"Those scumbags from Kasso's group have already arrived at Marine Headquarters and turned themselves in?"
At Marineford, in the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku shot to his feet, bracing both hands on his desk, and stared at his aide Brannew in shock.
At this moment, not only were Vice Admiral Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru present, but the three Marine Admirals were also gathered in the office.
The news of Rear Admiral Kasso's surrender left everyone equally stunned.
They were well aware of the misdeeds committed by Kasso's group within the Marine ranks. Even though they stood at the pinnacle of the organization, they had been powerless against such deeply entrenched corruption due to its backing.
But now, these people had marched straight into Marineford to turn themselves in~~~
This baffled everyone present. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt
Was the world going mad, or did Kasso's group think the Marines wouldn't dare deal with them?
Sengoku's expression darkened. He had long wanted to deal with these scoundrels but had been unable to act because of too much resistance.
Now, they had the audacity to turn themselves in at Marine Headquarters~~~~
Were they being arrogant, or had they genuinely repented?
For a moment, Sengoku couldn't make up his mind.
"I don't think it's as simple as it seems~~~"
Suddenly, Vice Admiral Tsuru, seated to Sengoku's right, spoke in a calm but heavy tone.
Sengoku withdrew the flicker of uncertainty from his face and turned to Tsuru.
"Tsuru, what do you mean?"
Instead of answering directly, Tsuru looked at the three Admirals.
"Before we talk about Rear Admiral Kasso's surrender, let me explain the events leading up to this~~~~"
She went on to describe the situation involving Ryuen's group, ending with their plan to use Ryuen's connections to root out corruption within the Marines.
The three Admirals suddenly understood. So these three senior figures had been planning something so significant behind their backs!
They had only heard of Ryuen's group but had never seen them in person.
The group's photos were rare, accessible only to core Marine personnel or those approved by the three senior officials.
As for their strength, the Admirals had only heard descriptions from Vice Admiral Garp.
What truly surprised them was learning that Ryuen's group had connections to the Celestial Dragons—so much so that they could even give them orders!
This was the first time the Admirals had heard of someone with such formidable backing since assuming their positions.
Ryuen's group could command the Celestial Dragons!
"So, Vice Admiral Tsuru, if you believe there's more to Rear Admiral Kasso's surrender, what's your reasoning?" Admiral Kuzan asked, his tone serious as he turned to Tsuru.
Tsuru shifted her gaze to Sengoku, her expression grave.
"I suspect this is Ryuen's group retaliating against us for trying to manipulate them~~~"
"Tsuru, are you saying this was their doing?"
Sengoku and Garp both gasped in surprise.
Even the three Admirals couldn't believe it. This was outrageous. How could this be possible?
They couldn't believe that Ryuen and his group of young teenagers, all in their teens, managed to make Kasso and his crew come to Marine Headquarters and surrender!
"Think about it, ever since we finished the call with Ryuen's group, less than two days have passed, and Rear Admiral Kasso and his crew came to surrender.
During this time, there has been no intel about Ryuen's group attacking Kasso's fleet.
Normally, when two sides meet, no matter who it is, one side would act first.
But now, we have no intel about any conflict between Ryuen's group and Rear Admiral Kasso. Instead, we're hearing about Kasso's group surrendering.
I believe this must be connected to Ryuen's group!"
Vice Admiral Crane said seriously, sharing her conclusion with everyone.
"Ah Crane, are you saying that Ryuen and his group pushed the problem back to us and gave us the decision-making power?" Sengoku asked in a deep voice.
"If I'm not mistaken~~~ it's probably something like that!" Vice Admiral Crane said seriously to Sengoku.
Vice Admiral Garp remained silent. He stayed quiet because Ryuen was the most promising young person he had seen in all his years. There was no doubt about the strength of Ryuen's group!
That's why, for many years, he had tried everything to ensure peace in the East Blue.
For this, he even went so far as to persuade Sengoku and force the World Government to replace the entire Marine criminal investigation bureau in the East Blue.
Garp thought it was worth it.
Because Ryuen and his group were worth it to him!
As long as it meant Ryuen's group would return to Marine.
The three Admirals were also silent. They were surprised by how much Ryuen and his group meant to Vice Admiral Garp, and to Sengoku and Vice Admiral Crane.
They had worked with these three seniors for so long, but this was the first time they had encountered such a situation.
Everyone looked seriously at Fleet Admiral Sengoku, waiting for him to make a decision. After all, this could be a huge matter, and whether it became big or small depended on Sengoku's choice.
They all felt matter was pushing Sengoku to make a choice.
But for a moment, Sengoku didn't make a decision right away.
Suddenly, the phone bug rang, breaking everyone's thoughts in the office.
"Sorry, sorry, it's my phone bug ringing~~~" Vice Admiral Garp awkwardly laughed.
"Vice Admiral Garp, hello, this is Ryuen. I just wanted to ask, how is Fleet Admiral Sengoku feeling right now?"
As soon as the phone bug was connected, Ryuen's annoying voice came through to Marine Headquarters.
"It's you, Ryuen, you brat!" Vice Admiral Garp shouted.
Then, Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, stood up, grabbed the Den Den Mushi from Garp's hands, and gritted his teeth as he asked, "Ryuen, this is Sengoku! I'm asking you, did you have a hand in Rear Admiral Kasso and the others turning themselves in?"
Somewhere in the Grand Line, Ryuen and his group exchanged looks after hearing Sengoku's question, all of them showing smug expressions.
"That's right, Sengoku Fleet Admiral. We were the ones who sent Kasso and those other trash to Marine Headquarters.
No need to thank us~~~
So, what's your choice? As Marine Fleet Admiral, what are you capable of doing?" Ryuen said coldly.
After hearing this, Sengoku's forehead twitched, and his teeth ground together with a loud grinding sound.
He never expected that, as the Marine Fleet Admiral, with all his wisdom, he would be outplayed by a bunch of rookie punks!
"Ryuen, you brat, you're too arrogant!"
"You wait! When you come to Marine Headquarters, I'll make sure to give you a proper reward!" Sengoku snarled through gritted teeth.
Ryuen laughed loudly and then hung up the phone.
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