Holy Land, Mary Geoise, Pangu Castle
In the Chamber of Authority, under a dome of cold marble, the Five Elders sat around a long, ebony round table. The atmosphere was heavy and quiet. Thick intelligence files were spread out on the table, densely recording the information of the new generation of Marine elites. The sun was shining brightly outside, but there was not a trace of warmth here.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn looked down at a file, his fingertips gently tapping the table. "Regarding the evaluation report on the new generation of the Marines, what are your thoughts?"
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter closed the file in his hand, his gaze cold. "Law—Sengoku's adopted grandson, user of the Op-Op Fruit." He paused, his tone laced with a hint of caution. "Sengoku has already submitted a report on him. That fruit is too dangerous, especially the possibility of the 'Immortality Operation'... Keeping him in the Marines is at least controllable."
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro sneered, his fingers tapping the armrest of his chair. "Hmph, the Op-Op Fruit... we all know how much bloodshed it has caused."
"If it falls into the hands of the 'D. clan,' the Revolutionary Army, or 'them'..." his voice trailed off, but the chill was palpable.
Saint Marcus Mars was flipping through another file, his gaze sweeping over the name at the top. He said softly, "Ace and Luffy... Garp's grandsons." He snorted lightly. "Garp's bloodline is not to be underestimated. Now, with Roy personally training them... those two brats will sooner or later grow into Admiral-level combatants."
Saturn's brow moved slightly, his tone laced with a hint of scrutiny. "Ace ate the Logia-type Flare-Flare Fruit?"
Ju Peter snorted coldly. "It seems Roy snatched it from Doflamingo. Since he was the one who gave it, then we don't need to be too concerned."
A corner of Nusjuro's mouth curved up, his meaning unclear. "At least for now, he is just a normal Marine."
The scene fell silent for a moment. Mars placed the file in his hand back on the table, his gaze sweeping over the last page. He summarized in a low voice, "Zoro and Kuina—swordsman prospects from the East Blue."
"Their potential is not bad, but under the light of Roy and the three Admirals, they are ultimately still a bit green." His tone was steady, not contemptuous, but more like a cold statement of fact. A long silence followed.
Saint Topman Warcury spoke slowly, his tone like a final judgment. "For now, these brats can be closely observed, but they are not yet a cause for concern."
"The real core of the Marines is still the three Admirals, Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji, and... Roy."
Saturn nodded slightly, his tone cautious with a hint of probing. "As long as Roy does not cross the line, there is no need to make an enemy of him over a few juniors."
Ju Peter sneered, a deep meaning in his gaze. "And so far, Roy has not shown any 'impropriety'."
"Annihilating pirates, suppressing rebellions, cleaning up corruption, and even taking the initiative to destroy the smuggling lines of the underworld..."
"He is the perfect 'personification of justice' of the Marines in the eyes of the people."
Saturn gently put down his quill, his tone indifferent. "Continue to observe, but do not intervene for now." His gaze was as sharp as a blade as he looked around at the others. "But if there is really any strange movement..." he didn't finish, but a cold glint flashed in the eyes of the other four in unison. It was the will that would never tolerate 'loss of control'.
The sunlight shone in through the window but could not dispel the shadows that spread in this Chamber of Authority.
At the same time, East Blue, a calm sea area
The sea was calm, and the sun fell on the blue sea surface, creating a shimmering light. A small, snow-white warship cut through the waves. Seagulls circled and called around the mast, carrying the unique tranquility and peace of the East Blue.
On the deck, the two brothers, Ace and Luffy, were趴 on the ship's rail, their heads almost squeezed together, their eyes full of excited light.
"Big Brother Roy! Didn't you say we were going back to see Grandpa and Grandma?!" Luffy asked, holding onto Roy's cape, his mouth chewing on a snack he had pulled out from somewhere.
"Yeah!" Ace also came over, his eyes full of impatience. "You said you were going to take us to eat 'something good'? What is it?!"
Standing at the bow, Roy's cape fluttered slightly in the wind. A faint smile was on his lips, his gaze on the distant sea horizon—in the distance, a strangely shaped large ship slowly appeared. Its body was like a giant fish leaping out of the sea, and a flag fluttered high on its deck.
"The seafaring restaurant, Baratie," Roy said lightly, a hint of teasing in his voice. "I hear the food there... is so delicious that even pirates would give up robbing it~"
"WH—AT?!?!" Ace and Luffy's eyes widened, and their mouths instantly began to water, their eyes as if they had been coated in starlight. "I WANT TO EAT MEAT!!!!"
Before he could finish, Luffy had already transformed into his man-beast form and shot out, his entire body flying forward like a cannonball.
"Hey! Luffy, wait for me!" Ace turned into a ball of fire and followed closely behind, leaving a burning trail in the air.
Roy sighed helplessly, and with a flash, he teleported after them.
Seafaring Restaurant, Baratie
At noon, the Baratie was bustling with people, and the aroma of food filled the air. Guests from all over were laughing and talking. The chefs were shuttling back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, their spatulas flying, the firelight dancing.
A fourteen-year-old Sanji, in a snow-white chef's uniform, held a tray in one hand, the other behind his back, as elegant as a nobleman. He smiled and handed a glass of red wine to a lady, his eyes gentle. "May this wine be worthy of your beauty."
The lady's cheeks turned slightly red, and she smiled shyly.
However—
"BANG!!!"
The restaurant door was suddenly thrown open, and everyone was startled and turned to look. A boy, like a cannonball, shot in, his eyes shining, and he shouted, "MEAT!!! I WANT TO EAT MEAT!!!"
Then, a ball of fire rushed in, condensing into another black-haired boy, who gritted his teeth and shouted, "Luffy! Don't you dare take my share!!"
The entire restaurant instantly fell silent. All the guests and chefs were dumbfounded.
Sanji's curly eyebrow twitched, and his mouth twitched, a vein popping on his forehead. "Where did these bastard brats come from?! Daring to cause trouble in the Baratie?!"
He had just taken a step when he suddenly felt an extreme pressure rush towards him. Behind the two boys, a tall, black figure appeared silently, his presence as steady as a mountain. Sanji's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously paused, warily looking at the newcomer.
But the person just smiled slightly, his voice low and polite. "I'm sorry, my two little brothers are a bit too excited." His words were gentle, but his presence was undeniable.
Sanji's gaze swept over the person's epaulets, and his pupils suddenly constricted—"A Marine... Vice Admiral?!"
Zeff, behind the bar, also narrowed his eyes, slowly puffing on his pipe, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's as he studied Roy for a few seconds. Then, a corner of his lip lifted, revealing a row of neat white teeth. "Heh, interesting." He waved a large hand and shouted, "Sanji! Don't just stand there, serve the guests!!"
Sanji was still in shock and reflexively turned his head. "Y-Yes, sir!!"
Roy gently sat down and nodded to Zeff. "The signature set for three, please."
Ace and Luffy were already squatting on their seats, their chopsticks held high, their faces full of "expectation."
A moment later, the table was piled high with plates. The aroma of the food had not yet dissipated, and Luffy and Ace were devouring it like a storm, their faces covered in grease, rice grains still at the corners of their mouths.
Sanji came over with a plate of hot barbecue, looking at the "mountain of empty plates" in front of them in disbelief. "Are you two reincarnated from starving ghosts?!" he complained, placing the large plate of barbecue on the table.
Luffy's mouth was full, and he shouted indistinctly, "So delicious! Sanji! Join us!"
Hearing this, Sanji was taken aback for a moment, then he rolled his eyes, speechless. "...Who wants to join you?!"
Ace wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and smiled brightly. "We're the Marines, you know. How about it? Want to be the exclusive chef of the Marines?"
Sanji snorted, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his tone contemptuous. "Serving you brats who eat like you're in a war? I'm not interested."
Just then, Roy took a light sip of his tea and suddenly looked up at Zeff behind the bar. "Mr. Zeff... you were once the captain of the 'Cook Pirates,' weren't you?"
Sanji's expression sharpened, and he suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp. "What do you mean?"
But Zeff just grinned, unabashedly slapping the bar. "Hmph, you Marine brat, you've done your homework."
Roy shook his head, his tone still gentle. "I was just curious... a pirate like you who could retreat from the Grand Line in one piece, why would you hide away on a restaurant ship in the East Blue?"
Zeff's smile gradually faded. He was silent for a moment, his gaze on Sanji not far away. He said lightly, "Some things are more important than ambition."
The restaurant fell into a brief silence. Roy nodded lightly and did not press the matter further, as if he understood that "more important thing."
Just then—
"BOOM—!"
A loud sound came from outside, followed by the panicked cries of the crowd. "It's not good! It's the Krieg Pirates!!!"
"They've come to rob us!!!"
Hearing this, everyone was shocked and stood up, looking out the window. On the sea, dozens of pirate ships had surrounded the Baratie, their black flags flying high, their cannons loaded. In the center of the fleet, on a heavily armored large ship, Krieg, in his golden armor, stood proudly at the bow, laughing wildly as he spread his arms. "Hahaha! This restaurant ship, I, Krieg, will have it today."
"Hand over all the food and treasure!!!"
The restaurant was instantly in an uproar. The guests screamed and hid, the waiters retreated in panic, and bowls and plates fell to the floor. Sanji stood up, gritting his teeth, a vein popping on his forehead, his eyes burning with anger. "You damn pirates... you dare to cause trouble here."
....
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