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Chapter 106: Keep the Music Playing, Keep on Dancing
Kizaru indifferently patted the geisha massaging his shoulders, signaling her to continue and to use a bit more force. Only then did he turn back to the Den Den Mushi, speaking in a tone that was even lazier and carried a hint of amusement.
"And Fleet Admiral, this is a good thing!"
"A good thing!?"
The mouth of the Den Den Mushi, mimicking Sengoku's face, instantly opened to its limit. The veins manifested on its forehead throbbed wildly, looking as if they were about to burst at any second.
"Borsalino! Did a donkey kick you in the head?! The sea is about to boil over! The Four Emperors are gathering in East Blue—this is something that hasn't happened since the Rocks era! And you call this a good thing?!"
Sengoku's roar seemed to drop the temperature in the private room by several degrees.
"Oh my, oh my~, don't get so excited, Fleet Admiral." Kizaru's voice remained as punchable as ever. "Think about it. Those guys are all lawless bastards."
His finger traced the rim of his sake cup. Behind his sunglasses, his gaze drifted through the window toward the distant horizon, as if he could already see the approaching storm.
"I don't think they will properly follow the rules set by Little Brother Blake. Especially... that bastard Kaido."
Kizaru's tone took on a playful edge.
"Do you think that 'Strongest Creature,' who is bent on dying and treats destruction and combat as the joys of life, will obediently line up, pay money, and play some 'dungeon' game after seeing a man who calls himself 'God' and can mold a moon with his bare hands?"
Kizaru paused. Without waiting for Sengoku's reply, he continued on his own.
"The only thing he will do is try everything possible to challenge that 'God,' and then continue playing his suicidal game."
The roaring on the other end of the phone ceased. Only heavy, suppressed breathing remained.
Sengoku was no fool; he instantly understood the deeper meaning in Kizaru's words.
"Rather than us Marines gathering all our military power to intercept them in the New World or the Grand Line—paying a painful price with no guarantee of stopping them..." Kizaru's voice became like a devil's whisper, filled with temptation. "Why not just let them pass?"
"Let these unruly monsters go to East Blue and test for themselves... just how hard the rules of that 'God' actually are. Let Little Brother Blake deal with them personally."
"As for us?" Kizaru leaned back comfortably, enjoying the geisha's service, and lazily concluded, "We just need to prepare newspapers and popcorn, sit in the best seats, and enjoy the grandest fireworks display since the Rocks era... wouldn't that be nice?"
"Isn't this... a good thing?"
Dead silence.
The other end of the Den Den Mushi fell into a long, dead silence.
Sengoku's angry expression froze, then slowly, bit by bit, it collapsed, finally turning into a complex look mixed with exhaustion, helplessness, and a trace of realization.
Indeed. Let monsters deal with monsters. In the current situation, this was truly the option with the least loss for the Marines, and perhaps... the only correct choice.
However, hearing it come out of a dignified Marine Admiral's mouth in such a matter-of-fact, even gloating tone was something he, as the Fleet Admiral, found hard to accept no matter what.
"...But that is still no excuse for you bastard to be slacking off in the Goa Kingdom!"
After a long time, Sengoku squeezed this sentence out through his teeth, his voice hoarse. "The matter regarding the Goa Kingdom, and Dragon..."
"Ah, about that..." Kizaru raised his cup, took a small sip, and spoke leisurely, "Fleet Admiral, I was just about to ask for your instructions."
His tone suddenly became serious, completely different from his usual slacker demeanor.
Sengoku on the other end was visibly stunned. Even the furious expression on the Den Den Mushi's face receded slightly, turning solemn.
"Instructions? Speak."
For Kizaru to use such a tone, it must be a major decision concerning the future direction of the Marines. Perhaps it was about how to handle the affiliated nation occupied by the Revolutionary Army? Or how to deal with Dragon's next move?
Sengoku held his breath, waiting for Kizaru's next words.
Then, he heard Kizaru speak slowly in an unprecedentedly solemn tone, as if discussing world peace:
"Fleet Admiral, I've made some observations here in the Goa Kingdom and found that the Revolutionary Army has a policy that is very popular with the people. I was thinking... can we Marines also include the expenses of the Kabukicho in our reimbursement scope?"
"..."
"..."
"I think this is a fantastic policy, Fleet Admiral."
Kizaru completely ignored the deathly silence on the other end of the phone and continued to add on his own, "Think about it. The brothers risk their lives out there, so it's only natural for them to come back and relax. This would not only greatly boost morale but also stimulate economic prosperity. It kills two birds with one stone."
"I believe that as long as you implement this policy, all colleagues throughout the Marines will surely support your wise leadership even more!"
Silence.
A long silence that could freeze the air into ice.
The geishas in the private room didn't dare to breathe loud, looking cautiously at the golden Den Den Mushi. They watched as the face mimicking Sengoku changed color at a speed visible to the naked eye—from a normal complexion, turning red bit by bit, then flushing crimson, until finally becoming a deep red like a boiled shrimp.
White steam even began to materialize from the top of its head.
The next second.
"Borsalino—!!!"
A roar loud enough to lift the roof and shatter the glass exploded from the Den Den Mushi's mouth!
"Get! Your! Ass! Back! Here! Right! Now!!"
"Oh my, oh my? Moshi moshi?"
Kizaru quickly held the receiver away, an exaggerated expression of surprise on his face.
"The signal suddenly got so bad... Fleet Admiral? What are you saying? Bzzzt... Bzzzt... I can't hear you clearly at all..."
He pretended to say "Hello?" into the receiver a couple of times, and then, before Sengoku's next round of roaring could arrive, he decisively hung up the phone.
Click.
The whole world was quiet.
Kizaru placed the receiver back in its spot and flashed a sleazy yet kind smile at the group of dumbfounded geishas who were silent as cicadas in winter.
He clapped his hands and leaned back lazily onto the tatami mat.
"Alright, alright, work matters are handled."
"Come."
"Keep the music playing, keep on dancing."
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