Hundreds of kilometers away from Peach Garden, a massive sailboat moved steadily across the sea without raising any flag.
Standing aboard were three elderly figures.
They were none other than Sengoku, the former Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Monkey D. Garp, the Marine Hero, and Tsuru, the Marine Staff Officer.
The ship they traveled on carried no markings or symbols, appearing no different from an ordinary merchant vessel. To avoid drawing attention or being recognized, each of them wore disguises, wigs, and lifelike masks.
At a previous high level Marine meeting, they had listened carefully to Kuzan's report. Since then, their curiosity about Rolan and Peach Garden had only grown stronger.
Garp leaned lazily against the railing, laughing loudly.
"Hahaha, Sengoku, never thought I'd see the day you'd be steering a ship yourself."
His laughter echoed across the deck.
Sengoku gripped the rudder tightly, veins faintly visible on his forehead.
Out of the three, he was the only one capable of steering, which left him stuck with the role.
"Tsuru, the direction is correct, right?" Garp asked, chewing loudly on senbei.
Tsuru remained seated on a nearby chair, calm but focused as she monitored their course.
"Shut up, Garp," Sengoku snapped. "You've done nothing this whole time except give useless instructions."
At the moment, the division of roles was clear.
Sengoku steered the ship.
Tsuru handled navigation.
Garp did absolutely nothing except eat and comment from the side.
"You say you're not doing anything, yet you keep barking orders like it's your warship," Sengoku added irritably.
Even Tsuru frowned slightly.
"Garp, you're being annoying."
Hearing this, Garp clicked his tongue and sat down on the deck, losing interest in arguing. He continued eating quietly, though his expression softened.
Memories surfaced in his mind.
The three of them had joined the Marines around the same time.
They had fought side by side on countless missions, standing together on the same warship.
For a brief moment, it felt like those days had returned.
Tsuru glanced at him but chose not to scold him further. Instead, she raised her wrist and checked the compass.
"It seems we're close to Peach Garden."
Sengoku glanced over.
"Already?"
As the ship approached its destination, a sense of unease crept into his heart.
The three of them each carried different expressions.
Garp remained relaxed, completely carefree.
Sengoku's face grew more serious.
Tsuru's expression showed clear concern.
"Are we really going to just sail into Peach Garden like this?" Tsuru asked.
Garp waved it off.
"Hahaha, relax. Rolan isn't the kind of man you're imagining."
Among the three, Garp had the most direct interaction with Rolan.
Though Rolan was a pirate, he did not behave like one.
In some ways, his sense of justice even aligned more closely with theirs than the World Government's did.
And Kuzan had already spoken with him at length.
Garp trusted Kuzan's judgment.
They all shared a common goal.
To make the Marines stronger.
To make them truly stand for justice.
Sengoku let out a low sigh.
"At this point, we're already committed. We'll see it through."
The current state of the world had shifted dramatically.
The seas were now divided between two overwhelming forces, Peach Garden and the World Government.
Every faction had to choose a side to survive.
The Marines, despite their numbers, lacked the overwhelming top tier power needed to stand independently against either side.
According to Kuzan, Peach Garden aligned more closely with true justice.
But by now, the separation between the Marines and the World Government had already begun behind the scenes.
It was too late to turn back.
This journey was simply to confirm the truth for themselves.
Tsuru nodded slowly.
"There's no other option."
The ship continued forward at high speed.
Before long, they entered the waters surrounding Peach Garden.
At that moment, a loud voice echoed across the sea.
"Hey, who are you? Heading toward Peach Garden?"
The three turned toward the sound.
About a kilometer away, a massive golden pirate ship sailed alongside them.
A Jolly Roger fluttered from its mast.
The symbol was unmistakable.
It belonged to Rolan's crew.
Tsuru stood up, narrowing her eyes as she observed the ship.
"Is that the ship?" she muttered.
Then she shook her head.
"No. It only looks similar. This should be another vessel under his crew."
Garp scratched his head.
"Looks the same to me."
As the two ships drew closer, the figures aboard became clearer.
Tsuru's eyes widened.
"Roronoa Zoro."
Her gaze shifted to the tall woman standing beside him.
In that instant, her pupils shrank.
"Gion? What are you doing on that ship?"
Shock filled her voice.
Gion had already resigned from the Marines, but seeing her here still felt surreal.
On the ship, Gion frowned slightly as she studied the three disguised figures.
Their presence felt familiar.
Very familiar.
When Tsuru spoke, recognition finally struck.
"Sis...Sister Tsuru?"
Garp leaned forward, gripping the railing.
"Gion?"
Without her Marine uniform, he hadn't recognized her immediately.
Now it all made sense.
Gion's eyes moved between the three of them.
"You must be Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp."
At that moment, Zoro stepped forward.
The instant he understood who they were, his presence changed completely.
A powerful aura surged outward, pressing against the air itself.
The sea around them seemed to tremble.
His hand rested calmly on the hilt of his sword.
Ready.