"Morgans… that damned birdman!!"
The moment Sengoku heard it was the World Economic News, the only face that came to mind was that of Big News Morgans. His teeth ground together in irritation.
But as much as the thought riled him, he also knew there wasn't much he could do about that feathered menace.
In the end, as long as Morgans didn't fabricate anything about the Navy, Sengoku was willing to let it go. That much restraint he still had.
And Morgans himself despite his bluster wasn't stupid. Against a force as massive as the Marines, even he wouldn't dare run wild. When he reported, it was always the truth, never lies.
Because once he started making things up… then yes, he would really end up dead.
"Forget it," Sengoku finally waved his hand, dismissing the thought. "As long as he doesn't go too far, we ignore him."
His expression hardened once more as he turned back to Borsalino. A trace of urgency slipped into his voice, carrying the weight of his authority:
"Borsalino… about the anti-corruption sweep of the Four Seas naval bases. You must take it seriously."
"No matter who's involved, no matter what kind of background they hide behind—leave them to me. I'll deal with it personally."
"…Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
For once, even the usually carefree Admiral Kizaru realized the gravity in his superior's eyes. He quickly nodded.
Soon after, forty warships in full formation set sail, carrying nearly five thousand men. Their destination—the Four Seas.
This time it wasn't just about rooting out corruption. It was about cleaning house, and sending a message.
"One admiral… four headquarters vice admirals, all hawks… looks like the Navy is serious this time."
Members of the World Economic News, hidden among the crowd, watched the departure with sharp eyes. They transmitted every detail back to Morgans, while their thoughts churned.
Honestly, if they didn't already know the inside story, they would've thought the fleet was setting off to clash with Whitebeard himself. That's how overwhelming the show of force was.
"Please… let this really solve the problem this time."
Standing at the bow of the ship, Bell-mère clasped her hands tightly, her gaze fixed on the mighty fleet ahead. She whispered her prayer to the wind.
---
St. Louis Island
"Intelligence confirms it—Admiral Akainu is stationed at the G–1 base in the New World.
Admiral Kizaru has departed with four vice admirals and forty warships, headed for the Four Seas on an anti-corruption campaign.
Navy hero Garp returned to the East Blue half a month ago to visit his family, and, as usual, his stay should last about a month.
Meanwhile, former admiral Black Arm Zephyr has taken this year's recruits out to the Grand Line for pirate suppression drills."
One report after another was laid out before Buggy.
"Good, good, good…"
A wide grin split Buggy's face, his eyes gleaming.
This information was too perfect—like the heavens themselves had thrown him a gift.
"Rain, looks like your operation won't be touched by the Navy after all."
Buggy turned toward Rain, speaking with an uncharacteristically serious tone.
But instead of smiling, Rain's expression grew grave.
"What's wrong? Rain? Something doesn't sit right?" Buggy frowned.
"This should be good news, right? Why do you look like you've bitten into a bad lemon?"
Rain's gaze sharpened. "Buggy… if you dig into my intelligence, won't it drag you down as well?"
"Oi...what are you planning?" Buggy's voice shot up an octave, panic slipping in.
Rain's reply was firm, eyes burning with resolve.
"With a chance like this, if I don't slip into the Holy Land and investigate, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
"...So, before I even think about agreeing, tell me... just how far are you planning to go?" Buggy asked carefully, his voice low.
His nerves were already stretched thin. If Rain's "plan" went too far, it might be more than even Buggy the Clown could stomach.
"Why are you suddenly acting so timid? Wasn't the invasion of the Holy Land your idea in the first place?"
Rain snapped, glaring at Buggy's cautious expression.
"It's different!" Buggy flailed his hands defensively.
"Sure, I've tossed around plans about invading the Holy Land before, but the difference is...I always had someone else to blame! None of it stuck to me!"
"That's why I asked you directly," Rain said calmly.
"How deep is the connection between us?"
In Rain's mind, he was being considerate. Before taking action, he actually asked for Buggy's thoughts. Wasn't that generous enough?
"Well… how do I put this…" Buggy scratched his head.
"Technically, there's not much direct contact between us. Even Crocodile thinks you were just someone I invited to tag along.
So, if you make some noise, you won't drag me down too badly. But if you…"
Rain cut him off, his tone calm but heavy. "After this, I'll probably end up with a bounty higher than Dragon's."
"...!!"
Buggy's jaw nearly hit the floor. His entire body stiffened as his mind screamed: Can I still back out now?!
"What's wrong? Scared already?" Rain teased with a faint smile.
"Can you blame me?!" Buggy shot back with a wry laugh.
"From the way you're talking, you sound like you're about to massacre a whole group of Celestial Dragons!"
"That's pretty much it." Rain nodded without hesitation.
Of course, what he didn't say was that his real plan was even more extreme. But there was no need to tell Buggy that, no point overwhelming him with details about the Holy Land.
"Pheeeew~~~"
Buggy exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. Despite the panic in his heart, he'd seen enough in his life to know he couldn't back down now.
"Fine. Do it boldly." Buggy straightened his back, forcing confidence into his voice.
"Don't worry about me, this is the New World. Even the World Government won't have such an easy time taking me down!"
"Good. Since you're that confident, I'll leave it to you."
Rain gave him a nod of approval.
After all, this was Buggy the Clown loved by fate itself. At worst, he might lose some territory or industry… but his life? That was untouchable.
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