Marine Headquarters, Marineford
"Oh, I can't live like this anymore!"
Another sigh of exasperation escaped from the tired old man in the Fleet Admiral's office at the top of the Justice Fortress.
The office door creaked open from the outside, and Vice Admiral Tsuru walked in, smiling, holding a stack of documents. "What's wrong, Sengoku? Did you get scolded again?"
"Tsuru, don't make fun of me. I'm about to die from annoyance."
Sengoku rubbed his temples, leaning back in his chair, looking haggard.
How could he go on like this? The esteemed Fleet Admiral of the Marines, getting scolded every other day.
It hadn't even been ten days since the last scolding, had it? Just now, the Five Elders had called him via Den Den Mushi and gave him a thorough dressing-down.
Vice Admiral Tsuru walked into the office and, as expected, saw a 'salty fish' (slang for someone lazy/idle) leisurely clipping his nails on the sofa with his legs crossed.
"Borsalino, why are you the only one here? Where's Kuzan?"
"Hmm, it's Vice Admiral Tsuru." Kizaru looked up, scratched his cheek, and pouted, "I don't know. He went out to sea a few days ago, riding his bicycle."
Vice Admiral Tsuru was speechless and turned to the lifeless Sengoku. "Was this scolding because of the Alabasta incident? I heard Crocodile died."
Before Sengoku could speak, Kizaru exclaimed, "Really, Vice Admiral Tsuru? Sand Crocodile died? That's terrible. A Shichibukai actually died? Who did it?"
"Who do you think? Who else could it be?" Sengoku snapped, banging the table. "Besides that brat Rorschach, who else would be so audacious as to kill an ally of the World Government?"
Kizaru pouted, pulling down his sunglasses that rested on his nose, and said in surprise, "Really? Rorschach killed Crocodile? That's truly frightening."
Hearing this, Vice Admiral Tsuru gave Sengoku a chiding look and smiled, "Don't talk nonsense, Sengoku. I heard Crocodile was killed by Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom. We Marines can't bear the crime of killing an ally. Not even if that ally's crimes are clearly established. Moreover, he was a top-tier Logia user."
When Vice Admiral Tsuru mentioned Logia users, Sengoku couldn't help but recall Rorschach seemingly mentioning something about "killing one Logia and giving you two Logias in return."
He wondered what that meant.
Due to Crocodile's death, his mind was in disarray, preoccupied with how to explain the Alabasta incident to his superiors, so he temporarily forgot to press for more details.
Thinking this, Sengoku immediately picked up the Den Den Mushi on his desk, but still complained, "Tsuru, what you said can only be spoken publicly. Any clear-headed person knows who truly caused Sand Crocodile's death. Without that kid's power, could the little princess of Alabasta Kingdom kill Crocodile? The higher-ups aren't fools. It's not that I truly regret Crocodile's death; that guy was a heinous criminal, after all. It's just that the tallest tree catches the most wind. If that kid so openly kills a Shichibukai, what will the other Shichibukai think?"
"Your worries aren't unfounded, but young people inevitably get hot-headed and won't stand by when they encounter criminals. We are old; there's no need to dwell too much on the younger generation's ideals of justice. Time will give us answers. At least, it's not so bad yet, is it?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled and then pointed to a stack of documents on the desk. "Oh, by the way, I just received a Den Den Mushi call from Hina. She said that Gecko Moria also went to Alabasta and seems to be fighting Rorschach and his group."
"What did you say??"
Upon hearing this, Sengoku's body jolted as if electrocuted, and his hand holding the Den Den Mushi began to tremble.
While frantically dialing Rorschach's Den Den Mushi, he trembled and shouted at Vice Admiral Tsuru, "Tsuru! Why are you only telling me about such a big matter now? One Crocodile has already died in Alabasta. If another Gecko Moria dies, that would be two Shichibukai dead in one day! In that case, the Shichibukai system would become the laughingstock of the world! The Five Elders will skin us Marines alive!"
"That idiot Moria too, why did he go to Alabasta? Is he rushing to pay respects at Crocodile's grave, or is he eager to accompany him to the afterlife?"
Sengoku's furious roar made the entire office shake.
"Purupurupuru."
"Purupurupuru..."
The Den Den Mushi rang a few times, but no one answered.
Sengoku's forehead was slick with cold sweat.
"Answer the phone, answer the phone, for goodness sake! Rorschach, my little ancestor, please don't get carried away and kill Moria too. If two Shichibukai die in one day, I truly won't be able to explain it to the higher-ups."
Sengoku was panicking so much that if Kizaru wasn't still slacking off and watching, he would have clasped his hands together and started praying.
Perhaps his prayers were heard, as after more than ten rings, the Den Den Mushi was finally answered.
Click.
As soon as the connection sound was made, Sengoku eagerly picked up the receiver and urgently said, "Rorschach, my little ancestor, you didn't kill Moria, did you? Speak up, why aren't you speaking? Don't scare me, I'm telling you, I have a heart condition, I can't take this shock..."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Hina."
The face gradually mimicked by the Den Den Mushi was not Rorschach's, but Hina's...
Sengoku's expression froze.
Fortunately, as an old veteran who had experienced many battles, he immediately coughed, regained his usual sternness, and said in a low voice, "Oh, it's Hina. Why is Rorschach's Den Den Mushi with you? Where is he?"
"Major Rorschach is clearing the battlefield below the royal city..."
"What? Clearing the battlefield? What battlefield? Has the battle ended? Was the enemy Moria? He's not dead, is he?"
Sengoku fired off a dozen questions like a machine gun, making Kizaru perk up his ears and sit up straight.
Hina, however, slowly and calmly said, "The enemy was indeed the Shichibukai Gecko Moria, and also the Happo Navy of the Flower Country. Moria's thousand zombie soldiers, and the Flower Country's Happo Navy and Seven Treasures Navy, two armies of a thousand men each, were all defeated by Major Rorschach leading his warriors."
"The Flower Country's army? Why was the Flower Country's army there?" Sengoku was startled, unsure of the current situation in Alabasta.
However, these minor details were not his immediate concern.
Sengoku was only worried about Moria's life or death.
Fortunately, Hina was very reliable and quickly provided the information he wanted.
"Moria was defeated by Major Rorschach. Hmm, he seems to be severely injured and unconscious, but he's not dead yet. The leaders of the Flower Country's two armies, Lao G, the current Don of the Happo Navy, and Kui, the current Don of the Seven Treasures Navy, were killed by Lieutenant Bepo and the new recruit Enel, respectively."
Hearing that Moria was not dead, Sengoku let out a long sigh of relief.
But upon hearing the news of the death of the two Dons from the Flower Country's armies, his face once again showed an expression of wanting to cry from vexation.
It's the Flower Country again.
Are the countries founded by pirates all brainless? Last time, one Don Chinjao died, and now two more have been sent over.
Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head and sighed, "The Flower Country's pirate army, it's obvious, they must have gone to seek revenge on Rorschach. Moria is very likely the same; that guy always cherishes his comrades."
Sengoku slumped into his chair, muttering, "Lieutenant Bepo, how did a Lieutenant kill the current Don of the Happo Navy? The pirates from the Flower Country are quite skilled at their Eight-Impact Fist."
"Bepo? He's a Mink. Tonight is a full moon. Minks have a racial ability that allows them to transform after seeing the full moon, greatly increasing their combat power. Also, the current Don of the Happo Navy should be that old man Chinjao, but he's already dead. This Lao G is his grandson, so his strength is definitely not as good as Chinjao's," Vice Admiral Tsuru explained.
Sengoku nodded understandingly, then asked doubtfully, "Who is this new recruit Enel you mentioned, Hina? Did Rorschach recruit new people in Paradise? You said he killed Kui, the Don of the Seven Treasures Navy? Kui, that name sounds a bit familiar. Have I encountered him before?"
"He's an old pirate who went to sea with Chinjao. When Chinjao's head was flattened by Garp, he was also knocked out by your punch," Vice Admiral Tsuru reminded him.
Sengoku suddenly understood.
Hmm, still no impression…
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku doesn't know about the new recruit Enel? Major Rorschach didn't report the news of the new recruit's enlistment to you? Hina thought the Headquarters would have known about this surprise already."
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Hina's rhetorical question left Sengoku utterly confused.
"What surprise? Is it about this new recruit? Yes, a new recruit who can defeat the Don of the Seven Treasures Navy, seems quite strong. Hmm, barely a surprise."
"No, it's not." Hina chuckled lightly. "The new recruit Enel is a Logia user. Oh, and little Hibari has also become a Logia user. I'm so envious, Major Rorschach's Kirin-go actually has two top-tier Logia users..."
"Lo-Logia user? What kind of Logia user? Did little Hibari eat a Logia Devil Fruit? When did that happen?"
Sengoku blinked, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him.
Wait.
Two Logia users.
Rorschach's words echoed in Sengoku's mind again.
'Kill one Logia, return you two Logias.'
Sengoku subconsciously picked up the teacup on the table in front of him.
But his hand was trembling uncontrollably.
With a 'clink', the fragile ceramic cup shattered in his grasp.
Scalding hot water splashed everywhere.
But Sengoku remained oblivious, a foolish smile gradually appearing on his face.
"Eheheh, two Logia users, eheheh."
His eyes widened, and his breathing became heavy. He looked at the Den Den Mushi, as if afraid he was dreaming, and asked cautiously in a low voice, "Hina, what kind of Logia ability did Hibari eat? Swamp-Swamp Fruit? Soot-Soot Fruit? And what kind of Logia user is that new recruit Enel? Do you know?"
"Hina knows. Little Hibari's ability is the Logia Cloud-Cloud Fruit. As for Enel, he's a Logia Rumble-Rumble Fruit user. It is said that Hibari's fruit was obtained from Skypiea. That new recruit Enel is also from Skypiea; he was conscripted by Major Rorschach and voluntarily joined the Marines, wishing to contribute to the cause of justice..."
Sengoku no longer heard what Hina said afterward.
At this moment, in his mind, only the words "Cloud-Cloud Fruit" and "Rumble-Rumble Fruit" echoed and roared.
His eyes, behind his reading glasses, widened little by little, his mouth twitched, uncontrollably spreading into a grin.
"Logia Cloud-Cloud Fruit, Logia Rumble... Rumble-Rumble Fruit."
He put down the Den Den Mushi receiver, stood up from behind his desk, and walked out of the office, to the incomprehensible gazes of Kizaru and Vice Admiral Tsuru.
A few seconds later, in the corridor outside the office, a dull rumble of vibrating walls sounded first.
Then came...
"Gah ha ha ha! Wah ha ha ha ha! Ho ha ha ha!"
"Cloud-Cloud Fruit! Rumble-Rumble Fruit!"
"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit! A world-class natural disaster ability that hasn't appeared on the seas for two hundred years, with destructive power no less than Sakazuki's Mag-Mag Fruit and Whitebeard's Gura-Gura Fruit!"
"Rorschach kid! You truly are a lucky star for us Marines! Ah no, you're practically my little ancestor!"
"Gah ha ha ha, I declare that from now on, the Marines will rise! Justice will rise!"
In the Marineford Plaza, Zephyr, who was leading new recruits in training, stared blankly at Sengoku, who was letting out a series of strange laughs from the top of the fortress.
"Has that old Sengoku finally gone crazy?"
He spat out the kelp he was chewing, then pulled another piece from his mechanical arm and put it in his mouth. "The heavy government duties and pressure from above have finally crushed that old man. Hmm? Did I hear him say something about the Rumble-Rumble Fruit?"
In the plaza, thousands of Marine generals and soldiers looked at each other, listening to the loud laughter echoing from the top of the fortress.
Why was Fleet Admiral Sengoku so happy? Could he be getting a promotion?
But he was already the Fleet Admiral of the Marines; above that was only the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Forces.
He hadn't heard that Commander-in-Chief Kong died, had he?
At the top of the fortress, in the office, Kizaru narrowed his eyes and looked strangely at Sengoku, who had re-entered the room.
Sengoku's face had now returned to his usual serious and stern demeanor.
However, the occasional jerky twitch of his upward-curling lips and his flushed, blood-rushed face betrayed his suppressed excitement.
If there weren't others in the office, Sengoku probably would have hummed a tune or danced to celebrate.
Heaven knows, how many years has it been? The Marines suddenly gained two Logia users!
And two top-tier Logia abilities.
Not weak abilities like Smoker's.
The Cloud-Cloud Fruit can control various types of clouds, equivalent to various types of weather; stirring up storms at sea is a simple matter.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit, compared to the Cloud-Cloud Fruit, seems to have a more singular ability, but its power ceiling is truly terrifying.
For two hundred years, the World Government and the Marines had never given up on searching for this top-tier Logia fruit.
Because it hadn't appeared for so long, they had once believed that the fruit might have remained in some undiscovered corner.
Taking a few deep breaths, Sengoku was about to pick up the Den Den Mushi again, only to find that it had already hung up.
He wasn't annoyed; instead, he happily sat down in his chair, wondering if he should just cancel Rorschach's graduation assessment mission and have him quickly bring that Enel and Hibari back to Marineford.
As long as those two treasures weren't back in Marineford, Sengoku wouldn't feel at ease for a single day.
These were the hopes for the future rise of the Marines.
Vice Admiral Tsuru and Kizaru had clearly heard what Hina said through the Den Den Mushi.
Both were surprised and delighted.
"How capable Rorschach is. He truly lives up to my expectations, adding two super combat power candidates for us," Kizaru pouted.
Vice Admiral Tsuru also smiled, "Now, we no longer have to worry about the new generation of Marines lacking outstanding, presentable generals. Once Hibari and that Enel grow up, plus Rorschach, one Mythical Zoan and two Logias... Tsk, tsk, Sengoku, I think you're about to be promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Three Forces."
"Hahaha, Tsuru, don't talk nonsense. Be careful, the Commander-in-Chief might hear you and make things difficult for me." Sengoku couldn't help but burst into laughter, his worries about Rorschach completely disappearing.
At this moment, even if Moria truly died, Sengoku would be able to stick out his neck and argue with the Five Elders, and he definitely wouldn't throw Rorschach under the bus.
Are you kidding? That kid was a lucky star for the Marines!
"What about Moria? Should Rorschach just let him go, or...?" Vice Admiral Tsuru asked.
"Hmm..." Sengoku stroked his chin in thought for a moment, then looked up at Kizaru, who was sitting on the sofa. "Borsalino, I think you should go to Alabasta, bring Gecko Moria back to Marineford, and check the quality of that new recruit Enel. If Rorschach agrees, bring him, Hibari, and Moria back first."
Kizaru scratched his head, grumbling reluctantly, "It's too troublesome. I still have some matters to deal with at my scientific unit..."
"Deal with what, you idiot? It's already dark, and you're still slacking off here. Don't even try to come up with a believable excuse. Go now, or I'll dock your pay, understand!"
Kizaru put away his nail clippers, put his hands in his pockets, lazily stood up, and yawned, "I know, I'll go to Alabasta then."
Night.
The towering Red Line, like a red belt encircling the world, was perpetually shrouded in ethereal mist at its summit.
On the vast land, the peak of this continent, closest to the sky, was brightly lit.
Several men, whose presences were as powerful as storms, stood expressionlessly in front of thousands of Holy Land guards, directing their training.
In the shade beneath an arched white-domed building, an elderly man with a moon-shaped head, dressed in a black robe, had a sunset longsword resting on his lap as he read a newspaper.
Suddenly, thousands of meters above their heads, the muffled sound of rolling thunder abruptly echoed.
The heavens and earth were filled with howling winds, causing the surrounding mist to churn and roll.
"Wh-What is that?"
Among the Holy Land guards undergoing training, many soldiers looked up at the sky with horror-stricken faces.
The generals leading the training at the front were about to reprimand them when their eyes suddenly widened in shock, and they all looked up at the high heavens.
Gorosei, who was reading the newspaper in the shade, frowned, put down his newspaper, and looked up.
His pupils, behind his sunglasses, suddenly constricted, and a sharp aura erupted from his body, like a keen sword piercing the sky.
A massive creature, hundreds of meters long, had appeared thousands of meters above the ground.
Its winding, thick body was covered in armor-like scales.
Flaming clouds swirled around its gigantic claws, and long dragon whiskers floated above its open, draconic mouth.
Its enormous body shimmered in and out of the constantly emerging flaming clouds, appearing mysterious and majestic.
"A dragon! There's a giant dragon in the sky!" the soldiers exclaimed.
Gorosei, however, stood up with a solemn expression, his hand resting on the hilt of his waist-sword.
"Kaido!"
At this moment, the blue giant dragon flying thousands of meters above all of them was none other than the Yonko of the New World, the world's strongest creature, Kaido of the Beasts!
Seemingly sensing Gorosei's gaze from the ground below, Kaido, in his blue dragon form, lowered his ferocious dragon head and coldly swept his indifferent yet majestic eyes across the land beneath him.
The next instant, a vast and powerful aura, like a towering mountain, burst forth from his winding, mountain-like dragon body, transforming into a rapidly expanding black and red energy sphere. It then exploded into radiating, web-like black and red Conqueror's Haki lightning across the summit of the Red Line.
The storm-like, overbearing Conqueror's Haki swept across thousands of meters of land in an instant.
In just a moment, on the ground below, tens of thousands of Holy Land guards who were training fell like dominoes, their eyes rolling back and foam appearing at their mouths.
"Kaido! How dare you!"
Gorosei roared in fury at the sight and drew his sword.
Swish!
A dazzling sword light, several hundred meters long, shot straight up from his rapier, splitting the sky and slashing towards the blue dragon high above.
"Wororororo! Oh, it's you. The worthless Celestial Dragon who was trampled under Rocks's feet and ate dirt back in the day."
Kaido laughed loudly, a flickering red light glowing in his mouth. He suddenly opened his fanged maw and spat a crimson column of fire at the incoming slash.
"Boro Breath!"
Boom!
The scorching hot column of fire, like a fiery spear piercing the heavens and earth, slammed down onto the ground, blasting Gorosei's massive sword slash in mid-air.
The thick column of fire was also shattered by the sword light, turning into a torrential rain of fire that covered everything, forcing the powerful generals to intervene and block it.
Looking at the scrambling people below, Kaido laughed out loud again, swinging his enormous dragon body and flying into the distance.
"Wororororo! I'm in a good mood, so I don't want to waste time with an old man like you, who's even older than Whitebeard. See you again, wororororo!"
On the ground, Gorosei swung his sword, cleaving through a large swathe of falling fire rain. He frowned, watching the rapidly disappearing blue dragon.
"Why has this Kaido guy come to Paradise from the New World?"
(End of Chapter)
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