The sudden appearance of the World Government's ship drew the attention of the busy Marines at the port. The news of its arrival was quickly reported up the chain of command until it reached Admiral Sengoku.
At that moment, Sengoku was in the flagship's office, discussing with Garp whether to pursue the Roger Pirates. The two high-ranking officers were at odds on the matter.
Garp was firmly against it. In his view, the Roger Pirates had never done anything truly heinous, and expending vast Marine resources to hunt down such a powerful crew would do little to actually safeguard the peace of the seas.
In Garp's eyes, attacking a few corrupt nobles was no crime at all. If anything, it was doing the people a favor.
But Sengoku had other considerations. The title of Pirate King had become a banner under which pirates rallied. If the Marines could capture Roger now, they could deal a massive blow to the arrogance and ambitions of the pirate world.
In recent years, the exploits of these great pirates had been sensationalized by the unrestrained press, and more and more of the common folk began to romanticize the life of pirates, chasing dreams of freedom and fortune through plunder.
Sengoku believed that shattering the Roger Pirates would send a powerful message across the world, showing those with pirate fantasies that even the Pirate King could not escape the justice of the Marines.
Just as their argument reached its peak, a knock came at the door. With permission to enter, a Marine reported the World Government ship's arrival.
"The World Government, here already?"
"The war just ended, and they're that eager to butt in?" Garp sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. "Seems their eyes and ears are everywhere. Nothing on Lodestar Island escapes them."
The World Government, led by the Celestial Dragons, was the supreme authority formed by hundreds of nations. Beneath it were two key military arms.
One was the CP network, the direct agents of the Celestial Dragons, tasked with intelligence, assassinations, and protection.
The other was the Marines, the public face of justice, fighting pirates and other evildoers. While the Marines were ostensibly equal in status to the World Government, in truth they often served its will and were outranked by the CP agents, who were seen as more loyal and useful tools of the Celestial Dragons.
This entire operation against the Roger Pirates had been orchestrated by the World Government. The Marines bore the brunt of the fighting, while the CP agents had barely lifted a finger.
No wonder Garp had nothing kind to say about their sudden arrival.
"Well, of course the CP's intel is good. Come on, let's see what they want this time," Sengoku said, rising from his chair and leading Garp to the deck.
By the time they emerged, the World Government ship was pulling into port.
It was a gleaming, snow-white vessel, more luxurious yacht than warship. Where the Marines' ships bore the scars of battle and the sea, with hulls discolored by salt and spray, this ship looked as if it had never touched the water at all. Its pristine hull reflected the sun so brightly it hurt the eyes.
"Well, well, a brand-new ship," Garp said, leaning on the rail. "Look at that spotless hull. Makes our ships look like wrecks. What a joke." His voice was thick with mockery.
Sengoku said nothing, watching as the ship docked beside his own.
As soon as it settled, four figures leapt from the deck in a blur, landing softly on the Marine flagship.
Their white cloaks fluttered as they straightened, faces hidden behind masks. The leader's mask was half a weeping face, half a laughing one, a sight as eerie as it was unsettling.
"Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp. A pleasure to meet you," the leader said, removing his hat and bowing slightly. His three companions followed suit, as if they were nobles rather than spies.
Garp frowned. "What's this charade?"
Sengoku merely nodded, waiting to hear their business.
"Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp," the CP0 agent continued. "I understand that the two Roger Pirates you captured were rescued by Roger himself. Not only that, but the entire Roger crew escaped your grasp."
"I appreciate the difficulty of facing both the Roger Pirates and Whitebeard's crew at once. But tell me this. If you lured Roger to this island, why didn't you execute the prisoners immediately? Why give Roger the chance to save them?"
"We're here to investigate that failure."
Sengoku and Garp exchanged a glance, surprise flickering in their eyes.
The CP0 was here to lecture them?
The CP0 agent went on, voice cold. "And we'll be taking the Marines who were guarding the prison into custody for questioning."
Garp laughed, low and dangerous. "You're looking at the man who guarded the prison. Me."
He crossed his arms, head held high, daring them to try. The air grew heavy with tension as the CP0 agents faced the full weight of the Vice Admiral's defiance.
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