"There is no 'but.'"
Rald's tone turned cold.
"Cooperating with the Marines is your only way out. Or would you prefer to be sent directly to Impel Down on charges of colluding with major criminals and human trafficking—joining your 'merchandise'?"
Impel Down!!!
Jillian's face lost all color.
No one understood better than him what that hellish place meant.
All the connections and wealth he had built over the years meant nothing before absolute force.
"I… I understand, Vice Admiral. I'll contact him right away."
He forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
"I only hope… the Marines will honor their word…"
"If the operation succeeds, your contribution will be considered."
Rald gave a vague promise and gestured for a soldier to bring over the Den Den Mushi.
Jillian took a deep breath, trying to steady his trembling hands as he dialed a number he had never initiated before.
Riberra Sami… Riberra Sami… you've really dragged me into hell this time…
"Buru buru… buru buru…"
The ringing echoed clearly across the silent deck of the Gilded Dice.
All eyes were fixed on the Den Den Mushi.
Far away in Water 7, aboard the newly launched Flame Fang, the Den Den Mushi in Riberra Sami's possession suddenly rang.
"Hm?"
Riberra Sami was slightly surprised.
Who would contact him at a time like this?
He glanced at Tom, who was enthusiastically explaining the ship's interior, then excused himself and walked to a quieter spot by the railing before answering.
Click.
The Den Den Mushi mimicked a slicked-back pompadour.
Jillian.
Riberra Sami frowned.
The transaction had only been completed a month ago. Logically, Jillian should still be busy handling the Dials and processing goods. Why contact him so soon?
And Jillian had never initiated contact before.
Could it be he wants me to go back to Sky Island?
That guy really never knows when enough is enough…
"Hohoho! Captain Riberra Sami! It's me, Jillian!"
The Den Den Mushi tried to maintain its usual enthusiastic expression, but Riberra Sami immediately noticed something off.
The smile felt forced.
The voice—slightly rushed.
"Mr. Jillian. What's the matter?"
"There's something urgent I need to discuss with you in person!"
Jillian's voice came through quickly.
"Regarding the combat-type Dials you mentioned last time—I've just received interest from a buyer offering an unimaginable price! He's willing to pay 500 times the value! A renowned collector! However, he insists on inspecting the goods in person, and the timing is very tight!"
"—What?! Five hundred times?!"
Even Riberra Sami was momentarily shocked.
A fifty-thousand percent profit?
What kind of business in this world offered that?
No wonder—even after being told clearly that combat Dials weren't for sale, Jillian still reached out.
The temptation was enormous.
But the combat Dials had already been distributed among the crew.
Taking them back was out of the question—and unfair.
So Riberra Sami could only refuse.
"Jillian, I already told you—combat Dials are not for sale. They're prioritized for my crew."
Jillian's tone grew more urgent.
"Captain Riberra Sami, the buyer is extremely influential! With such a price… is it still not enough to change your mind? I understand your principles, but this opportunity is once in a lifetime! The window is very short! You only need to bring one or two samples for inspection—even if the deal doesn't go through, he's willing to pay a substantial deposit upfront!"
High profit. A mysterious buyer. Urgency.
Put together, it all felt… wrong.
Why does this feel like a scam call?
Riberra Sami fell silent for a few seconds.
On the other end, Jillian held his breath.
"That does sound tempting, Mr. Jillian," Riberra Sami finally said. "But unfortunately, I happen to have urgent matters on my end as well. So I'm afraid I'll have to decline. Once I'm free in a few days, I'll head to Sabaody Archipelago and personally make it up to you."
"Captain Riberra Sami, this opportunity really won't wait! The buyer won't delay! How about this—are you still in Water 7? If the distance isn't too far, we could compromise and meet somewhere closer? I can even bring you the deposit first!"
"That won't be necessary. As for the combat Dials, I still have no intention of selling them. If there's nothing else… I wish you a successful deal."
Before Jillian could respond—
Click.
Riberra Sami hung up.
The busy tone echoed across the Gilded Dice's deck.
The air seemed to freeze.
Jillian's face turned ashen as he trembled, looking toward Rald.
Rald showed no anger, no surprise.
He simply adjusted his glasses and looked at the now-silent Den Den Mushi.
"He's cautious," Rald said calmly. "He revealed no location, rejected the temptation… and has already grown suspicious."
He turned to Jillian and waved his hand.
"Your role is finished—for now. Take him away."
The soldiers dragged the limp Jillian off.
"No—Vice Admiral! Give me another chance! Please—wait—let go—let go—!"
His desperate cries faded into the distance.
Silence returned to the deck.
Rald walked to the railing, lightly tapping his fingers against the wood.
"In a few days, once I'm done here, I'll go to Sabaody Archipelago…"
That final sentence replayed in his mind.
To most, it sounded like polite dismissal—a common excuse to maintain relations.
But Rald didn't see it that way.
In intelligence work, what an opponent reveals unintentionally is often more valuable than what they conceal deliberately.
Why mention Sabaody?
Especially when already suspicious?
Could it be a reverse hint?
Or a subconscious leak of his true next destination?
Sabaody Archipelago—the final stop of the first half of the Grand Line. The gateway to the New World. A hub for pirates and ship coating.
Given the Jellyfish Pirates' current strength and Riberra Sami's ambitions, it was inevitable.
They needed supplies.
They needed coating.
They needed Fish-Man Island.
Then—the New World.
That "few days" might not have been entirely false.
Rald's eyes grew colder.
The trap had failed.
But it wasn't without gain.
They now had a probable destination.
And that was enough.
"Adjutant."
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
A Marine officer with a colonel's insignia stepped forward.
"Did you record the entire conversation?"
"Word for word, sir!"
"What were Riberra Sami's final words? Repeat them."
The adjutant glanced at his notes.
"He said: 'Once I finish my matters in a few days, I'll go to Sabaody Archipelago and personally apologize.'"
"In a few days… Sabaody…"
Rald murmured.
"From a literal interpretation, he expressed intent to head there soon. Correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
Rald's voice turned firm.
"Immediately contact Marine Headquarters. Report that the direct capture attempt has failed. However, based on recent communications, the Jellyfish Pirates are highly likely to appear near Sabaody Archipelago within the next few days."
"Order all Marine bases in Sabaody, as well as patrol units in the surrounding waters, to enter Level One alert. Increase inspections on all incoming vessels."
"The highest-bounty pirate in the first half of the Grand Line—Predator Riberra Sami—may soon arrive."
"If any member matching the Jellyfish Pirates is identified, do not engage. Report immediately and maintain long-range covert surveillance. Await further orders—or the arrival of higher-level combat forces."
He emphasized the last point.
Riberra Sami had destroyed a warship and killed a Rear Admiral.
This was not an enemy ordinary officers could handle alone.
"Understood?"
"Yes, Vice Admiral! Orders will be relayed immediately!"
Meanwhile, aboard the Flame Fang in Water 7—
Riberra Sami put away the Den Den Mushi, his brows slightly furrowed.
That call had left a shadow in his mind.
Jillian was definitely compromised.
The Marines… there was no other explanation.
"What's wrong, Captain Riberra Sami?" Tom asked, noticing the change in his expression.
"Just a small problem," Riberra Sami replied without elaborating.
The storm…
…was arriving later than expected.
But now—
with this ship beneath his feet—
in a naval battle, he no longer feared anyone.
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