Taking advantage of Shiki underestimating them, he successfully swung a home run.
After Kaido transformed into his dragon form and added a blast of Bolo Breath, he grabbed Bazel and King with his claws and swiftly flew high into the sky.
"Now's not the time to settle things with that guy."
"Shiki, we'll settle our score slowly in the future, Wororororo~~"
By the time Shiki flew back to the battlefield skimming the ground, only the converging atoners remained.
As for the enemies…
They had long since disappeared.
Shiki glanced at the living corpses charging at him, curled his lips, and swung his two swords.
"Zanka!"
"A bunch of small fries. But that guy's ability is truly impressive. If only that power could be mine…"
After finishing off the living corpses meant to buy time, he sheathed his swords. Shiki walked over to one of the corpses that had been chopped into segments.
He crouched down and reached towards the face of the living corpse with a Haki-infused hand.
Chomp!
Bang!
The teeth biting into the palm made a metallic sound.
"To still be able to attack even in this state… Such a terrifying fruit has appeared on the seas again."
"But…"
Shiki suddenly rose into the air and flew towards the clouds.
"Hey, you're a reporter from the World Economic News Paper, right?"
"Golden Lion Shiki!"
Sitting in the small hot air balloon was none other than the young, 23-year-old reporter Morgans.
"This is the truth! I will absolutely not cover up the truth to save my own life!!"
Shiki's expression changed, finally twisting into a strange smile, "No, I'm not that crude of a guy. If you want to report on it, you must report it far and wide."
"But this time, I didn't lose. After all, the men I brought were only recently subjugated lackeys."
"It was a draw between the Flying Pirates and the Beasts Pirates."
Ding~
Oto slid slightly out of its scabbard, Shiki's overwhelming killing intent locking onto Morgans.
"You'll report it accurately, won't you?"
Morgans couldn't quite figure out the intentions of this great pirate, but he was young and passionate, right in the middle of his ambitious years. The name of the World Economic News Paper was counting on him to make it famous!
"Of course I will!"
"Shihahahaha! That's good enough then."
Shiki adjusted the peg on Oto's scabbard and flew off into the air. Just before leaving, he deliberately muttered.
"Linlin will definitely want a piece of this once she hears the news. That man is a super rare race after all!"
'A super rare race?'
Morgans' eyes narrowed. He seemed to have heard some strangely interesting information.
"Whatever! This is super explosive news!"
"A newcomer in the Beasts Pirates actually has this kind of power? Hehe, I have to make the seas livelier with this!"
…
Three days later, at Marine Headquarters.
Bang…!
The door labeled 'Admiral' was kicked open violently.
"Hey, Sengoku!!"
Garp stormed into the room angrily and slammed a newspaper down on the desk.
"Explain this to me! Why did Bazel become a pirate!?"
Sengoku didn't answer, instead turning to look at Tsuru who had followed Garp in.
"Tsuru, didn't you tell this muscle-head about that matter?"
After expertly brewing herself a cup of tea, Tsuru sat on the sofa.
"That matter? I forgot."
Sensing that the two seemed to be keeping something from him, Garp turned sideways, his suspicious gaze shifting between them.
"You two…"
"Are you planning to get married?"
"Don't spout nonsense, you idiot!"
Sengoku smacked Garp hard on the back of the head and said irritably, "Come sit down! I'll explain this matter to you personally!"
"Honestly, everyone's so unreliable. It's precisely because of this that Fleet Admiral Kong is always complaining that the Marines have no capable people!"
[#The rising star of the Beasts Pirates: Poison Calamity Bazel!!]
[#What Kind of Bloodline Does the Man Golden Lion Shiki Wanted to Seize Possess!? The History of Enmity Between Shiki and Kaido!]
[#Phantasms Returned from Hell: Orochi's Naraku Army!]
"Oh~ That kid Bazel is already making moves against pirates? What a motivated young man."
[Wanted Poster: "Yamata no Orochi" Bazel, Reward: 310,000,000 Berries, Dead or Alive]
After finishing the news article, Sengoku smiled approvingly, "Getting a 310 million Berry bounty on his first wanted poster… As expected of a Marine I trained personally."
Garp, who had disappeared, reappeared holding a stack of rice crackers.
"Tsuru, brew me a cup of tea! Make it strong!"
"Use the best tea leaves, the expensive ones that'll make Sengoku's heart ache!"
"I don't have anything high-grade tea leaves here that would make my heart ache... Wait, Tsuru, you can't go over there!!"
Seeing Tsuru heading towards his hiding spot for tea leaves, Sengoku's expression changed slightly as he hurriedly stood up to block her.
"I'll make the tea for Garp personally. You sit down and rest."
After the familiar commotion, Sengoku sat back down properly.
"Alright, this matter is a long story, so I'll keep it short."
"You remember how Bazel mastered Life Return, right?"
Garp, munching on rice crackers and washing them down with strong tea, ate with gusto:
"Of course I know, he's my star pupil! Stop wasting time with your afro head nonsense, Sengoku! I'm in a hurry to skip... to hunt down Roger!"
"If you dare skip work, I'll dock your entire salary for the second half of the year." Sengoku said, glaring sideways at Garp.
"As an Admiral, I certainly have the authority to dock pay. You'd better go hunt pirates like you're supposed to."
"Damn you, you looking for a fight!?"
"Hah!? Garp, seems like you're itching for a lesson, daring to speak to an Admiral like that!"
Tsuru took off her gloves and spoke softly, "If you don't want to be washed clean and hung out on the clothesline, you two better sit down nicely."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
The two immediately sat up straight, as if they hadn't been about to fight moments before.
"The reason Bazel became a pirate is part of a plan of mine."
Returning to the main topic, Sengoku became much more serious.
"Years ago, I had Bazel conceal his true appearance and minimize his voyages to sea, all for this day."
"I want to end the era of pirates. These seas have been torn to shreds by those scoundrels..."
"Wait, Sengoku." Garp shook his head, pointing towards the ceiling, "Are you sure it's the pirates who've torn the world to shreds?"
"Aren't those trash sitting up above equally to blame?"
Tsuru shot a glare at Garp, "You shut up! The affairs of the Celestial Dragons are not for us Marines to manage!"
Garp shrugged and continued eating his snacks.
"I know you're telling the truth, Garp. But we, the Marines, are just the Marines."
Sengoku spoke these rebellious words expressionlessly.
"No matter how flawed the World Government is, no matter how trashy those Celestial Dragons are, they are our superiors. They are the ones we must protect."
"I know." Garp replied flatly, losing the desire to speak further.
Sengoku didn't press it, as he understood his friend's temperament.
"Getting back to Bazel. The reason I sent him to infiltrate the Beasts Pirates is because I want to personally forge a top-tier pirate crew for the new era."
"The old era figures like Shiki, Whitebeard, and Roger will be handled by us."
"I hope Bazel can become a sword of justice to punish the new generation of pirates!"
"He might become the sole anchor we have driven into the New World, a crucial element capable overturning the outcome of a major battle."
"Does that make it clear to you?"
Garp swallowed the rice cracker in his mouth and stared intently at Sengoku, "Sengoku, how much trust do you place in Bazel?"
"What kind of question is that..."
"Answer me!"
Seeing the rarely serious look on Garp's face, Sengoku paused for a moment in thought.
"My trust in Bazel... is only 90%."
"And the reason for that 10% gap is precisely because of you, you bastard!!"
Sengoku suddenly grabbed Garp by the collar, a vein bulging on his forehead.
"Did you or did you not fill Bazel's head with the idea that the Celestial Dragons are trash!?"
"'The Celestial Dragons are trash, Mary Geoise is a garbage transfer station, the Five Elders are the garbage managers'… you said that, didn't you!?"
"Ha, hahaha..."
Garp threw his head back, an awkward smile on his face.
He remembered that back when Bazel was little, he might have actually said something like that.
'Dragon had been listening in too, that kid...'
"Let's not bring up the past, Sengoku-kun."
"I trained him with the resolve to make him the future Admiral, you know~!"
Sengoku threw Garp down dismissively.
"You?"
"If anyone's going to train him, it'd be me. What kind of proper Marine could someone like you possibly train?"
"What!?"
Garp rolled up his sleeves: (ÒωÓױ)p? !
"Looks like I'll have to show you my Iron Fist today! Take this, Sengoku!"
"Damn you, a mere Vice Admiral daring to rebel against your superior! Impact Wave!!"
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