Hearing Garp say as much, Kong naturally had nothing more to add and silently accepted the decision.
The warships began to turn around, setting course for the nearest Marine base to regroup and recover.
Of the twenty thousand men who had set out, fewer than six thousand remained alive.
And half of those survivors were troops who had been held back in reserve and never entered the fray; had they been committed as well, the losses would have been catastrophic.
For the Marines in their current state, fifteen thousand casualties were not an unrecoverable blow — but to lose that many men, including one Rear Admiral, five Captains, and dozens of officers… and still fail to eliminate Grimm… would have been nothing short of a massacre in vain.
"…Place the twelve nations under protection."
Kuzan leaped across from another warship onto the deck where Kong and Garp stood, and made his suggestion.
"If Grimm is truly dead, his subordinates may retaliate. And just in case he is still alive… knowing his character, he will definitely come back for revenge. When that happens…"
"I KNOW THAT ALREADY!"
Kong cut him off sharply. "But the situation is extremely complex, and we are talking about twelve entire nations. We cannot simply send troops wherever we please!"
Kuzan sighed heavily. "I really hope… we actually managed to kill him this time…"
Yet, twenty minutes earlier — long before the bombardment began — Grimm, who had been driven deep underwater, had already used his "God‑mode Hearthstone" to teleport safely back to his Sanctuary.
The Marines were completely unaware of this fact.
Early in the year 1508 of the Sea Circle Calendar
Following information deliberately leaked by the World Government, word spread that the four red Poneglyphs — which recorded the location of the final island, Laugh Tale — were now in the possession of Sedan Lightbalt, a former crewmate of the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger.
In response, the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates arrived one after another at the secluded island where Lightbalt lived. While searching for him, the two Yonko crews inevitably clashed, sparking a cataclysmic battle.
The conflict began when Kaido led his flying units to strike first, followed shortly afterward by the rest of his crew rushing in from behind.
"Using pirates to fight against pirates… this strategy really is quite similar to the Government's Seven Warlords System, isn't it?"
Standing roughly a dozen nautical miles away from the island where the two Emperors were fighting, Sengoku held a pair of binoculars, observing the distant spectacle of mountains shattering and the sky tearing apart.
Meanwhile, "Truck Driver" Sakazuki stood with both hands buried deep in his coat pockets, his hat casting a shadow over the upper half of his face.
"Pirates are foolish creatures — fools ruled entirely by greed and desire. They don't even realize this information is nothing more than a trap set by the Government."
"Not exactly, Vice Admiral Sakazuki…"
A Rear Admiral stepped up beside him, holding a feather fan in one hand — Jonathan, known by the title Tactician.
Though famous for his intellect and strategy, he was also a fighter of considerable power.
"Even if they knew it was a trap, they would still step right into it. You must understand how important those red stones are to them."
Jonathan's tone shifted, becoming sharper and more analytical.
"However… the claim that the Poneglyphs are in Lightbalt's possession is surely a lie, isn't it?"
"There are currently two prevailing theories regarding the location of the red stones," Sengoku replied gravely.
"One suggests Roger distributed them to his most trusted subordinates shortly before his execution. The other possibility is that after Roger discovered the location of the final island, he deliberately left the stones scattered in various locations across the seas."
"Knowing Roger's character, he would never have simply left them on Laugh Tale. It must be one of these two possibilities… or perhaps a combination of both."
"So does that mean there is still a chance Lightbalt actually has them?"
"Highly unlikely," Sengoku shook his head.
"Ever since the Government discovered his whereabouts and his retirement here, our secret intelligence agency CP has kept him under close surveillance. They have found absolutely no trace or clue suggesting he possesses anything of the sort."
Just then, a Marine officer hurried out from the cabin at the rear of the ship, holding a Den Den Mushi that was buzzing loudly — Buru‑buru‑buru‑buru!
Seeing the distinctive mohawk‑style snail, Sengoku's expression tightened instantly. He picked up the receiver. "Kong? Is that you?"
"The situation here is resolved," Kong's heavy voice echoed from the speaker.
"You, Sengoku, and Sakazuki — don't waste any more time here. Get over to us quickly, before the fight between Kaido and that old woman comes to an end."
"Kong… what was the outcome?" Sengoku asked urgently. Even though speaking through a snail was hardly formal, every Marine present leaned in, desperate for the answer.
"Victory."
Kong spoke only that single word and cut the transmission.
Cheers erupted from the soldiers upon hearing it. However, Sengoku, Sakazuki, and Jonathan exchanged grim, solemn glances.
Because they understood exactly what Kong meant… and he had not said "Grimm is dead."
Several days later…
Back on the island a dozen miles away, the battle between Kaido and Big Mom finally drew to a close as reports filtered in from their subordinates.
They had found no red Poneglyphs — nothing. Despite interrogating, torturing, and flaying every inhabitant of the island, neither crew managed to extract a single clue or answer.
"So they really weren't on that guy at all… as expected, it was nothing but a rumor!"
Charlotte Linlin stood with her hair disheveled and various wounds across her body, though she paid them no mind.
She waved her hand dismissively. "Ah well… at least we found a few interesting leads during the search."
"Think you can just run?!"
Kaido roared, his dragon‑like whiskers fluttering in the wind.
Linlin shifted her massive weight from one shoulder to the other, and at that exact moment, a bolt of terrifying lightning struck down, splitting the already‑shattered island cleanly in two.
"Captain Kaido… hold on a moment!"
One of Kaido's crew members approached nervously — disturbing Kaido in a foul mood was practically suicide — yet he held out a Den Den Mushi and reported, "News just came in from the New World… Grimm… was ambushed by the Marines!"
"WHAT?"
Kaido's eyebrows shot up. He took the tiny receiver between his enormous fingers. "Speak clearly and tell me everything from the start!"
The World Government's official newspaper released a report to the entire world, announcing a massive victory: The great Marine fleet, led by Fleet Admiral Kong, had launched a punitive campaign against Grimm, one of the Four Emperors, and completely defeated him.
However, rather than simply praising the bravery and power of Kong or Garp, the report emphasized the overwhelming combat strength of the Marines' new generation of pillars — Kuzan, Issho, and Kizaru.
The Calm Belt — First Half of the Grand Line
On board the Kuja Pirates' ship, Boa Hancock held a copy of the newspaper. Now over fifteen years old, she had grown into a tall, stunning beauty, looking every bit the part of the future
"World's Most Beautiful Woman."
"Victory…"
Hancock sat upon a throne placed in her private quarters.
Standing guard on either side of her were her older sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold — though time had not been kind, and they had grown into large, somewhat clumsy‑looking figures.
"Is he alright? Lord Grimm?" Sandersonia crossed her arms. She had grown even taller and broader since the days she spent alongside Grimm.
"Something isn't right…" Marigold said abruptly, her tone cold.
"The paper only says the Marines won. There's no mention of Lord Grimm's condition at all. No report confirming his capture and transfer to Impel Down… and no confirmation of his death."
"Even… even so…"
Hancock, who had remained silent until now, threw the newspaper aside, buried her face in her delicate hands, and began to cry in a soft, overly sweet, exaggerated whimper.
"My heart is breaking… I should have been by Lord Grimm's side at a time like this… but instead… instead…"
"Empress… preparations for the expedition are nearly complete. This mission is crucial to your succession as ruler of Amazon Lily…"
An elderly, diminutive woman leaning heavily on a cane stepped into the room. Instead of calming down, Hancock wailed even louder.
"Leave me alone!!"
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