One Piece: Please Call Me Godfather!

"Lieutenant Colonel!"

The deputy official pushed open Francklin's office door again, "What did that person say to you?"

While speaking, he observed Francklin's expression.

He noticed that Francklin's face had turned a little red, as if he had been very agitated earlier.

What exactly had they talked about?

There was no sound of arguing.

If it wasn't an argument, then why was the lieutenant colonel so agitated?

The deputy official felt uneasy.

"It's nothing."

Francklin casually waved his hand, brushing it off with an indifferent air, "That person was just showing off."

But could it really be like that?

The deputy official's mind darkened. He spoke again, "That guy is truly too arrogant. That lieutenant colonel, we should report back to the headquarters quickly, the Ulysses family's threats are really too great."

"Didn't I already tell you? Don't rush!" Francklin said with a slight impatience, "Are you questioning my decision?"

"Understood," the deputy official replied.

The deputy official then stepped back out of the office.

But in his heart, he knew that this lieutenant colonel was probably already corrupted and manipulated by Reinhardt.

He had to do something about it.

With an uncertain expression, the deputy official disappeared down the hallway of the base.

After a full day of training at the naval base, the exhausted sailors, in groups of five or three, were preparing to head out.

As several officers were getting ready to go home and rest, the deputy official appeared before them, blocking their path.

The military officers naturally invited the deputy official to join them in relaxing a bit.

The deputy official decisively invited everyone to his house, offering to prepare some food for them.

The military officers had no objections—who wouldn't want to eat? It was a good thing to maintain relationships with senior officers and secretaries.

The deputy official then went to find a few other officers, inviting them to his home as well.

At this point, the officers began to feel something was off. Nearly all officers of the rank of lieutenant or higher from the base had gathered, but what was the deputy official's intention?

Why had the officers been repeatedly invited without the base commander being included?

Sure enough, the deputy official did not intend to offer a meal. After calling everyone into his house, he solemnly spoke,

"Gentlemen, I have discovered something terrifying."

The officers exchanged confused glances, not knowing what he was about to say.

The deputy official took a deep breath. He knew what he was about to say would be horrifying, but for the Navy, for justice, he could not keep silent.

"Among us, there is someone conspiring with Ulysses, with that Godfather!"

As soon as he said this, the room was filled with shock.

The officers looked at each other in fear.

Had they been discovered?

The deputy official, still caught in his emotions, continued speaking in the midst of the horrified looks, "I suspect that our lieutenant colonel has fallen into corruption!"

The officers, startled, sighed with relief for a moment. But soon, their moods shifted to one of intense agitation.

The lieutenant colonel had joined forces with the Godfather?

"We must do something!"

The deputy official slammed his fist onto the table, angrily saying, "Let's unite, eliminate Ulysses, and completely wipe out Francklin and his Loguetown criminals!"

He stopped abruptly, suddenly struck from behind, and in an instant, lost consciousness, collapsing onto the table.

The other officers, dazed, stared at the deputy official who had suddenly fallen unconscious, "What, what are you doing?"

Another officer stood up, laughing, and several others stood with him. "Now that the lieutenant colonel is one of us, there's no need to put on an act."

"What?" The officers, who knew nothing, were stunned. "Could it be that you—?"

The officer who had knocked out the deputy official laughed and said, "Decisions have been made, old friends—live or die, it's up to you."

The remaining officers exchanged uneasy glances.

"So, you brought him here?"

In Ulysses' manor, Reinhardt looked at the unconscious man lying on the ground, then glanced toward the several officers standing respectfully, asking.

This was truly an unexpected turn of events, but it worked out well—things were progressing quickly.

The leading officer chuckled and nodded repeatedly, "This fool was about to stab the Godfather in the back, of course, we can't let him succeed. Please, do take care of him."

Reinhardt smiled and nodded, "Very well, your friendship I will cherish. In return, I will also do my part for our friendship."

"Yes, yes!" The officers nodded repeatedly, their faces flushed with excitement.

Ulysses had always been generous in his dealings, and since the Godfather had come to power, he had become even more so.

"Yes, respected Godfather," the leading officer pointed to the other officers who were standing at attention. "These brothers of ours—"

"I know, they are new friends," Reinhardt smiled at them. "Since you consider me a friend, that makes you part of Ulysses, my friends as well."

"Thank you, Godfather!"

The officers, who had been forced into this, cautiously nodded.

"Very well," Reinhardt pointed at the deputy official on the ground, "Take him to the lieutenant colonel. This man was trying to destroy our friendship, so how we deal with him, let Francklin decide."

The officers nodded eagerly.

Soon, each officer carried a chest, happily leaving the manor. The newly made friends of Ulysses, the Navy officers, were in a daze, as if they were dreaming.

Good friends.

Such good friends indeed.

It's a pity that becoming friends came too late, and there's so little gain from this friendship.

"You say, was this guy sent by Reinhardt for you to bring to me?"

Francklin's hand trembled slightly as he pointed at the still-unconscious deputy official.

The officers laughed and said, "Yes, the Godfather told us to let you handle it yourself."

Another officer responded, "Lieutenant Colonel, it's best to deal with this quickly. The sooner it's done, the better."

"Yes, now that he knows about us, if anyone higher up finds out, it'll be troublesome," another officer added.

At this moment, Francklin could hardly contain his anger, wishing he could strike down every officer standing before him.

No wonder that scoundrel Reinhardt managed to secretly gain control over all the hidden forces in the town!

It turns out that those around him had already been thoroughly corrupted!

As he watched his expression change continuously, but still made no move, one officer spoke, "Lieutenant Colonel, if you can't act, leave it to us. But don't show mercy. If he exposes anything, we're all finished!"

Francklin's heart was in turmoil.

Right now, even if he wanted to back out, he couldn't.

With these bastards in front of him, and the scoundrel lying on the ground, they had already made up their minds that he was Reinhardt's friend, and there was no way to clear his name.

Could he just kill everyone? How would he explain it to those above?

If he didn't kill them, would they unite and expose him?

What should he do?

His chest heaved with distress. After a long pause, Francklin finally closed his eyes, speaking weakly, "You deal with it."

"Right away!"

The officers laughed and dragged the deputy official away.

This was it, he was completely on the pirate's ship now.

The vegetables hadn't even been harvested yet.

Francklin's body swayed slightly.