong..." Kong murmured, slowly beginning to accept the explanation.
Those currents really could kill people.
And Zechs hadn't reappeared anywhere on the seas for more than a month.
It really did seem possible that he had disappeared... That he was dead.
It was a pity. A man that strong dying like that... But against the power of the ocean, strength alone meant nothing.
"How did Charlotte Linlin react to the possibility that Asmodeus Zechs was dead?" Sengoku asked, clearly considering something.
"What does that matter?" Streusen shot back unhappily. He did not want to talk about it. What concerned him more was capturing Linlin and bringing her to justice.
"Just answer the question," Sengoku said, adjusting his glasses.
Kong also waited silently for the response.
Streusen hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Obviously, she was unhappy and depressed... severely affected. Why else do you think she was attacking the Marine warships? She wanted to rescue Asmodeus Zechs."
Then he added, "And it was because of that, because she was unhappy, depressed, and careless, that I managed to escape from her. Since I knew Admiral Kong was going to bring her to justice... I came to the Marines..."
"Is that so? I see..." Sengoku murmured before falling silent.
Streusen noticed the silence and merely shrugged before turning to Kong.
"Admiral... can we talk about bringing her to justice now?" he asked. "The souls of that woman from the orphanage, those children, and all the others she has committed atrocities against will never rest until she is punished."
"What do you have in mind?" Kong asked, prompting him to continue. That did not mean he intended to agree with the plan... but he was willing to hear him out.
Sengoku also focused on him.
"So... it's like this..." Streusen began.
As they listened to his plan, both Kong and Sengoku grew thoughtful.
…
"What do you think, Sengoku?" Kong asked. Since Sengoku could read emotions and intentions, he wanted to hear what Sengoku thought Streusen was really after.
"There is definitely a problem... especially with his motives," Sengoku said. "He is lying about them."
"Is that so...?" Kong murmured.
He fell silent, wondering whether he should agree to Streusen's plan. If it worked, then they really could hunt her down.
The problem was that he wasn't sure whether he should trust it, especially after Sengoku pointed out that something was wrong with Streusen's motives.
"Kong-san... what if he is trying to lure us into a trap?" Sengoku asked. He thought the chances were low... but what if it was true? What if they followed his plan, only to walk straight into an ambush and end up surrounded?
The words of a pirate could never be trusted.
"That problem can still be solved by bringing more people," Kong said. "If the two of us are not enough, then we can bring Blue Grass and Tsuru as well... or even more."
"Does that mean... you're going to accept the plan?" Sengoku asked.
"Unless you have a better idea... I don't know what else to do," Kong sighed. "Right now, I feel helpless. If Streusen's plan really can work... then I am not completely unwilling to accept it."
Hearing Kong's words, Sengoku hesitated for a moment before saying, "I do have a plan... maybe that will work?"
"You do? Then let's hear it..." Kong nodded. Compared to the words of a pirate, he would much rather trust the judgment of his subordinate.
"So... the plan I am thinking of is..." Sengoku began.
In the end, the final decision wasn't his to make, but he explained the idea anyway.
After hearing him out, Kong fell silent and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"If what you are suggesting works... then it would definitely be better," he said. "But what if the bait doesn't work?"
"Even then... we can still put Streusen's plan into motion," Sengoku replied. "Your plan wouldn't be affected."
Kong considered it for a moment before finally nodding.
"Then we'll go with your plan first. If it fails... then we can try cooperating with the pirate."
Sengoku's eyes widened slightly, and he immediately said, "Then I'll contact the newspaper office and have them publish the report."
"Hmm..." Kong hummed in approval.
As the man Kong intended to train into the next Admiral, Sengoku had continued to impress him. It wasn't just his strength. Kong was equally satisfied with Sengoku's temperament, character, and the way he handled problems. If nothing unexpected happened over the next decade or so, Sengoku would undoubtedly become an Admiral.
Unaware of Kong's thoughts, Sengoku had already picked up the transponder snail and begun speaking with the reporters. "Moshi, moshi... this is Rear Admiral Sengoku. By order of Admiral Kong, a report needs to be published in the newspaper... yes... yes... the report must be about—"
.
.
.
.
A/N:
For the previous two chapters, the power stones donated were good. I like that, and I want this same energy going forward. Heck, I want more energy... go crazy and rain all the power stones to keep me motivated.
Each Power Stone, Comment, and Review will help the story rise in rankings, reach a wider audience, and motivate me to write more.
Of course, if you'd like to support me further, you can also do so on Pa-t-r-e-o-n. That kind of support makes a huge difference and helps me stay consistent and motivated with writing.
On my Pa-t-r-e-o-n, you can read up to 26 chapters in advance before public release, and I generally post 6 chapters a week, meaning you'll get one extra chapter per week compared to the regular schedule, which is 5 chapters a week.
Pa-t-r-e-o-n:Knockturn_Alley