Chapter 439 - 278

Chapter 279: Sengoku Arrives at G5!In the New World, waves slapped against the hull of the massive steel warship.Deep within the cabin,Sengoku slowly set down the still-warm den den mushi receiver and sank deep into his wide leather chair.At that moment, the office door was pushed open gently.Staff Officer Tsuru walked in with a steady pace, carrying a shockingly thick stack of documents.Her face showed little emotion, only her usual calm and a trace of imperceptible gravity.Placing the documents gently on Sengoku's wide desk,"These are all the archival materials available on Vergo since he joined the Marine."Her voice was steady, but every word was clear:"It includes the originals and annotated copies of every mission report, all financial flows and resource application records he handled, backups of encrypted and non-encrypted communication logs, and even minutes of social activities in informal settings... Everything you can think of is here."She looked up at Sengoku, her gaze carrying understanding but also a hint of reproach:"Using maximum authority to bypass regular oversight procedures and retrieve the complete core files of a current G-5 Branch Base Commander and Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral... You know what this means, Sengoku!!"Sengoku looked up, took off the round-framed glasses he always wore, and rubbed his brow hard.His face, usually majestic and resolute, now revealed a rare exhaustion and deep apology."I know... it's irrational, and it even violates procedure."His voice was somewhat hoarse."But when I heard 'Doflamingo' and 'Marine mole' mentioned in the same breath by that kid Trafalgar Law... when that clue pointed vaguely toward Vergo..."His fist clenched silently beneath the desk, his knuckles turning white from the force."My emotions... they went out of control."Staff Officer Tsuru watched him quietly for a few seconds before finally letting out a soft sigh and waving her hand.She could understand.Because of that name—Rosinante.Former Marine Headquarters Commander, ID 01746.To Sengoku, this name and this ID were far more than just a sacrificed subordinate.That was the foster son he had personally brought back from the streets, raised and taught bit by bit, and treated as his own.He was the softest and most painful old scar in Sengoku's iron-blooded military career,a future onto which he had projected countless warmth and expectations."There is still some time before we arrive at the G-5 Branch."Tsuru turned her gaze back to the heavy stack of documents on the desk, her voice returning to the professional calm of work."Check them."Her words were light, but they carried an unquestionable weight:"We cannot, and will not, convict a highly decorated and powerful Vice Admiral based solely on the word of a pirate. That would be a violation of the Marine's credibility and system.""However... if he truly did it, if he wore this coat of justice while committing acts of betrayal!!!""Then no matter how careful Vergo was, no matter how perfectly he hid, once the massive machine of the Marine is fully engaged and operating with specific intent, he will inevitably leave traces!!"The office fell into a brief silence, broken only by the rustling of pages being turned and the hum of the warship cutting through the waves.Time passed minute by minute.Tsuru read at an extremely fast pace, her gaze sweeping over lines of text, strings of numbers, and pages of reports like a precision scanner.Suddenly, Tsuru's fingers stopped turning the pages.Her gaze froze on a few lines of records on a certain page, her pupils contracting slightly."Found it!!""During the period when Commander Rosinantewas confirmed to have died on Minion Island... Vergo's resume shows that he was indeed on the list of personnel 'performing patrol and security duties in the relevant sea area'.""However, according to cross-referencing with auxiliary records of other personnel in the same fleet at the time...""The vessel commanded by Vergo briefly deviated from the fleet's scheduled route under the pretext of 'tracking a suspicious target'. The time window... highly overlaps with the period from when Rosinante sent his final distress signal to when his death was confirmed.""Furthermore, this 'deviation' was later downplayed in the official report as a passing mention of 'routine tactical maneuvering', and at the time, no one looked into it further..."Boom—!!!!Before Tsuru could even finish her sentence, a violent, nearly physical burst of black-and-red Conqueror's Haki exploded out of Sengoku's body without warning!Sengoku's eyes were already completely bloodshot!In his mind, that blonde young figure, always wearing a gentle and somewhat clumsy smile, emerged with absolute clarity!!The klutz who would nervously run to him to confirm details before a secret mission, only to accidentally trip over himself on the flat deck;The awkward youth who wanted to learn how to light a cigarette like an adult, but nearly set his own blonde hair on fire several times;The child whose eyes always held a light full of trust no matter what difficulties he faced... So... so that's how it was!!!Liquid mixed with extreme anger, regret, and murderous intent rushed into Sengoku's eyes.It turned out the murderer who killed Rosinante... had been wearing a Marine uniform and the mantle of justice all along, enjoying the resources and glory of the Marine right under his nose, and had even climbed to the high position of Marine Vice Admiral step by step!!"Ver... go..."————————New World, G-5 Branch.This fortress, standing in the violent seas of the New World, was known within the Marine for its "lax discipline" and "brutal style," making it one of the Marine's few but most notorious strongholds in the New World.Inside the Branch Commander's office, the air was thick with a mixture of cigar smoke and the salty scent of the sea breeze."Tap, tap, tap..."Vice Admiral Vergo sat behind his wide desk, his index finger tapping the smooth mahogany surface with moderate rhythm.Half a leftover beef patty was comically stuck to his face, yet behind those sunglasses he never took off, a heart-chilling gloom was hidden.Spread out on the desk was a document stamped with the Marine Headquarters' Top Secret wax seal.The contents of the document were a detailed summary of the recent movements of the "Straw Hat Crew" and related events in the New World!A few days ago, that long-dormant exclusive line had suddenly been activated.The "Heavenly Yaksha" from Dressrosa, his true master, Donquixote Doflamingo, had issued a clear directive to him again after many years.The reason was disturbingly simple:In the latest update of bounty posters, Doflamingohad seen a name that made him nearly crush his wine glass—Trafalgar Law!The "Surgeon of Death" who once belonged to the family, was heartlessly discarded, but ultimately survived by a miracle and even rose to the status of a Four Emperors' subordinate!That young but cold face had almost become a psychological shadow that Doflamingo couldn't shake.When facing a Marine Admiral or even the Fleet Admiral, Doflamingo might still use his status as one of the "Shichibukai" to maneuver or show disdain.But the "Four Emperors"... those were monsters rooted at the very top of the food chain in this sea, truly able to dictate life and death, and they were the eternal fear deep in his heart!Therefore, with a final sliver of hope, Doflamingowanted to use Vergo, this piece buried deep within the Marine high command, to assess if there was even the slightest room for "reconciliation" with the Straw Hat Crew.However, Vergo had nearly worn out all the materials he had on the Straw Hat Crew.He analyzed their style of action, combat records, and the personalities and bonds of the core members line by line, especially the logic of Captain Monkey D. Luffy's actions, which could not be measured by common sense.Ultimately, he reached a cold conclusion that made the gaze behind his sunglasses freeze:There was no room at all!!Not even a sliver!!Those people acted according to a set of rules that were completely different from this world—rules that were both crazy and stubborn.Compromise? Deals? Such things likely never existed in their dictionary.Especially when it came to the definition of "comrade" and "enemy," the line was so distinct it bordered on obsession.In an instant, a drop of cold sweat seeped from Vergo's forehead without warning, slowly sliding down his cheek past the stuck piece of beef.The Straw Hat Crew... these people were a bunch of unpredictable, uncontrollable, and devastatingly destructive... lunatics!!"I must notify Doffy immediately!"Alarm bells rang frantically in Vergo's mind!Without any further hesitation, he yanked open the hidden drawer at the bottom of his desk and grabbed a uniquely shaped den den mushi from inside!This was the top-secret line leading directly to the deepest part of the Dressrosa Palace!His fingers quickly and steadily began to dial the number... Just as that special den den mushi let out its first raspy "Purupuru..."—"BANG—!!!!!!!"A deafening explosion erupted at the office door without warning!Boom!The heavy door instantly twisted, deformed, and tore from its frame, flying into the office and slamming hard into the wall behind Vergo, embedding itself deep within!Smoke and debris spread like a thick fog!"Who...?!"Vergo snapped his head up, the pupils behind his sunglasses contracting sharply as he locked onto the smoke-filled doorway!In the swirling smoke, two tall, steady figures carrying a heavy, mountain-like aura of slaughter walked in slowly with unhurried but resonant steps.The one in the lead wore a seagull hat, his signature braided goatee was meticulously groomed, and a pair of round-framed glasses sat on his face.The gaze behind the lenses no longer held the leniency of the past or the passion of his rages; there was only a bone-chilling calm that saw through everything.Former Fleet Admiral of the Marine Headquarters—"Sengoku the Buddha"!Following half a step behind him was a female officer with neatly combed silver hair and a solemn, quiet expression.Her eyes were like a deep pool, calm and unruffled, yet seemingly able to reflect the deepest filth in a person's heart.Great Staff Officer of the Marine Headquarters—Vice Admiral Tsuru!The sudden arrival of the two came without prior notice or guards to lead the way; only that violently destroyed door announced that their intent was anything but ordinary.The air in the office seemed to be sucked dry in an instant, freezing into solid ice.Sengoku's terrifyingly calm gaze slowly swept over Vergo's hand holding the special den den mushi, finally settling on his face, which was smeared with beef patty and filled with shock."Vergo...""That call in your hand...""Who are you planning to call?"