SPOP Chapter 52 Activity

A lone figure slipped through the narrow alleys before finally leaving the vicinity of the hot spring inn. 

The spot he chose was deliberate— while it appeared distant from the inn due to a wall blocking the view, in truth, someone with exceptional hearing could still catch the sounds of Rojen and his crew inside. 

"That boy... he matches the description exactly." 

The shadowy figure mentally reviewed Rojen's features, ensuring there was no mistake. After confirming he was alone, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small Den Den Mushi. 

With practiced ease, he activated it. Moments later, rhythmic tapping echoed from the other end. 

"Puru, Puru, Puru, Puru, Puru!" 

The figure swiftly tapped a response: 

"Dang dang, bang, dang dang." 

A composed voice finally emerged from the receiver. 

"State your code name." 

"Code name 43298. Location: South Blue, Alster Island." 43298 spoke in a hushed but clear tone. 

"Report." The command was curt, wasting no words. 

"Yes, sir!" 43298 straightened slightly, then swiftly relayed his findings. 

"Per orders from above, I was dispatched to Alster Island for an assignment. During my surveillance, I encountered a boy who perfectly matches one of the priority targets. Additionally, he has a cat with him. Based on my observations, I strongly suspect this feline is the one we've been searching for all this time." 

"The boy's mission code?" 

Rather than inquiring about the cat first, the voice on the other end paused momentarily before asking about the boy. 

"Code No. 0." 43298's voice wavered slightly, laced with curiosity and unease. 

"...0?" A noticeable silence followed before the voice turned sharper. "Are you certain the code is 0?" 

The rustling of paper came through the receiver, and 43298 could sense the tension in his superior's tone. 

This boy... was far from ordinary. 

"Confirmed!" 

"Hah..." 

A heavy exhale followed. The Superior remained silent for a long three seconds before issuing new orders. 

"Continue verifying the identity of that cat. Also..." His voice grew even graver. "Do not lose track of Code No. 0. Follow him if necessary and your other assignments are secondary for the time being." 

43298 was momentarily stunned. 

His mission had just been given the highest priority?! That meant the Marines were deeply invested in this boy's existence. But why? 

Despite his internal questions, he didn't hesitate to obey. 

"Understood!" 

"Carry this out well. If you succeed, expect a promotion." 

For the first time, there was a trace of approval in the superior's voice. 

A flicker of excitement flashed across 43298's face as he swiftly responded. 

"Yes, sir!" 

With that, the Den Den Mushi clicked off and a burning curiosity flared in 43298's eyes. 

"That boy's identity must be exceptional..." 

He had no doubt about it now. Even though the cat's presence was already shocking, the fact that the boy's priority ranked even higher confirmed it—Rojen was no ordinary target. 

Meanwhile, 43298 maintained his surveillance on Rojen and his crew. 

Elsewhere, 43298's superior— Marine Lieutenant Commander Lyon, a stern man with a broad, square jaw— had a darkened expression. 

He didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately reached for his Den Den Mushi and connected directly to Marine Headquarters. 

There was no reason to doubt 43298's report. 

The Marines had extensive covert intelligence units— agents disguised as merchants or commoners, who normally had no direct combat roles. Their primary function was gathering intelligence through long-term observation and reporting only when the information was fully verified.

43298 was one such agent. He never made a report unless he was 100% certain. 

"Puru, Puru, Puru, Puru, Puru!" 

"Click." 

"This is Marine Headquarters." 

"South Blue branch, Jersey Island. Lieutenant Commander Lyon, reporting critical intelligence." 

"Proceed." 

The response was immediate— Marine HQ was never one for pleasantries. 

"A priority target has been identified on South Blue's Alster Island. Subject: Code No. 0— Gol D. Rojen." 

A sharp silence. 

"Additionally, the entity designated Code No. 1— the one flagged by the World Government— is confirmed to be with him. We are in the process of verifying its identity." 

The voice on the other end stiffened. 

"Rojen...? And that cat the World Government told us to monitor?" 

There was an audible shift in tone. Clearly, even Headquarters was startled. 

"Both of them are in South Blue?" 

"Yes, sir. They were seen together. Further intelligence from 43298 has confirmed this." 

Lyon inhaled deeply before adding, "Additionally, they are accompanied by an individual named Jason— combat capabilities are impressive." 

"Jason?!" HQ fell into a brief silence.

It had only been a short while since Rojen had surfaced, and yet he had already started assembling a crew? Could Jason be a remnant of Roger's old crew? 

After a pause, the officer at HQ finally responded. "Acknowledged. This will be reported directly to the Fleet Admiral." 

Lyon gave a sharp nod, then ended the call. His gaze turned steely. 

A storm was about to break in South Blue— one that would send shockwaves through both the Marines and the pirate world. 

Marine Headquarters wasted no time. Once Rojen's location was confirmed, orders were swiftly drafted and dispatched. 

Following the attack on Dragon and the speech suppression issued by Sengoku, Rojen's wanted posters had been quietly removed from circulation. While his bounty remained, its distribution had been intentionally limited. 

The Marines and the World Government had made a clear decision— they did not want the world to know about Gol D. Roger's younger brother. 

Only a handful of people in East Blue had even heard rumors about Roger having a sibling. And those who did were mostly civilians or low-tier pirates unlikely to spread the information quickly. Word would take at least two to three years to reach broader waters. 

That same day, Admiral Kizaru— Borsalino— was aimlessly wandering through East Blue when his golden Den Den Mushi suddenly rang. 

"Mmm?" Yawning, Kizaru lazily picked up the receiver. 

"Hello?" 

"Admiral Kizaru, the Fleet Admiral has issued orders. You are to head to South Blue immediately." 

"South Blue? What for?" Kizaru's voice carried mild curiosity. 

"A confirmed sighting of Rojen. The target is in the Yellow Sea region." 

Kizaru's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded. 

"Ahh... but South Blue is quite vast. Do we have a more precise location?" 

"Baterilla Island." 

With that, the line went dead. 

Kizaru slowly stretched his arms, his expression indifferent. 

"Fuuu... well, I suppose it's about time I stretched my legs." 

For him, capturing Rojen was just another casual assignment. 

(End Of This Chapter)

You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395