Visit my patreon to read the next chapters of the book
patreon.com/Kazzap
Chapter 24 Scolding
G-5 Base Command Tower
The night is dark and the stars are sparse.
The entire G-5 base was silent as iron under the strict discipline, and in the highest tower, the lights were dimmed, and a silent attack order was about to be issued.
"Drip—drip drip—"
The Den Den Mushi vibrated slightly on the operating table, and the silver lines on its shell shone slightly.
Rogge stood quietly, his black cloak hanging to the ground, his military boots as solid as a mountain, his eyes cold and deep.
He reached out and pressed the answer button.
Den Den Mushi blinked its solemn eyes, and then a deep and resonant voice came out:
"This is Sengoku."
On the other end of the line, Marshal Sengoku of Marineford frowned and lowered his voice to a very low level:
"Commodore Rogge, I heard you applied to attack East Blue?"
Rogge stood in a military posture, his voice calm and concise:
"Yes. Objective—to confirm the Red Hair Pirates' movements and ensure East Blue remains unthreatened."
There was a brief silence on the Den Den Mushi side.
After a moment, Sengoku warned in a deep voice:
"--remember."
"We must not provoke a large-scale conflict in East Blue."
"Red Hair... is one of the strongest pirate groups on the sea."
"If he has no intention of fighting, he must not start a fight."
"You can scout, you can be on guard, but—"
Sengoku's voice was like a hammer striking each word:
"Unless the other party takes the initiative, you are not allowed to start a war without authorization."
Rogge replied coldly: "I understand."
Sengoku's voice relaxed slightly, but still solemn:
"You have ultimate discretion."
"But you must—keep your sanity."
Click.
Den Den Mushi slowly closed its eyes, and the call ended.
——But only a few seconds later.
Another Den Den Mushi suddenly rang, vibrating even more rapidly.
Rogge glanced at it, raised his eyebrows slightly, and answered it.
This time, a hoarse voice as hot as roiling lava came:
"Hey, kid, it's me—"
Akainu!
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Akainu asked in his usual cold and gruff voice:
"Do you want me to send someone to support you?"
Rogge smiled slightly, his eyes cold and stern:
"No need."
"This time, I'm only bringing Leiter and Enel."
"—That's enough."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, followed by a low, rough laugh.
"Ahem... you little brat, you're so arrogant."
"Remember, I'm not asking you to die in East Blue."
"If you really can't do it—come back with your life."
"When the time comes, Laozi will take you back to fight!"
Rogge's mouth curled up slightly into a smile:
"Um."
"But leave the slapping in the face to the enemy."
Click.
Den Den Mushi closed its eyes quietly, and the call was completely terminated.
Inside the control tower, the air seemed to turn cold.
Rogge turned slowly, his black cloak fluttering.
At the door, Rhett was ready, his muscles were as hard as iron and he was full of fighting spirit.
Enel crossed his legs, holding a lightning lollipop in his mouth, his silver hair flying, and a hint of nonchalance on the corners of his mouth.
"Set off."
[G-5 Branch Outer Port]
The night is as dark as ink and the sea breeze is howling.
A standard headquarters high-speed warship was waiting quietly.
The black flag of solemnity hangs high, and the broken silver-winged sword pierces the night sky, making a rustling sound!
On the bridge.
Rogge climbed onto the bow of the ship, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked coldly at the distant sea.
Leiter and Enel followed closely behind, each adjusting the status of their equipment, their auras solemn and murderous.
--boom!!!
The anchor was lifted and the steam roared.
The Suzheng ship tore through the sea surface like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, heading towards East Blue at full speed!
Under the starlight, the black warship cut through the waves, with murderous intent like a tide, heading straight for the sea outside Windmill Village!
[East Blue Ocean · Windmill Village Near the Sea]
The night is dark and the waves are surging like waves.
Thick clouds obscured the moon, and only the blood-red skull flag on the top of the mainmast roared silently in the night wind, as if announcing that this sea area was about to be hit by a weight that did not belong to "peace".
The Red Hair Pirates' flagship, "Red Force," is quietly anchored off the coast of East Blue, like a silent, dormant giant whale.
On deck.
First Officer Benn Beckman stood at the railing, lit a cigarette, and looked deeply at the distant coastline.
"...Shanks."
He spoke in a low voice, mixed with the sea breeze and smoke:
"It's not a wise move to come to East Blue at this time."
"The new leader of G-5...Rogge. He's Akainu's nephew."
"He doesn't welcome any Pirates, especially—"
"You are a 'free passerby' of the Four Emperors' level."
His tone was not harsh, but it carried with it the keen intuition of a veteran soldier about the air currents on the battlefield.
On the other side of the deck, Shanks stood quietly at the bow.
Her red hair fluttered in the wind, and her silhouette stood in the night like a silent barrier.
His left hand was in his windbreaker pocket—intact.
In his right hand he held a fist-sized dark mahogany box.
It was not opened, but a faint but unignorable breath quietly escaped from the gap, like a whisper, or like a "call".
Shanks glanced down at the box in his hand and whispered to himself:
"…It always leads this way."
"Just like the 'ripples' that day, they were not waves, but they could overturn the entire ocean."
He looked eastward at the familiar outline of the village.
"So—I have to come back and take a look."
"Even if it's just to confirm... the places I walk through are still 'freedom'."
Beckman took a puff of his cigarette, shook his head and sighed:
"I'm afraid this sea is no longer the East Blue it was ten years ago."
"The 'Purifier' of the G-5 is not a diplomatic person."
"He didn't send out a fleet, he sent out a sword."
"Before knives meet...it's best to confirm who's still alive."
Shanks raised his lips, revealing his usual understated yet unignorable smile:
"That depends on who dares to swing the knife first."
He turned his head and looked towards the northeast.
"Beckman, if he really comes..."
"I'll give him a good greeting."
The sea breeze was surging and the waves were thundering.
"Red Force", waiting for the first spark in silence.
Grand Line, East Blue Channel, Warships, Night Speed Cruise
The night sky is as dark as ink and the sea breeze is biting.
The Suzheng ship cut through the waves at high speed, its hull as steady as thunder.
On the bridge.
"East Blue is the starting point."
"It's also a place of rules."
Rogge looked towards the end of the Black Sea, his voice cold but not angry:
"This sea never welcomes uninvited giants."
"Even if that giant beast is called 'Red Hair'."
Behind him, Lei Te was wiping the Seastone brass knuckles with a special lubricant, his movements were steady and his eyes were like an eagle.
"Red-haired Shanks..."
He grinned, "The guy who sank the World Government's warship?"
"I heard that he landed on the island in a single ship, with his sword always sheathed, and no other ships dared to approach."
He put on his brass knuckles. "But—I don't believe it."
"I hope he really is the 'monster' that the legend says he is."
"Let my fists also be stained with the ashes of legend."
Enel half-lay on the mast beam, his silver hair flying. He turned over and replied nonchalantly:
"I think it's better to say he came here because... he got lost?"
"Think about it, the New World is foggy and windy, and the Magnetosphere is in turmoil. It would be strange if his shabby ship didn't drift in."
Lei Te couldn't help laughing. "Okay, then we have to be careful when we stop him. We don't want to break his boat with one punch."
Enel: "Really? What if after the fight, he lies on the side of the boat crying and saying 'I just wanted to find some East Blue ramen'?"
The two of them chatted back and forth, and laughter filled the air on the bridge.
But the next second, Rogge's words were like a cold wind, instantly freezing the atmosphere:
"Shut up."
He turned around, his eyes as black as iron, his tone indifferent but with an oppressive tone that made people dare not disobey:
"Red-haired Shanks is not someone you can casually tease right now."
"Although he was a Pirate, he was also one of the pinnacle figures of this era."
Rhett put away his smile and fixed his eyes.
Enel also slowly sat up straight, his earlobes twitched slightly, and the lightning quietly subsided.
Rogge spoke slowly, his tone turning low:
"I brought you here not to capture Pirates, nor to fight for fun."
"—It's to show you what 'the top of the ocean' means."
"Your Haki, your brass knuckles, your thunderbolts, all grew in a greenhouse."
"And Red Hair is the one who was able to stand firm in the Four Emperors' chaos and made even the Marines wary of him."
He slowly clenched his fist, his tone like a hammer hitting the ground:
"When facing people like that, you have to shake off all the arrogance in your bones."
"Otherwise, you are unworthy of standing under the word 'justice'."
Rhett lowered his head, took a deep breath, his Adam's apple rolled, and his fists clenched.
Enel pursed his lips, lightning streaking down his neck, and for the first time on the ship, his eyes became serious.
"...knew."
"But what if he really is just passing by?"
Rogge smiled slightly, but the coldness in his eyes remained:
"Then ask him if he has any good wine to bring to East Blue."
"If not..."
"I'll make him—clear the entire sea."
The iron ship continued to break through the waves, and the sea breeze howled like a war horn.
The Suzheng trio, with their murderous aura restrained, are beginning to reveal their edge.
East Blue——is about to usher in the collision of two forces of the times.