A dog-headed Marine warship sailed not far from the Florian Triangle.
On deck—
Garp stood with arms crossed, staring at the fog thickening ahead, his voice booming.
"Kuzan! This time we're not letting that brat Leno escape again!"
"We may not know his exact location yet, but this direction is right! Borsalino should be sending word any moment!"
Aokiji, Kuzan, lay lazily on a beach chair with an eye mask on, yawning.
"Ara ara… Vice Admiral Garp, you've said that a lot of times already."
He sounded indifferent—
but inwardly, he had no intention of going easy on Leno.
After all, he had once been Garp's first disciple.
It was only proper to clean up someone who had "betrayed the school."
The past was the past.
Now, his mindset had changed.
Nearby stood several female Marines.
Their expressions were complicated.
Especially Hina—who had just lifted a cigarette to her lips, only to lower it again.
"…Leno doesn't like it when I smoke…"
Ain, Kujaku, Hibari—all looked conflicted.
They had once laughed and trained together.
Now they stood on opposite sides.
As Garp's students, their relationship with that "second-generation circle" had once been good.
Hina had even been in the same class as Leno.
At that moment, a communications officer hurried over.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Admiral Borsalino on an urgent Den Den Mushi!"
"Oh? That brat Kizaru?" Garp grabbed the snail.
It instantly transformed into a sunglasses-wearing, smug expression.
"Moshee moshee~ Garp-san~ can you hear me~?"
Kizaru's lazy drawl came through.
"Big news~ Target Leno is currently at Thriller Bark~ Moria's territory~"
"What? He's there?!" Garp's eyes bulged.
"Good! Finally cornered him! Full speed ahead! Move it!"
"Yaa~ so energetic~ I'll just 'observe' nearby then~"
Click.
Kizaru hung up.
He had no intention of mentioning that Straw Hat Luffy had just been thoroughly beaten.
"Oh~ I don't know anything that happened~ My mission is complete~"
On deck, Garp cracked his knuckles loudly.
"Hahaha! Leno! Let's see where you run now! Kuzan! Get ready!"
Aokiji removed his eye mask, cold mist beginning to seep from his body.
"Yare yare… understood."
The female Marines' hearts tightened.
"So soon…"
—
But just as the dog-headed warship prepared for battle—
"Buru buru… buru buru…"
The Den Den Mushi rang again.
Garp answered irritably.
"What now?! I'm about to make an arrest!"
The snail shifted—
round glasses, braided hair.
Sengoku.
"Garp."
His voice was low. Tired.
"Cancel all operations. Bring Kuzan. Return to Marineford immediately."
"NANI?!"
The deck shook with Garp's roar.
"Return?! Are you joking, Sengoku?! I'm about to catch that damn brat Leno!"
Aokiji frowned.
Sengoku paused briefly.
Then delivered the bomb.
"Fire Fist Ace… has been captured by Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach."
"Nani?!"
Garp froze.
"Blackbeard intends to trade Ace… for a position among the Seven Warlords."
Sengoku's tone grew heavier.
"And… confirmation just came in."
"Ace… is Gol D. Ace."
"He is the biological son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
BOOM.
The revelation struck like lightning.
"Roger's… son?!"
Garp staggered, gripping the railing.
Shock.
Anger.
Pain.
Something far more complicated.
His face changed faster than a stage performer.
That brat he had raised.
Beaten.
Protected.
His identity exposed.
Aokiji's laziness vanished completely.
"The Pirate King's bloodline… still alive?"
"Blackbeard did something enormous."
This was bigger than Leno.
Much bigger.
The female Marines covered their mouths in disbelief.
Fire Fist Ace.
Whitebeard's Second Division Commander.
Roger's son?!
The seas would explode.
"Garp! Did you hear me? Return immediately!" Sengoku barked.
"The World Government knows. This takes priority over everything!"
Garp's grip tightened until veins bulged on his hand.
He understood Sengoku's meaning.
There was no choice.
He looked one last time toward Thriller Bark.
Leno had slipped away again.
"…Understood."
He slammed a fist into the hull.
"Turn the ship around! Marineford!"
The warship slowly pivoted away from the Florian Triangle.
The atmosphere on deck grew heavy.
Garp stood silent.
Shadows covered his expression.
His fists trembled faintly.
Aokiji pulled his eye mask back down.
He assumed Garp was furious about missing Leno.
He didn't realize it was about Ace.
(Hidden detail: aside from Sengoku and Tsuru, others only learn of Ace's link to Garp once he's imprisoned in Impel Down.)
Hina and the others exchanged glances.
Relief flickered in their eyes.
At least—for now—they wouldn't have to face him.
They didn't know how they would.
—
Meanwhile—
Kizaru had just been preparing to head back to headquarters.
He fully intended to request some paid leave.
After all, he had worked very hard recently.
Totally deserved it.
But the Den Den Mushi rang again.
A bad feeling crept up his spine.
He didn't want to answer.
But… salary deductions were scary.
"…Sigh."
"Moshee moshee~"
"Borsalino," Sengoku's voice said flatly, "intelligence indicates Leno has moved toward the Sabaody Archipelago."
"There are Celestial Dragons present."
"You will protect them."
"Do not let Leno kill another one."
Kizaru's heart sank.
This was a terrible assignment.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku… watashi…"
Before he could finish, Sengoku cut him off.
"This is a direct order from the Five Elders."
"We'll increase your salary."
"…No problem. Leave it to me."
He agreed instantly.
Just protection.
With his speed?
There was no way he'd fail to protect Celestial Dragons.
Absolutely impossible.
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