"Moshi moshi~ This is Borsalino speaking."
"How strange~!"
"Moshi moshi~ So strange~!"
Borsalino shouted into the black Den Den Mushi on his wrist, but there was no reply, only the constant pere pere of the ringing Den Den Mushi echoed back at him, clearly frustrating him.
Standing nearby, Cross looked on with a deadpan expression, a vein almost popping on his forehead. He couldn't help but remind him, "Vice Admiral Borsalino… that's a wiretap Den Den Mushi, isn't it?"
Borsalino froze, glanced more carefully at the device on his wrist, and then gave a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, I got the wrong one. Thanks for that!"
He quickly lowered his arm and rummaged around his uniform, eventually pulling out a different Den Den Mushi that was ringing incessantly.
Click—
"Moshi moshi~ This is Borsalino speaking."
He spoke into the receiver in his usual slow, infuriatingly laid-back tone.
The next second, an irritated voice crackled from the speaker, "What the hell, Borsalino? Why are you only answering now?!"
Recognizing the voice instantly, Borsalino pouted a little and lazily replied, "Sengoku-san, I just couldn't find the Den Den Mushi~"
"You didn't try calling out to the black surveillance one again, did you?"
Clearly, the Admiral on the other end, Sengoku, was all too familiar with Borsalino's tendency to mix up his Den Den Mushi.
"How scary~ Sengoku-san, did you plant surveillance Den Den Mushi around me? Or maybe you've got a spy tailing me? Was it you, Cross-kun, who snitched?"
Unbothered by the scolding, Borsalino smirked and winked at Cross in mock suspicion.
"Tch."
Cross rolled his eyes and turned away in disdain.
"You idiot, cut the crap!"
Sengoku nearly blew a vein at Marineford, but he managed to calm himself and spoke gravely: "There's a critical mission for you. Head to Carocal Island immediately. Kuzan will meet you there."
"Carocal Island… If I remember right, that's where Sculpture City, Skoggy, is located. What a pain~!" Borsalino sighed, rubbing his temple. "Teaming up with Kuzan, huh? This has to be serious."
"A major event just took place in the New World. Vlad Uren the Impaler Duke refused a tea party invitation from Charlotte Linlin. The woman flew into a rage and mobilized the entire Big Mom Pirates fleet for a punitive expedition. They clashed with the Impaler Pirates in a brutal battle," Sengoku said, his voice grave.
"How terrifying~ Something that big happened in the New World?" Borsalino raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
"The battle took place on Cullen Island. It raged for a full day. In the end, the Impaler Pirates were forced to retreat, with Vlad Uren gravely injured at Linlin's hands," Sengoku continued. "To escape pursuit, the defeated crew had their shipwrights hastily coat their ships and fled beneath the sea, eventually resurfacing in the first half of the Grand Line."
"How terrifying~!"
Borsalino dramatically exclaimed, "Even Vlad Uren lost? That woman Linlin really is as monstrous as ever~"
"According to our intelligence division, the Impaler Pirates suffered catastrophic losses. Besides Vlad Uren being seriously wounded, most of his officers were killed by Charlotte Linlin's children. And during the rushed coating process, only their flagship, the Impaler, managed to resurface in the Grand Line's first half. The other four vessels were lost to the depths."
Sengoku's tone turned both solemn and urgent. "That's why, based on the decision at Marine HQ's emergency meeting, we must seize this opportunity to eliminate the Impaler Pirates while they're weak and stranded in the first half of the Grand Line."
"I see. So they'll be making landfall at Carocal Island for resupply... What a headache~! I have to face Vlad Uren? That guy escaped from Charlotte Linlin, what a terrifying monster~" Borsalino drawled as he slowly shook his head.
Sengoku ignored the grumbling and changed the subject. "Alright, is Amphitrite Cross there with you?"
"Yep~" Borsalino tilted the Den Den Mushi forward.
"Admiral Sengoku!" Cross immediately stood up, expression serious, and saluted as he responded firmly.
"Cross, you're still a new recruit and not even enrolled at the Marine Academy yet. Normally, we wouldn't involve you in an operation against a major pirate crew. However, your abilities could prove extremely valuable in Sculpture City, Skoggy. So I'd like you to participate. Of course, this isn't an order. If you refuse, I'll understand."
Sengoku's tone was diplomatic and respectful, not the commanding voice of an Admiral, acknowledging the risk of assigning such a dangerous task to a fresh recruit.
"Admiral Sengoku, I am a Marine who stands for justice! I will never turn a blind eye to evil. I'll give everything I have to wipe out every pirate I see!"
Cross showed not a trace of fear. On the contrary, he was clearly eager, his voice ringing with determination.
"Excellent. The Navy is fortunate to have someone like you," Sengoku replied warmly. "Once this mission is complete, your contribution will be recorded. When you graduate from the Academy, you'll be appointed as a commissioned officer."
"Thank you, Admiral Sengoku," Cross replied with a solemn nod.
"Then it's settled. For now, you'll serve under Borsalino's command and follow his orders."
"Understood!" Cross responded crisply.
"Borsalino."
"Here, Sengoku-san~"
"I'm entrusting Cross to you. His abilities are valuable, make sure he stays safe!"
"Oh great… not only do I have to fight in a dangerous warzone, I've got to babysit a kid too…"
Click—
Borsalino scratched the back of his head again, clearly annoyed. But before he could finish complaining, the call had already disconnected.
"Man~ What a pain…"
With a resigned look, Borsalino tucked away the Den Den Mushi.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, I'm actually really strong! You don't need to worry about me!" Cross, feeling underestimated, thumped his chest with confidence.
"Is that so? That's reassuring~" Borsalino puffed on his cigarette, exhaled a slow stream of smoke, then added, "Still, I didn't know Cross-kun here was a Devil Fruit user. Since Sengoku-san seems to value your power so much, let's gather the officers on board and have a quick meeting. We need to understand your abilities before we hit the battlefield."
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