Chapter 92: Ortoren: I’ll Betray Dragon Without a Second Thought!

What looked like a choice was really no choice at all, so Olvia quickly yielded to Ortoren.

Afterward, using the information she provided, Ortoren swiftly captured the entire fleet of scholar vessels lingering in the nearby waters.

As for Ohara, no word was sent yet. Better not to let them start entertaining thoughts they shouldn’t have. Everything would be handled first, and then they’d be given a “surprise.”

On the warship, Gion stared at Ortoren with sheer disbelief.

Seated in his cabin office, Ortoren held a Den Den Mushi, waiting for the other side to pick up. Catching Gion’s look, he asked helplessly, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, really—how did you do it? With no intelligence at all, you managed to pinpoint that woman, Olvia, and even got her under control?” Gion asked, brimming with curiosity.

She was an elite of the Intelligence Division, yet on this mission with Ortoren, aside from routine support, she felt she hadn’t contributed anything meaningful.

And still, Ortoren managed to resolve the scholars’ case with incredible speed.

How could that not be absurd?

“A little luck, plus my strength,” Ortoren said, putting on a cold front.

Just as Gion was about to press him further, the Den Den Mushi connected, and Admiral Sengoku’s voice came through.

“Ortoren? It’s been a while since you last contacted headquarters. Any new developments?” Sengoku asked casually.

From his tone, it was clear this was nothing more than a routine check-in, without much expectation.

After all, the scholars’ case was notoriously difficult. The CP agencies had been silent for so long. Sengoku didn’t want to heap pressure on Ortoren over such things.

“Case solved, Admiral!” Ortoren grinned, speaking with ease.

“Case solved? What do you mean? You’ve figured out the scholars’ affair?” Sengoku asked in surprise.

“Yeah, you could say it was luck. You know I’m a Goro Goro no Mi user. Zephyr-sensei once advised me to work harder on my Observation Haki. So lately, while on missions, I’ve also been researching the ‘Mantra’s Mind Net’ aspect of it. It’s unreliable, but every now and then, I can make brief ‘listening’ connections. And wouldn’t you know it? While I was investigating on Chichicris Island in the South Blue, I happened to hear some vague information during training and made my judgment from there...” Ortoren reported.

Everything he had said to convince Olvia, he now attributed to his “Mind Net” ability. In his mission report, he painted it as a sort of bluff, backed by a bit of luck, that cracked Olvia’s psychological defenses and led to the result they now had.

Sengoku found it far-fetched, yet the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

“Your luck, kid, leaves me speechless. Tch. Had I known you’d make progress in your Mind Net so quickly, I never should have allowed the papers to give you so much publicity. What a waste!” Sengoku said, both pleased and regretful.

Ortoren’s name was now well-known, easy to recognize. Otherwise, with his ability, assigning him to the Intelligence Division as field operative would have skyrocketed Marine intelligence operations.

After a short sigh over the wasted potential, Sengoku hesitated before asking, “So, you’ve confirmed Ohara is the mastermind behind this incident, but their progress is still slow, almost no real results, and they’re effectively confessing?”

“Pretty much. According to Olvia, their pursuit of the Poneglyph was basically an impulsive move. You know how these scholars are—especially the top ones. Once they get fired up, they’ll do anything. At first, they regretted it a bit, but circumstances forced them to continue, cautious every step of the way, until we finally uncovered them...” Ortoren answered vaguely.

After a pause, he added, “So I was thinking, if that’s the case, maybe there’s room for redemption. If Mary Geoise is willing to show leniency toward Ohara, the Marines could avoid some reputational damage. After all, any strike against Ohara will shake the cultural world. Don’t you think?”

“You make a fair point,” Sengoku acknowledged, before continuing, “But these matters aren’t for the Marines to decide. Ortoren, your thinking here is good, but still... a bit unrefined.”

“What do you mean?” Ortoren asked, puzzled.

“Our Marines shouldn’t get too involved in Mary Geoise’s deliberations. That would be bad for both you and me. And above all, we must never think of influencing Mary Geoise’s decisions in specific cases. That’s for politicians and statesmen—not us soldiers. Going forward, don’t get too involved in this matter. The Marines must avoid showing any bias. Report the facts truthfully to Mary Geoise. As for what they decide to do with Ohara, that’s their business.” Sengoku instructed.

It was obvious Admiral Sengoku had caught on to Ortoren’s partiality toward Ohara, so he subtly warned him not to get too entangled, lest higher-ups suspect him of harboring improper thoughts.

“I see. Then how about I add a note in the report—‘recommend eradication’?” Ortoren thought for a moment before asking.

“You brat...” Sengoku let out a half-amused, half-exasperated sigh, then said, “Well, that’s not entirely out of the question.”

Clearly, Ortoren had taken Sengoku’s reminder to heart and gone a step further in his interpretation. Mary Geoise might adjust its attitude toward Ohara, but as the World Government’s military arm, the Marines should still uphold the original directive—to take a stance in favor of wiping Ohara out.

In short: no matter what Mary Geoise ultimately decides, the Marines obey the first order. That is what loyalty means.

Both Sengoku and Ortoren knew this “recommendation” was little more than formality. The World Government would never base its decision on Marine statements—they would act purely out of political calculation and vested interests.

So such words were nothing more than a show of loyalty, with no real influence on the final outcome.

“Alright then, now that the scholars’ case is wrapped up, return to headquarters as soon as possible. You handled this quickly, and the outcome turned out better than I expected. You’ll certainly get credit for it. But let me be clear: you’ve only just been promoted to Rear Admiral. We acknowledge your strength, but when it comes to seniority, you’re still lacking. Without some extraordinary accomplishment, you won’t be fast-tracked to Vice Admiral this time...” Sengoku said with a smile.

“Understood, understood. But Admiral, during this South Blue investigation, I’ve also made some other discoveries. Who knows? It might just count as an extraordinary accomplishment,” Ortoren said with a grin.

“Oh? What do you mean?” Sengoku asked, curious.

“According to intelligence from the CP agency, while we were investigating the scholars’ case, we noticed Dragon’s Freedom Fighters were also in contact with them, though they hadn’t made much progress. What surprised me more was that, while looking into the Freedom Fighters’ involvement, I stumbled upon signs that they’re working with someone far more mysterious. And that person... is highly likely to be Gol D. Roger—the man who disbanded his pirate crew and vanished without a trace,” Ortoren said gravely.

“Is that true!?” Sengoku exclaimed.

Compared to Ohara, Roger was the real thorn in the Marines’ side!

“Of course it’s true. We even uncovered a secret Freedom Fighter base on a remote South Blue island. It’s a long story. Before, without solid proof, I didn’t dare report vague speculation. But now, with the scholar case as a foundation, I can say it openly...” Ortoren quickly relayed his earlier encounter with Dragon—born from his full-moon frenzy—to Sengoku.

Selling out Dragon? Not a shred of guilt. Promotion and fortune—that’s the real path!

“Then get on this immediately. Headquarters will dispatch Garp to assist you,” Sengoku ordered without hesitation.

The scholars had no fighting power; Ortoren could handle that. But Pirate King Roger? Ortoren and Gion alone could never hold him down. Sengoku wasted no time in sending Garp to support Ortoren.

...

Once the line with Sengoku was cut, Gion turned to Ortoren with wide eyes. “What nonsense were you feeding the Admiral? When did we ever find Roger’s trail in the South Blue?”

“Back when we ran into Dragon, of course! I’ve got the Mind Net, remember? He doesn’t know that,” Ortoren said matter-of-factly, tossing the blame onto Dragon.

Gion’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t find a single rebuttal.