"How about we all sit down and talk?"
Vane smiled, taking a slow sip of tea.
His right hand rested casually on Sengoku's desk, a faint white light shield forming over his palm.
Rhett Vane's intention was obvious. Sengoku — the shrewdest man in Navy Headquarters — and Tsuru — the sharpest woman — both understood immediately.
He was here to threaten them.
The three admirals were away, and Garp wasn't present either. If they had been, a coordinated assault might have suppressed him… perhaps. But that was only a possibility.
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged a helpless glance before reluctantly sitting down.
Sengoku's gaze fixed on Vane. This was the first time he had been so close to the man — barely a meter apart.
He was young. Far too young for the sheer power he commanded. His strength did not match his age at all, and what was even more terrifying were his unbelievable abilities. At first, they thought he possessed only two Devil Fruit powers. But that assumption had been shattered — he had several, each more formidable than the last.
His very existence defied explanation. In this world, no one was more monstrous than him.
Sengoku's voice was cold.
"What are you doing here? Wasn't the chaos you caused in Mariejois enough? Are you here to make trouble at Navy Headquarters too?"
"Didn't I do something good? A place like Mariejois is a disgrace to justice. Tell me, Sengoku, if the Celestial Dragons were gone, wouldn't that be a good thing for your navy? Without the Gorosei and their kind, wouldn't your justice finally be free to exist without compromise?"
Sengoku said nothing. Truthfully, Vane wasn't wrong. If Garp were here, he might have applauded. But even Garp, who openly despised the Celestial Dragons, would never show such agreement publicly.
No matter how much the navy preached justice, the Celestial Dragons would always be a stain they could never wash away.
"How many Celestial Dragons have I killed?" Vane asked suddenly.
"Over one hundred and forty, including those killed directly and indirectly by you," Tsuru answered coldly.
Her tone was sharper than Sengoku's. The reason was simple — Vane had taken Gion. And she knew that even if she tried to bring Gion back, the woman wouldn't return to the navy. After years of hunting pirates and protecting civilians, Gion had grown weary. She had found someone she wanted to stand beside — and she had chosen Vane.
Compared to the rigid life in the navy, living with him seemed far more enticing.
"Only a hundred and forty?" Vane tilted his head, sounding almost disappointed.
To him, Celestial Dragons were no different from vermin. He killed them as easily as others swatted flies.
Today, his cold-bloodedness was undeniable.
"Do you plan to kill them all?" Sengoku asked.
"Don't you want to?" Vane replied with a playful grin. "I heard some of your men saying Garp almost beat a Celestial Dragon."
He had been surprised to overhear it. While he knew Garp hated them, he hadn't expected the man to nearly attack one outright. If not for Garp's unparalleled record and fame, the crime of striking a Celestial Dragon would have been enough to see him executed a hundred times over. And that was without mentioning that his son, Dragon, led the Revolutionary Army.
Sengoku and Tsuru remained silent, exchanging glances as if speaking privately.
"Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll take it as truth."
"What do you want here?" Tsuru demanded, her patience fraying.
"I'm here to get something for Gion."
Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do to her?"
"She's doing just fine."
"When will you let her go?"
Tsuru rose to her feet, ready to strike him. Whether she would win or lose didn't matter — she was too furious to care.
"Tsuru!" Sengoku barked.
At his command, she stopped, sitting back down reluctantly.
"Women are allowed to pursue happiness, aren't they, Tsuru-san? You're not married, are you?" Vane's smile deepened, his words laced with provocation.
She understood his meaning instantly. He was implying that Gion had chosen a path she would never regret, unlike Tsuru, who had dedicated her entire life to the navy. She was already over seventy — and utterly alone.
"So, Gion went with you willingly?"
"You don't believe me? I'll have her contact Headquarters. You can ask her yourself."
"You—!" Tsuru clenched her fists.
Vane turned back to Sengoku. "Actually, I came here for something more important."
"Then say it and leave," Sengoku snapped. "If you die here, the navy won't take responsibility."
His real fear wasn't Vane's presence, but what he might do. If Vane went on a rampage, Navy Headquarters — and the tens of thousands of sailors and their families in Marineford — would be at risk.
"Nine Snake Island is my territory now," Vane said calmly. "I've taken an interest in Boa Hancock."
Sengoku's expression darkened. "What are you planning?" Read full story at novel⟡fire.net
"That woman is a Shichibukai — and you already have ties to her? This is not good for the navy."
"You're crossing the line, Vane," Sengoku warned.
"Your line?" Vane's tone turned sharp. "Then you should ask about my line. I said Nine Snake Island is mine. So it's mine."
His meaning was clear — the navy would have no authority in that region anymore. Hancock would have the right to refuse any summons from the World Government.
Right now, there was no one the World Government feared more than Rhett Vane.
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