Finn leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming thoughtfully against the armrest.
Fisher Tiger had only recently returned to Fish-Man Island. Even with Jinbe's connections and information network, he'd only received word yesterday.
Logically speaking, Tiger had just escaped from Mary Geoise.
His physical condition was probably poor. If he wanted to attack the Holy Land and set fires, he'd need time to rest and recover first.
After all, he'd have to climb the Red Line with his bare hands and infiltrate Mary Geoise undetected.
If you weren't in peak condition, that kind of feat was impossible.
In other words, Tiger would have to wait a while before making his move.
"Admiral, I'll take these documents to the Fleet Admiral." Hina picked up a stack of papers from the desk and glanced at Finn.
Finn waved dismissively without looking up.
Hina didn't seem bothered. Humming a cheerful tune to herself, she opened the office door and walked out, documents in hand.
After Hina left, Finn suddenly picked up the Den Den Mushi from his desk.
His expression was uncertain, as if he was weighing something carefully.
But after only a brief hesitation, Finn smiled and dialed.
At the same time, in the East Blue, Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo.
Dragon sat in the courtyard, watching his old friend Koshiro instruct a group of students in the fundamentals of swordsmanship not far away.
Two students in particular stood out and seemed to receive the most attention from the master.
One was a little girl. Dragon knew she was Koshiro's daughter. The man valued her highly and planned for her to inherit the dojo someday.
The other was a boy who'd apparently joined recently. He had green hair and trained with remarkable intensity, enough to earn Koshiro's favor. When they'd shared tea earlier, Koshiro had praised the boy's talent extensively.
His name was Roronoa Zoro, if Dragon remembered correctly.
Still, Dragon didn't dwell on it. He simply observed the harmonious scene before him and savored a rare moment of peace.
As Dragon sipped his tea, enjoying the breeze and watching his friend teach, absorbed in the simple comfort of daily life, the Den Den Mushi in his coat suddenly rang.
Dragon raised an eyebrow. He always carried two Den Den Mushi. One was for Revolutionary Army communications. The other was the one he'd taken with him when he left the Marines.
Only a handful of people knew the signal frequency for that second one.
After pulling it out and glancing at it, a smile flickered across Dragon's face. He looked up briefly at Koshiro in the distance, then answered. "It's quite unusual for you to contact me directly. Usually, isn't it Miss Stussy who relays messages, Finn?"
That's right. It was Finn calling.
"Hahahaha! It's been a while since I heard your voice. I missed you a bit. Where are you?" Finn's voice was light, almost teasing.
Dragon smiled and lied casually. "Baltigo?"
His answer carried a note of obvious uncertainty, and Finn naturally heard the joke. He laughed. "Come on, man. The newspaper published an article this morning saying you appeared in the East Blue two days ago. How did you get to Baltigo today?"
"Haha. I can fly," Dragon said smoothly.
"Speaking of which, where exactly is Baltigo? We haven't seen each other in ages. Would you consider inviting me for a visit?" Finn's tone remained friendly, curious.
Dragon replied nonchalantly, "Forget it. You're such a busy man. How could you possibly have the time? Besides, Baltigo is completely barren. There's nothing to see. I don't even want to go back."
"After all those excuses, you just don't want to show me, right?" Finn asked, mock offense creeping into his voice.
"Yes, that's right. I'm afraid you'll betray me," Dragon said with a grin.
"You bastard..." Finn cursed, though his tone was still amused.
He was joking, of course. Dragon still trusted Finn and didn't truly believe he'd betray him. The two had maintained certain cooperative arrangements over the years. For example, Bartholomew Kuma had now fled to Punk Hazard...
Punk Hazard, like Baltigo, was an island without a magnetic field. Under normal circumstances, even if Bartholomew Kuma became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Marines wouldn't reveal the location of such a strategically important facility.
But the thing was, Kuma didn't need the Marines to tell him. Dragon already knew where Punk Hazard was.
This left the Marines in an awkward position. Who told that bastard Dragon to come from the upper ranks of the Marines?
All that aside, although Dragon's current relationship with the Marines remained relatively cordial, he still needed to maintain certain safeguards. How could he possibly tell Finn the location of his headquarters?
What if this bastard turned on him one day? Where would Dragon go for justice then?
After exchanging a few more casual remarks, Finn asked again, "So you're still in the East Blue?"
Dragon paused briefly, then answered, "Yes. The Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village."
He revealed his exact location openly and honestly, a clear demonstration of trust.
"Really? I wonder if I'll be able to make it in time..." Finn muttered, then added, "Oh, by the way, please give my regards to Master Koshiro. Tell him I should have visited much sooner, but unforeseen circumstances kept me away..."
"I will. Though he never expected you to come back anyway, so it doesn't really matter," Dragon said calmly.
"Could you show me a little respect? I'm a Marine Admiral, you know," Finn said with exaggerated indignation.
Dragon ignored the complaint. "What do you mean 'make it in time'?"
"I have some important information. How much are you willing to pay for it?" Finn's voice took on a sly edge.
Dragon's expression grew more serious. "How important?"
"Something that hasn't happened in the past eight hundred years. The World Government is about to face unprecedented humiliation. Big enough for you?" Finn's tone turned almost gleeful.
A smile spread across Dragon's face. Then a thought struck him, and his eyes widened. "Are you Marines planning to take action against the World Government?"
Finn had said this was unprecedented in eight hundred years, an unparalleled disgrace.
And Finn had always seemed to harbor strong opinions about the World Government. As he continued rising through the Marine ranks, his influence had spread, inheriting and amplifying Garp's legacy within the organization. Most of the current generation of Marine officers were deeply dissatisfied with the World Government.
If Finn suddenly attacked the World Government and tried to seize control, Dragon wouldn't be surprised at all.
He felt in his heart that Finn would do such a thing eventually.
"What are you talking about? The Marines and the World Government are one and the same. We love each other like family. As a Marine Admiral, how could I possibly take action against the World Government? Even though we're friends, if you keep spouting nonsense like that, I'll still sue you for defamation!" Finn said, his voice dripping with false righteousness.
"Yes, yes. You and the World Government love each other so much. So why are you contacting me, the World Government's mortal enemy?" Dragon shot back dryly.
"Hahahaha! More friends mean more opportunities..." Finn said vaguely.
Dragon pressed forward. "What is it?"
"You haven't made an offer yet," Finn said dismissively.
After dragging this out for so long, you want my information for free?
"Is it really that important?" Dragon hesitated, then asked again.
The moment the words left his mouth, Finn hung up.
Click.
"Hello? Hello? Hello?!" Dragon stared at the disconnected Den Den Mushi with a bewildered expression, then smiled ruefully. "This guy is a complete bastard..."
But Finn's brazen behavior only made Dragon more uneasy.
He looked at the silent Den Den Mushi, hesitating for a long moment while stroking his chin. Should he call back?
But if he called back like this, wouldn't it be too undignified?
It would look like he was begging Finn...
After a brief pause, Dragon smiled again. "That bastard. I've always had to beg him anyway. Forget it. I don't have any dignity in front of him. Besides, we're friends. We've bathed in hot springs together with complete sincerity..."
After finding numerous reasons to comfort and convince himself, Dragon finally called back.
At Marine Headquarters, Finn slowly lit a cigar and leaned back on the sofa, looking completely relaxed.
After waiting just a few seconds, the Den Den Mushi on his desk began to ring.
It was Dragon, of course.
"Haha. I knew I could get you, you bastard," Finn muttered to himself with a grin.
He exhaled a stream of smoke, picked up the receiver, and asked casually, "What's up?"
"Give me another chance, boss?" Dragon said, his tone carrying a mixture of humor and resignation.
"Make your offer quickly," Finn laughed.
"Can you at least give me a range to work with?" Dragon said helplessly.
This was the state of the Revolutionary Army. No money, limited manpower. What exactly did Finn want?
"The location of Baltigo..." Finn said softly.
"Can't you have some bottom line?" Dragon rolled his eyes.
"Tsk." Finn clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, then continued, "I provide the intelligence, you take the risk, and my Marines take seventy percent of the profits. Your Revolutionary Army gets thirty percent. How's that?"
Dragon laughed after hearing this. He felt a clarity and certainty settle over him.
"Hehe. This must be something your Marines aren't in a position to do, but you're a bit greedy, right? That's not very fair, Admiral Finn. Since we're allies, wouldn't a fifty-fifty split be better?" Dragon said with a smile.
"Don't get too confident, okay? Do you think you're the only ones we contact for dirty work?" Finn said calmly.
Dragon fell silent for a moment.
That was definitely impossible. In the past, Dragon might have believed the Marines wouldn't be so shameless.
But that bastard Finn had become a Marine Admiral...
With his integrity—or lack thereof—if you told Dragon that Finn hadn't cultivated a few outside assets to handle dirty work, Dragon wouldn't believe it even if you killed him.
In fact, Finn certainly had. For example... Comrade Rear Admiral Smoker, who'd been undercover for three years, then another three years, then another three years.
But it was obvious that what Finn was planning now wasn't suitable for Smoker to handle.
Only Dragon, the world's most wanted criminal, could bear this enormous, perfectly round scapegoat!
But there was no need to say that so bluntly. The proper approach was to fool him.
Dragon thought for a moment, then said, "I'll take forty, you take sixty?"
"Deal! It's settled!" Finn agreed without hesitation.
Why do I feel like I've been tricked?
Dragon felt somewhat frustrated and uncomfortable. If he'd persisted a little longer, he probably could have negotiated a fifty-fifty split. Unfortunately, he'd been fooled by that bastard Finn.
But Dragon quickly adjusted his mindset. "Tell me. What exactly do you want to do?"
"How about we join forces and clean up Mary Geoise?" Finn said softly.
Dragon was silent for a long beat.
Weren't you just claiming to be family with the World Government, loving each other so much?
Don't you feel the weight of that Admiral's cloak of justice on your shoulders?
Am I the worst criminal, or are you?
How dare you still call yourself a member of the World Government?
So in your mind, the banner of the World Government is just a piece of toilet paper? When you need it, you treasure it so carefully you're afraid it'll tear. When you don't need it anymore, you just throw it aside?
Dragon had a thousand things he wanted to say, swirling through his mind.
But what he said was, "I'd like to hear more details."