One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

Lindemann, what's the situation over there?

Sakazuki took the receiver from the communicator's hand. He commanded a thousand marines, with two hundred stationed on the warship, leaving the remaining forces divided into eight hundred-man squads.

At this time, all squads were supposed to be on patrol. Lindemann was undoubtedly a capable officer—if he had encountered something he couldn't handle and needed to request instructions, it was definitely no small matter.

Sakazuki's heart sank. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind before he quickly sorted out potential response plans:

Could it be a conflict between the Fish-Man Island civilians and the navy?

Was it verbal abuse? Had it escalated into physical conflict? Who made the first move? Why hadn't the Neptune Army stepped in to mediate?

Or had they encountered a formidable enemy? Was Lindemann forced to call for reinforcements? Who was the opponent? Pirates from the Sabaody Archipelago? Or the troublesome slave-trading syndicate?

Just a few days ago, in an internal meeting, he had specifically emphasized the strategy of loosening external control while tightening internal surveillance—to lure out hidden threats. The worst possible scenario would be that the extremists from Fish-Man District could no longer hold back and had launched an attack.

No matter which possibility it was, it had to be an urgent matter. As a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, Sakazuki listened intently for Lindemann's report, bracing himself for the worst:

"Uh, Vice Admiral, I'm outside a café at Coral Hill. Do you want me to bring you some shellfish back?"

The voice from the receiver sounded completely at ease.

"...?" Are you freaking kidding me?!

Sakazuki was instantly furious. Though the pirates had been behaving unusually well in recent days, leading to some relaxation among the lower-ranking marines, this was absolutely no excuse for a senior officer to neglect his duties during a mission.

"Fox, are you asking for trouble? Neglecting your duties during patrol?"

Sakazuki's tone was harsh, but deep down, he was clear-headed. Lindemann wasn't the type to fool around—there had to be classified information that needed to be delivered discreetly.

Lindemann stood alone in the shadowed corner of a street, using the coral reef to conceal himself.

He glanced at the café ahead, a mermaid establishment that only served shellfish and coffee. A fish-man with light yellow skin stood with his back to him, bargaining with the shop's cashier:

"I'm buying in bulk. You should at least give me a discount, right?!"

Fox chuckled and delivered the coded message:

"Deep-sea oysters are a specialty of Fish-Man Island. A must-try, Vice Admiral."

Since mermaids neither ate livestock nor fish, shellfish and seaweed were their primary sources of food.

Sakazuki's eyes flashed with sharpness. "Since it's deep-sea oysters, I'll buy some after patrol."

With that, he decisively hung up the phone and signaled to the communicator still holding the Den Den Mushi:

"Notify the Neptune Army's Nautilus Corps stationed in this area to take over our patrol."

"Yes, sir!"

"The rest of you, return to the warship with me."

Fox swaggered through the café's front entrance, contemplating how to approach the fish-man still haggling at the counter. As a trafficker, the man would undoubtedly be highly cautious and vigilant.

In such a scenario, conversation would require a softer approach… Perhaps food could be a common ground…

Lost in thought, Lindemann failed to notice the shadow rushing toward him from the side.

Before he could react, an enthusiastic mermaid waitress suddenly threw herself into his arms.

"Eh?"

Lindemann was caught completely off guard.

"You must be Mr. Lindemann!"

"Ugh! Beautiful mermaid lady, I'm suffocating!"

Fox flailed desperately, trying to escape from the overwhelming softness enveloping him. He had no recollection of ever meeting such a gorgeous young lady before.

A lone human marine entering this café was strange enough, but a mermaid throwing herself at him so boldly? It instantly attracted the curious stares of the entire shop.

Struggling free from the plush embrace, Lindemann inwardly sighed:

Hmm… praise the water balloons!

But admiration aside, he was still confused. "Do you know me?"

"You must be Mr. Lindemann, right?" The mermaid's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You and your squad have been patrolling Coral Hill for days—we've already learned your names from the Neptune Army!"

"Is there something you need the navy's help with?" Lindemann was surprised. He hadn't realized he had gained such recognition here.

"No, no, not at all! Everyone is really grateful to the navy for protecting us. We wouldn't want to trouble you further."

The pink-haired mermaid shook her head, and her words earned the agreement of many mermaids in the café.

She hesitated for a moment before looking at the marine officer with hopeful eyes. Her lips parted slightly as she asked,

"You must know Vice Admiral Sakazuki, right?"

Lindemann frowned. He had no intention of revealing unnecessary information.

"We were rescued by him at Fish-Man Harbor! Please tell me— is he married?"

The mermaid gazed at him expectantly.

"No."

Lindemann blurted out the answer before his brain caught up with his mouth. The idiot only realized what he had just said after the words had already left his lips.

"Eh?!"

Their amusing exchange attracted even more attention from the mermaids. This clueless marine was quite interesting!

Meanwhile, a certain fish-man, who had been silently observing the commotion, let out a small breath of relief. At the very least, given how foolish this guy appeared, he clearly wasn't here for him.

That terrifying navy officer, the one who had struck fear into his allies… His subordinates were nothing but a bunch of fools!

"No, no, no! I don't know anything! I just came to buy some oysters to try!"

Panicked, Lindemann bolted toward the counter, hoping to escape the mermaid waitress's interrogation.

But in his haste, he stumbled and bumped into the scowling fish-man.

"Ah! My bad, my bad. Anyway, miss, I'll take 300 oysters!"

Fox tilted his head apologetically—though without much sincerity—before flashing an innocent smile at the mermaid cashier.

"Hey! I was here first!"

The yellow-skinned fish-man grabbed Lindemann by the collar.

"Makuro! Let go of the marine! Do you think this is Fish-Man District?"

The pink-haired mermaid waitress rushed over and angrily pounded her fists against the fish-man's chest.

Lindemann, still smiling kindly, cracked open his narrow, crescent-shaped eyes just a sliver. A cold gleam flashed within them as he took in the fish-man's face.

Fish-Man District. Makuro. Bulk purchase of shellfish…

"Tch. You got lucky."

The fish-man suddenly seemed to recall something, and with a grunt, he released the seemingly harmless marine. He impatiently handed over the money for 400 oysters to the mermaid cashier.

"Hurry it up."

Had it not been for his partners repeatedly warning him to be cautious, Makuro would have made this clueless marine suffer.

As he brushed past Lindemann, he kept his expression indifferent.

Meanwhile, both of them had the exact same thought running through their minds:

"What a complete idiot."

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