When Kong Tai finished speaking, Sengoku finally spoke, "Tell me! You came to find me as soon as you came out, is there something important?"
"Haha!! It's nothing, we just killed an arrogant guy named Caesar Clown on Punk Hazard."
"Caesar?"
Sengoku pondered for a moment and asked, "Is he a Logia-type Gas-Gas Fruit user?"
"Mhm! That's him."
"That guy arrogantly told me that he had the Seven Warlords, the Four Emperors, and the Marines behind him. Honestly, I was so scared! So scared that I directly cut him down." Kanshu Wu.net
"Mhm! That guy should have turned into ashes by now!"
Sengoku's mouth twitched. He knew Kong Tai was joking, but the mention of the Marines probably wasn't a lie, which made him fall silent.
He didn't know much about these scientists; these matters were the World Government's affairs. The Marines were just there to protect them, essentially acting as security guards.
Adjusting his glasses, he held the Den Den Mushi and asked, "He's just a scientist. You, a person of your stature, don't need to call me specifically for this, right!"
"Tell me! What's the matter?"
"Mhm! It's indeed not about that guy. While we were dealing with him, we discovered a large number of children in the research lab. They were likely kidnapped from nearby islands by this guy for experiments."
At this point, the voice on the Den Den Mushi became serious. "We don't know where these children's hometowns are, but you Marines must know. So, send some Marines to receive them."
"Oh! By the way."
Without waiting for Sengoku's reply, Kong Tai continued, "Currently, the base commander of Marine G5 branch, Vice Admiral Vergo, is also here. This guy is a mole sent by the Seven Warlord, Doflamingo, into the Marines. Don't ask me how I know, you can investigate it yourself."
"Since this guy is here, I'll clean him up for you. You don't need to thank me."
"Alright, that's all. Remember to come collect the body and pick up the children. Bye!!"
*Click--!*
Before Sengoku could reply, Kong Tai hung up the Den Den Mushi.
*Beep beep beep!!*
Listening to the beeping sound from the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku was stunned for a long time.
Seven Warlords, it should be Doflamingo.
Four Emperors, it should be the person Doflamingo traded with. It couldn't be Shanks or Whitebeard. It could only be Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.
As for the Marines...
Sengoku put down the Den Den Mushi and dialed the office of the Marine G5 branch base commander in the New World.
*Ring ring!!*
*Ring ring!!*
No one answered for a long time.
Then he hung up and dialed the office of his adjutant.
This time, it was answered, but the adjutant didn't know where Vergo had gone.
He put down the Den Den Mushi and leaned back in his chair, a trace of sadness in his eyes.
He knew Vice Admiral Vergo; he was a junior he had high hopes for. It was under his recommendation that Vergo was transferred from Marine Headquarters to the New World G5 branch.
The Marines only had G1 and G5 branches in the New World. For commercial hubs like Geratrac, the Marines would also send people to guard them, but they weren't bases, just stations with a naval presence.
These Marines were mainly responsible for protecting the peace of the surrounding waters, and the navigable areas were small.
The fact that Sengoku allowed Vergo to be the base commander of the G5 branch was enough to show how much he valued him.
Now, to learn from Kong Tai that this junior he valued was actually a pirate mole, it made him feel very uncomfortable.
He couldn't believe everything Kong Tai said, which was why he called the G5 branch to inquire.
Although he knew that with Kong Tai's strength, there was no need to lie to him about such matters, he couldn't help but fantasize that all of this was just Kong Tai joking.
Now that he knew Vergo was not at the G5 branch, coupled with Kong Tai's words, he must be on Punk Hazard now.
With the status of a Vice Admiral, why would he go to Punk Hazard alone and sneakily?
No need to think about it.
He definitely had a problem; he was a mole.
Thinking of Punk Hazard, thinking of Kong Tai, thinking of what Kong Tai had just said.
Sengoku shook his head.
From Kong Tai's tone, he knew that even if Vergo had no problems, since Kong Tai said he would "clean him up," he wouldn't be coming back.
"Sigh!"
With a sigh, Sengoku dialed the New World number again, but this time not to the G5 branch, but to the G1 branch. Now that he knew Vergo had a problem, how could he let the G5 branch go to Punk Hazard!
In a short while, he issued the mission to go to Punk Hazard to pick up the children and investigate Vergo, and the G5 branch.
...
Punk Hazard.
Outside the research lab, Kong Tai hung up the Den Den Mushi, put it into his spatial bag, and smiled at Kuina.
"There you go! It's that simple. Just wait for the Marines to come pick up the children later."
"Mhm mhm mhm!!"
Kuina nodded with satisfaction, then turned around and rubbed the head of the child behind her, bending down and smiling, "Don't worry, the Marine uncles will be here soon to take you home."
"Thank you, sister."
The children thanked Kuina loudly and then shouted at Kong Tai, "Thank you, brother."
"Haha!!"
Kong Tai laughed heartily and then asked Kuina to take the children to wait inside the research lab. The outside was full of corpses, and the children were still young and might be frightened if they saw them.
Kuina nodded and, along with Robin, led the children back into the research lab.
Only Kong Tai and Indigo were left at the entrance.
Only then did Kong Tai ask Indigo if he had found anything interesting in the research lab.
Indigo shook his head and told him that the research lab had been emptied long ago. This was not a hasty retreat but an orderly relocation. Apart from some experimental equipment that could not be moved, not a single piece of paper with any records was found.
Kong Tai nodded in agreement.
Before entering, he had wondered if he could find any records from Vegapunk!
He had not found any useful records in Caesar's laboratory. From then on, he knew that it was unlikely to find any elsewhere.
However, whether he found them or not didn't matter.
He wasn't here specifically to find Vegapunk; his main purpose was to kill Caesar.
As for Monet and Vergo, they were just accidents.
They just happened to run into him.
"Hmm... trying to escape."
At this moment, Kong Tai raised his eyes and looked at the sea outside the harbor.
In his line of sight, on the undulating sea surface, there was a small boat.
At the bow of the boat stood a middle-aged man with a resolute expression.
As if sensing Kong Tai's gaze, Vergo, who was about to turn the boat and make a quick escape, suddenly turned his head and met Kong Tai's gaze.
The distance was too great for Vergo to see clearly, but those pale blue pupils, like stars in the sky, seemed to penetrate his soul, quickly filling his entire vision. He could see incredibly clearly despite the vast distance.
He could even feel a hint of mockery and amusement in those pupils.