The portal opened again, and Ryuen's group had returned to the Dream Exploration Team.
"Captain Ryuen?"
"Are you leaving already?" A Marine captain standing guard looked at them with confusion.
It felt like the banquet had just started...
"Oh?"
"Oh, it's Captain Kilago. Here's some advice—once we leave, order a full lockdown of the fortress and wait for headquarters to arrive." Ryuen smiled and, without waiting for Kilago's reaction, gave the order to set sail.
"Lockdown... the fortress...?" Kilago was momentarily dazed.
"Wait... something's wrong—the base commander is in trouble!" Kilago suddenly realized and immediately ran toward the banquet hall.
But after only a few steps, he stopped.
He was a Marine who truly upheld justice, and he had long despised Vice Admiral Boshichi's actions. But until now, there had been nothing he could do.
Ryuen's words just now clearly carried a deeper meaning.
"I should order a lockdown... but I'm just a captain. There are still officers above me..."
"I get it!" Kilago suddenly understood.
Every Marine ranked above him must have been taken out—at this moment, he was the highest-ranking officer in the entire fortress!
His breathing quickened.
This was an opportunity—a chance to bring the G9 Marine fortress back under proper headquarters control!
"Messenger!" Kilago shouted.
"Yes, sir!"
"Captain Kilago!" A Marine soldier with an armband ran over immediately.
"As soon as the Dream Explorer leaves, seal off the entire fortress! Everyone is to stay at their posts—no one moves!" Kilago ordered in a firm tone.
"But..." The messenger hesitated.
"But what?"
"Vice Admiral Boshichi is drunk... This was the last order he gave before passing out. If there's a problem, I'll take responsibility. Now carry it out immediately!" Kilago roared.
"Yes, sir!"
"Captain Kilago!" The messenger, startled by the outburst, quickly ran off to relay the order.
Watching him leave, a sly smile appeared on Kilago's face. He had endured for so long, and now, finally, his moment had arrived.
He had no idea what the Dream Exploration Team crew had just done, and at this point, he didn't care.
All he wanted was to wait for headquarters to arrive.
At that moment, the gates of the G9 fortress slowly opened.
The Dream Exploration Team sailed out through the channel and headed into the vast open sea, making its way toward Clarked Island.
Once G9 Fortress was out of sight, Ryuen called the women up to the deck. There were some things he needed to explain to them in advance.
Over twenty women, including the one they had rescued, stood stiffly in front of Ryuen and his crew.
"You don't have to be afraid. The reason we brought you up here is that we captured the Marine Vice Admiral who was protecting the Wild Boar Pirates..."
"Marine Vice Admiral?"
"Protecting the Wild Boar Pirates?"
"What does that mean..."
"What's really going on here..."
"Captain Ryuen means that the Wild Boar Pirates were able to raid our village because a Marine Vice Admiral was covering for them?"
...
Before Ling could finish speaking, the women began whispering among themselves, their faces filled with shock.
The Dream crew exchanged glances.
After spending so much time together, they all understood what those looks meant.
"Miss Nami, is... what Captain Ryuen said just now true?" one woman asked hesitantly. She didn't even dare to think it might be real.
Nami lowered her head in silence for a moment, then looked up at the woman. "It's true. The Wild Boar Pirates were indeed protected by a Marine Vice Admiral."
"Waaah~~~"
"How could this be..."
"But they're Marines! How could they protect pirates!"
"Sob... sob..."
"Does that mean... my parents were killed because of the Marines?"
"How could the Marines do this..."
"My son was killed by them too..."
"Ahhh!!!"
"Why is this happening!"
...
Hearing Nami confirm it, the women completely broke down.
They had always believed in the Marines!
Even after everything they had been through!
The Dream crew remained silent.
Aside from Ryuen, everyone else had mixed feelings.
Especially Robin...
On the table on deck, a Den Den Mushi was quietly recording everything. Ryuen had set it up in advance.
~~~~~~
More than an hour after the Dream Exploration Team left, Jonathan's warship finally arrived at G9 Fortress!
Seeing the fortress gates open without him even having to call out, Vice Admiral Jonathan felt a bit dazed. His mind was filled with complicated thoughts.
His G8 Fortress wasn't that far from G9.
But ever since Boshichi took over as the base commander of G9, he had never been able to enter this fortress again.
The warship slowly pulled into the dock. Captain Kirago was already there waiting. He was feeling very emotional—after all, Jonathan had once been his superior!
"Vice Admiral Jonathan! It's been a long time!" Captain Kirago greeted him excitedly.
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"Heh heh heh~~~"
"Captain Kirago, it really has been a long time. Where is Vice Admiral Boshichi?" Jonathan, though nostalgic, hadn't forgotten his main mission.
"Yes, sir!"
"Vice Admiral Jonathan!"
"Before anything else, let's head to the banquet hall. Once we get there, you'll understand," Captain Kilago said in a serious tone.
"The banquet hall?"
"Alright, I got it. Oh, by the way, this man next to me is Vice Admiral Yamanaka, also known as 'Blazing Mountain.' He's the one taking over for Vice Admiral Dratch," Jonathan introduced.
"Yes, sir!"
"Vice Admiral Yamanaka!" Captain Kilago quickly saluted.
"Hmm."
"Take us to the banquet hall first," Yamanaka said firmly.
"Yes, sir!"
"Everyone, this way!" Captain Kilago immediately led the way.
The marines stationed at the docks and throughout the base had no idea why a ship from the G8 branch had arrived. They were curious, but they still followed Captain Kilago's orders and stayed at their posts.
Some of them had a feeling that something big was about to change in the Marine G9 fortress.
Kilago led Jonathan and his group to the banquet hall. As soon as they entered, they were met with the sight of marines lying unconscious all over the floor—among them was even a Rear Admiral!
But there was no sign of Vice Admiral Dratch.
"What happened here? Where is Vice Admiral Dratch?" Yamanaka asked, frowning.
"Sir!"
"Vice Admiral Yamanaka, I suspect they've been poisoned. As for Vice Admiral Dratch... I believe the Dream Exploration Team took him," Captain Kilago hesitated for a moment before deciding to report the truth.
"They took him?" Jonathan exclaimed.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Jonathan!" Kilago confirmed.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this… Captain Kilago, tell me everything that happened after the Dream Exploration Team arrived," Jonathan said, his expression serious.
"Yes, sir!"
"Vice Admiral Jonathan!" Kilago responded immediately.
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