Even though Luffy had fought Mihawk before—or even defeated Golden Lion—it still wasn't enough to prove his true strength.
Mihawk could have held back.Golden Lion was old and past his prime.
Neither battle fully demonstrated Luffy's power.
But now, he had fought Admiral Kizaru—one of the active top forces of the Marines—and had walked away unscathed.
That alone reassured everyone.
At this moment, the Straw Hat Pirates were no longer afraid of anyone!
With the storm's power at their backs, the Going Merry successfully shook off the Marine fleet and headed straight for Reverse Mountain.
Meanwhile, Jango, Nami, and Usopp frantically worked to wrap bandages around Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.
They didn't have a ship doctor, but they knew enough basic first aid to handle wounds.
Carl chuckled, crossing his arms. "Luffy, Zoro, Sanji… how does it feel to face a real strong opponent? Have you already forgotten what you just learned?"
Luffy grinned. "It felt awesome! Marine Admirals are seriously strong!"
Sanji took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly. "I didn't expect Marine Vice Admirals to be so tough. I'm still too weak."
Zoro smirked. "Something you realize at the edge of death isn't easily forgotten. I'll remember this for the rest of my life… even when I become the strongest."
Hearing that, the rest of the crew couldn't help but smile.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were already powerful—but after this, they'd grow even stronger.
Now, everyone was already looking forward to the battles waiting for them in the Grand Line!
Then, Carl turned toward Jango, Nami, and Usopp. "Alright… now it's time to train you three. Get ready—because hellish training is waiting for you!"
The trio shuddered instantly, their faces twisting in horror.
Back in Loguetown, the storm was beginning to calm.
The Marine fleet prepared to return to headquarters.
Smoker, meanwhile, was stuck helping Vice Admirals Hina and Onigumo recover from their humiliating defeat.
But deep inside, Smoker was furious.
He had always been confident in his own strength—bordering on arrogance.
Since coming to Loguetown, no pirate had ever escaped under his watch.
Yet now?
Reality had slapped him hard.
He couldn't even last one move against Straw Hat Luffy.
His jitte was snatched away.
His motorcycle had almost been taken as a Straw Hat trophy.
(Thankfully, Luffy had forgotten about it, or it would've been gone too.)
And then, to make things worse—
Luffy had fought an Admiral to a standstill.
The realization hit Smoker like a gut punch.
He clenched his fists.
This wasn't over.
Smoker's frustration boiled over as he stood at the port, watching the Straw Hats escape without a scratch. How could a seventeen-year-old like Luffy already be strong enough to challenge a Marine Admiral? And yet here he was, feeling powerless in comparison, his arrogance shattered by a pirate crew he had underestimated.
He clenched his fists in fury, wishing he could find a piece of tofu to throw himself into and end this humiliation. He'd been so confident in his own strength, yet Luffy had proven how much more was needed to stand a chance against the new generation of pirates.
Then, to his shock, he heard the news that made his blood boil even more—Tashigi, his subordinate, had been kidnapped by the Straw Hats.
"Ghost Spider, Vice Admiral, Huoshaoshan, Vice Admiral, you're telling me that the girl in glasses and a floral shirt was blown onto their ship by the wind, and then taken by them?" Smoker's voice was tight with anger, his fists clenched.
Both Vice Admirals nodded solemnly. "Yes, we saw it with Kizaru Admiral. That girl is your subordinate, right? Alas, our condolences, Smoker. A girl ended up on the ship of those vicious pirates... what do you think that means?"
Smoker's anger flared, his frustration boiling over as he bit through the cigars in his mouth, snapping them in half.
This was his fault!
Tashigi had been taken because of him, and he couldn't stand the thought of her in danger. Smoker silently vowed that even if he had to die at the hands of Luffy, he would get her back.
Meanwhile, not far from the port, Kizaru found a quiet spot to sit. He surveyed the wreckage of Logue Town's port, and couldn't help but sigh at the sight.
The Marine had lost more than just the Straw Hats—they had destroyed part of the town's infrastructure. Logue Town was an important port for East Blue; merchant ships passed through here regularly, some of which belonged to noble families.
The failure to capture the Straw Hats and the collateral damage would certainly damage the reputation of the Marines. Kizaru thought about Sengoku's inevitable wrath and felt a wave of dread.
He pulled out his Den Den Mushi and dialed Sengoku's number, steeling himself for the storm of anger that would surely follow.
"Moses Moses, Borsalino, did you capture the Golden Lion? And Straw Hat Luffy? Have you caught him too?" Sengoku's voice was casual and relaxed, as though Kizaru had just returned from a vacation.
Kizaru nearly cried in frustration at the tone. Was Sengoku seriously this relaxed?
"Marshal Sengoku," Kizaru's voice was strained as he responded, **"The Golden Lion wasn't found, but we did capture some of his crew members. They're on their way to the headquarters for interrogation.
But, regarding the Straw Hat Pirates... their strength exceeded our expectations. We tried to round them up, but in the end, we failed, and they managed to escape."**
Kizaru winced as he awaited Sengoku's response, bracing for the inevitable storm.
"Nani?!"
Sengoku's voice was shaking with fury, his words coming out in a mix of disbelief and anger. "You have an Admiral and two Vice Admirals from the headquarters, and you still let them escape? Are you fishing again, Borsalino?!"
Kizaru nearly broke into a cold sweat, knowing how much trouble he was in. "No! Absolutely not, Marshal Sengoku! This time, we really miscalculated the Straw Hats' combat strength."
Kizaru hesitated, trying to find the right words to explain the shocking situation. "They have two combat powers at Admiral level. Straw Hat Luffy managed to tie with me, and there's another one named Carl... He completely wiped out Vice Admirals Huoshaoshan and Ghost Spider. It was a massacre..."
Kizaru had never struggled so much to explain a failure, but this situation was beyond anything he had imagined.
Sengoku was silent for a moment, his disbelief clear in the heavy pause. The fact that both Vice Admirals were present confirmed that Kizaru wasn't lying, but the idea that a small pirate crew had two Admiral-level combatants was almost impossible to believe.
The seriousness of the situation was starting to sink in. The balance of power in the seas had been disturbed, and Sengoku was no longer sure what to make of it.
"Borsalino, you and Vice Admiral Huoshaoshan need to return to the headquarters immediately. Don't forget to bring back the Golden Lion's crew." Sengoku's voice was colder, and his words were sharp. "Ghost Spider, you keep searching for the Golden Lion in East Blue. I don't care if you have to search every inch of the sea. This mission isn't over until we find him!"
Sengoku sighed, clearly exasperated. "And don't forget, I'm still uneasy about that old rooster. He hasn't been caught yet."
After giving his orders, Sengoku hung up with a frustrated groan, and Kizaru let out a long breath, relieved the call was over, but still shaken by what had transpired.
Meanwhile, in a nearby room, Garp sat at a table, casually munching on biscuits with his usual carefree demeanor. The sound of crunching, as he bit down on his snack, only seemed to further irritate Sengoku.
"Garp! It's your grandson again!" Sengoku's voice was filled with rage. "You knew what happened to his ship, didn't you?!"
Garp, unfazed, casually plucked his ear and continued to munch on his biscuits. "Oh, you mean Luffy and Carl? Yeah, they're pretty strong. If they teamed up, even this old man would have a hard time."
"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?!" Sengoku practically exploded. "Why did you let me run around like a headless chicken?!"
Garp, in his usual indifferent style, shrugged. "You didn't ask me."
The exchange only fueled Sengoku's rage even more. He grabbed the entire bag of biscuits, dumped the contents into his own mouth, and even threw the empty package under the table for the nearby sheep to eat.
Garp, as expected, wasn't about to lose in the fight for dominance and countered by tossing some of the remaining biscuits at Sengoku.
The noise and banter from the two filled the room, and the sailors standing guard outside could do nothing but shake their heads. "Look, the chicken and dog jumping has started again…"
The argument between the two legendary figures of Marine was nothing new, but it was never less amusing.
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse