Catching the Mole
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The dawn was breaking over the horizon, casting a golden hue over the five warships that set off from the Marine base.
The warships, imposing and silent, cut through the calm sea, their decks bristling with the presence of soldiers. The mission was simple in theory, yet complex in its implications. They were to return the next day, but the true purpose of their voyage was shrouded in secrecy.
On the deck of the lead ship, Dis stood beside Brontes, the sea breeze tugging at their coats. Dis's brow furrowed as he considered the plan once more.
"Are you sure we can lure them out?" Dis asked, his voice tinged with doubt.
Brontes turned to him, his eyes sharp and calculating: "They act almost every time, taking advantage of the darkness. Perhaps they even have spies within our base." He replied, his tone grave.
Dis's heart skipped a beat as the weight of Brontes's words sank in. His eyes widened in sudden understanding, and he turned to face Brontes: "Your target is not the pirates, but..."
"A fortress of over ten thousand people is bound to have a rat or two. Especially here in the New World, where the rats can burrow and have their own territories." Brontes stated, his voice steady with conviction.
"So you left Garp at the base to keep an eye on the situation there?" Dis said, the realization dawning on him like the morning sun.
"Correct. When we start moving here, Vice-Admiral Garp should also start moving there." Brontes confirmed, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
...
Back at the base, the legendary Marine, Vice-Admiral Garp, was far from idle. His personal marines, led by the enigmatic Dragon, were busy setting up Den Den Mushi, their movements precise and deliberate.
"That damn kid actually left me here to catch rats. He really knows how to use people." Garp muttered, his fist clenched in frustration.
Dragon, standing beside him, offered a rare glimpse of empathy: "He's under a lot of pressure too. The Chief of Staff's job is to arrange strategies and ensure logistics. The supply of the G-2 Base has always been a problem. Every time, one or two supply warships have accidents. Even when you personally took action last time, there were still problems." He said, his voice calm and measured.
Garp's jaw tightened, his legendary strength coiled like a spring: "Hmph, if I find out who the mole is, I'll beat him to death." He growled, the threat in his voice as palpable as the tension in the air.
...
Meanwhile, at the G-1 Base, Brontes was met with the absence of Sakazuki, who had taken to the sea with another Vice-Admiral to quell a pirate uprising in a member country of the World Government.
Despite Sakazuki's absence, Brontes's mission was clear. He oversaw the loading of supplies onto the warship with military precision, then meticulously planned the return route to the base.
To avoid the ever-present threat of pirate interception, the return route was varied each time.
After Brontes had set the course, he retreated to his quarters and covertly activated a Den Den Mushi, its presence known only to a select few.
As night fell and the sky darkened, the Den Den Mushi's ring pierced the silence. Brontes and Dis exchanged a glance, their eyes alight with the fire of anticipation.
"Pereperepere!"
They moved towards the snail, their movements deliberate.
"Golma, West Coast."
The words from the Den Den Mushi resonated through the cabin, clear and concise.
Dis turned to Brontes, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Who is it?" He inquired, the urgency in his voice betraying his calm exterior.
Brontes inhaled deeply, his chest rising with the tide of his resolve: "I will find out. Under my Observation Haki, he can't hide." He said, his confidence unshaken.
Brontes's Observation Haki was renowned among the Marines, a bit stronger than that of Dis. His prowess did not lie in foresight but in the breadth of his range and his unique ability to eavesdrop.
Much like Enel's Mantra, Brontes could send out electric arcs to envelop the five warships, creating a web of surveillance that captured every spoken word and transmitted it back to him through the electromagnetic waves.
This was the hallmark of Brontes's Observation Haki. The Den Den Mushi had been activated not just for surveillance but also to ensure Dis was privy to the information.
As a newly appointed Rear Admiral at the G-2 Base, Brontes's word alone might not carry enough weight to convince others of the mole's identity. So Dis was there to bear witness, to lend credibility to the discovery they were about to make.
"Let's go, it's time to get rid of the rat." Brontes stated, his voice a low growl as he took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
"Golma, West Coast." He spoke into the receiver.
"Understood." Came the immediate response.
Dis followed Brontes out of the cabin, a sense of foreboding settling over him.
"Dis-san, let's go see who is the rat. You might be a bit surprised." Brontes said, leading the way with a steely determination.
...
Meanwhile, at the G-2 Base, Garp had intercepted the message. The revelation was stark; there was not one, but several rats, and the details of their meeting had been leaked in the dead of night.
Without a word, Garp led his men to storm the rooms of the suspects. The base was thrown into high alert as three Captains were apprehended—one resisting and subsequently beaten into submission by Garp's formidable might.
...
Back on the trailing warship, Brontes and Dis approached the last cabin. With a powerful kick, Brontes flung the door open.
Inside, the man in the duckbill cap leaped from his hammock in a panic, launching an attack on the intruders. But his efforts were futile.
"Smack!"
Brontes's hand shot out, seizing the man's fist. In an instant, electricity surged from his body, engulfing the assailant in a cocoon of crackling energy.
The smell of charred fabric and flesh filled the air as the man collapsed, his body twitching from the shock.
"Bang!"
Dis watched as Brontes retrieved a blue Den Den Mushi from the man's possession.
His fists clenched, Dis roared with a mix of anger and disbelief: "I can't believe it's you, the mole!"
Brontes looked down at the convulsing figure of Rear-Admiral Feibo, his voice laced with scorn. "What a big rat." He remarked, the sarcasm in his tone as sharp as a blade.
The cabin was thick with tension, the air heavy with betrayal.
Dis stood there, his mind racing with the implications of their discovery.
"Dis-san..." Feibo's voice was a hoarse whisper, his face drained of color as the reality of his exposure set in. He hadn't anticipated his clandestine activities coming to light, not by the hands of his own comrades.
"I was wrong, I was wrong, Dis-san, I had no choice, I..." Feibo's voice broke as he clutched his electrified fist, his body wracked with both physical and emotional pain.
"Rear-Admiral Feibo." Brontes began, his tone even but laced with an edge of disdain: "I have read your file. You like to gamble. You've frequented neutral casinos in the New World, and you seem to indulge in gambling even during missions. Within the branch, your reputation as a gambler precedes you."
Feibo's eyes widened in shock: "The Marine has been watching me for a long time?"
"No, I simply reviewed your file. As the Chief of Staff of the base, I have access to information that is beyond your clearance. The intelligence capabilities of the Marine and the World Government are far more extensive than you could imagine." Brontes said, his gaze unwavering.
The Marine organization had indeed grown vast and powerful, its reach extending far beyond the sea. Much like the notorious intelligence agencies of the modern world, the World Government wielded its own secretive arm: Cipher Pol, or CP.
The exact number of CP agents embedded within the Marine ranks was unknown, but their presence was significant and their purpose clear—to collect intelligence and monitor the actions of the Marines, ensuring that the power they wielded did not go unchecked.
Only those in the highest echelons of the Marine hierarchy were privy to this surveillance, a necessary shadow play that maintained the balance of power.
"Come, tie him up for me. I want to see who he's colluding with." Dis commanded, his voice a low growl of betrayal and fury.
The thought that a Rear-Admiral of a Marine Base could be a spy for pirates was abhorrent. Such a revelation, if made public, would undoubtedly shake the very foundations of the Marine's prestige.
"Brontes, I'm starting to believe Zed's evaluation. You really are a good marine. At the same time, your strategy has rid us of a significant problem." Dis said, clapping Brontes on the shoulder with a chuckle that belied the gravity of their situation.
"It's too early to celebrate; the hunt has just begun." Brontes replied, a smile playing on his lips, though his eyes remained as sharp as ever.
"That's right, we'll show them the true fangs of the Marine." Dis affirmed, his hand slowly wrapping around the hilt of his sword. As he drew the blade, a palpable aura of killing intent radiated from him, causing the nearby marines to shiver involuntarily.