Grand Line, Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
Inside the bright, imposing Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku sat in his chair, quietly listening to the intelligence report from the Marine subordinate before him.
"Yesterday, the pirate grand fleet led by this year's New World Supernova, Hungry Wolf Fenik, was caught and defeated by the Rainbow Country's Pink Venom Vinsmoke Reiju and the One-Hearted Swordswoman Shimotsuki Kuina. All five pirate captains, including Hungry Wolf Fenik, were captured!"
Sengoku paid little attention to the pirates themselves and instead asked, "Pink Venom Vinsmoke Reiju and the One-Hearted Swordswoman Shimotsuki Kuina. If I remember correctly, they're both only in their twenties, aren't they?"
The intelligence officer paused, then quickly gave a detailed answer.
"Yes. Vinsmoke Reiju was born in the Germa Kingdom and joined the Rainbow Country twenty years ago. She has now replaced Vinsmoke Judge as the true ruler of the Germa family. The Rainbow Country also has high expectations for her and appointed her as the boss of the Rainbow Business Alliance. Together with her three younger brothers, she is responsible for maintaining the Rainbow Business Alliance's operations across the entire sea. Whether in strategy or strength, that woman is a monster."
"As for Shimotsuki Kuina, she was born in the East Blue. Later investigations confirmed that she is a descendant of the Shimotsuki clan of Wano Country. Seven years ago, she appeared on the sea together with Fire Dragon Yemu and began to make a name for herself, showing extraordinary talent as a swordswoman. She later studied swordsmanship under Fire Dragon Yemu and the Sword Wind Swordsman Erik. Even Hawk Eyes has praised her talent with the sword. She currently lives mainly in Wano Country, where she manages the Rainbow Country's Seastone industry under the identity of the Shimotsuki clan."
"What impressive young people."
After hearing the report, Sengoku could not help but sigh in admiration.
"All right. You may go. I understand."
"Yes!"
After the intelligence officer left, Sengoku slowly rose and walked to the nearby balcony, looking down at the enormous Marine plaza below. It was packed with people and full of noise.
"Twenty years already..."
Even after twenty years, Sengoku still remembered that war vividly.
From his initial resentment and fury to his current compromise and submission.
Sengoku had truly changed a great deal over these twenty years.
But the Marines themselves had changed even more.
In that battle twenty years ago, the Marines had suffered devastating losses.
Although they had lost very few among their top combat forces, the middle and lower ranks of their soldiers had nearly been cut in half.
And those had been the Marines' most elite soldiers, not ordinary Marine troops.
It had taken the Marines twenty years just to recover their former momentum.
But even so, compared with the Rainbow Country's rapid growth over the past twenty years, the Marines could only be described as standing still.
Without the World Government holding it back, the Rainbow Country, despite occupying only a corner of the North Blue, had rapidly expanded and grown with the massive financial backing of the Rainbow Business Alliance.
On top of that, Fire Dragon Yemu's feat of challenging the Celestial Dragons and liberating slaves, along with the fine reputation of the Rainbow Country and the North Blue, had drawn countless people to them.
Now, after twenty years, Fire Dragon Yemu had fulfilled the promise he once made in that war. He had turned the North Blue into the Sea of Gold and Paradise. At least on the surface, no one there truly went hungry anymore.
In fact, the Marines even had reason to thank the Rainbow Country.
In twenty years, the North Blue, once the most chaotic sea with the most pirates, had become the most stable of the four seas, with the fewest pirates.
But the Marines...
It was as if nothing had changed at all.
Even the hatred left behind by that war twenty years ago had begun to fade.
Instead, many Marines had started secretly participating in the Rainbow Business Alliance for their own personal gain.
Sengoku was not unaware of how serious things would become if this continued, but even as Fleet Admiral, there was little he could do.
In the face of enormous profits, justice had begun to lose all value.
If it were only Marine Headquarters, Sengoku could still keep things under control. But the other three seas and the branches across the Grand Line were truly beyond his ability to save.
Riddled with holes. That was the current state of both the Marines and the World Government.
As for the Rainbow Country, just these two young people who had risen to fame in recent years were enough to show how much vitality existed within their ranks.
Just as Sengoku was lost in worry, the door to the Fleet Admiral's office was pushed open without a knock.
But Sengoku was not angry, because only one person in all of Marine Headquarters dared to do that.
"Sengoku, I'm going to the East Blue!"
Garp strode in and immediately said something that surprised Sengoku.
"Why?"
"Take a look. I just received this."
Sengoku took the intelligence report Garp handed him. After only a few glances, his expression turned extremely ugly.
"How dare they... I'll send someone over immediately..."
"No. I'll go myself. It's the East Blue, after all, and since those bastards have gotten this bold, things could easily go wrong if someone else handles it..."
Sengoku hesitated for a while, but in the end, he nodded.
"Understood. I'll leave this matter to you. But if even the East Blue has become like this, then the other places..."
Over these twenty years, Garp had watched his friend change bit by bit, from someone full of vigor and ambition into the man who had gradually begun to compromise. Even so, Sengoku had never abandoned the justice he believed in.
"When I get back, use this chance to clean things up properly. Otherwise, there really won't be any hope left..."
"Mm..."
As Garp hurried away, Sengoku looked out at the distant sea, his brows tightly furrowed.
...
East Blue Marine Headquarters stood on a beautiful little island.
Compared to the headquarters at Marineford, this place could only be described as crude. Even so, the classical Japanese-style buildings nestled among the bamboo forest gave it a unique charm.
In the underground prison, everything was pitch-black. Only moonlight filtering through a small window lit one corner of the cell.
A woman named Bell-mère and her two adopted daughters were imprisoned there.
"I'm sorry. If it weren't for me..."
Nami sat on the cold floor with her legs hugged to her chest. She had already lost count of how many times she had apologized. Her cheeks were covered in tear tracks, but even that could not ease the regret in her heart.
If not for her little clever tricks, Bell-mère and Nojiko would never have been dragged into this.
"It's not your fault."
Looking at her daughter drowning in regret, Bell-mère thought back to the moment she first heard the news. She had been somewhat angry then, but after everything she had seen today, after seeing how her former colleagues had kicked her while she was down, she had completely understood.
"Even without this incident, they wouldn't have let me go..."
As she spoke, Bell-mère reached out and pulled both her daughters into her arms.
"Nami... Nojiko... You've grown up now. I won't be able to take care of you anymore..."
In an instant, the prison echoed with the crying of the two girls, especially Nami's anguished sobs.
Until a voice rang out.
"Nami! We're here to save you!"