Chapter 28: CPO

"Anything else?" 

Sakazuki paused, prompting Garp's immediate attention. He listened intently.

Sakazuki replied, "No, we simply need to send personnel to gather all the pregnant women on the island this month and examine them individually."

"Is it really that straightforward?" Garp found it hard to believe.

Sakazuki inquired, "And what do you propose? This method is the most efficient."

"But won't it be time-consuming?" Garp questioned. "We don't know how many pregnant women there are on such a large island. It won't be so simple to check, will it?"

"With support from the entire South Blue Marine branch and intelligence from CP0, locating her on that island is only a matter of time," Sakazuki assured.

"Does that mean it'll be easy to find her?" Garp whispered.

Though Sakazuki heard Garp's muttering, he pretended not to and continued with his task.

The journey from Grand Line to Baterila Island in South Blue was much longer than Garp's previous trip to Logue Town. Additionally, with no rush, it took them a full four days to reach the vicinity of Baterila Island.

However, instead of heading straight to Baterila Island, Sakazuki directed the ship to the nearest Marine branch. The hundreds of soldiers they brought along wouldn't suffice for a thorough search of Baterila Island; they required additional forces from the South Blue Marine branch.

By the time they entered South Blue, Rear Admiral Onigumo had already alerted the local Marine branch. As they docked, a sizable welcoming committee awaited them.

As the highest-ranking officer in the South Blue branches, Vice Admiral Matt Podeswa was tasked with receiving Sakazuki and his team. Despite sharing the same military rank as Sakazuki and Garp, the disparity in their positions was significant. While Sakazuki was a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters, Matt held the same rank within the South Blue branch, making his authority subordinate to Sakazuki's.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, Vice Admiral Garp, I'm Vice Admiral Matt Podeswa," Matt greeted them respectfully as they disembarked.

Sakazuki returned the greeting casually, while Garp remained silent, deferring to Sakazuki as agreed earlier.

"Hello Vice Admiral Matt, are you prepared to set sail?." Sakazuki responded.

Matt immediately invited them to a prepared banquet, but Sakazuki declined any extravagance, swiftly transitioning to business matters. He confirmed if Matt had arranged everything as discussed earlier.

Matt assured him, "I've gathered soldiers from all branches. Three thousand men are ready to follow your orders."

"Very good," Sakazuki acknowledged, satisfied with the preparations.

However, Matt hesitated, then cautiously informed them, "There's a slight complication. Members of CP0, the World Government's espionage agency, are present at the branch. They might pose difficulties."

"CPO? What are they doing here?" Garp's irritation was evident. Though Sakazuki had limited interaction with the espionage agency, Garp was well aware of their capabilities and preferred not to engage with them.

Matt explained, "They seem to be waiting for you."

Sakazuki decided they should meet CP0 despite his reservations. He knew little about them, except that they were an influential clandestine organisation loyal to the Celestial Dragons, possessing formidable power comparable to Marine Admirals.

Upon reaching the branch base, they were greeted with disdain by the CP0 agents, who questioned why Marine Admirals weren't personally handling such an important matter.

Sakazuki calmly addressed their arrogance, remarking, "Marine Admirals have weightier duties. It falls to us to manage these affairs. As for you, instead of guarding Mariejois, you've intruded into our territory. Do you need directions back home?"

This incited fury among the CP0 agents, but Sakazuki remained composed, unwilling to engage further in confrontation.

They rose to their feet, yet Sakazuki moved with deliberate slowness, settling into a nearby chair and fixing his gaze upon them.

"This is Marine territory. It's not yet the turn of CP0 agents to dictate us here."

Among them, the figure wearing the white mask extended a hand to halt the others' intentions, then locked eyes with Sakazuki, uttering in a chilling tone, "I recognise you, the rising star of Marine Headquarters, Admiral Alternate, Sakazuki, endowed with the Lava-Lava Fruit ability."

Sakazuki remained unsurprised by the revelation of his identity. After all, this was the world's foremost spy agency, and he held a notable position within the Marines. Opting not to respond, he simply returned the other's gaze.

The voice emanating from the figure in the white mask possessed an enigmatic quality, making it challenging to discern gender. Standing at the shortest stature among the quartet, around 1.9 meters, the other three towered over him, with the tallest surpassing even Sakazuki. Yet, it was evident that their status paled in comparison to the one clad in white.

"Nevertheless, even your Marine Headquarters' Fleet Admiral wouldn't dare to affront us in such a manner."

A smirk crept across Sakazuki's lips. "How embarrassing. It seems courage is in short supply. If others won't show me respect, they shouldn't expect any in return."

Garp observed Sakazuki's confrontation with these individuals with a hint of surprise. The status of CP0 was undeniably high. Even if they were merely bluffing, disrespecting them was out of the question, let alone referring to them as mere gatekeepers. While Garp agreed with Sakazuki's stance, openly expressing it would amount to an affront to CP0.

"This Sakazuki has become quite audacious after awakening Conqueror's Haki, albeit a tad impulsive." Garp thought.

"Humph."

Sakazuki's words elicited a few disdainful snorts. As he had indicated, this was a Marine branch base, their domain. It wouldn't bode well to engage in a confrontation with Sakazuki here. Despite their irritation, they had no choice but to restrain themselves.

"You claim that the search for Roger's blood is a trivial matter. Is this the stance of the Marines or just your own?"

Sakazuki retorted, "What's this? Do you CP0 consider this a significant affair? Let's not even discuss whether Roger left any blood; even if he did, it's merely an unborn legacy. How much impact could it truly have? Sending a Marine Vice Admiral should suffice."

"Huh." The white-masked individual snorted derisively. "Your ignorance blinds you to the vastness of the world."

A glint of hostility flickered in Sakazuki's eyes as he retorted icily, "If you dare speak to me in such a manner, don't expect any mercy in return."

"Sakazuki, your rudeness knows no bounds. We're here to assist in the search. Is this how you show gratitude?" The white-masked figure's voice resonated with anger.

Sakazuki replied coldly, "You mentioned assistance yourself. When I dislike something, I won't hesitate to voice it. If you find that unacceptable, feel free to leave. We can complete the task without you."

"Insolence!"

Finally, one amongst them couldn't contain his anger any longer, launching himself towards Sakazuki with a clenched fist.

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