"Captain Dante! Please, save the Boss!"
"What? What happened?" Dante handed the chest Daz Bonez brought over to Nami, then turned to the man with a wary look. Daz had suddenly bowed, face tight with tension. "I just got here. What's going on? What happened to Crocodile?"
"Captain Dante..." Daz, tall, muscular, dark-skinned, with a shaved head, stood in silence for a beat. He watched Dante, who looked both worried and... totally unfazed as he passed off the treasure chest.
'So this is what a corrupt Marine Captain looks like. Figures he's still thinking about the money.' Still, now wasn't the time to argue over greed.
Daz, Crocodile's right hand, hadn't expected that by the time he came back with the money... the Boss would already be defeated. Captured, even. The same man who'd radiated that crushing presence just moments before.
His lips twitched with a trace of bitter amusement, but his face stayed cold.
"The Boss was taken down," he said flatly.
Then, realizing that was far too vague, he added, "Before you showed up... the East Blue Overlord got here first and took him out."
He lifted his head, meeting Dante's eyes. Right now, if there was anyone who could help them pull the Boss out of this, it'd be this Corrupt Marine.
"I..." Daz hesitated. Then bowed his head again. "I'm asking you to help us save the Boss."
He wasn't a man of many words, but for the Boss, he didn't mind speaking up. "Baroque Works will make it worth your while. You'll be rewarded, guaranteed."
"No rush, no rush. Hold on." Dante's face froze for a second, then asked in a confused frown. "The East Blue Overlord? Seriously? I didn't think that guy had gotten that strong. Even Crocodile lost to him?"
But as soon as Dante finished speaking,
"No!" A sliver of coldness etched itself onto Daz's face at the Marine's words."The Boss wouldn't lose to some pirate from the weakest sea. Don't lump it all on that guy. He exhaled slowly, voice low. "Technically speaking... the one who beat the Boss wasn't the East Blue Overlord. It was someone else. Another Devil Fruit user. Judging from the sound when Boss was hit... I'm guessing it was Kuma. The Tyrant. The one wanted by the World Government!"
As for the so-called 'East Blue Overlord'... the Boss had been pinning him down and beating him hands down. If 'Tyrant' Kuma hadn't intervened, the Boss would have finished him long ago.
That said... if Kuma was taking orders from the guy, then the East Blue Overlord clearly wasn't a simple lowlife pirate. Daz had been planning to step in too, but by the time he arrived, it was already over. Crocodile was down.
Now, his only option was this corrupt Marine.
With that thought, Daz lowered his head again. "I'm begging you, Captain Dante. If you rescue the Boss, Baroque Works will give you even more!"
"Hold on! Hold on!" Dante waved a hand, sighed theatrically, and said with feigned emotion, "Crocodile and I are like brothers! How could I just stand by and watch him get captured?"
As he spoke,
Daz's eyebrow twitched slightly at Dante's words. A hint of disbelief flickered in his eyes as he looked at him. 'I didn't expect this Marine to be so greedy for money... yet value partners so highly?! Perhaps I... have misunderstood him?'
Just as a flicker of hope stirred in Daz's heart and he was about to say something else, still looking at Dante,
"So, how much are we talking? When will it be paid?" Dante in front of him suddenly looked at him, a wide smile on his face. "You know, that's your most valued Boss we're talking about here."
'...'
'Nope. I was right in my judgement.This is just a greedy, Corrupt Marine Captain!'
Daz's normally stone-cold face visibly twitched. Still, he knew better than to blow up now. He took a slow breath, then said in a low voice, "Two hundred million. I can authorize it. I'll throw in another two hundred, Captain Dante."
But-
"Just two hundred million?" The smile on Dante's face dropped, replaced by a look of righteous indignation. "You trying to bribe me, Daz? Are you insulting my justice?"
'What kind of twisted justice is that?!' Daz cursed mentally. If all Marines ran on this logic, the Headquarters would've gone under years ago.
But again, for the Boss... He inhaled sharply and muttered through clenched teeth,
"Five hundred million. That's all Baroque Works and Rainbase combined can cough up. We've already spent eight hundred on this operation."
Dante's eyes lit up at the number.
But before Daz Bonez could even feel relief-
"Just five hundred?" Dante's smile twisted again, voice rising in righteous indignation. "You still don't understand what justice means to me, how precious it is for me, huh?"
Daz's jaw clenched. 'This greedy bastard... But at least, he wasn't calling it a bribe anymore.'
His eyes narrowed, and he said in a cold tone, "I know where the Boss's treasure vault is. I can tell you about it!"
"Crocodile's like a blood brother to me, I couldn't let him get captured," Dante said with passion.
'Didn't you just say that two minutes ago?!' But just as Daz thought he'd finally convinced this greedy bastard to act-
"Still not enough," Dante said casually. "I heard Baroque Works doesn't even know who its president is right now."
Daz froze.
...He got it now.
This corrupt Marine didn't just want the money.
He wanted everything.
Daz's expression became furious. Conflict flickered in his eyes, hesitation tightening his jaw.
But at that moment,
"It's getting late. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back now." Dante turned to leave like it was nothing.
"...Fine." Daz let out a long, slow breath. "I get it. I'll give you the contact code for Baroque Works. Just, please. Save the Boss."
Once Crocodile was back... They'd take it all back. And this Marine would pay.
He pulled a Den Den Mushi straight out of his pocket, tossed it to Dante, and said flatly, "This is the Den Den Mushi to contact Baroque Works. With this and my personal confirmation, Baroque Works will believe that you are the president!"
After speaking, he raised his head and looked at Dante. "Is that enough? Do you want anything else?"
"The treasure vault is in Rain Dinners!"
"Alright~ Robin, Nami!" Dante nodded, ignoring the icy glare from Daz. He said something to Nami, then tossed the Den Den Mushi directly to Robin. "I'll leave the rest to you two!"
"No treasure can hide from me," Nami said with a wink.
"Got it, Boss!" Robin added playfully.
"...?" Daz Bonez blinked. 'Did she just call him Boss- No, never mind, gotta focus on rescueing Sir Crocodile.'
He turned back to Dante, said flatly. "So? We done here, Captain Dante?"
Dante, having gotten what he wanted, turned back with a satisfied look. He faced Daz, nodded, and said, "No pro-"
But he was cut off before he could finish speaking.
"Senpai! Dante-senpai!" Kuina burst into the room, hand resting on her sword. She shot Daz a brief look, then turned to Dante with a conflicted expression. "A Vice Admiral and a Marine Admiral just docked in Alabasta! What do we do now?"
The Dante and Daz looked at each other, and the air suddenly became awkwardly silent.
"Sorry!" Looking at Daz's cold face, Dante spread his hands helplessly, a tone of regret in his voice. "Looks like I can't help you after all. But please rest assured! I'll always remember what Old Croc's did for me!"
'This bastard Marine!?'
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