Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

"Send him to Impel Down first. We'll decide his fate after the war."

Sengoku sighed. The situation was complicated. While Fish-Man Island wanted to align with the Navy and the World Government, the Navy often needed their cooperation in return.

Jinbe, as a Warlord, was the crucial bridge between the two. His unique status made it impossible for the Navy to simply remove him like they had with Crocodile.

However, refusing a mandatory summons was a serious offense.

To make matters worse, Jinbe was trying to "mediate" between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates, even advocating for Ace's release.

Did he—or Fish-Man Island, for that matter—really think they had the authority to negotiate between the Navy and pirates?

What's even more ridiculous is that they expect the Navy to release Ace, with the Whitebeard Pirates and Fish-Man Island willing to pay an appropriate price in return.

Leaving aside the fact that the Navy's true objective is to eliminate the Whitebeard Pirates, even if that weren't the case, they would never accept a ransom from pirates—that would be a direct insult to the Navy!

"I see. Should I make a trip to Fish-Man Island?"

Kizaru shrugged. The former members of the Seven Warlords were certainly powerful pirates, but when facing a serious Marine Admiral, they were nothing more than a bit of extra trouble to deal with.

Of course, there were exceptions—like Mihawk and Hancock. The former could even hold his own against an Admiral, while the latter, though slightly weaker, wasn't someone that could be taken down easily.

Speaking of which, it had been a long time since he visited Fish-Man Island. He wondered if the mermaid ladies still remembered him.

If he had known back then, he would have spared Arlong's life. After all, at the time, Arlong hadn't yet killed Bell-mère—at most, he was just a remnant of the Sun Pirates.

So much time had passed. Had Shyarly cooled down yet? Or was she still holding a grudge over him taking out Arlong?

"No need. That guy is already on his way to Marineford. Before Jinbe reaches headquarters, he must be captured!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku spoke sternly. He could not allow any instability before the war began.

"Alright, then. I assume the warship is ready?"

Since things had already been decided, Kizaru had no choice but to go along with it. He could only apologize to old Tiger once again.

Then again, he had already apologized once when he took down Arlong, so another time wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Yes, Strawberry's ship is ready. Once Jinbe is captured, he'll be responsible for escorting him. You must return to headquarters as soon as possible."

After some thought, Sengoku decided to compensate Strawberry a little, considering it as cleaning up after Kizaru.

"Alright, fine. Strawberry's a pretty decent guy... But do I really have to return immediately after completing the mission?"

Kizaru rubbed his chin. Sengoku kept emphasizing his immediate return, which irked him a little.

Was he the type to use missions as an excuse to slack off, wandering around aimlessly and refusing to return until he had his fill?

"..."

Sengoku silently stared at Kizaru, his meaning crystal clear.

If he still didn't understand Kizaru's nature after all these years, then he had no business being Fleet Admiral.

"What a hassle… Let's go, little Nami. Time to get to work again!"

Kizaru grumbled as he got up. He had originally planned to use this as an excuse to visit Fish-Man Island and see if Shyarly had calmed down. Too bad Sengoku had already anticipated his move.

Looked like he'd have to wait until the war was over before finding another way to check on those scantily clad mermaid ladies.

"Huh? Y-Yes!"

Nami cautiously followed behind Kizaru, replaying the conversation between him and Sengoku in her mind, unable to help but shudder.

That was one of the infamous Seven Warlords, and yet, with just a few words from Kizaru and Sengoku, he was about to be sent to Impel Down.

Even though she had been with Kizaru for several years now, it was only at this moment that Nami truly realized what the Navy—and Marine Admirals—meant in this world.

At Marineford's naval port, Vice Admiral Strawberry, still wrapped in several bandages, let out a sigh.

As a firm believer in Admiral Sakazuki's philosophy, he had always upheld strict discipline. But the moment he heard he would be executing a mission alongside Admiral Kizaru, his wounds started aching again.

To convince Mihawk, he had to spar with that sword-obsessed monster for days…

To welcome the Pirate Empress, he had almost been turned to stone by that unpredictable woman…

To persuade Doflamingo, he had to…

After all the trouble he had gone through to complete the Seven Warlords' conscription and return to headquarters, a well-meaning colleague finally told him:

The conscription of the Seven Warlords had originally been assigned to Admiral Kizaru by Sengoku!

For a brief moment, the usually cold and reserved Vice Admiral Strawberry nearly burst into tears. He wanted to confront Kizaru and demand why he had thrown him under the bus.

Every wound on his body, every ounce of suffering he had endured, was all because of Kizaru!

But that impulse lasted only a second before he ruthlessly suppressed it.

As a veteran Marine, Strawberry knew far more than the younger recruits who had joined in recent years.

For example, those same recruits who often complained that Admiral Kizaru was too lazy had no idea that he had once been even more ruthless than Sakazuki.

Back then, his extermination of entire nations had even alarmed the World Government. Who could have guessed that, years later, the once bloodthirsty monster would become the ultimate slacker, basking in the sun and taking it easy?

It was fine to complain about him in private, but to say anything to Kizaru's face? Not even three lifetimes' worth of courage would be enough for that.

Well… what was done was done. People had to move forward. Even Admiral Akainu had been tricked by Kizaru before, so who was he to complain?

Just as Strawberry was about to mentally convince himself to let it go, he received a new order from Sengoku:

He was to accompany Admiral Kizaru in capturing Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords, and escort him to Impel Down.

The moment he received the order, Strawberry was dumbfounded.

Admiral Kizaru? The Seven Warlords?

If Strawberry had known what PTSD was, he would have realized that he was probably already suffering from it—post-traumatic stress disorder caused by Kizaru and the Seven Warlords.

"Vice Admiral Strawberry?"

"Vice Admiral Strawberry!"

"Sir!"

…

By the time Kizaru arrived at the port with Nami, Strawberry still hadn't recovered from his emotional breakdown.

Seeing Admiral Kizaru appear, Strawberry's subordinates had no choice but to try and snap their commander out of it.

"Vice Admiral Strawberry, what's going on here?"

Nami recognized the headquarters vice admiral with the exceptionally long forehead and mustache. Some people might forget his name, but anyone who had seen that mustache would never forget it.

"Hmm… this kind of looks like… sage mode?"

Kizaru rubbed his chin, sounding uncertain.

"Don't make jokes!"

Nami puffed up her cheeks and glared at Kizaru. He could be cool when he wanted to, but most of the time, he was just completely unreliable.

"How could you wrong me like this, little Nami…"

Kizaru put on a wounded expression. He had made a serious guess—wasn't this blank, hollow-eyed look, as if nothing in the world mattered anymore, exactly what sage mode was?

"A-Admiral Kizaru?!"

Snapping back to reality, Strawberry instinctively rubbed his eyes and then, with the determination of a man marching to his doom, saluted Kizaru.

"Are the supplies on the ship ready?"

Kizaru didn't care about Strawberry's emotional state. It was rare for Gion to be back at headquarters, and he wanted to have a good chat with her.

If he was lucky, maybe he could even enjoy a moment of bliss with both Nami and Gion. Wouldn't that be delightful?

"Yes! Everything was prepared as soon as we received the order!"

Strawberry quickly responded, afraid that Kizaru might notice what he had just been thinking.

"Then let's head out. If we don't stop Jinbe, Fleet Admiral Sengoku is going to be very upset…"

Kizaru yawned and boarded Strawberry's fleet flagship with Nami.

Although Jinbe's approximate location was already known, stopping him in the vast ocean wasn't something that could be left to chance. A couple of Navy ships wouldn't be enough to guarantee success.

Fortunately, the Navy headquarters had no shortage of ships and soldiers at the moment. Elite Marines from various branches were arriving by the hour, and Marineford had already gathered over 50,000 troops and more than 300 warships of all sizes.

Not only did they know which route Jinbe was taking, but if necessary, the Navy had the capability to completely seal off the waters around Marineford.

A few days earlier, the World Government and the Navy had publicly announced the impending execution of Fire Fist Ace, making global headlines. Even Fish-Man Island, 10,000 meters under the sea, had received the news.

The Navy wanted the entire world to know. Not only to lure the Whitebeard Pirates into their trap but also to capture the attention of the world and remind all those lawless pirates that the true rulers of the sea had always been the Navy!

Even so-called Pirate Emperors or the bloodline of the Pirate King himself—before the overwhelming might of the Navy, they were nothing more than defeated criminals!

"Boss Jinbe, maybe… maybe we should just forget about this. There's still time to turn back…"

The Ryugu Kingdom soldiers accompanying Jinbe to Marine Headquarters couldn't help but try to dissuade him. Refusing the Navy's mandatory summons was already a serious offense, yet Boss Jinbe still intended to go to Marineford and convince them to abandon Fire Fist Ace's execution.

Even the fish-men who trusted Jinbe the most didn't believe he had any chance of success.

"No need to persuade me further. Pops Whitebeard has done a great favor for Fish-Man Island—I can't just stand by and watch him fall into the Navy's trap. To repay his kindness, I'll gladly risk my life if that's what it takes!"

Standing firmly on the deck, Jinbe spoke with unwavering resolve. He knew full well that the Navy had mobilized such a massive force and wouldn't be swayed by a few words.

But over the years, Fish-Man Island had relied on the Whitebeard Pirates' flag to protect them from pirates and slave traders.

This was a debt they couldn't ignore. Yet, at the same time, Fish-Man Island couldn't afford to offend the Navy or the World Government either. With no other options, Jinbe had no choice but to gamble on this slim possibility.

If he could convince the Navy to cancel Ace's execution, there was still a chance to prevent a disaster.

"Boss Jinbe, up ahead is Marine Headquarters' waters!"

A fish-man lookout shouted excitedly from the crow's nest. They didn't fully understand Jinbe's intentions—all they could do was follow his orders to the best of their ability.

"Good!"

Jinbe exhaled slightly in relief. As a Warlord of the Sea, his refusal to comply with the draft was already an act of betrayal. It was almost certain that a Navy force had already been dispatched to capture him.

If he wanted to reach Fleet Admiral Sengoku and persuade him to halt Ace's execution, he would have to take the Navy by surprise. As long as he could set foot on Marineford…

"Damn! Boss Jinbe! Navy warships spotted ahead!"

"There are warships to port and behind us too!"

"We're surrounded!"

…

Jinbe barely had time to relax before Navy flags appeared on the horizon. Moments later, warships emerged from both flanks and their rear, completing the encirclement without the fish-men even realizing it.

"Much appreciated. Pass my thanks to Morgans when you return."

Kizaru spoke to a news bird perched on the railing. Back when Morgans was just an ordinary journalist, Kizaru had funded him, allowing the World Economy News Paper to take off earlier than expected.

Even now, Kizaru still held a 30% stake in Morgans' newspaper company. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to invest more—Morgans simply had a strong sense of control and refused to let anyone interfere with his business.

If it weren't for the exclusive scoops Kizaru occasionally provided, Morgans wouldn't have even tolerated that 30% stake.

But in the end, the investment was well worth it. Aside from earning a handsome annual dividend, Kizaru and those around him could rely on the news birds for assistance whenever needed.

These birds, scattered across every sea, were the best spies and operatives, capable of tracking down any target Kizaru wanted.

"Caw! Caw!"

The News Coo squawked at Kizaru. They weren't working for free—if he wanted their help, he needed to pay up. Otherwise, they'd go on strike next time, even if he was a major shareholder.

"Relax, relax. Here's 50,000 Berries for overtime, plus another 50,000 as a bonus."

Kizaru generously handed over double the usual fee. These little guys were extremely petty—if they weren't paid properly, getting them to cooperate next time would be a nightmare.

"Caw!"

The News Coo checked the bills and, satisfied, let out a call that signaled their willingness to continue working together in the future.

Meanwhile, the moment the fish-men realized they were surrounded, they fell into a panic.

Sure, there were some fools among them—like Arlong and Hody Jones—who had deluded themselves into believing that fish-men were the strongest race. But most of them weren't that naive.

Even back when Fisher Tiger founded the Sun Pirates, they had been relentlessly hunted by the Navy, forced to flee for their lives. Fish-Man Island simply wasn't strong enough to stand against the Navy.

"Boss Jinbe, what do we do now?"

The fish-men anxiously looked to Jinbe. They didn't want to become enemies of the Navy, but if it was for Boss Jinbe, they were prepared to fight to the death.

"This ship belongs to Ryugu Kingdom, and you are its soldiers. As long as I don't resist, the Navy won't trouble you."

Jinbe's voice was steady. He had already prepared himself for this outcome before setting sail.

The only regret was that he wouldn't be able to meet Fleet Admiral Sengoku and attempt to change his mind.

°°°

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