https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-798-Old-Man-Can-Take-His-World-Meeting-and-Shove-It-/13539276/
Chapter 799: I'll Bring Back That Head!
Chapter 799: I'll Bring Back That Head!
The Navy's G-3 unit bypassed these government officials and quickly boarded their ships.
Watching the Navy personnel boarding their vessels one by one, Kuro clenched a cigar between his teeth and exhaled a massive cloud of smoke. He turned to Klah beside him and asked, "Who's covering the G-3 base while we're gone?"
Klah understood Kuro wasn't asking about those outside their direct command structure. "Fen Ni."
"Contact her and confirm her situation."
"Understood!"
Klah waved his hand, and a Navy officer hurriedly brought over a Transponder Snail. The call was quickly connected.
Soon, the Transponder Snail's screen lit up, showing a face that was both delicate and seductive.
"Hello? Is this Vice Admiral Kuro?"
"This is Klah. Vice Admiral Kuro is beside me."
Klah glanced at Kuro, who was silently standing with his head lowered, then asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
The Transponder Snail screen continued, "Someone ambushed G-3. I was conducting an experiment when it happened. By the time I emerged, they were gone. I'm organizing rescue efforts now, but...G-3 Base has been destroyed by half."
"How many casualties?" Kuro asked sharply.
There was a pause on the other end of the Transponder Snail before Fen Ni, her voice trembling with suppressed tears, replied, "So many...so many."
"How many exactly?! Tell me!!" Kuro barked.
"Understood! We're still counting!"
Seemingly sensing Kuro's rage, Fen Ni answered quickly, "But I estimate more than one-fifth of our remaining forces are dead."
One-fifth!
G-3 had a total of five thousand personnel. Kuro had taken two thousand with him, and Kas Wilbur plus Ai En had taken some others for escort duty. At least two thousand had remained at G-3.
Not counting the injured, just the death toll was one-fifth—that meant four to five hundred lives!
"Did you get a good look at the attacker? How many were there?!" Kuro's tone grew increasingly icy.
"Yes! According to surviving Navy reports, only...only one person entered the base. He wore an official military uniform, and they said he looked like..."
Fen Ni hesitated before saying, "It looked like Douglas Bartholomew."
The moment those words were spoken, silence fell around them.
"Douglas Bartholomew?" Klah pushed his glasses up, frowning. "But Headquarters denied he was still alive."
"Bartholomew? Twenty years ago?"
Klah didn't know, but Kuro did. Bartholomew was indeed alive, though they'd all maintained a united front denying his existence.
But...now he remembered, he'd encountered that man briefly during that time period.
Just a single meeting—had this bastard remembered him for twenty years?!
Kuro narrowed his eyes and activated the Transponder Snail on his wrist, dialing a call.
"Hello, this is Lucius Kro's office."
"This is Kuro!"
"Ahh, Vice Admiral!" The Navy officer's voice immediately turned serious on the other end.
"Where's Gramps?"
"He's in Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's office."
"Bring the call over there. I need to speak with them now."
"But the Fleet Admiral is in a meeting with Admirals—"
"Now. This minute. You can't hear me?!" Kuro shouted.
"Understood!"
The Transponder Snail erupted with hurried footsteps. After a moment, a Navy officer's voice came through, clearly out of breath.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki! Admiral Lucius Kro!"
"Hmph? Why are you interrupting the meeting?!" That was Sakazuki's voice.
"It's Vice Admiral Kuro!"
"Kuro?" That was Lucius Kro's voice.
The Transponder Snail's screen shifted, showing a lecherous expression. "Ooo~ Kuro, what's up?"
Kuro gritted his teeth, enunciating each word, "My base was destroyed! Many of my men are dead!"
The other end of the Transponder Snail fell into an unusual silence.
"Grant me authority! You must know something about Douglas Bartholomew!" Kuro continued.
Sakazuki's voice came through the Transponder Snail, "Kuro, you know the government's demands—the news about Bartholomew being alive must be denied. The base destruction is a serious provocation against our Navy. At minimum, we must wait until the World Meeting concludes. The old man will handle this personally—"
"I don't have time for that!"
Kuro's eyes began to turn crimson, "Many of my subordinates died—not in open battle with pirates, but murdered by a single man who invaded my base alone. You want me to wait until the World Meeting ends? Who will protect my honor?! Fleet Admiral, what about your prestige?!"
Another silence fell on the other end of the Transponder Snail before they continued, "According to intelligence, Douglas Bartholomew should be with Buena Festa. They appear to be inviting other pirates to organize a 'World Meeting' of the pirate world."
Kuro asked, "Who's currently investigating this?"
"Smoker is. Kuro, the old man can grant you authority to specifically handle arresting Buena Festa and Douglas Bartholomew—dead or alive. The Navy will temporarily place you in command of this operation, but you must succeed!"
Kuro's reply was simple, "I'll bring back their heads!"
Smack.
He ended the call directly.
"Board the ships! Contact Smoker and request support! Find out his location!"
...
At Headquarters, New Marineford.
Sakazuki and Lucius Kro listened to the busy signal from the Transponder Snail, momentarily speechless.
"Unforgivable!!"
Sakazuki clenched his fist, red-hot flames appearing on his gloves, raising the surrounding temperature. "Damn pirates! During the World Meeting period, they dare do something like this!"
If not for the World Meeting, would anyone dare ambush a Marine Base?
And not just any base—it was a major headquarters directly subordinate to their central command.
This was a clear sign of disrespect toward the Navy.
Kuro was right—where did this leave his own prestige? And Sakazuki's honor?
"Ah well",
Lucius Kro shrugged, his lips curling, "It's rare to see Kuro angry. This time was very direct. Quite scary indeed."
"Good."
Sakazuki's lips curled into a slight smile, "Someone needs to punish them, otherwise these pirates will grow too reckless. Big Mom attempting contact with Kaido, and now someone trying to organize a pirate version of the 'World Meeting.' Kuro acted correctly. The old man was too rigid. In times like this, we shouldn't follow the higher-ups' commands."
Lucius Kro nodded, "The old man knows about Festa. He's a public face promoting celebrations, but secretly the black hand behind wars in multiple nations. With him and Douglas Bartholomew combining forces, what grand scheme are they planning?"
"Exactly because we don't know, we should wait and see. But since Kuro's forces were attacked...granting him authority makes sense. Borsalino, what about your Pacifistas?"
"I've already authorized Kuro for them", Lucius Kro said cheerfully.
The one he regarded like his own son, he'd long ago handed the golden Transponder Snail authorizing those Pacifistas.
"Still, during the World Meeting period...the higher-ups might have complaints", Lucius Kro mused.
"I don't care!"
Sakazuki's expression turned serious, "Justice is the most important! The old man will handle the explanations to the higher-ups. And with seven days for the World Meeting, we have sufficient time. The Grand Line cannot allow too many wicked forces to gather. That Festa gathering pirates is good news—we can eliminate them all at once and deliver a heavy blow to the pirate world!"
(End of Chapter)
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