The waves surged restlessly.
On the deck of the Marine warship, Sengoku paced back and forth, hands behind his back, his expression grave and his heart unsettled.
Snowflakes drifted from the gray sky, resting on his uniform and hair, but he paid them no mind.
Splash...
Amidst the sound of the churning sea, heads emerged from the water one by one—the divers.
"Reporting, Admiral Sengoku! The government vessel has been completely destroyed. Most of the wreckage has been scattered by the sea. No meaningful remnants could be recovered."
"However, we can confirm that the ship was obliterated in an extremely short span of time. The gunpowder and ammunition in the storage compartments were ignited, triggering a fire and subsequent explosion."
One of the soaked divers swiftly climbed aboard and saluted Sengoku with a report.
So it's just as expected, huh?
Sengoku felt a sinking weight in his heart.
Judging by the traces left on the water, he'd already suspected as much. But still, a small part of him had hoped otherwise.
He frowned and turned toward the silent CP0 agent beside him.
"What about the surveillance Den Den Mushi?"
"If I recall correctly, according to standard procedure, government vessels always have them installed to ensure the safety of the Celestial Dragons."
The CP0 agent paused briefly without answering. Then, without a word, he turned and headed into the cabin.
Sengoku paused, then quickly followed him.
Once inside the cabin, the door was shut tight to ensure privacy. Only then did the CP0 agent pull out a Visual Den Den Mushi from inside his coat and place it on the table.
"Indeed, the ship was equipped with surveillance."
"Normally, the moment anyone steps aboard, the surveillance begins recording."
His voice was low and somber. The eerie mask, with its strange patterns and hollow eyes, made Sengoku instinctively uncomfortable.
"This is the footage from the incident."
Sengoku reached out instinctively to activate the Visual Den Den Mushi.
But the CP0 agent stepped forward, pressing his gloved hand on Sengoku's.
"The contents of this footage involve the privacy of the World Government and the World Nobles. No matter what you see, you are forbidden from speaking of it."
Sengoku glanced at him and nodded. "I understand."
Only then did the agent remove his hand.
A soft glow soon filled the dim cabin as the Visual Den Den Mushi projected the recorded scenes.
Multiple angles played simultaneously.
First appeared a crescent-shaped harbor, cold and desolate after being cleared of people.
The sky was gray, snow fell silently, and a somber atmosphere blanketed the port.
In one of the feeds, several CP1 agents in black suits were seen loading heavy crates onto the main ship.
Then, Saint Shaldes—wearing his glass helmet and strutting arrogantly—walked up the gangplank, flanked by CP1 escorts.
The sails billowed in the cold wind. The vessel departed the harbor.
Sengoku watched as a red-eyed little girl, bound in chains, was dragged by CP members into a dark cabin, where she curled up helplessly in the shadows.
He saw CP1 agents laughing and joking on the deck, casually smoking.
He saw a mountain of gold and jewels in the main hold.
He saw Saint Shaldes whipping a woman in rhythm with jazz music, dancing in euphoria.
In just a few clips...
He saw paradise and hell.
Excessive luxury beside utter cruelty.
Splendor and despair.
Only a wall apart.
The contrast was jarring.
Without realizing, Sengoku's fists had clenched tightly.
Suddenly, the feed cut out. Snowy static replaced the image.
Sengoku blinked.
"What about the rest of the footage?"
He took a breath and steadied himself, asking in a stiff tone.
A hoarse, cold voice came from behind the mask.
"That was all. The signal from the surveillance Den Den Mushi cut out in an instant."
"The transmission ceased at the exact moment of the attack."
Sengoku's heart pounded. "You mean the entire vessel was destroyed, and everyone on board killed in less than a second?"
Even as he said it, it sounded unbelievable.
The surveillance coverage on a government ship was extensive—how could it miss the attacker?
Even if someone attacked, they would be confronted by CP agents first.
CP1 might not be the combat arm, but they were still elite operatives trained by the government. At minimum, they were comparable to base-level Marine officers.
There should have been time to record something.
But the footage just stopped.
Only one explanation made sense to Sengoku:
The entire attack happened outside the visual range of the cameras—from a great distance, and in an instant.
The CP0 agent didn't speak, but silence was confirmation enough.
Sengoku's face darkened.
"Someone that powerful..."
He folded his arms and furrowed his brows in deep thought.
To destroy an entire ship in a flash, from range...
There were few who could manage that.
Even Vice Admirals in the Marines would struggle.
Names flashed through his mind—terrifying ones.
Then the CP0 agent broke the silence:
"According to our analysis of the wreckage, the attack wasn't executed with a sword."
So not a swordsman?
Sengoku frowned but shook his head.
"That doesn't mean much. Many top-tier fighters have multiple means of attack. Whitebeard and Golden Lion, for instance."
He seemed to remember something, and pulled out his Den Den Mushi to make a call.
Within seconds, the line connected.
"Tsuru? It's Sengoku. I need you to check something. What are the recent movements of Whitebeard, Roger, and Golden Lion over the last three days?"
Pause.
"None of them have appeared in the North Blue?"
He nodded, "Got it. Thanks, Tsuru."
Putting the Den Den Mushi away, he resumed pacing.
"Not them either, huh..."
"Then based on the scene and the nature of the attack... the most likely suspect would be..."
His expression shifted strangely.
"Byrnndi World?"
A long-range attack that obliterates a large ship in an instant.
Violent, unafraid to strike at the World Government or Celestial Dragons.
Active in the North Blue.
If the timing didn't overlap with his own pursuit of Byrnndi World, Sengoku would have already named him the culprit.
His train of thought hit a wall.
He rubbed his temples.
Then—
Knock knock knock.
Someone was at the door.
Sengoku sensed with Kenbunshoku Haki. It was Borsalino.
"Come in."
Borsalino stepped inside, slow and casual.
"Admiral Sengoku, I might have a guess as to who attacked the ship."
Sengoku's eyes lit up. "Go on."
Borsalino straightened, a big smile on his face.
"Sea Kings."
He said it proudly.
Sengoku: ...
CP0: ...
The next second, the ship trembled under Sengoku's explosive roar:
"You idiot! Get out!!"
---
To be continued...