One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

Lindemann, for the first time, felt that he had followed the right person. He solemnly stood up and sincerely and respectfully bowed to Sakazuki:

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki has nurtured and valued me so greatly—Lindemann will never forget this for as long as I live!"

Lindemann's overwhelming gratitude was within Sakazuki's expectations. Although in the 21st century, nepotism and the protection of subordinates were like a slow-acting poison to the military, in this world, where the navy was composed of a small elite officer corps and a large number of well-trained ordinary soldiers, having subordinates devoted to their superiors actually enhanced a commander's control over the troops.

He slowly lowered his leg, stood up, and walked toward the Den Den Mushi placed on the table. The matter of handling the two leaders of the Giant Warrior Pirates was tied to the Navy and the World Government's future strategic planning and policies. As a soldier, he could not deal with them based on personal preference; he could only report the situation on-site along with his suggestions to the Admirals. The Fleet Admiral, Admirals, and the Navy's strategists would then discuss and determine the best course of action.

"Oh! Sakazuki! How's it going? Have you already arrived at the Primeval Island?"

Sengoku sat alone in his office, leisurely sipping matcha tea. It was a rare moment of peace—without Garp around to cause trouble and slow down his work efficiency. A military intelligence report that would usually take him half a day to complete and submit for the Five Elders' review had today taken him only an hour.

Hmm, damn it, Garp!

Sengoku took out his pocket watch to confirm the time once again, even taking a moment to recheck his report. The steady, dignified calligraphy combined with the meticulous and rigorous structure of the report was a stark contrast to the ones he had written while being disturbed by that old fool.

Hmm, damn it, Garp!

The Grand Admiral sighed to himself.

Sipping his matcha, he even had the leisure to inquire about a little one who had earned his affection and concern:

"Sakazuki, how is little Robin? Is she seasick? Primeval Island is full of prehistoric creatures—you better keep a close eye on her. If anything happens to that child, I'll hold you personally responsible!"

...Am I a fake adoptive father or something?

Sakazuki had yet to even begin his report before being directly threatened by his own boss.

Standing behind Sakazuki, Lindemann couldn't help but curl his lips.

No wonder Vice Admiral Sakazuki had threatened to make him lecture a dinosaur about five hundred times on intelligence gathering before he even started reporting.

So this kind of issue actually had a master-disciple lineage!

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have a military report to deliver," Sakazuki said stiffly, forcibly steering the conversation elsewhere.

"Do you know about the Giant Warrior Pirates?"

Sengoku took a loud sip of his tea. "Of course I do! The Giant Warrior Pirates were a serious headache for both the Navy and the Government back in the day."

"We encountered a pirate on Primeval Island who claims to be the former leader of the Giant Warrior Pirates—Blue Ogre Dorry."

Sakazuki turned slightly, signaling Lindemann to transmit the photos from his camera to Marine Headquarters through the visual Den Den Mushi.

"PFFFFFTTTTT!!!!!!"

Sengoku instantly sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

"You didn't kill him, did you?!?!?!"

Sengoku's heart clenched tightly.

It was true that this subordinate of his was undoubtedly an outstanding soldier, but among the pirates he encountered, there was hardly ever one who lived long enough to have tea at Enies Lobby—let alone take a warm bath in Impel Down's Level 6.

If this murder maniac had just casually slaughtered that Dorry guy, then the mess would be colossal!!

Sakazuki leaned closer to the Den Den Mushi, listening intently until he could almost hear Sengoku's heartbeat accelerating on the other end of the line. Only then did he slowly give his superior a reassurance pill:

"We are currently maintaining a peaceful stance with the giants. Please rest assured."

Damn it, Sakazuki!

Sengoku calmed himself, then carefully asked, "What exactly is the situation?"

"The intelligence on Dorry was gathered by my subordinate, Lindemann. He also used espionage techniques to extract a significant amount of useful information," Sakazuki praised his subordinate without reservation.

"Besides Blue Ogre Dorry, there is another member of the Giant Warrior Pirates on the island—Red Ogre Brogy, who is said to be an equal match in strength to Dorry."

"Hold on a moment, Sakazuki."

Sengoku's expression grew serious.

He stood up and shouted toward the office door:

"Someone!! Bring me all the information Marine Headquarters has collected on the Giant Warrior Pirates—every single document! Immediately!! Remember, I said everything!"

The Marine Buddha took the freshly transmitted, clear photograph from Primeval Island, intending to compare the giant in the picture—who was sitting on the ground, resting his chin in thought—with the countless wanted posters of pirates in his memory.

"No mistake, this is indeed Blue Ogre Dorry. Even back then, his bounty was as high as 100 million berries—the leader of the Giant Warrior Pirates! And the one you mentioned, Red Ogre Brogy, also had a bounty of 100 million berries!"

"Fleet Admiral! These are all the existing records on the Giant Warrior Pirates from the archives!"

Several Rear Admirals rushed into the office using Soru, carrying stacks of thick folders in their arms. Sengoku quickly stepped forward and grabbed the two most tattered wanted posters from the pile.

Though the bounty papers had already yellowed with age, the image of a pirate wearing a war helmet and draped in a deep blue cape was an exact match to the man in Sakazuki's transmitted photo.

"Sakazuki, I order you not to engage them in conflict. Even in the worst-case scenario, you are only permitted to capture them alive! This individual is of great importance to Marine Headquarters!" Sengoku commanded gravely.

"Understood! Additionally, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the intelligence Lindemann gathered reveals that Blue Ogre Dorry is completely unaware of the World Government's alliance with Elbaf. Given his massive influence and prestige among the giants of Elbaf Village, I propose recruiting him into the Navy!"

Sakazuki put forth his idea.

The Grand Strategist nodded in agreement. "Hmm, you and I had the same thought. The World Government has already revoked the bounties on the Giant Warrior Pirates. If we can convince these two to join us, then the neutral and undecided giants will finally make their choice! Our navy's combat strength will skyrocket."

He promised over the Den Den Mushi:

"Make sure this mission is handled cleanly and beautifully! If you need any support, just ask—I'll have the nearest naval base deliver it to you overnight!"

Sakazuki had already planned ahead and was not polite in his request: "Liquor! Barrels and barrels of liquor—lots of it!"

He recalled the nature of Elbaf's giants, feeling confident in his approach.

Looking at the Russian bear, glancing at Nordic Nords, and thinking of those wildlings from Skyrim, Sakazuki—who had enough understanding of how these giants thought—had already devised his plan while staying behind on the ship.

It's just Fus Ro Dah!—no, wait...

Lok'tar Ogar!

After ending the call, Lindemann, who had been listening in on their entire exchange, looked at Sakazuki with admiration.

Combining the Vice Admiral's previous guidance, Sengoku's strategy, and the Fleet Admiral's plans, it seemed like Sakazuki had predicted it all.

"Vice Admiral, are you going to negotiate with the giants right away?" Lindemann quickly caught up with Sakazuki, who had already pushed open the cabin door.

"No, Lindemann. When it comes to diplomacy—winning hearts comes first!"

Sakazuki stopped in his tracks, his towering back facing Lindemann.

"Then... what are you doing?"

"Go back and tell Dorry—his commanding officer is currently training inside the volcano. If he's not afraid of death, he can come find me!"

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