Of course—
With the combined efforts of the Weatheria scholars and the Glory Angels themselves, the original war armament had been integrated and upgraded.
That was how the current Electromagnetic Thermal Cannon came into being.
Even as a first prototype,
It had already pushed the Glory Angels' firepower into an entirely new tier.
At the very least, beyond the borders of the Divine Kingdom,
Thousands upon thousands of Sky Bandits had already been eliminated.
Those idiots were drawn in by massive profits, only to end up as live practice targets for the Glory Angels.
Losses during this period were inevitable, but the true origin of the Glory Angels lay in that great Torch.
Destroying a physical body was nothing more than forcing them into the cycle of rebirth.
And the angels who returned were often even stronger than before.
"002 received. Transfer in progress."
Message from 002 appeared.
"An ally of our Lord has discovered a situation and is conveying His will to them."
Another message popped up from 012, followed by a second one.
"Mr. Zoro has expressed understanding and intends to handle the defense personally."
"There is no need for everyone to mobilize. The task our Lord previously assigned must not fail.
"The peace of Angel Island is ours to defend!"
A message from 003 appeared,
Followed immediately by one from 001.
"Mobilize ninety-nine Glory Angels. All existing War Angels are to deploy. I will lead the operation."
Once 001—who had been active the longest and had the most combat records—spoke,
The psychic communication network fell silent.
Then, messages flooded in like a torrent.
"For our Lord, for justice!"
"For our Lord, for—"
"For our Lord—"
Before long,
The Glory Angels began their departure.
Led by the four-winged War Angel, groups of Glory Angels vanished into the distance.
On Upper Yard,
Zoro, standing high above, withdrew his gaze and looked thoughtfully at the ground below.
"From what they said, it sounds like Ren might be coming back?"
Hiss—
The Sky Lord, its body covered in wounds, weakly flicked its tongue in response to the swordsman who had tormented it for so long.
Please… help the snake.
Anyone—just take this damned swordsman away, please.
Boom—!
Thunder suddenly roared across the sky as a bolt of lightning snaked through the clouds.
A violent gale swept across the heavens, and the clouds darkened at a visible pace.
The atmosphere shifted—like the onset of a thunderstorm.
The Sky Lord trembled, its massive pupils contracting as it seemed to realize something.
Without hesitation, it turned and fled at top speed.
"There's really no need to show off your tricks, is there? Got nothing better to do than scare a snake?"
Zoro cast a cold glance its way, then leapt onto a nearby rock.
In the next instant, lightning exploded in front of him.
Thunder gathered, forming into a graceful figure.
"Compared to me, who just got back, aren't you worse? You're the one getting lost in front of it every day."
"What do you mean getting lost!? That's sword training!"
"Oh? So deliberately bullying a poor little snake."
"And you only started calling it 'little' after you electrocuted it the other day.
"Before you'd properly mastered your ability, you were hiding behind Ren every time."
Zoro scowled, calling out Nami's blatant double standards.
"So what if I did? Hiding behind my man—what's wrong with that?"
Nami snorted and waved a hand.
"But it's different now. I've completely gotten the hang of the Rumble-Rumble power.
"Right now, I'm way stronger than before—no, let me put it this way."
She shot Zoro a provocative look.
"I'm stronger than you, Mr. Swordsman."
"That's debatable, Miss Navigator."
"Hmph. Then you should look at the sky. Doesn't it feel familiar?"
Nami pointed upward.
"That's a thunderstorm climate recreation I spent ages mastering.
"If it were you, you'd be charcoal within half an hour."
"You've gotten way more arrogant than before."
Zoro rolled his eyes, ignoring her provocation.
"Something just happened.
"The Glory Angels mobilized part of their forces. By Ren's orders, it looks like he'll be back here soon."
"Really?"
Nami's eyes lit up, instantly forgetting about asserting her vice-captain status in front of Zoro.
Excitement spread across her lovely face, her voice rising with joy.
"If that's the case, I need to get ready."
"Ready for what?" Zoro asked, confused.
"That's none of your business. Stay out of things between men and women.
"You can just hug your swords and die alone."
Her voice blurred as her body turned into lightning and shot away.
"I've got no interest in gaining another weakness."
Zoro shook his head, gazing into the distance.
No matter how one looked at it—
He was also looking forward to Ren's return.
That thing Ren mentioned—the one that would let everyone undergo a massive leap in strength without relying on external power—
What exactly was it?
Beep beep—
The sound of a Den Den Mushi fax echoed through the communications room.
Soon,
A message from Marine Headquarters was relayed aboard a Garp-class warship and delivered into the hands of a graceful woman.
She wore red-framed glasses and had her hair tied in a single ponytail.
A grandmother-style purple floral blouse strained against her ample chest.
Paired with light blue trousers that accentuated her curves,
And a Justice coat draped over her shoulders, giving her a valiant air.
If Ren were here, he would instantly recognize her—
Tashigi of Loguetown.
"News from Marine Headquarters… Gran Tesoro? Did something big happen at sea again?"
Tashigi hurried off with the report, bringing it onto the deck.
Among the diligent Marines, two figures stood out on an otherwise empty section of the deck.
Utterly relaxed.
Yet no one dared criticize them—
One was the highest-ranking officer aboard: Marine Vice Admiral Garp.
The other was the man recently assigned under Garp, who had defeated several troublesome pirate crews—
Smoker, the White Hunter.
"Vice Admiral Garp, a message from Headquarters. It concerns Ren."
Tashigi reported immediately.
The old man sunbathing seemed asleep, showing no reaction.
Smoker, however, stepped forward, took the report, and read it carefully.
"That bastard's stirred up another huge mess.
"Didn't they say routes couldn't be changed? How did he suddenly end up at Gran Tesoro?"
Smoker frowned as he read.
"But this content… what does it mean?"
"Why the surprise? There are plenty of things at sea that can alter routes.
"Permanent Poses, Devil Fruit abilities, all kinds of creatures."
Garp spoke suddenly with his eyes still closed.
"What exactly did Headquarters say? Keep it simple."
Smoker frowned, unsure how to put it.
Tashigi, on the other hand, reported honestly.
"Headquarters has ordered all Marines in the first half of the Grand Line—
"If they encounter the Demon Pirates, they are to withdraw immediately and report to Headquarters.
"Further pursuit will be handled by Admirals or multiple Vice Admirals dispatched by Headquarters.
"In the event of an unavoidable clash, retreat is permitted."
"Hm?"
Garp suddenly perked up, snatching the report and reading it carefully.
Then he slapped his thigh and burst out laughing.
"So that's how it is! Looks like another man destined for greatness has appeared."
"Absurd. Since when did the Marines need to back down from pirates?"
Smoker said coldly, clearly dissatisfied.
Yet when his gaze landed on Ren's photo, his expression inevitably grew complicated.
He was, after all, one of the first to experience the Arlong Park incident firsthand.
But—
Ren had indeed ended up opposing the World Government and the Marines.
Calling him a pirate wasn't wrong.
At that moment,
Tashigi couldn't help but ask, "Um… Vice Admiral Garp, what do you mean by 'another'?"
"Hahaha, well… there were people like that before. Let me think…"
Garp dug into his nose, flicked away a booger, and seemed to recall something.
"Shiki the Golden Lion, Whitebeard, and Bullet.
"All extremely troublesome types who received the same treatment in their time.
"Their strength surpassed what ordinary Marines could handle.
"Enemies that couldn't be defeated even by going all out.
"So, to avoid meaningless sacrifices, orders like this were issued."
"Then what if…" Tashigi hesitated.
"What if what?"
"What if someone like that attacks civilians and causes massacres?
"Would we still follow Headquarters' orders?"
"Hahaha, you really are someone who cares about rules, Lieutenant Tashigi."
Garp sighed, then lay back down.
His reply was calm, cold, and heavy.
"Justice… also requires choices."
He seemed to recall something from the past, a trace of nostalgia crossing his weathered face.
Back then,
He hadn't turned against the World Government or the Marines outright—
Despite what he'd seen—
Because he had made a choice.
That same choice explained why, even though Garp had wanted his son and grandson to become Marines,
After achieving the first, he ultimately chose not to interfere with his grandson's path.
The justice of authority was necessary.
But it was no longer something he was willing to give everything for.
"This…"
Tashigi was stunned, then clenched her fist and said firmly,
"I can't agree with that!"
"If that's the case, then go and uphold your own justice."
Garp's voice faded as if he had fallen asleep again.
"Hmph. I figured as much."
Smoker sneered, lit a cigar, and turned toward the railing.
After hesitating, Tashigi followed him.
"Captain Smoker."
"Hm? Are you bothered that I recommended you to Garp?"
"Absolutely not!"
Tashigi waved her hands frantically, flustered and embarrassed.
"If not for your recommendation, I wouldn't have become a Headquarters Ensign."
"That's because you were strong enough—you earned that rank by stepping over pirate corpses."
Smoker corrected her, then said,
"If you've got something to say, say it."
"I just want to know… what kind of person Ren really is."
Tashigi carefully tightened her grip on her sword.
"Every time he's mentioned, your expression changes. Is there some inside story?"
"No. No inside story. He's definitely a pirate."
Smoker clenched his cigar and looked out over the sea.
"But he's also a good man.
"At least, that's how I see it."
A good man?
Really?
Tashigi was left utterly stunned.
(End of Chapter)