Chapter 40

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Chapter 40: Kizaru's Speculation

The waves were choppy. On the deck of the warship, Sengoku looked solemn, his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth. The falling snowflakes settled in his hair and on his military uniform, but he didn't bother to wipe them away.

The sound of clattering accompanied the churning of waves as heads emerged from the sea one by one. They were diver troops.

A diver, his wet body quickly climbing aboard the warship, reported to Sengoku with a salute, "Sengoku, the official ship has been completely destroyed and most of the wreckage washed away by the seawater. No meaningful residue can be found. However, it is certain that the hull of the official ship was destroyed very quickly, and the shells and gunpowder in the cabin were ignited, causing a fire and explosion."

Sengoku's heart sank. He had guessed the outcome from the traces on the sea's surface, but there was always the hope for a different result.

Sengoku frowned and looked at the silent CP0 members. "Where's the monitoring Den Den Mushi from the official ship? If I recall correctly, world government official ships are fitted with these to ensure the safety of Celestial Dragons."

CP0 members paused for a moment then turned and walked towards the cabin, Sengoku following quickly.

Inside the cabin, once the hatch was closed and they were alone, the CP0 members slowly took out video Den Den Mushi and placed them on the table. "The ship was indeed equipped with surveillance Den Den Mushi. Normally, any boarding action is immediately recorded."

Sengoku moved to activate the video Den Den Mushi, but a CP0 member stepped forward, pressing down on his hand and stating coldly, "This video contains World Government and noble privacy. You cannot disclose anything you see."

Sengoku gave a look of understanding. "Of course, I know."

The CP0 member withdrew his hand, allowing the projection from the video Den Den Mushi to illuminate the dim cabin with hazy white light. Sengoku saw several surveillance images at once.

The first image showed a harbor shaped like a white crescent moon. Due to the evacuation, the bustling port appeared deserted. The gray, snowy sky created a somber atmosphere.

Sengoku watched on one screen as CP1 members in black suits loaded heavy boxes into the main cabin. Then, Celestial Dragon Shields Saint, wearing a glass cover, strutted onto the ship escorted by several CP1s. The ship's sails were hoisted, catching the sea breeze, and it set sail from the harbor.

Through different surveillance angles, he saw a little girl with red eyes from crying, shackled and dragged into a cabin by CP members, where she curled up in a corner in despair.

On deck, CP1 members smoked cigarettes and joked with each other. He saw a cabin filled with gold and silver treasure. He witnessed Celestial Dragons whipping a woman and dancing to saxophone music.

In these brief scenes, he saw the extremes of opulence and cruelty, splendor and cold hopelessness, separated by a thin wall.

Without realizing, Sengoku's fists clenched tightly. Suddenly, the videos froze, turning into static.

"What about the rest of the surveillance footage?" he asked, a deep breath helping to steady the unease in his heart.

The voice from beneath the CP0 mask was hoarse and detached, "That is all there was. The signal from the official ship's Den Den Mushi was cut off. The feed was interrupted, and the screen went blank."

Sengoku's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "In other words, in less than a second, the entire official ship was sunk and everyone on board was killed?" As the words left his mouth, he himself found them hard to believe. Considering the extensive distribution of surveillance phone bugs on the World Government's official ship, the idea of anyone sneaking aboard was inconceivable.

Even if someone were bold enough to attack the Celestial Dragons, they would encounter resistance from the CP members present. Although CP1 mainly handles intelligence gathering and analysis within their hierarchy, they are still elites trained by the government. Each member has combat skills at least comparable to Naval Headquarters officers. With their presence, the monitoring phone bug should be able to capture an image of the attacker.

However, the surveillance footage was abruptly cut off, leading Sengoku to one conclusion: the attacker used a long-range attack beyond the recording capabilities of the surveillance phone bug to destroy the ship instantly.

CP0 remained silent, and silence often speaks volumes. Sengoku's demeanor turned grim and solemn. "A person who possesses such strength..." He crossed his arms, furrowed his brow, and sank into deep thought. Destroying an entire ship in an instant, or conducting a long-distance attack, are feats few in the sea could achieve. Even a Vice Admiral wouldn't be capable of such a task.

Amidst his musings, Sengoku was rattled by the thunderous names and fearsome Haki users that came to mind. At that moment, CP0 spoke, "Our analysis of the wreckage indicates that the attacker's method was not swordsmanship." Could they rule out the possibility of a swordsman's involvement?

Sengoku paused, then shook his head. "That's not enough to solve the puzzle. Long-distance slashing could do it, but someone of that caliber usually has various attack methods." He mentioned Whitebeard and Golden Lion as examples.

He then took out his military phone bug and quickly connected with headquarters. "Hi, Tsuru, it's Sengoku. I'm investigating the attack on the world's nobles. Can you check the recent actions of Whitebeard, Roger, and Golden Lion for me?" A brief pause ensued before he spoke again. "They haven't been in the North Blue for the past three days? I see, sorry to trouble you."

After hanging up, Sengoku paced in the dim cabin. "Not those guys? Then, considering the incident's details and who might attack the Celestial Dragons, the most likely suspect would be..." His stern expression shifted to one of intrigue. "Byrnndi Waldo?"

A long-range attack that could instantly obliterate a significant official ship; vicious and bold enough to strike the World Government and Celestial Dragons; and the location happened to be North Blue... If it weren't for the fact that the incident coincided with his pursuit of Byrnndi Waldo, Sengoku would have confirmed the "World Destroyer" as the assailant.

Sengoku was interrupted by a series of knocks on the door. Using Observation Haki, he identified Borsolino as the visitor. After a moment of hesitation, he turned off the video phone bug and invited him in.

"Come in."

Borsolino entered and announced, "Sengoku, I have a theory about who attacked the official Celestial Dragons ship..." He strolled into the cabin, and CP0 raised an eyebrow.

Perking up, Sengoku asked, "Do you have an idea?"

With a broad smile and a puffed-out chest, Borsolino declared confidently, "Sea Kings creatures."

Sengoku and CP0 were taken aback. Moments later, Sengoku's angry voice shook the entire warship.

"Get out of here, you fool!"