Seeing Smoker, who was leading the charge, knocked down with a single blow, Hina, who was following behind, became a little anxious.
She reminded the team members behind her, and then fully activated her Bind-Bind Fruit ability.
Fences extended from her arm, completely enveloping the knocked-down Smoker, and then countless slender sharp spikes stood up outwards.
Just as she was about to pull Smoker back, the hand that had just knocked down Smoker descended once more.
Her sharp spikes, which were hard enough to pierce straight through a warship, snapped inch by inch upon contact with that hand.
However, the opponent seemed to have held back, merely breaking the spikes but not continuing to harm Smoker, who was protected inside.
After snatching Smoker back, the others also caught up.
And at this moment, the door to the Chairman's office was completely open...
Michael stood smiling inside the door, looking at the members of the SWORD Secret Special Force.
In an instant, everyone froze in place.
They had thought Michael might take action after receiving the news of Kaido's attack on Wano Country...
But they hadn't expected Michael to already be in Wano Country?
And looking at his appearance... it didn't seem like he had just arrived.
Because inside the office, Rosinante saw the Shogun of Wano Country, Kozuki Oden, and his wife, Kozuki Toki.
Could it be that Michael had also received information about Kaido's impending attack on Wano Country long ago? Or was there simply something he needed to come to Wano Country for?
But why, of all places, did he happen to come to this Overseas Trade Promotion Association?
And the old man lying on the ground with his legs smashed...
Doesn't he look exactly like Kurozumi Higurashi!?
Rosinante's brain was working at high speed until he saw Michael's eyes.
In the eyes of his brother, with whom he hadn't been in contact for some time, were filled with cold severity.
Oh no, it's over.
Rosinante sighed inwardly, then cleared his mind.
In any case, this beating couldn't be avoided.
It wasn't just Rosinante who thought this; there wasn't a fool among the members of the SWORD Secret Special Force, even Smoker, who seemed the most outlandish, possessed a beast-like intuition...
Seeing Michael's expression, they already understood.
"I say, how long has it been since I left the Navy? You've already slackened to this extent? You actually dared to use this wild boar charge method for an arrest?"
"All the things I taught you before, you've thrown them all to the back of your mind, haven't you?" Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes, yes, is it because you've all been promoted to Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral these past few years, and you're starting to feel complacent? Are you starting to think your strength is formidable?"
"Even if you want to court death, you don't do it like this! Even if I brought out the brats from the youth class, they would probably have more discipline than you!"
Michael's speech was truly disheartening.
But all the members of the SWORD Secret Special Force wore expressions of humble acceptance...
Including Stella and Crocodile...
Because they knew that even if Michael had some ambiguous relationships with them... at a time like this, Michael wouldn't differentiate between men, women, old, or young when hitting people!
However, they also understood in their hearts that after not being under Michael's direct supervision these past few years, they indeed felt a bit of a sense of letting themselves go.
So...
Everyone knelt down properly on the floor, awaiting Michael's final judgment.
This kind of scene was something Yamato and Jack had seen a lot of; sometimes, they were even the ones being scolded.
But for Kozuki Oden and Kozuki Toki, it was utterly ridiculous.
A Revolutionary Army member scolding the Navy's most elite SWORD Secret Special Force as if they were little kids.
Most importantly, this group of Marines were all kneeling obediently on the floor, silently enduring it.
More obedient than the dog next door.
"Ah, is Michael the type to be so dignified?" Kozuki Oden whispered. "I can't tell at all!"
"How many times have I told you, you have to call him Father-in-law!" Kozuki Toki sighed, then continued, "Father-in-law's personality is just like this. Usually, he might be more unreliable than anyone else, but he's never careless about serious matters... But I didn't expect that even after leaving the Navy, Father-in-law would still have such a great influence on these pillars of the Navy's middle generation!"
Thinking this, Kozuki Toki's eyes rolled, and a trace of understanding dawned in her heart.
After all, she had received the true lineage of the future Michael's revolutionary body eight hundred years ago.
With basically the same thought process, combined with Michael's personality, she quickly came to a conclusion...
Michael's expulsion from the Navy was itself part of the plan!
With this thought, a raging fire ignited in Kozuki Toki's eyes!
This was her adoptive father!
Too powerful!
"Well, comparing us to those little things in the youth class... isn't that a bit too much?" Smoker, with a large lump swelling on his head, mumbled softly.
"Too much?" Michael looked at the stubborn Smoker and sneered, "Now those members of the youth class have already started carrying out Navy missions under the supervision of Zephyr... Even the most unreliable Luffy wouldn't do what you just did!"
"Then why did you like to do that the most before... Ah!"
Michael mercilessly raised his hand and hit the large lump on Smoker's head again, creating the famous scene of a big dumpling on top of a small dumpling.
"Nonsense! Because I'm strong enough, no matter who comes, they won't be able to knock me down with one slap!"
Michael coldly spat out this sentence, and Smoker couldn't even let out a fart...
"Everyone, go back and voluntarily accept punishment..."
After speaking, he waved his hand, which meant the matter was over.
The next moment, Michael's face changed.
"Oh my, aren't these my favorite subordinates? What's going on? Why are you kneeling on the ground? Is it because you feel guilty?"
"..." All members of the SWORD Secret Special Force had a popping vein on their forehead, but they held back.
They mustn't seek their own death like Smoker!
"Ahem, we came here for Kurozumi Higurashi... she is an inside agent for 'Beast' Kaido!"
"Oh, I already know about this matter."
"...As an inside agent, Kurozumi Higurashi transmitted a lot of information to Kaido, and now Kaido is preparing to attack Wano Country!"
"I just had a pre-war civilized interaction with Kaido."
"...Hancock infiltrated Raijin Island, preparing to go undercover to gather intelligence, but no news has been reported back yet."
"That also... Hmm? Hancock? Infiltrated Raijin Island?"
Michael suddenly looked up.
Could it be...
"What identity did Hancock use when she infiltrated?"
"It seems to be a Revolutionary Army executive named Miss Snake."
Michael: "..."
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Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg