One Piece: Marine's Justice

The next morning.

City of Sculptures, Skoggy.

"Amphitrite Cross, I am Feli, codename Table Knife, a member of CP8, the World Government's secret intelligence agency. I'm here to summon you to assist with an operation."

A middle-aged man in a black suit and hat stood before Cross, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

In a quiet alley, Cross frowned deeply as he eyed the man before him. "I'm a Marine, not a CP agent. If you want to summon me, have Vice Admiral Borsalino issue the order!"

"Are you refusing a direct summons from the World Government?" Feli asked, his tone sharpening.

"I already said, if Vice Admiral Borsalino, Admiral Sengoku, or Fleet Admiral Kong gives the order, I'll cooperate fully." Cross spread his hands in a show of helplessness. "Unfortunately, you don't have the authority."

Cross wasn't about to be intimidated just because the man claimed affiliation with the World Government's intelligence agency.

If a proper order came from Marine Headquarters, he'd comply. But without that, he wasn't about to roll over just because someone flashed a CP badge.

He was a Marine, not some errand boy for Cipher Pol. That line was crystal clear.

"You…"

Feli's expression darkened, but mindful of Cross's identity, he didn't dare utter a true threat.

After all, this "little brat" in front of him wasn't just some fresh recruit, he was a noble from the Tobias Kingdom, one of the World Government's allied nations.

Not only that, he was highly regarded by Admiral Sengoku and Great Staff Officer Tsuru, and was a monstrous talent strong enough to rival Donquixote Doflamingo.

If Feli so much as breathed a threat, and Cross killed him in anger, chances were there wouldn't be any consequences.

Even if the Five Elders heard about it, they'd likely offer no more than a mild reprimand. Certainly no punishment.

A fifteen-year-old prodigy with strength on par with top-tier pirates? Someone like that would one day become a pillar of the Marines.

As long as he didn't commit a fundamental offense, both the World Government and the Navy would bend over backwards to keep him close.

Feli hesitated briefly. Seeing that Cross was growing impatient and looked about ready to leave, he finally spoke again.

"We've located the ship's doctor of the Impaler Pirates, Polluter Bel von Gero. He's a high-priority criminal the World Government wants captured alive. I doubt you'd want to see this vibrant City of Sculptures reduced to a plague-ridden ghost town."

"You mean that guy, the one who released a plague virus on an entire nation, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people just to test his research?" Cross's face darkened. He instantly remembered the man mentioned at a previous briefing.

"Exactly. From what I've learned, all the sculptures and statues in Skoggy are under your control. With your help, our chances of capturing him alive rise significantly." Feli didn't mince words, he laid his cards on the table, stating clearly why they needed Cross.

Cross's eyes flickered as he weighed the situation. After a moment's thought, he said, "I'll need to report this to Vice Admiral Borsalino. If he approves, I'll assist you."

Feli had originally avoided going through the Navy to keep the operation quiet. That's why he'd come straight to Cross; powerful, young, and technically still a rookie. He thought a little intimidation would be enough.

But this damn brat wasn't intimidated in the slightest and clearly had no intention of giving Cipher Pol face. Now Feli was in a tight spot.

Left with no better option, Feli gave a stiff nod. "Very well. Contact Vice Admiral Borsalino. But I hope this doesn't become public knowledge."

Cross narrowed his eyes, starting to piece together why the World Government wanted Bel von Gero alive. He said nothing, just gave a small nod. Then he pulled a compact Den Den Mushi from his coat, white and blue in color, and dialed Borsalino directly.

As a key figure in this operation, Cross had been given considerable autonomy. The Den Den Mushi he carried could directly connect him to both Vice Admiral Kuzan and Vice Admiral Borsalino, commanders of the fleet.

Pere pere pere... pere pere...

Pere pere pere... pere pere...

The Den Den Mushi rang for a long while. Still no answer.

Cross glanced awkwardly at the CP agent across from him, feeling like he could claw a hole in the ground with his toes out of secondhand embarrassment.

"Still no answer?" Feli's tone grew tense. "If Bel von Gero escapes, the Navy will be held responsible!"

Cough cough. "Maybe Vice Admiral Borsalino is busy right now," Cross said, forcing a strained smile. "Let me try again."

He could already imagine what was happening: Borsalino was probably talking into the wrong Den Den Mushi again.

Pere pere pere... pere pere...

Pere pere pere... pere pere...

Cross redialed. The snail phone rang again.

"Moshi moshi~ This is Borsalino."

"So weird~"

"Moshi moshi~ Why isn't anyone answering? So weird~"

Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted in from just outside the alley.

Cross turned instinctively, only to see Borsalino strolling down the street in casual clothes, swaying with every step, shouting into the black Den Den Mushi strapped to his wrist.

This guy…

Cross's face twitched. He was speechless.

"Uh…"

Feli opened his mouth to complain but swallowed the words. He couldn't very well criticize a high-ranking Marine Vice Admiral out loud.

Cross hung up, then stepped toward the alley entrance, gritting his teeth as he called out, "Vice Admiral Borsalino! Over here!"

Borsalino looked up and saw Cross standing by the alleyway. He raised a hand and greeted him with a lazy wave.

"Yo~ Cross-kun. What's going on?"

With a cigarette in his mouth and his lips puckered, Borsalino strolled over and said with a sigh, "I've been trying to take this call, but it's so weird, nobody ever responds."

"I was the one calling you!" Cross growled. "If you keep yelling into the black Den Den Mushi you use for surveillance, of course no one's going to answer!"

Borsalino blinked. He gave the device a closer look, scratched the back of his head, and said sheepishly, "Ah~ My bad. Honest mistake!"

Ahem—

Feli cleared his throat loudly, drawing the attention of both men. He straightened his posture and said, "Vice Admiral Borsalino, the CP organization is requesting to summon Amphitrite Cross for assistance. We hope you'll approve."

"You want to summon Cross-kun, hmm…" Borsalino looked genuinely surprised. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he asked, "May I ask what kind of operation this involves, Feli-san?"

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