Chapter 39

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Chapter 39: Good Death

North Blue.

The area where a World Government official ship had sunk was now awash in heavy snowflakes that fluttered against a gray sky.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral Kong," Sengoku reported, holding a military phone bug in his hand, his face somber. "According to the route provided by the government CP department, I have arrived at the scene of the crime." He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and surveyed the sea briefly. "There are not many obvious signs at the scene."

"Yes, I understand."

After ending the call, Sengoku let out a long sigh. "The diving team has been dispatched. The higher-ups are taking this incident very seriously."

A spectral figure in a silk robe and a strange patterned mask materialized beside Sengoku, a hoarse voice emanating from beneath the mask. Sengoku gave a nod, though in his heart he felt a hint of disapproval.

The rough sea held only a few pieces of ship wreckage. Occasionally, the sight of burnt and decayed limbs bobbing in the waters made it clear that determining the victims' identities would be impossible.

The Holy Land Mariejois had pinpointed the exact time of the crime to when Shields Saint's Vivre Card had burned completely. A full three hours had passed between that moment and Sengoku's team's arrival.

In three hours, the turbulent sea could have swallowed all evidence and traces left behind. What use would the diving teams even be now?

Sengoku's mood soured at the thought of the extraordinary efforts for a dead Celestial Dragon. And to make matters worse, Byrnndi World had escaped for nothing. The situation felt absurd, and he was unhappy, but he knew that as an order from the World Government, no matter how ridiculous, he would execute it with diligence and responsibility.

The government had imposed a gag order; the incident's exposure could undermine its authority and tarnish its reputation. The involvement of Celestial Dragons made the situation immensely sensitive, difficult, and indeed problematic.

Sengoku's gaze drifted to the deck, where he saw his adjutant, Borsolino, reclining on a beach chair, leisurely sipping watermelon juice, seemingly uninvolved.

"Borsolino!"

Frustration welled in Sengoku and he roared. "We are on a mission!"

Borsolino raised his hands in mock surrender, smiling. "I'm coming, I'm coming..." He set down his juice, rose from the chair, and approached. 

"What have you found?" Sengoku demanded, his tone sharp.

"Let me take a look..." Borsolino rubbed his chin, pushed up his sunglasses, and studied the scene. Moments later, he expressed mock shock. "Wow, so scary. The Celestial Dragon died so cleanly... not even a scrap of flesh left..."

The atmosphere chilled; a heavy silence fell. 

"Quack quack..." crows cawed overhead as uneasy looks passed among the crew.

Sensing the growing hostility from CP0 nearby, Sengoku struggled to restrain his anger and managed through gritted teeth, "Borsolino, you bastard! Get out of here!"

Borsolino, feigning innocence, raised his hands. "Alright, alright..." Reluctantly, he returned to his beach chair and murmured, "You did ask me to come and help..."

Reclining again, he resumed drinking his watermelon juice. "There's really nothing we can do..."

With each word from Borsolino's mouth, Sengoku's expression alternated between shades of blue and white. His features contorted, his hands clenched and unclenched in barely contained rage. In that frustrating moment, he wished he could slap some sense into himself.

If I had known, I would have made Sakazuki my adjutant. The two of us graduated from the military academy as top students at the same time and were called "monsters." At least Sakazuki's gloominess is not so annoying. How could I have been so blind to choose that bastard Borsolino in the first place? 

Sengoku rubbed his forehead in frustration. However, he couldn't afford to regret it. Sakazuki's paranoid nature and his extreme attitudes and methods toward pirates often led him to disobey orders, something Sengoku could not tolerate. Despite Borsolino's tendency to incite his rage, he was still good at following orders. Sengoku let out a long sigh. 

As he was about to speak to the cold and indifferent "face" of CP0, he was interrupted by the ring of the military phone bug. Sengoku frowned, apologized to CP0 with a look, and answered the call.

"Hi, I'm Sengoku."

A loud laugh came through the phone.

"Hahahahaha Sengoku!! How are things over there? Byrnndi Waldo has been taken care of by you, right? I've finished here...you should know, I dented Chinjao's head with my iron fist! What a satisfying battle...hahahaha!"

Sengoku responded with a smile, "Chinjao, the leader of the Eight Treasures Navy, known as the Iron-Headed Cone... was actually dented by you. I bet he's seething with hatred for you, Garp."

He shook his head, "My mission was a failure. There was an unexpected emergency and Byrnndi Waldo escaped."

"Emergency? What emergency happened..."

Garp scratched his head and teased, "That doesn't sound right, Sengoku. Could it be that you couldn't defeat Byrnndi Waldo and made up an excuse for the mission's failure?"

Sengoku replied irritably, "Enough, Garp. We're busy here. A world noble, a Celestial Dragon, was killed in North Blue. I'm investigating under orders from the World Government."

After saying this, Sengoku regretted his words because he knew what was coming. Sure enough, Garp's raucous laughter filled his ear.

"Hahahahaha!! A Celestial Dragon dead? Good riddance!! I only wish I knew who killed that trash, so I could thank them personally... He died a deserving death!!"

As Garp continued to laugh, Sengoku's expression darkened. The killing aura from CP0 next to him grew stronger, chilling the atmosphere.

"I'm telling you, Sengoku, it's just a Celestial Dragon. If one dies, so what? The Holy Land has plenty of them. You just need to check it out. That trash deserved to die, hahahaha..."

Sengoku, noticing Garp's increasing enthusiasm and glancing at the motionless CP0 beside him, eventually couldn't contain himself and said through gritted teeth, "Garp, you shouldn't talk like that. He was a world noble with a high status."

"Tch, Sengoku, stop pretending. You don't fool me; I know what you really think..."

Sengoku was irritated. He abruptly grabbed the phone bug and shouted, "Garp!! The CP0 representative of the World Government is right beside me!"

The deck fell silent. A second later, Garp tried to backtrack, "What I said doesn't count... I take it back!"

Then the phone bug communication abruptly ended.

Sengoku stood there, baffled for a moment. He blinked, coughed to regain his composure, put away the phone, and faced the silent CP0. Adopting a "serious" and "dignified" demeanor, he declared in a deep tone, "Well, let's get to the investigation!"

He met the hollow and indifferent gaze of the CP0 representative.

Sengoku clenched his fist, filled with righteous fury, and proclaimed with conviction, "At all costs! Investigate thoroughly! We must uncover the truth!"