One Piece: I'm a Hunter on the Grand Line

One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and one of the big shots in the underworld.

Three of Doflamingo's core subordinates were killed in the North Sea. If he doesn't come in person, what will others, especially the big shots in the underworld, think of him?

JOKER means "Little King," not "Clown."

At least not yet.

Thinking of this, Yelena looked at Colonel Lind, her eyes filled with expectation.

"Did you request assistance from Marineford in your report?"

Don't think that driving Luo off Swallo Island will completely end this incident.

With the branch's combat strength, they're not even a speed bump in front of Doflamingo.

If they cause trouble on the island, we'll have a hard time protecting ourselves, let alone the people.

"Yes, I've said everything I needed to say."

Colonel Linde slowly exhaled a smoke ring, his smile somewhat bitter.

"This concerns the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The situation on Svalo Island is beyond my control. Headquarters will likely send someone to contact them... Alas, my strength is too weak; I have failed justice."

He turned and walked towards the branch.

Yelena caught up and patted his shoulder on tiptoe. "Don't be too disappointed. At least within the branch, you can outshine all the other marines."

I was very satisfied with what he did.

It's okay to be a little weak, the key is not to show off your abilities blindly, ask for help when you need it, and don't worry about saving face.

"Hey, what kind of look is that?"

Seeing Yelena looking at him with satisfaction, Colonel Linde took a deep drag on his cigarette, his face showing an expression that looked like he wanted to punch someone.

However, he only extended his right foot halfway before pulling it back in.

"Forget it, as an elder, I won't hold it against you, little one."

Elders should maintain the demeanor of elders, not because the difference in combat strength between the two is too great.

"To say that I can overpower all the navy in the branch is actually giving me too much credit."

At this point, Colonel Linde suddenly stopped, his expression turning smug.

"Over the past year, I have raised the branch's training standards several times, and improved their diet and salary. I didn't expect to actually discover a few good seeds."

"The young people are improving their skills very quickly. In one live-fire exercise, I was almost taken down by them working together! Maybe in two or three years, I, as a colonel, will be completely surpassed by my subordinates."

"It would be a waste of talent for promising young naval personnel to stay in the branch. I plan to take advantage of this visit from headquarters and send them to Marineford."

He stared intently at Yelena and extended the invitation again, "Why don't you just give up being a bounty hunter and come to headquarters with me? The Grand Line is your future battlefield!"

You're really dedicated; you never forget to recruit people for the Navy.

"I will go to the Grand Line, but not as a member of the Navy." Yelena shook her head as before, firmly refusing.

"Sigh, why are young people so stubborn?" Colonel Linde sighed.

Not wanting to waste time on this topic, Yelena asked another question: "I heard from the branch that you and Admiral Akainu are old friends?"

"Yes, we enlisted at the same time, shared a room, and I'm the one he's closest to in the whole dormitory."

When Colonel Linde mentioned this contemporary, his expression was full of admiration, while his gaze also revealed a hint of obvious pride.

I was in the same class as a Navy Admiral!

"Wow!" Yelena exclaimed, showing her appreciation.

Under Colonel Linde's increasingly smug gaze, she uttered her next sentence:

"Please, my esteemed colleague, contact your old comrade and invite him to Swaro Island. With this important figure here, Doflamingo will certainly not dare to act recklessly."

If Akainu can come here, what is she worried about?

It would be best if Doflamingo lost his temper and attacked the Navy, then Akainu could use him as a speed bump.

"We can keep his arrival a secret and hide him in the branch. We'll find a way to provoke Doflamingo..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Colonel Linde raised his hand to interrupt Yelena, his eyebrows furrowing almost to the top of his head.

"So, you're saying you want to take down the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

He looked Yelena up and down with a suspicious expression. "You've refused my invitations multiple times. Is it because it's inconvenient for you, as a Marine, to take action against the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

Now I remember, the girl's family members had died at the hands of pirates, so it's understandable that she hates all pirates to the core.

"How could that be? I just can't stand that mere pirates can commit evil deeds with such impunity, and the World Government just lets it go..."

"Oh, no, it's not that they don't care, it's that they don't care about the lives of ordinary people at all."

"Hey!" Colonel Linde hurriedly reached out to cover Yelena's mouth.

Weren't we talking about pirates? How did we get involved with the World Government?

It's one thing to speak ill of the navy in front of them, but this is outside. What if someone overhears them?

Yelena moved half a step to the side, and Colonel Linde missed his target.

He wasn't embarrassed at all. He put a finger to his lips and whispered, "Shh, don't talk nonsense!"

"Don't worry, there are no outsiders nearby."

"That won't do either!" Colonel Linde stared intently at Yelena, a middle-aged man in his fifties, his expression even carrying a hint of grievance.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore."

Colonel Linde let out a slow sigh of relief and lit a second cigarette.

Yelena then changed the subject, "When is Akainu arriving?"

"Cough...cough cough!" Colonel Linde choked on the smoke, his face turning red. "How could he possibly come to Svalo Island?!"

"Aren't you best friends? This time, with both work and personal matters combined, he has no reason not to come, right?"

Colonel Linde remained silent, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and panic flashing in his eyes.

Yelena glanced at him, her eyes meaningful, and said, "I see."

So you two don't even know each other!

As for your roommate relationship, are you just bragging?

"Ahem, the Marshal will decide who to send. Don't even think about it, Admiral. It's not like we're going to have a full-scale war with the Seven Warlords. At most, we'll send a Vice Admiral to check on the situation."

Colonel Linde quickened his pace, no longer mentioning the previous topic.

"What can a mere lieutenant general do?"

The colonel turned around and roared, "Don't look down on the vice admiral at headquarters! That's the finish line that countless brilliant naval officers dream of reaching!"

"Yes, yes, you're right."

He's a vice admiral, after all. He's from headquarters, so Doflamingo probably wouldn't go on a killing spree right in front of him.

Two days later, the latest issue of the World Economic News was published, and the events on Svalo Island were featured on the second page.

In the newspaper, Luo's face was clearly photographed.

Yelena had reason to suspect that there were reporters from the World Economic News Agency among the people queuing outside the bookstore that day, and that they hid in the shadows to take photos after the fight began.

In the photo, Law is standing in the center, Bepo's chubby face is very obvious, and even her profile is captured in the picture.

However, with the headscarf and mask on, it's impossible to tell who the person in the photo is just by looking at their profile.

She wasn't worried about her identity being exposed.