Green Bull's words sent Taro's heart pounding wildly.
Holy shit!
Why is it that when others transmigrate to the Pirate World, the original characters they meet all seem to have lost their minds,
No one questions their origins, no one wonders how their strength improved so quickly!
But when it's my turn, these big shots can easily catch the loopholes in my words at the drop of a hat?
Taro lamented inwardly. For a transmigrator to end up like this, it's just too damn miserable!
Sensing Green Bull's gaze fixed on him, Taro glanced out of the corner of his eye at Lucci and Kaku on the adjacent warship.
Hearing Green Bull's question, Lucci and Kaku's faces instantly stiffened, their hearts leaping into their throats.
It's over, it's over!
If Taro said he got the intelligence from them, they were dead for sure!
The World Government and CP0 would never let anyone who leaked confidential information live!
Kaku's face was already drained of color, his fists clenched, his legs trembling slightly. He wasn't afraid of death, but he feared dying branded as a traitor!
He had felt this emotion once before, during the Enies Lobby incident!
However, in that incident, the Marines and Admiral Aokiji ultimately shared the blame. This time, it happened after they joined CP0!
Was this the inevitable death they couldn't escape after telling Taro that news on Sicily Island?
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Taro suddenly burst into loud laughter, looking at Green Bull.
"Well, Admiral Midorik, you just called me a 'questionable' staff officer. Have you forgotten so quickly that I like asking people questions?"
He paused, glanced at Lucci and Kaku, and then swept his gaze over everyone present.
"How would I know? Of course, I heard it from someone else!"
Lucci and Kaku instantly turned ashen. The muscles on Lucci's face tightened further, ready to enter his transformed state at any moment.
Then, they heard Taro continue,
"It was probably during the World Conscription period. One day, Sakazuki and Vice Admiral Tsuru made a rather inexplicable phone call to Vice Admiral Garp. I happened to be with Vice Admiral Garp at the time, so naturally, I overheard it!"
"So, hehe, of course I had to ask around!"
Hearing Taro say this, regardless of whether Green Bull believed it or not, Lucci and Kaku first breathed a sigh of relief. Their backs were already soaked with sweat!
Of course, Green Bull found Taro's words somewhat unbelievable.
However, considering he was just a newcomer to the Marines, and Taro had dragged in the current Fleet Admiral and the vice chief of staff,
Whether it was truly as Taro said, or he was deliberately muddying the waters, Green Bull could only believe it for now.
He fell silent for a moment, then laughed.
"Rahahaha, I also heard that the officers under the Great Staff Officer like to gather all sorts of information within the military. So, they all learned it from you?"
Taro's eyebrows twitched. Damn it! That bastard Mike and his crew!
He let out a heavy sigh and chuckled lightly.
"I never expected the new Admiral to be so fond of military gossip!"
Holy shit! What a lunatic!
You're a Marine Admiral, not doing your proper job, yet you know all these 'inside jokes' perfectly well!
"Rahahaha, some things aren't as simple as gossip!"
Green Bull looked at Taro with a somewhat strange expression. "Many inadvertent details can expose a lot of facts!"
Taro's gaze turned more serious. He said softly, "Is that so?"
Green Bull stared at Taro for a while longer, then gently shook his head, retracted his ability. The dense green color filling the sky vanished in an instant. He flashed and returned to the warship.
"Great Staff Officer, your business here is probably finished, right?"
He glanced towards the sky ahead. The energy fluctuations over there had already ceased. A strange light flickered in his eyes.
"Shall we head back together?"
Taro initially wanted to refuse outright, but seeing Green Bull's demeanor, he grew wary. After thinking for a moment, he smiled.
"Sure!"
Then, he glanced at Aokiji, leaped from where he stood, and jumped onto the warship.
The collapsed second-level structure on the warship was still there. On the deck lay a CP0 member with grass growing on him. Taro looked at him, then at the reactions of the others. He understood this was most likely caused by Green Bull's ability and grew even more cautious.
Green Bull lay back down on his lounge chair, glanced at the CP0 members, and said in a flat tone,
"Hey, don't just stand there staring. Get down and clear away that grass! That guy isn't dead yet!"
Taro extended his Internal Energy, probing towards the CP0 member to sense his condition. A strange look appeared in his eyes.
Holy shit, is he using people as fertilizer?
The CP0 members, however, showed no hesitation. They lifted the man and ran towards the deck at the rear of the ship.
Lucci and Kaku looked at Taro with a trace of strangeness in their eyes, then quickly averted their gaze, lowering their heads. Knowing Green Bull and Taro likely had things to discuss, they tactfully followed the others.
The deck cleared instantly, leaving only Taro and Green Bull.
Taro pulled over a chair and sat opposite Green Bull. After a long silence, he finally spoke,
"Midorik, your ability is quite special!"
"Ha ha ha ha, Great Staff Officer, compared to you, my ability is nothing!"
Green Bull grinned lightly. As he spoke, his eyes rolled downward slightly, and he said softly,
"Not long ago, near the top of the Red Line, not far from Marijoa, I 'ate' a kind of energy..."
Green Bull's mouth chewed slightly, and his hair swayed, as if savoring the taste of that previous energy.
"That 'flavor' is very similar to the taste of your ability, Great Staff Officer!"
Taro's pupils instantly contracted violently. He lowered his eyes, staring blankly at the deck.
"Is that so? I often traverse the Red Line. Leaving behind some residual energy is perfectly normal!"
Green Bull shifted his body, adjusting to a more comfortable position.
"Don't be so tense! That's an easy way to make people suspicious!"
Taro looked up at Green Bull in confusion. Green Bull grinned soundlessly.
"My ability can only determine the residual energy of Devil Fruit ability users. For non-ability users' energy residues, I can't make precise judgments!"
Taro's heart immediately relaxed, but then he felt somewhat bewildered. Why was Green Bull telling him this?
Green Bull had been observing the changes in Taro's expression. What he just said wasn't entirely accurate.
For non-ability users' energy residues, he truly couldn't precisely determine whose it was!
However, for an ability as 'unpalatable' as Taro's, he had only encountered it once in this world. How could he possibly fail to recognize it?
It was like an ability that shouldn't exist in this world!
"I'm on good terms with Issho!"
Green Bull took one last look at Taro and slowly closed his eyes.
Taro raised an eyebrow, then heard Green Bull add,
"And my relationship with old man Vegapunk isn't bad either!"
Taro was stunned for a moment. After pondering briefly, he laughed.
"Midorik, you're really a crafty one, aren't you? You were just bluffing me earlier?"
"Rahahaha!"
Green Bull laughed heartily.
"There's a rumor in the military that the Navy Grand Staff Officer is profoundly wise and quick-witted. How could I not be curious?"
Taro curled his lip. First, Fujitora tries to test me, and now Green Bull too... damn it all!
"Issho joined the Marines because he wanted to abolish the Seven Warlords of the Sea system. So, what about you?"
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