Blake raised an eyebrow.
This Marine was somewhat lacking in discernment; was he truly foolish or just pretending?
It was just a name, yet he insisted on correcting a Celestial Dragon's mistake.
Under normal circumstances, even if one disliked Celestial Dragons, they would at least pretend to be respectful in person, right?
The current Colonel Hoffman was giving him too little face.
"Do I look easy to bully?"
"I'm speaking to you nicely, and you think I'm easy to talk to?"
Blake thought to himself, his expression unreadable:
"In that case, Colonel, please go on an errand for me."
"I heard that shop has a famous sword, yukiwazari, that has been collected for two hundred years."
"Go and bring it back, how about that?"
Colonel Hoffman hesitated for a moment, then nodded:
"No problem, Saint Blake, your wish is my command."
He felt this request wasn't excessive.
Since it was a weapon shop, even its most prized possession could certainly be sold; it was merely a matter of price.
If this Celestial Dragon couldn't offer a sufficient price, he would simply pay the difference himself.
There was no need to defy a World Nobles over such a small matter.
After agreeing, Colonel Hoffman didn't bother to greet Blake again and left the banquet hall directly.
The remaining Marine soldiers looked at each other, unsure whether to follow their superior.
In the end, most of the Marines followed Hoffman out of the banquet hall, but a few remained.
Blake sat at the head of the table, slowly sipping his red wine.
Beside him, Hancock's exquisite face was covered with a layer of frost.
She turned her head, pressing her lips to Blake's ear, and whispered:
"Saint Blake, how dare this Colonel Hoffman disrespect you?!"
"This rude fellow, I shall go and teach him a lesson for you!"
Though her voice was soft, her tone carried anger.
"So his name is Hoffman, huh…"
Blake gently swirled his wine glass, a slight smile on his face, and reached out to pull her into his embrace:
"He's a middle-aged man, yet he can't even control his emotions, looking like he's never been beaten by society."
"But there's no rush."
"Such a righteous Marine should be allowed to play a greater role."
Though Hancock's anger hadn't completely subsided, being embraced by Blake made her face flush, and she no longer cared about Hoffman's rudeness, burying her head in Blake's chest, not daring to speak.
Soon, Hoffman walked in with a sword and placed it on Blake's table:
"Saint Blake, this is the sword you requested."
Blake looked closely; the sword's scabbard was a simple Blake, and the blade shimmered with a bluish-white light under the banquet hall's illumination.
The hilt was wrapped in dark, non-slip fabric, and the guard was a minimalist swastika shape.
Blake picked up the sword and examined it carefully, his fingers gently caressing the blade:
"Colonel Hoffman is very efficient."
He casually swung it twice, and a crisp swishing sound cut through the air.
Watching Blake's casual movements, Hoffman's eye twitched, feeling as if a priceless treasure was being defiled and wasted.
Before he could sigh for too long, he heard Blake exclaim excitedly:
"Excellent! As expected of a famous sword! I shall reward you!"
Hoffman waved his hand:
"It's just a small matter; you don't need to worry about it."
Blake, however, shook his head:
"A reward is a must!"
He feigned contemplation, then after a moment, clapped his hands, as if an idea had struck him:
"How about this!"
"An officer like you, who can uphold principles and complete tasks, is wasted in the East Blue."
Saying this, Blake took out a transponder snail and dialed directly.
Buruburu… Buruburu… The transponder snail was quickly answered, mimicking a figure wearing a white mask:
"Saint Blake, this is CP0, how may we assist you?"
Blake spoke into the transponder snail, feigning displeasure:
"Colonel Hoffman, the base commander of Loguetown, is very capable. I cannot imagine such a Marine being assigned to a place like the East Blue!"
"Then, Your Highness… you mean…"
A slightly hesitant voice came from the other end of the transponder snail.
Blake slammed the table and declared loudly:
"Such a talented Marine certainly needs more tempering! Only then can he contend for the position of Fleet Admiral in the future!"
"How about this! Have the Marines send him and his subordinates to the New World…"
"Where should they be sent?"
He paused for a moment, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the group of Marines behind Hoffman, some of whom had already turned pale.
"Let's assign them to the frontline base bordering the Beasts Pirates."
"I heard that's where people are most tempered."
With that, Blake hung up the transponder snail.
He seemed not to notice Hoffman's darkening expression, and with a sincere look, patted him on the shoulder:
"No need to decline, this is what you deserve."
"I have high hopes for you, don't disappoint me!"
Blake picked up his wine glass again, gestured to Hoffman, and drained it.
Celestial Dragons generally couldn't mess around casually when it came to Marine matters.
After all, these guys knew nothing and could easily cause trouble.
However, if it was just a base commander in the East Blue, then it didn't matter.
Usually, no one would oppose Blake on such a small matter.
Actually, Colonel Hoffman hadn't done much, just lacked sufficient respect for Blake.
If Blake had killed him directly, it would have been like the other crazy Celestial Dragons.
But if he didn't teach him a lesson, Blake also felt uneasy.
Among the several great pirates, Kaido's Beasts Pirates were the most troublesome.
Not only did he have a bunch of reckless subordinates, but even Kaido, the Governor-General, would occasionally go berserk.
Blake assigned Hoffman to the Beasts' frontline in the New World, where the intensity of battle was highest. If he survived, it was his ability; if not, it was his luck.
Ignoring the grim-faced Hoffman and his subordinates, who had turned shaky at the mere mention of the Beasts Pirates, Blake enjoyed the banquet.
After enjoying the banquet, Blake boarded the sanctuary with his spoils from the trip and set off again.
The weather in the East Blue was usually calm, and they sailed for several more days on the tranquil sea.
On this day, Blake was leisurely lying on the deck, teasing Olga, a two-hundred-year-old loli he had acquired just a few days ago.
Suddenly, Perona, who was bored and acting as a lookout, shouted from the mast:
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Another pirate ship is heading towards us!"
Her voice showed no panic, but rather an eager, ready-to-fight attitude.
"Oh? Another pirate who doesn't know better wants to charge at me?"
Blake subconsciously looked up, his Observation Haki following Perona's line of sight.
It had to be said, this little girl's lookout skills were even less professional than Rami's impersonation of a navigator; she didn't even give a specific direction.
When the other ship appeared in Blake's perception, a strange smile appeared on his face:
"To think I'd encounter this guy on the high seas?"
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