To be honest, Shiki hadn't anticipated that Sengoku would personally take charge of escorting the Celestial Tribute.
The last time he had dealt with Sengoku was exactly a year ago.
For some reason, the mere thought of seeing Sengoku again made Shiki's heart race and his hands itch!
He really, really, really wanted to pummel Sengoku to death~
"We'll know if there are any big fish by tomorrow at the latest."
"Since even Sengoku and so many marines are involved, have you made proper arrangements for this mission?"
"What about the battle plan?"
Brian didn't have as strong a reaction to Sengoku as Shiki did, though he was somewhat looking forward to it.
This man, who would lead the Marines for decades to come, was indeed a powerful and intelligent figure.
Unfortunately, Brian despised such cunning old schemers the most.
He preferred making friends with reckless brutes—they were much easier to manipulate without brains.
"Uh..."
"Do we need a battle plan just to rob the Celestial Tribute?"
Shiki was caught off guard by the question.
Wasn't robbery just about charging in recklessly, taking the loot, killing everyone, and then throwing a party?
Shiki even considered himself smarter than most.
Thanks to his Float-Float Fruit ability, he would always bring a few ships or islands as projectiles before charging in.
Let the enemies experience what it meant to face devastation from above, then continue the reckless assault.
As for anything else? Well, that was pretty much it.
Suddenly being asked about a battle plan truly touched upon the limits of his knowledge.
"Sigh~"
Brian looked at Shiki's clear, uncomplicated eyes and sighed, deciding not to press further.
"Never mind, let's proceed as usual. Once the Celestial Tribute leaves the Fiore Sea tomorrow, we'll strike."
"Use the pirate ships you brought this time. First, bombard those marines with a meteor shower, then we'll attack together."
"Since you're interested in Sengoku, he's all yours. Keep him occupied."
"I'll handle the remaining marines along with your other subordinates. We'll make it quick."
"After the battle, we'll retreat through the sky. No need to linger and engage the marines for too long."
"If the Fiore Kingdom dares to interfere, we'll deal with them too."
In just a few words, Brian laid out the framework for the next day's battle.
"Jihahaha, fine, we'll do it your way."
Shiki had no objections. Not having to think was the best outcome for him—he hated overcomplicating things.
"Come on, we've got plenty of time. Let's start a party to liven things up."
"Let's go then."
Parties were a tradition in the pirate world, and Brian didn't refuse.
Soon, a large pirate ship descended from above—Shiki's personal vessel.
The two pirate crews began their festivities, which lasted late into the night.
...
The next day.
At the largest port of the Fiore Kingdom, five marine warships slowly departed under the watchful eyes of the left and right ministers.
Once the warships were out of sight, the Left Minister of the Fiore Kingdom let out a long sigh of relief, his entire body relaxing instantly.
"Finally, we've sent them off. These past few days have been torture for an old man like me."
"Absolutely. Those Celestial Dragons are truly difficult to please."
"If I weren't so clever, I'd probably have been killed like the Minister of Finance."
The Right Minister agreed with lingering fear.
A week ago, a Celestial Dragon suddenly arrived at the Fiore Kingdom, whimsically deciding to personally escort this year's Celestial Tribute back to Mary Geoise.
Accompanying him was a massive naval escort led by Sengoku, consisting of five Vice Admirals and ten Rear Admirals.
Such a formation even surpassed the navy's highest military operation - the Buster Call.
This absurd lineup terrified the King of Fiore, who personally came out to warmly receive the Celestial Dragon.
True to their notorious reputation, this fat pig's arrival immediately made life difficult for everyone in the Fiore Kingdom from top to bottom.
"What a pity for our princess - violated by the Celestial Dragon and taken as a concubine."
"Exactly. When I think of the king's agonized face forced to smile, it's utterly humiliating."
"How did our Fiore Kingdom, one of the major nations in the New World, come to this?"
"Enough, let it go. However nice it sounds to the outside world, we member nations of the World Government are essentially just dogs of the Celestial Dragons."
"Facing these important figures, we can only grit our teeth and accept it. Didn't you see that Vice Admiral Sengoku didn't say anything either?"
"Hmph, the navy are truly the Celestial Dragons' loyal dogs."Damn it, I wish someone would bring sanctions to the Celestial Dragons.""
...
As the Left and Right Ministers of Fiore walked together seething with indignation, a minor drama was unfolding aboard the warship that had just left port.
Bang~
Bang~
"Damn woman! How dare you harm a great god? You deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
"And you damned marine! How dare you disrespect a god? You all deserve to die, die!"
Two gunshots rang out on the large naval warship protected in the center by four other vessels, instantly tensing the atmosphere onboard.
Looking closely, the Celestial Dragon sitting on the opulent golden chair on the deck appeared furious.
He held a still-smoking pistol, with two corpses lying before him.
One was dressed as a maid, while the other was actually a marine soldier.
Three minutes earlier, his newly acquired concubine - the princess of Fiore Kingdom - had accidentally splashed hot water on his hand while serving him.
The Celestial Dragon immediately flew into a rage, drew his pistol, and ended the princess's life.
A young marine soldier nearby, witnessing this, showed slight indignation which happened to be noticed by the Celestial Dragon.
Thus, with another gunshot, this unfortunate soldier also met his end.
"Saint Naya, please control your behavior. This is our naval warship, not Mary Geoise."
Sengoku standing nearby looked grim, veins bulging on his arms in anger.
But he maintained his composure, neither daring nor attempting to confront the murderer.
"Hah, what of it being a naval warship?"
"What, are you going to avenge this marine? Vice Admiral Sengoku."
"A mere marine soldier daring to disrespect a great god deserved to die."
"Your entire navy are dogs raised by us Celestial Dragons. Don't tell me you're thinking of biting your master?"
"Don't think I won't report you to my ancestors when I return and have your naval funding cut entirely this year."
Standing before Sengoku, this Celestial Dragon remained utterly arrogant, even waving his gun so close it nearly touched Sengoku's face.
Nearly struck, Sengoku was stunned by these words, momentarily unsure how to react.
Military funding was indeed the Navy's Achilles' heel.
Each year's budget was allocated by the World Government. If the Celestial Dragons deliberately caused trouble, real complications would arise.
Especially since the identity of this fat pig before him was particularly unusual, making the situation even more tricky.