"Director, I don't think I can…" Spandine said hesitantly.
"Enough. It's decided," the Director cut him off. "Get results as soon as possible. Those five are waiting to see what we can do."
He didn't give Spandine any chance to refuse. The call ended on the spot.
Spandine stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, helpless and full of mixed feelings.
What kind of ss is this?
Betray Admiral Benn? Impossible. That's my biggest backer, my last escape route if anything goes wrong down the line.
After thinking it over, Spandine imdiately decided to contact Ortoren about it.
He dialed. Busy tone.
Spandine wasn't surprised. He figured Dragon-san must be talking to the Admiral right now.
In truth, that wasn't it at all.
...
Sowhere in the New World, a warship was cutting through the sea.
Ortoren lounged in a deck chair, casually eating fruit, when the Den Den Mushi on the table started ringing. He answered, then nearly sat up.
"What? Crocodile actually said he's coming to the New World to see ?" Ortoren barked in disbelief. "Does he have a death wish?"
On the other end, Tokikake replied, "We don't know what he's after, but he sent a eting request through the Shichibukai internal channel. He says he'll be returning to the New World soon and hopes to et you to discuss sothing important."
"Important, my ass. What could he possibly have that's important?" Ortoren scoffed. "What, is he inviting to Alabasta to play in the sand with him?"
Then he snorted again, sounding utterly put out.
"This Admiral is busy. I've got work piling up. I get back, rest for a mont, and then I'm heading to Whole Cake Island to decide the New World's future. Where am I supposed to find ti to et so small-ti punk? Reply and tell him I'm not free."
Tokikake paused, then said, "Crocodile claims there was a misunderstanding between you back then. To clear it up, he's prepared gold worth fifty billion Belly, and he's also bringing a special gift from Alabasta…"
"Ahem." Ortoren's tone flipped so fast it was almost impressive. "But he is Shichibukai, after all. Crocodile's actually a pretty decent guy. Look at that, coming all the way from Alabasta just to et in the New World. That's sincerity."
"As an Admiral, I can't be too arrogant. That's just antisocial. You know, you can't hold your position too high above everyone else."
"When's he arriving in the New World? Set a ti. We'll et. As fellow Logia users, we should get closer, build so rapport. And let be clear, it's not about the fifty billion. You know my finances. Do I look like I'm short on pocket change? This is purely about… friendship. Yeah. Rapport."
Seriously. Ortoren's wealth was well into the trillions. What was fifty billion Belly to him?
He just wanted to et Crocodile, get acquainted, that's all.
No other reason at all.
…
Tokikake sounded like he'd seen Ortoren's reaction coming a mile away. Completely unfazed, he said evenly, "He's already left Alabasta and is heading for the New World. The ti he gave is about three months."
"Three months to cross the first half of the Grand Line and make it deep into the New World to see … that's pretty quick," Ortoren said, then sighed with a hint of regret. "Looks like he won't arrive until after I'm done with the Whole Cake Island business."
With that settled, Tokikake had nothing else to add. They ended the call.
Ortoren had just started peeling an orange when the Den Den Mushi on the table, which hadn't even been quiet for a full minute, rang again.
"Dragon-san?" Ortoren raised an eyebrow, as if he'd already guessed what was coming. He picked up. "What is it?"
"Ahem…" Dragon-san sounded awkward. After clearing his throat, he spoke in a tone Ortoren had never heard from him before, faintly ingratiating. "Admiral, I have a matter I'd like to ask you to help with…"
Ortoren got goosebumps all over.
"Disgusting. That's fucking disgusting," he snapped into the Den Den Mushi. "Can you talk to normally? Quit doing this weird crap."
On the other end, Dragon-san's cheek probably twitched. His voice returned to normal.
"Ortoren. Our East Army in the East Blue was hit hard. Captain Ginny was taken by the CP organization. She's probably being transported to Holy Land. I need you to help get her out. Na your conditions."
Ortoren's expression turned complicated. He murmured under his breath, "Ginny… huh."
He quickly pulled himself together.
"My schedule's a ss right now, and my relationship with Holy Land has taken a nosedive. Getting her out through 'connections' is basically impossible," Ortoren said. "And with Ginny's status, the World Governnt isn't going to let casually pull a major Revolutionary Army figure out of their hands."
"Your relationship with Holy Land has deteriorated?" Dragon-san's focus instantly shifted.
"Yeah. My influence in the New World is too big. Holy Land thinks I might 'have ideas,' like I'm planning sothing," Ortoren said bluntly. "So they tried to use so thods to transfer out of the New World. I ruined their plan, and now they're even more on guard. For all I know, those five at the top are eting right now, talking about how to deal with ."
"Sounds like those five finally noticed sothing's off about you," Dragon-san said with a sigh. "Honestly, sotis I worry for them."
Ortoren had burned Holy Land and those half-blind old n still called him loyal enough to promote him to Admiral. It was absurd.
Now they'd finally realized sothing wasn't right, but Dragon-san felt like they were already too late.
After that brief aside, Dragon-san asked, more seriously, "So what are you going to do about your relationship with them, and what cos next?"
"That's not sothing I can discuss with you," Ortoren brushed it off. "As for Ginny, I can't help right now, and I can't spare the bandwidth. Once I've handled the New World situation, I'll contact you again."
Dragon-san knew he couldn't force this. It wasn't like Ortoren was going to drop everything the mont he asked, rush over, and start plotting a rescue with him.
Dragon-san didn't have that kind of pull.
The fact Ortoren hadn't outright refused was already the best outco he could realistically hope for.
Of course, he also couldn't put all his hopes on Ortoren. The Revolutionary Army needed its own preparations and plans.
"Then I won't disturb you any further," Dragon-san said quietly, and hung up.
On the warship, Ortoren kept peeling his orange, eyes on the rolling sea, his mood tangled with lancholy, hesitation, and sothing harder to na.
For him, rescuing Ginny now ant Bonney wouldn't exist.
But not rescuing her ant Ginny would suffer sothing truly horrific.
And putting all that aside, he genuinely didn't have a clean solution. Burn Holy Land again? Did he think the Five Elders were idiots?
"The safest way is to wait until I've swept the New World clean," Ortoren muttered, "then turn the gun toward Holy Land and pull Ginny out while I'm at it…"
He sighed.
"As for whether Bonney will exist by then… guess we'll leave that to luck."
Just as those thoughts were circling, the Den Den Mushi rang again.
Ortoren stared at it, baffled. "Why does everything have to co all at once?"
He answered without delay.
"Spandine? What is it?"
"Admiral, sothing's seriously wrong!" Spandine said, his tone a little dramatic. "Holy Land has a huge problem with you. They're even planning to send soone to drive a wedge between you and the key New World Navy mbers under your command!"
Ortoren blinked, surprised. "Trying to split up my people? Bold. They're that confident? Who are they sending to do it?"
There was a pause.
Then Spandine said, awkward as hell, "Uh… ."
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