"Heh, do you really think this young master was scared growing up? If you've got the guts, come to the New World!!!"

"What did you say you were? It seems that if I don't teach you a lesson, you won't know what it means to respect a superior officer."

"Try it if you can pull it off. Do you think you're so great? You weren't any good back in the day either."

"！！！"

"...Furious! Every single one of you is a bastard. Where is Garp, he's run off again..."

"Kuzan, Borsalino, what are you still lying around here for? Why aren't you hurrying up and getting to work?"

Kizaru: "???"

Kuzan: "???"

What on earth happened!!!

However, upon realizing that Sengoku was on the call with Leiyi, they also understood that this place was no place to linger.

Time to slip away, time to slip away.

After the two of them left, Sengoku silently adjusted his mindset.

"No more nonsense, Leiyi. I believe you already know the news that the Marines plan to execute Fire Fist Ace. Why haven't you signed off on the requested budget?"

"No money."

"What did you say?" Sengoku said, gritting his teeth. "You're telling me there's no money over a mere ten billion Berries? Where did all the money go?"

"Oh, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you sure talk big, 'merely ten billion Berries'. Why don't you come sit in my position?"

These words made veins pop straight out of Sengoku's forehead. No, wait, who the hell is the Fleet Admiral between the two of us?

But when it came to the budget, Sengoku could only do his best to steady his mindset.

"Nowadays, the profits from phones exceed a hundred billion every year, how can there be no money? Are you embezzli—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was sharply interrupted by Leiyi.

"Shut your mouth, Sengoku. Do you know what you're about to say? Are you trying to question an upright Marines, or even insult the justice he carries on his back?

How can there be no money? Is the Marines' only battlefield here? Are you the only one with difficulties?

What about the Four Seas, the Grand Line? And the New World branches.

Soldiers' salaries, weaponry and equipment, pensions—how many people are staring at this money?

Besides, can you spend however much you earn? How long have phones even been on sale? Shouldn't we keep investing? What else can you do besides hold out your hand?"

Having undergone high-intensity training from the internet, even if Leiyi wasn't a top-tier player, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve when it came to arguing online.

Besides, what was having no money? It was already quite conscientious of him not to run the business into a loss.

As expected of him, he was still too civilized and upright.

Sengoku, currently the supreme commander of the Marines, was scolded like a child at this moment.

The corners of his mouth twitched nonstop.

Only after Leiyi finished speaking did Sengoku snap back to reality, suppressing his anger as he said,

"Brat, you almost fooled me again. Did what you just said have anything to do with you? When did it ever become your turn to shell out money for Marines salaries and weapon maintenance?"

"Is that important? I am reasoning with you about the problems encountered in business, about reality, and about difficulties.

Everything is for the justice of the Marines.

Where is your awareness?

I am very disappointed in you."

"You..."

Sengoku angrily slammed the desk, and upon seeing no one else in the office, he grit his teeth even harder in secret.

Then he fell into silence, his expression constantly changing as he wondered what he was thinking.

After a long while, he finally seemed to make a difficult decision that went against his principles, speaking in a heavy tone.

"None of this is important, Leiyi. When Ace is executed, you should also come to headquarters and stand by, right?"

"As expected, it's still for this matter. Taking such a huge detour, you're too long-winded, Sengoku."

Leiyi softly mocked, "You remember me when you need me, but participating in the battle is fine for me. The question is, can I participate? Can those old men agree?"

"I can apply to the Five Elders to dispatch a special warship to pick you up and bring you to Marineford, and after the war ends, then..."

Speaking to this point, Sengoku silently stopped.

"Why aren't you continuing? Send me back to stay put after the fight is over. Feeling too embarrassed to say it, right?"

"...I will help you plan it out. As long as you gain enough military merit in the war, after the war ends, there is a chance to apply to lift the restrictions, allowing you to..."

"Enough."

Leiyi interrupted directly.

What special warship for pick-up and drop-off service? This kind of trick would only fool locals. Isn't it just supervision and escort, purely wanting to use him?

Fighting a war means putting one's life on the line, and yet he still had to look at the World Government's expression. Wouldn't that make him a beggar kneeling down for food?

Three years ago, because of the 'Celestial Dragons getting struck by lightning incident', Leiyi made it onto the World Government's sanctions list.

Although he had his Marines identity and a few old men vouching for him, the World Government's attitude was still very resolute.

In the end, although Leiyi was not sentenced by the World Government, he was put on ice.

His military rank was canceled while his military command was taken back, his files were sealed, and all activities were prohibited unless ordered otherwise.

Simply put, it was equivalent to directly banning Leiyi's identity.

This was also one of the reasons why Leiyi stayed on Future Island for three years.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, what on earth makes a young, righteous, and handsome general bleed and tear up? Does Justice truly have no room for me???"

"...Forgive me, Leiyi."

"Sengoku, you will definitely regret this in the future."

Leiyi shouted sternly. Although he wasn't too clear about what there was to regret, it was mainly because the emotions had peaked.

But he quickly reined it in again and said,

"Mr. Sengoku, it seems you don't understand what I want. I..."

A hot-blooded man whose grand ambitions remain unfulfilled.

Leiyi's voice carried a sense of melancholy mixed with loss, making anyone who heard it feel a sense of pity.

But Sengoku did not offer the slightest bit of sympathy.

"Enough, shut up, Leiyi. Is this your persona? Who told you to lay a hand on the Celestial Dragons?

If you occasionally did this on the vast sea and cleaned up nicely, that would be one thing. But what about you? You struck them with lightning seven times in two days! That aside, you damn well should have run farther away! Right near Marineford—do you think the Marines are run by your family?

How could the World Government possibly tolerate you?"

"Bullcrap, where did seven times come from? There were clearly only three times, alright."

"So you admit you were the one who did it?"

"I didn't, old man. Don't try to fish words out of me. I just happened to see the relevant report unintentionally."

"Keep running your mouth. The Marines aren't up to me alone; above me are the World Government and the Five Elders."

"So what? Why don't you dare fight the Five Elders?"

"Leiyi—"

"Alright, dawdling and dragging your feet isn't magnanimous at all. I know what you want to say; leave this matter to me. But let's make it clear first: letting me intervene is fine, but how I participate is up to me to decide."

Hearing Leiyi's words, the wrinkles on Sengoku's forehead visibly deepened once more.

Others were fine, but he really couldn't feel at ease with a fellow like Leiyi.

Yet Leiyi was top-tier in both talent and ability; three years ago at age 13, he already possessed strength close to an Admiral.

And the offenses he committed were all issues that didn't entirely violate core principles.

The feeling of having one's bottom line and principles repeatedly rubbed and dance-broken was truly infuriating, so much so that his blood pressure spiked quite a bit back then, only getting slightly better in recent years.

"What do you want to do?"

"Uh... are you sure you want to know this, Mr. Sengoku?"

Hearing Leiyi address him so politely, Sengoku suddenly felt the back of his neck grow inexplicably cold.

What did Leiyi do the last time he acted like this?

Right, that bastard used the names of gender equality, fostering camaraderie among soldiers, treating everyone equally under justice, and so on, to announce a co-ed bathing regulation for men and women, pinning the matter entirely on himself. He even managed to get the stamp of the Fleet Admiral's office. Coupled with Leiyi's highly deceptive age and appearance, he had no way to refute it at all.

He would never forget the look Tsuru gave him that day.

Even now, quite a few female Marines secretly called him a dirty old man.

Thinking of this, Sengoku silently changed the subject.

"You should be clear about what you will face when you come. This time, the Marines temporarily cannot give you any help."

If Leiyi were to appear before the world again now, it would mean that the tacit understanding between the Marines and the World Government was broken.

It was entirely possible for the World Government to execute a purge plan against Leiyi.

"Ooh~ Then when can you give me some help, Mr. Sengoku?"

Leiyi teasingly continued to press on.

To this, Sengoku remained silent for a long time once again.

"Tsk tsk~ No fun at all. Whenever you encounter a hard-to-answer question, you stop talking again."

"I can only do this, Leiyi. For the sake of justice, bear with it a bit longer. After the Summit War, I will definitely lift your restrictions."

"An utterly unoriginal answer. You're too weak, Sengoku. I said, just wait for the news."

"...Fine. Now is a critical period for preparing for the Summit War; I will try my best to restrain the Marines' combat power."

"That's enough."

After hanging up the phone, Sengoku furrowed his brows tightly. Sitting in the position of Fleet Admiral, he had no choice in many matters.

Although Leiyi was very unreliable, there was no denying that Leiyi's stance had never had any problems.

After all, Leiyi was a Marines who already possessed an Admiral's mindset at the age of ten.

Like the Three Admirals, he possessed his own path of justice.

He just didn't know what kind of reaction the World Government would give now.

At this special juncture, he hoped Leiyi wouldn't blow things out of proportion.