One Piece: Marine to Warlord to Conqueror-Chapter 168

"Your intelligence gathering is impressive. According to the report Kuzan submitted, you were the first to discover this incident in the East Blue!"

"It was Admiral Kuzan! Admiral Kuzan told me! I have proof! Captain Ain can testify for me!"

"Then finding the End Point and arriving in time?"

"It was him! It was him too!"

"Then your impressive combat skills. According to Kuzan's report, you single-handedly stopped Zephyr this time."

"It was him! It was my idol, Admiral Kuzan! He helped knock Zephyr-sensei unconscious so I could hang him on the ship's bow. I'm just a lowly branch captain."

"Then Kuzan..."

"Admiral Kuzan is just too kind and humble," Dante said with deep emotion. "He wanted me to try to persuade Zephyr. Plus, I've been sending him gifts and membership cards lately, so Admiral Kuzan felt a bit embarrassed and wanted to compensate me!"

A dead silence fell over the line.

'You brat, is it really okay to talk about bribery so openly?'

Sengoku stared at the snail in pure disbelief. Before he could formulate a response, Dante seemed to realize something was 'wrong.'

"Look, why am I saying all this?" Dante slapped his own mouth dramatically. "I promised Admiral Kuzan I would never say any of this."

He hesitated. "Can I take that back?"

"Take it back?" Sengoku's mouth twitched. "You think you're Garp?"

"Huh? Fleet Admiral Sengoku, how did you know I also bribed Vice Admiral Garp?"

Sengoku was completely speechless. He looked at the Den Den Mushi, his expression a tangled mess of exasperation.

But he also understood exactly what Dante was doing. His tone turned serious. "You brat... you really don't want to return to Marine HQ?"

"Sir, I know my place. My qualifications really aren't enough," Dante replied, his voice resigned. It was no wonder Sengoku guessed his true intentions.

Reluctantly, Dante continued, "Besides, you know Zephyr-sensei's temperament. Although he's calmed down a bit after so many days at sea, he only listens to me, his prized disciple. If I weren't around, I can't even imagine what Zephyr-sensei might do!"

Ignoring Zephyr, who was glaring at him and huffing in annoyance, Dante spoke in a grateful tone. "Zephyr-sensei has been kind to me. I can't just stand by and watch him go down the wrong path, watch him die! Zephyr-sensei is right here, if you don't believe me, I'll let him talk to you!"

Dante held the Den Den Mushi toward Zephyr.

Zephyr rolled his eyes but nodded along to the ridiculous performance.

Hearing Zephyr's frustrated grunt, Sengoku's expression softened. But just as he was about to speak, Dante pulled the snail back.

"Ah! Hearing your voice seems to have reminded Zephyr-sensei of something, and he's getting angry again," Dante said worriedly. "See what would happen to him if I left?"

Sengoku's face showed his deep conflict once more.

But he understood Dante's underlying point perfectly. If Dante left Zephyr right now, who knew what trouble the old man might cause? Perhaps Kuzan's report wasn't entirely accurate, but one thing was certain: Zephyr had indeed been brought to the East Blue by this brat, and he was currently under control.

Sengoku let out a long breath. "I understand. Fine then. You can stay in the East Blue and keep an eye on Zephyr."

After a brief pause, he added softly, "Tell Zephyr that the Marines will not forget his lifelong service." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Yes, sir!" Dante let out a genuine sigh of relief.

So Marine HQ probably wouldn't bother him anymore. But just as Dante thought the matter was settled...

Sengoku's voice hardened. "Finally..." he shouted angrily. "Tone it down with the female pirates, got it? I can hear about your antics all the way from Marine HQ! And cut out all that messy social maneuvering! How dare you try to bribe an Admiral and a Marine Hero? Do you want to face a court-martial?"

*Clack~*

The line went dead.

Dante stared at the snail helplessly. "How did that even reach the Fleet Admiral? And do you think I actually wanted to do it?"

Wasn't it simply because those two gluttons had discovered his snack factories?

Come to think of it, he really needed to thank Garp properly. If it weren't for him, they wouldn't have secured that massive snack order from Marine HQ so easily.

He put the Den Den Mushi away. Seeing the strange looks everyone was giving him, Dante lay back down and waved his hand dismissively. "What are you all staring at? Keep soaking! And let the staff back in!"

Before the words fully left his mouth...

*Purupururu, purupururu~*

The snail rang again.

This time, it wasn't Dante's, but Smoker's.

"Hello?" Smoker picked up his Den Den Mushi and snapped impatiently, "What the hell? Marine Officer Training Camp? Didn't I already say I'm not going?"

It was another call from HQ.

However, unlike Dante's elaborate theatrics, Smoker was entirely defiant. He scoffed loudly, "Which dumbass higher-up recommended me? What, do they think I didn't talk back enough last time and want me to go back and do it again?"

Without giving the other side a chance to reply, he hung up instantly.

Dante watched, utterly speechless.

No wonder his superiors had demoted him to the East Blue with that temper.

Dante hesitated for a moment. "Why don't you go back? If both of us from the East Blue reject the invitation, won't HQ be unhappy?"

A thought struck him, and his eyes lit up. "Besides, once you get in, you can start by forming a small clique, then split them apart, conquer them, and finally rule over the entire camp!"

Smoker glared at him. "Fuck off!" he snapped irritably. "You bastard, are you trying to manipulate me again?"

Did he look that stupid? Conquering, ruling, he was just a small-time captain. Was that something he could actually pull off?

"You're the one who said you're treating!" Smoker demanded impatiently. "So why aren't you letting the staff back in? Oh, and change my bathwater, this one isn't hot anymore. Bring me that Supreme Deluxe Whatever... yeah, the most expensive one!"

Dante stared at him, his expression a mix of awe and dismay.

When Smoker first arrived in Loguetown, he had been so upright and incorruptible. If Dante had invited him to Romance Dawn back then, Smoker would have drawn his jitte, thinking it was a bribe and an insult.

But now... he had completely assimilated.

Dante sighed. "I still prefer how you were at the start... so defiant and untamed."

"Fuck off!"

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