The next day, the faint morning light had just crept onto the windowsill.
"Buruburu~~" The sharp ring of the Den Den Mushi sounded like a death knell, harshly pulling Yun Lie from his gentle slumber.
"Damn it, which bastard is calling so early in the morning!" Yun Lie, still half-asleep, his hair a mess, grumbled impatiently.
He fumbled around, grabbed the Den Den Mushi, and answered gruffly, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Sengoku."
The voice from the Den Den Mushi was deep and authoritative, like a reef wrapped in sea breeze, instantly dispelling Yun Lie's sleepiness and sending a shiver down his spine.
"Hmm? Fleet Admiral Sengoku?" Yun Lie abruptly sat up, his tone full of probing.
He subconsciously scrutinized the Den Den Mushi in his hand; this was clearly Smoker's contact snail, so how did it end up in Fleet Admiral Sengoku's hands?
"I had Smoker contact you. I have something to discuss. Is it convenient?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's words were short and powerful, the implication clear—he was confirming if the surroundings were safe, evidently needing to discuss a confidential matter.
Yun Lie glanced at the four women in the room, who were not yet fully awake, and calmly said, "No problem, there are no outsiders around me."
"Is Crocodile still alive?" Sengoku asked directly, without any pretense.
The thrilling battle between Yun Lie and Crocodile had long been keenly captured by news birds and transmitted to the Marine at the fastest speed.
King Cobra of Alabasta, moreover, held Crocodile's "criminal evidence." As a World Government Member States , he strongly and resolutely demanded the revocation of Crocodile's Shichibukai status.
Alabasta, as a maritime superpower, held significant influence worldwide, and its relationship with the World Government was intricate and extraordinary, making this matter exceptionally tricky and not easily resolved.
And Yun Lie, as the key figure who defeated and captured Crocodile, naturally became the breakthrough in Sengoku's eyes for resolving the issue—after all, while Yun Lie's victory over Crocodile was somewhat opportunistic, successfully capturing him alive was an undeniable fact.
"He's alive. Do you want to redeem him?" Yun Lie's tone carried clear dissatisfaction and wariness, like a wild beast whose territory had been invaded.
"The Shichibukai status, plus a Zoan Devil Fruit, and I guarantee Crocodile will spend the rest of his life in Impel Down."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku directly laid out his chips, his words subtly hinting at an appreciation for Yun Lie's strength.
In his consideration, if Crocodile, as a Sand-Sand Fruit user, were killed, his Devil Fruit would randomly regenerate somewhere in the world, very likely falling into the hands of criminals, thus creating a new troublesome enemy.
Therefore, for Devil Fruit users, the best way to handle them after capture is to imprison them in Impel Down, thereby delaying the regeneration time of powerful Devil Fruits and reducing potential risks.
And with Crocodile's capture, the Shichibukai position was vacant, and Sengoku did not want to find another heinous pirate to fill this position, to avoid endless future troubles.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you trying to get something for nothing?" Yun Lie was silent for a while, his tone filled with extreme, speechless mockery.
In his opinion, none of the three conditions Sengoku offered could truly move him.
Not to mention that Zoan Devil Fruit; even if he got it, he'd find it distasteful and wouldn't care for it at all.
The Shichibukai position sounded glorious, but in reality, it was just a tool to help the Marine relieve pressure from pirates. He didn't live by plunder, so he couldn't enjoy any of the so-called Shichibukai benefits.
As for imprisoning Crocodile in Impel Down, thinking of Wang Lufei's rampage in Impel Down two years later, this was simply providing free muscle for a future crisis, utterly meaningless.
"Then what do you want?" Sengoku was unaware of Yun Lie's true thoughts, simply assuming the chips weren't enticing enough. After a moment of silence, he asked again.
"I don't want the Shichibukai status. I want a Logia Devil Fruit." Yun Lie's tone was firm, without any hint of compromise.
"Impossible!" As soon as Yun Lie spoke, Sengoku's roar exploded like thunder.
Logia Devil Fruits are priceless treasures; even if the Marine possesses them, they are regarded as precious and strictly guarded, never easily shared.
Even those Vice Admirals within the Marine who have made significant contributions must pass through layers of internal Marine trials to even have a slight chance of obtaining a Logia Devil Fruit.
"Since it's not possible, I think Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit is pretty good. I'll release him and have him find me a Logia Devil Fruit instead." Yun Lie deliberately sighed, feigning regret.
If he weren't worried about exposing his top-secret ability to plunder Devil Fruit powers, he would have long ago extinguished Crocodile without hesitation and extracted the Sand-Sand Fruit for himself.
Moreover, with Crocodile in his hands now, he was like a hot potato that could explode at any moment. He couldn't kill him, keeping him was troublesome, so he could only use him as a bargaining chip.
"Do you want to be wanted by the Marine?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's tone instantly dropped to freezing point, so cold that one could almost see the projected narrowed eyes of the Den Den Mushi glinting with a chilling light.
"I respect you, that's why I call you Fleet Admiral Sengoku, but it doesn't mean I'm actually afraid of you."
Listening to Sengoku's threatening words, Yun Lie's anger instantly ignited. He was fearless and directly hung up the Den Den Mushi.
He knew well that in this game, constant concession would only make others think he was easy to bully and manipulate.
Right now, it was King Cobra of Alabasta putting pressure on the Marine through the World Government, so it should be Sengoku who was anxious to resolve the problem, not him.
Inside Marineford, Sengoku, whose call had been hung up by Yun Lie, was furious. He abruptly stood up and swept all the documents piled on the table onto the floor, scattering them everywhere.
"Bastard! And here I thought so highly of him, never expecting him to be so insatiably greedy!"
Sengoku grumbled and paced back and forth, venting his unquenchable anger.
"Sigh, young people nowadays are not easy to fool. Give me the phone, I'll talk to him myself."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, standing nearby, gently shook her head, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. She reached out and took the Den Den Mushi from Sengoku.
Smoker, sitting in the corner, had no retreat at this point. White smoke constantly emanated from him, and he was as tense as a startled bird, ready to flee at any moment, fearing he might accidentally become Fleet Admiral Sengoku's punching bag and suffer undeserved misfortune.
"Hmph! Here!" Sengoku snorted coldly and heavily handed over the Den Den Mushi.
.......
In the room, Nojiko looked at Yun Lie, her face filled with worry: "Yun Lie, that's Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who stands at the pinnacle of the Marine and represents its highest authority. Is it really okay for you to do this?"
The other three women also looked at him eagerly, their eyes similarly filled with deep concern.
Blackmailing a Fleet Admiral—just thinking about it felt both thrilling and terrifying.
"Don't worry, he'll call again soon." Yun Lie gave them a reassuring look, his tone confident.
No sooner had he spoken than the Den Den Mushi in his hand rang again: "Buruburu~~"