Nao was indeed dumbfounded.
The bald old man was holding the Transponder Snail's head right in front of him, less than twenty centimeters away.
A familiar voice, as melodious as a clear spring, came from its open mouth: "Hello? Are you there? Marine on the other side, are you from Headquarters?"
"..."
Nao was silent for a long time before he spoke, his expression strange, "Yes, Rear Admiral."
"Eh?"
The Transponder Snail paused, then its eyes instantly widened. It let out a surprised cry, "How could it be you!"
Meanwhile, in the South Blue.
In a remote, unfamiliar sea area, goose-feather snow danced through the air, and an icy chill spread across the surface of the sea, making the marines on duty on the battleship's deck shiver.
"How could it be you!"
Hearing the startled cry from the bow, many marines turned their heads in surprise. They saw Rear Admiral Gion, holding the Transponder Snail, stand up abruptly, her eyes wide, her flushed face filled with pleasant surprise.
Apparently realizing her exclamation was too loud, she turned back, smiled apologetically at the marines, then turned her body again and lowered her voice into the receiver: "Hello... how could it be you?"
Though her voice was softer, the girlish delight in it was impossible to hide.
"I'm surprised too, Rear Admiral."
The voice from the other end of the Transponder Snail sounded annoyingly smug. "But it seems you're even more surprised... Hey, don't make such strange faces! I can see your expression changes perfectly clearly through the Transponder Snail, tsk, this thing is really something else…"
Darn Transponder Snail, Gion wrinkled her nose, gritting her teeth in frustration.
"I'm a Vice Admiral now," she said crossly. "What, after not seeing me for over a month, you can't even remember something like that?"
"Ah, I'm just used to calling you that, too lazy to change now."
The youth's tone was playful. "Besides, if I called you Vice Admiral, I'd have to remember that I need to become a Vice Admiral for you to confess to me, and the burden on my shoulders would feel heavy, the pressure is immense, you know…"
"How can you bring that up in front of others…" Gion's eyebrows furrowed.
"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid. I already slipped away to the side. Hey, stop talking to me, move away…"
Rustling sounds of pushing and shoving came through, and after a moment, the Transponder Snail made sounds again. "Hello, Vice Admiral, are you still listening? That old man just now tried to lean in and eavesdrop, so I pushed him away."
"You should be more polite to elders, rookie," Gion finally remembered the main point and frowned slightly. "What exactly happened? What did you do to Mr. Anka over there?"
"What did he tell you on the phone?"
"He said he asked the Marines for help in retrieving his goods, but the clumsy Marines ruined a lot of them, and there was also some Headquarters brat who abused his power, not only denying it but also tried to hit him in return…"
"One can truly be shameless to this extent," the Transponder Snail mimicked, its expression one of admiration. "Do you believe him?"
"Mr. Anka's words are never to be trusted," Gion's lips curved slightly, as if she was trying hard to suppress a laugh. "However, if the person he's accusing is you, I might, reluctantly, believe it this once."
"What kind of talk is that!"
The Transponder Snail's eyes widened, perfectly mimicking a cry of injustice. "Am I really that bad in your eyes, less trustworthy than a rude old man with a foul temper?"
"When have you ever spoken the truth?"
Gion smiled. "Alright, tell me what actually happened to upset Mr. Anka so much. When I heard his voice just now, I was afraid he'd get so angry he'd die."
"Well, that's a long story, it starts from yesterday afternoon…"
On the Marine warship of the G-2 Branch in the Grand Line.
Nao sat cross-legged on the railing, holding the receiver and narrating the events, occasionally letting out a smug chuckle. Onigumo and the others in the distance stood there, dumbfounded and wide-eyed.
—What's going on? Didn't that old man call a high-ranking officer from Headquarters to severely reprimand him?Why are the two of them now…
…chatting on the phone like this?
Onigumo looked at the bald old man with a strange expression. The old man's eyes were also wide open, almost as if the words "disbelief" were written on his receding hairline.
"So that's what happened…"
After listening to Nao's version of the events, Gion generally understood. She rubbed her temples helplessly. "Mr. Anka is just as he always is: stingy, ungrateful, likes to twist facts and accuse others…"
"What's your relationship with him?" Nao asked, a little puzzled. "Why would he call you for such a small matter? Is he a relative of yours?"
"Hmm… not really."
Gion held her delicate chin, thinking. "At most, he's a friend of my father's. I've known him since I was a child, but we're not particularly close. It wasn't until last year when his merchant fleet rescued a few of my subordinates that, to show my gratitude, I left him my phone number, telling him he could contact me if he ran into danger or difficulties…"
"I don't even have your number!"
The Transponder Snail in front of Nao suddenly raised its voice by more than one octave, interrupting her.
"You didn't ask, though."
The anger and urgency in his voice could be heard across thousands of miles. Gion couldn't help but let out a giggle:
"Besides, what good would having the number do? You're just a little rookie, Headquarters wouldn't equip you with a Transponder Snail that can make calls across oceans, you know…"
"I can borrow one from the branch."
The youth grumbled. "I go back to the branch every few days, so making a call would be something I could do anytime…"
"I also stayed at the G-2 Branch for a while. That's the busiest branch in the entire Grand Line. The Transponder Snails in the communication room are always busy; long-distance calls almost never stop."
Momousagi brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, chuckling softly. "You're just a little rookie there, and you don't know many people. It wouldn't be that easy to borrow one, you know."
"How do you know I'm at the G-2 Branch? That was all part of Instructor Zephyr's temporary arrangements…"
The Transponder Snail's expression was first puzzled, then it seemed to remember something, and the sound of a fist hitting a palm came through, a sudden realization:
"I get it! You must have missed me terribly and specifically went to ask Instructor Zephyr, right?"
"..."
Gion turned her head, trying her best not to let the Transponder Snail mimic the blush on her face. "No, Mr. Anka just told me."
"Lying."
"..."
"Oh, and by the way, let me remind you, the Transponder Snail in front of me is also mimicking you turning your head away, but its face is still as red as an apple…"
"!"
Gion started, turning back sharply, glaring angrily at the Transponder Snail in her hand, her silver teeth clenched.
The light blue little Transponder Snail didn't understand why its owner was angry. After blinking, it decided to do its best to carry out its duty of mimicry to the end.
—So, the next moment.
Thousands of miles away, Nao, on the other end of the line, saw the Transponder Snail in front of him suddenly flare up, glaring angrily at him, its teeth grinding audibly.
"Ah, Transponder Snails truly are the most remarkable species in this world."
He paused, then suddenly smiled and held up the little creature, letting out a heartfelt sigh of admiration. "Don't you agree, Rear Admiral?"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin