Garp was still laughing at the three admirals when Tsuru's words left him speechless. She was right—he and Good were both Marine Heroes, but while Good basked in glory, Garp himself seemed all but forgotten.
Annoyed, Garp snapped, "Tsuru! Do you really have to hit me like that?"
He tried to defend himself. "Besides, I became a Marine Hero a long time ago. Of course people would eventually forget. Good's recognition is new, he's still in the spotlight—it's only natural."
But Zephyr ignored him, silently thinking: excuses. The truth was, Good's influence had already surpassed any Marine in history.
On the platform, Sengoku raised his hand. "Quiet, everyone, quiet!"
"As our Marine ace, Admiral Good will make the final entrance!"
If Sengoku were to announce that Good wasn't participating, morale would collapse instantly. Instead, he shouted loudly:
"Admiral Reckless maniac (Mofu)!!!"
The cry echoed across the plaza.
Once a derogatory word for brainless brutes who charged blindly ahead, now the name "Mofu" had become a symbol of faith for the Marines.
From the long corridor behind the platform, Good appeared, escorting Kaido, Ace, and Luffy with only two executioners. Though all three were shackled with seastone, Kaido possessed the power to break free. Even so, Sengoku entrusted only Good to bring them—proof of absolute confidence in his strength.
Good dragged the three across the corridor and up to the execution platform.
The moment he arrived, he scowled at Sengoku.
"Marshal, are you sick or something? Why make this hallway so long? What a waste of time! You should've just put in an elevator!"
Everyone froze in disbelief.
The executioners kept their expressions blank, but inwardly they were full of exclamation marks. Only Good could get away with saying something like this.
Well—Good and maybe Garp. But Garp's situation was different; he was Sengoku's old comrade, a peer and long-time friend. Good was something else entirely.
Sengoku's face darkened. He wanted nothing more than to transform into his Great Buddha form and smack Good flat. But this was a public setting, and he couldn't. Instead, he found himself wondering: elevator? What was that supposed to mean?
Suppressing his irritation, Sengoku ordered, "Good, press them down!"
"Got it, Marshal!" Good grinned, then forced Luffy, Ace, and Kaido to their knees.
Kaido resisted, unwilling to kneel, but seastone weakened him, and Good's monstrous strength pressed him down with ease.
From below, no one could see what happened on the stage. But as Good appeared, the Marines erupted.
"Admiral Good!!!"
"Admiral Good!!!"
"Admiral Good!!!"
The roar rolled like thunder, strong enough to stir the seas of Crescent Bay itself.
Sengoku didn't stop them this time. This was good for morale.
Across the world, people watching the live broadcast gasped.
"So that's the legendary Admiral Good? He does look impressive."
"Bah! He looks like some pretty boy to me."
The critics were immediately drowned out by women.
"Shut up! You're just jealous!"
Even those who hadn't cared for the execution tuned in—Good's appearance alone drew countless new viewers, especially women.
Opinions were divided. Some believed Good was truly strong, capable of defeating the Yonko. Others thought he was just a puppet, propped up by the Marines to deceive the world.
No matter how many victories were announced, doubt remained—such was human nature.
But Good didn't care.
Elsewhere, the great pirate crews also watched. For many, this was the first time seeing Good clearly. Until now, photos had been blurry, side profiles, or poorly shot—Sabo, the "photographer," had done a terrible job, and Good never cooperated anyway.
"This is Admiral Good, huh?" Some whispered. Their faces were grim. His supposed feats could topple even the Yonko—he was dangerous.
Yet their first impression watching him live felt strange. "Wait… isn't he kind of an idiot?"
Katakuri even broke a sweat. The contrast between Good's legendary record and his casual demeanor was too jarring.
Meanwhile, the Vinsmoke family also watched. Judge chuckled darkly.
"Hahaha… so it begins. The Marines are crazy. Facing all those forces at once? Even if they win, they'll be crippled for years."
And he, Judge, intended to take full advantage of that.
(End of Chapter)
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