Having successfully shirked his responsibilities, Borsalino swiftly made his escape. The speed at which he disappeared was worthy of his title as the Navy's fastest, leaving Nami standing in the wind, clutching a thick stack of schedules in utter disarray.
While avoiding being buried in work was certainly a relief, recruiting the Seven Warlords of the Sea was no easy task.
Pirates, by nature, are a rebellious bunch, and the Seven Warlords—being pirates specifically used to counter other pirates—are even more arrogant and unruly than the average rogue.
Even though Borsalino could easily overpower them with his sheer strength, the restrictions on using lethal force ant that any mishandling might leave him with more trouble than it was worth.
As he brooded over this predicant, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the distance, directing marines as they loaded supplies onto a warship.
"Strawberry!"
At the sight of that distinctive tall hat, Borsalino's eyes lit up imdiately.
Strawberry was a staunch mber of the Navy's hawkish faction and had previously served under Borsalino during their ti at the G1 Fortress. The two had a good relationship. Notably, Strawberry's hat concealed a comically high skull underneath.
"Admiral Kizaru?"
Upon seeing his forr superior, Strawberry instinctively straightened up.
"Where are you headed?"
Borsalino smiled, patting Strawberry on the shoulder. While this Vice Admiral wasn't considered a "nice guy" by most, particularly given his willingness to employ underhanded thods against pirates, he was undeniably a competent marine.
Strawberry's dedication to eradicating pirates made him highly regarded by Akainu.
"I've been ordered to hunt down the pirate 'Blood Demon' Locke," Strawberry replied honestly, producing a bounty poster. The pirate captain's bounty was listed at 80 million berries.
Compared to the powerhouses abundant in the New World, pirates in the first half of the Grand Line were far fewer in number, especially those with bounties exceeding 100 million berries.
An 80-million bounty was already considered significant, usually indicating either formidable strength and potential or heinous cris.
"This guy's been sighted near the Calm Belt?" Borsalino asked.
Borsalino casually flipped through the intelligence attached to the bounty notice, and an amused smile crept across his face.
"Yes, Blood Demon Locke is extrely cunning. His pirate ship has been modified into a paddle-driven vessel, allowing him to escape into the Calm Belt whenever he encounters a Navy warship. The marines from Branch 117 have tried capturing him several tis but have always failed," Strawberry said with a cold snort. No matter how sly a pirate was, they could never escape the Navy's pursuit. This ti, the Navy had dispatched a main battleship capable of traversing the Calm Belt, along with a Headquarters Vice Admiral like him.
No matter how cunning Blood Demon Locke might be, his fate was sealed!
"Ahem, put the pirate hunt on hold for now. I have another arrangent for you—a much more important task."
Borsalino nonchalantly stuffed Locke's bounty poster into his pocket and gave Strawberry a benevolent smile.
As an Admiral, Borsalino wasn't rely a high-ranking fighter for the Navy; in theory, he had the authority to command any Vice Admiral or even the main fleets stationed at Headquarters. Large-scale military operations like a Buster Call were pri examples of the power Admirals wielded.
Thus, before Strawberry could fully grasp what was happening, Borsalino successfully dumped the task of recruiting the Seven Warlords of the Sea onto him.
The good news? Admiral Kizaru, in a rare show of conscience, decided to personally handle recruiting Boa Hancock, saving Strawberry a trip to Amazon Lily.
The bad news? Apart from Crocodile, who had recently been defeated by Straw Hat Luffy, there were still five other Warlords to deal with. Each had a vastly different personality and temperant, but they shared one thing in common—they were all a major headache.
To make matters worse, even Strawberry's fully resupplied warship was requisitioned by Admiral Kizaru under the pretext of "saving ti."
The marines aboard were just as bewildered as their Vice Admiral as they found themselves setting sail under Borsalino's orders, leaving Strawberry behind onshore.
"Hmmm, the last ti I went to Amazon Lily was a few months ago. I wonder if Hancock's still on the island... Moshi moshi, can you hear ?"
On the deck, Borsalino set up his beloved beach chair and dialed Amazon Lily's Den Den Mushi.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku wished every high-ranking officer in the Navy could embrace the 996 work culture like him. To make matters worse, Sakazuki (Akainu) was an absolute workaholic who seed intent on crushing his colleagues under a relentless 007 schedule.
With the Summit War drawing near, it wasn't hard to imagine how hectic things at Marineford would soon beco. Staying there any longer ant no chance for Borsalino to enjoy his laid-back lifestyle. Especially since he'd just dumped a mountain of work onto Nami—loafing around in front of her now might actually prick his conscience.
Better to lay low elsewhere. The scenic Amazon Lily seed like a perfect retreat.
"Lord Borsalino? Is it really you, Lord Borsalino?"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi ca an unusually excited female voice. Even through the device, Borsalino could feel her enthusiasm, which was almost overwhelming even for him.
"Ahem, yes, it's , Hancock. I've just left Headquarters and am heading to Amazon Lily…"
Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a loud squeal from the other end, followed by what sounded like utter chaos.
It was a while before soone else picked up the Den Den Mushi—and this ti, it wasn't Hancock.
"Lord Borsalino, my elder sister wanted to sail out to greet you personally. It took a lot of effort to persuade her otherwise…"
This voice belonged to Hancock's younger sister, Sandersonia, and it wasn't hard to detect the helplessness in her tone.
"Sister… your clothes…"
If one listened closely, they could faintly hear the voice of Hancock's other sister, Marigold, in the background.
"Please help convince Hancock to wait. I'll be arriving at Amazon Lily soon—there's no need for her to co et halfway," Borsalino replied with a sigh, then hung up.
He leaned back and let out another sigh. If being too charming were a cri, then surely he'd be the most guilty criminal in history. To think that the Pirate Empress herself had turned into a love-struck fool because of him—it truly felt like he was committing a sin.
Ding!
Jotaro Kujo has issued a specific task: Invite @Borsalino to join his world. Do you accept?
[Accept/Decline]
As Borsalino was silently lanting his predicant, a notification from the Dinsional Chat Group suddenly echoed in his mind.
Ti flowed differently in each world. While only a few hours had passed in the One Piece world, Jotaro Kujo's world was already heading into the final confrontation with Dio Brando.
Borsalino made his way back to his cabin, instructed the marines on watch not to disturb him, and then accepted Jotaro Kujo's invitation.
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