The next day.
Batiya Island, City Government Meeting Room.
After a full day of intelligence gathering and investigation, the final briefing on the celestial dragon attack officially began.
Everyone took their seats.
The room was deathly quiet—you could hear a pin drop. Only the soft rustling of documents could be heard as Sengoku flipped through the intelligence file.
No one spoke. They waited in silence.
After a few minutes, Sengoku closed the file with a soft snap, raised his head, and swept his gaze across the room.
"Let's hear your thoughts."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, sounding tired.
Everyone glanced around at each other. In the end, it was Borsalino who broke the silence.
Wearing his usual lazy smile, he said,
"I still stand by what I said earlier. Judging by the surveillance footage, this might've just been a freak accident."
"Sea King attacks aren't common, sure—but not impossible either."
Sengoku rolled his eyes and ignored the comment, turning instead to the highest-ranking officer in the North Blue.
"Darren, what's your take?"
Darren took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying in a calm, measured voice:
"Admiral Sengoku, I agree with Rear Admiral Borsalino."
"There's a saying in my homeland: 'Once you've eliminated all the impossible, whatever remains—no matter how unbelievable—must be the truth.'"
"The truth is, in the North Blue, there isn't a single known individual capable of instantly destroying a World Government official vessel. And we've already ruled out the remaining suspects. That leaves only one plausible explanation—an attack by a Sea King."
Sengoku frowned.
At that moment, Darren turned to look at Gion and Tokikake.
"Perhaps Lieutenant Commander Gion and Lieutenant Commander Tokikake have a different perspective?"
The two visibly tensed under his calm gaze.
"You have something to add?" Sengoku asked, now watching them closely.
"I…"
Tokikake opened his mouth, but his mind was filled with the image of the girl's father—kneeling in the dirt, sobbing uncontrollably, a man broken by grief.
"I agree with Captain Darren," Gion suddenly said, her voice cold as ice.
Her hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had gone pale.
Tokikake turned to her in surprise, momentarily stunned.
Sengoku noted their strange reactions, but quickly understood. He sighed inwardly.
To stand by and watch a helpless civilian be abducted into slavery by a celestial dragon, unable to stop it—such a thing would be a crushing blow for those who believe in justice.
He shook his head slightly.
So… could the truth really be what Borsalino claimed?
As the thought crossed his mind, Sengoku glanced at the aloof man zoning out nearby. A strange feeling settled in his gut.
Something didn't add up.
Could it really have been… a Sea King?
---
Temporary Office
"So this is your conclusion, Sengoku?"
"A Sea King attack?"
The CP0 agent sat across from Sengoku, clad in white silk. His voice was icy, and behind the eerie mask, his eyes stared blankly, yet sharply.
"You're not seriously calling this your final report, are you? The elders will never accept this."
Sengoku shifted under the pressure of that gaze and cleared his throat.
"…Yes."
As if to reinforce his conviction, he added,
"There's a saying in my homeland… 'Once you've eliminated all the impossible, whatever remains—no matter how unbelievable—must be the truth.'"
CP0 said flatly, "Sengoku, do you really think the Gorosei will accept this?"
Sengoku remained silent.
After a pause, CP0 continued,
"What about the girl's father? I think he should be interrogated. After all, he had a motive."
A surge of anger rose in Sengoku's chest. He gritted his teeth.
"I don't believe that man is a suspect. He's just a civilian."
Sengoku had personally visited the man.
A gaunt face, hollow eyes, a walking corpse. A man who had lost his soul along with his daughter.
There was nothing suspicious about him.
And yes, of course he had motive.
Saint Shaldes had torn his daughter from him. If Shaldes weren't a celestial dragon, shielded by countless layers of protection, the man would have torn him apart without hesitation.
But CP0 was unmoved. He spoke coldly,
"This incident involves a celestial dragon. We cannot afford to be anything less than thorough."
"Sengoku… don't forget. This is a direct order from the government. As an admiral, you're expected to comply without question."
"I am following orders," Sengoku growled, cutting him off.
He leaned forward, planting both hands on the desk as he slowly stood. His presence grew oppressive, his voice low and rasping.
"By your logic, everyone on Batiya Island has a motive. What, do we round up the entire population and interrogate them all under torture!?"
"If it comes to that." CP0's tone remained unchanged.
Sengoku stared at him, then suddenly laughed—a cold, bitter sound.
"Sorry, but I won't do it."
"A Sea King attack. That's the result of my investigation. And the man who lost his daughter—he's nothing more than a tragic soul."
"Report it to the Gorosei."
CP0 silently observed him for a moment.
"…Understood."
---
Sacred Land Mary Geoise — Pangaea Castle
World Government Headquarters
Steam wafted from a pot of hot tea.
Inside the heart of power, the Gorosei either sat or stood in silence. Their expressions were cold. The atmosphere was suffocating.
"This is the response from Sengoku," came the raspy voice of CP0 through the transponder snail.
"We understand. Await further instructions," said Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, the blond Gorosei, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.
"Yes, sir."
The transmission ended.
"Absurd," Topman Warcury sneered.
"It's not entirely impossible," Shepherd Ju Peter muttered, his usual calm tone belying the tension in the room.
"I'm not saying there's no chance, but the Shaldes family will never accept this," Warcury replied, shaking his head.
The others fell into contemplative silence.
As the protectors of the celestial dragons' interests, they didn't particularly care about the death of one spoiled parasite.
What mattered was pacifying the fury of the other noble families.
Saint Shaldes may have been a waste of oxygen, but his family wielded great influence within Mary Geoise.
"Finding the truth" really just meant giving the right people a satisfactory answer.
"…Perhaps it's time to expand the scope of the investigation," Warcury said abruptly.
The others frowned.
A glint of cold calculation flashed in Warcury's ancient eyes.
"I've lived through countless wars and learned one thing—"
"—there's no such thing as coincidence."
The others raised their brows.
"You're suggesting…?"
Warcury smirked.
"Sengoku's conclusion is foolish—but he said one thing that rings true: 'Once you've eliminated all the impossible, whatever remains—no matter how unbelievable—must be the truth.'"
"If we've ruled out pirates and civilians, then the only possibility left…"
The others paused, expressions darkening.
"You don't mean—"
"That's right. I suspect—only suspect, of course…" Warcury narrowed his eyes.
"…the ones responsible might be…"
He slowly uttered a word that made the other Gorosei visibly react.
"…the Marines?"
---
To be continued...