The room fell silent.
Gulp~ Gulp~~
Putting down his wine glass, Sengoku sighed heavily, "As expected, that brat has come into contact with the Poneglyphs. Then his concerns are not unfounded speculation."
"The Roger Pirates alone have three people who have awakened Conqueror's Haki, and all of them are non-Devil Fruit users."
"Which means, Seastone weapons are almost useless against them."
"This is really troublesome now. If the Roger Pirates really get their hands on that man who can read the Poneglyphs, our Marine will be thrown into absolute passive disadvantage."
"Kong-san, I suggest an all-out campaign to encircle and suppress the Roger Pirates. Additionally…"
Sengoku took several deep breaths, his expression grave, "Implement round-the-clock surveillance on the Whitebeard Pirates regardless of cost or gain. We absolutely cannot allow the two pirate crews to have any close contact!"
"If possible…"
"Execute a decapitation plan against Kozuki Oden. We must never let any pirate translate the true contents of the Poneglyphs!"
Kong did not reply immediately. He crossed his arms, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his thick forearms.
"Tsuru, what's your opinion?"
Tsuru answered, "This time, I agree with Sengoku. Kozuki Oden surviving is far too great a threat to our Marine…"
"What are you all hesitating about?"
Picking up the Goro Goro no Mi, Garp felt conflicted and hesitant.
If he were to speak his true feelings from the heart, he had no desire to eat any Devil Fruit.
Eating a Devil Fruit meant he would be cursed by the sea, but the combat power amplification from the Goro Goro no Mi was undoubtedly unmatched by any other Devil Fruit.
Borsalino, "Bazel asked me to tell you that we must stop the Great Pirate Era from arriving at all costs."
'At all costs, huh…'
Garp still didn't fully understand why Bazel wanted him to eat this fruit. The threat of the Roger Pirates was indeed significant.
But Bazel, who had lived alongside him for over a decade, should know better than anyone that he was unwilling to accept this power.
Since the other party knew yet went through great trouble to obtain this fruit, it meant that in Bazel's heart, Garp's personal preferences were insignificant compared to the threat posed by the Roger Pirates.
Even to the point where he would say something like, 'Stop the Great Pirate Era from arriving at all costs!'
"Sigh…"
'Then let's gamble on it, Bazel. I will bet everything on the new era!'
Having made his decision, a determined glint appeared in Garp's eyes as he picked up the Devil Fruit.
Under the astonished gazes of the others, he began taking large bites and swallowing.
"Garp, weren't you…" Sengoku's question was left unfinished.
"So what if the whole world finds out what's recorded on the Poneglyphs? It's not our Marine's history they're recording. What's the point of you all discussing it here?"
"The ones who should be panicking are the World Government. Our Marine is, at best, just a military organization. The things you're discussing seem meaningless to me."
"As for the threat, I just need to crush the entire Roger Pirates, prevent them from sailing any further. Problem solved."
Crackle~
Garp clenched his right hand into a fist, snuffing out the lightning in his palm, an eager excitement on his face.
"It's been a long time since I last went to sea to pursue the Roger Pirates. It seems this will be the perfect opportunity."
"I swear in the name of justice, I will absolutely not let pirates become the protagonists of the next era!"
Kong stared intently at Garp and asked solemnly, "Garp, are you mentally prepared for this?"
Garp nodded, "Originally, I had no intention of eating a Devil Fruit. After all, no matter what kind of power it is, none are more reliable than my fists. But the current situation is different."
"The words Borsalino brought back convey one message: Bazel believes our Marine is running out of time. If we don't quickly capture or kill those great pirates,"
"What awaits our Marine in the future will undoubtedly be an enormous mess."
Garp took several deep breaths, his expression grave.
"I believe that brat Bazel wouldn't lie to me."
"And Roger's ship…"
He paused here, picking his nose in thought.
"His ship is problematic. It seems to have a consciousness of its own. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Every time our encirclement operation is about to succeed, that ship always manages to break through the waves in a storm, escaping with those pirates."
Kong rubbed his temples, headache setting in, "A Klabautermann? I can't believe such a thing truly exists."
"Tsuru, tomorrow, gather all intelligence on the Roger Pirates and hand it to Garp. Sengoku."
"You go after the Whitebeard Pirates. No need to fight them, just confirm all intelligence regarding Kozuki Oden. As for longer-term plans, let this old man think about it a bit more."
"Fleet Admiral Kong." Tsuru said, glancing at Garp who was now playing with lightning, "Regarding the matter of Garp eating the Devil Fruit, should we report it to the Five Elders?"
"Report nothing! Tsuru, don't you dare side with those outsiders!"
Garp immediately objected, "Those five old geezers are no good. If you tell them I ate a Devil Fruit, you mark my words, they'll be issuing Buster Calls left and right?"
"They'll save money on cannonballs by just calling me over to carry out country-destroying operations. If I refuse, they'll find some excuse to cut our Marine's funding."
"Who'll have a headache then? Our Marine, that's who."
Sengoku surprisingly sided with Garp this time, "That's right. I suggest we temporarily conceal the fact that Garp ate the Goro Goro no Mi. Keep it hidden for as long as possible."
"Garp, having eaten the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, now possesses the qualifications to be our Marine's trump card. With a surprise attack, even Whitebeard wouldn't be able to withstand Garp's fists."
Garp immediately burst out laughing, hands on his hips.
"You're damn right, Sengoku! Your vision is excellent! I am the Marine's rising star, the Marine's trump card!"
"Maybe I can even become the next Fleet Admiral!"
"Wahahahaha~~~"
"…Don't pay any attention to that muscle-brained idiot."
Sengoku held back a now-applauding Borsalino, forming a small group with a deadpan expression.
"Borsalino, keep this matter confidential. If Zephyr asks about it, just push the blame onto me."
"I will take full responsibility for the explanation. Garp, stop laughing over there!"
Garp was still laughing maniacally.
"Impact Wave!!"
"Sorry, I got carried away." Garp, now bruised and battered, knelt back down properly.
"Hmph."
Sengoku straightened his clothes, the Buddha's radiance receding from his body.
"You must keep the fact that you ate a Devil Fruit a secret from Dragon. This isn't a suggestion, it's an order!"
"If you still can't correct that boy's way of thinking, there's absolutely no way he can become an Admiral in the next generation!"
Just talking about his son gave Garp a headache.
"That brat has already grown up. If I say a few more words… I suspect we might even come to blows."
"Ever since he witnessed the actions of the Celestial Dragons, it's like he's a different person. He keeps rambling on about going to find true justice."
'Celestial Dragons.'
"Sigh!"
A chorus of synchronized sighs filled the room.
"If it's about the Celestial Dragons, even I have no solution. Let nature take its course."
Kong's single sentence moved the topic along as he raised his wine glass.
"Let's drink. No matter what the future holds, that brat Bazel has truly been a great help. I will remember this as a meritorious deed!"
"Sengoku, after this busy period is over, you personally make a trip to the South Blue."
"In your capacity as a Marine Admiral, publicly commend Bazel's cover identity. Bring an elite unit with you and have them be responsible for the safety of Bazel's family."
"Understood, Fleet Admiral!"
…
Birka, the edge of Raijin Forest.
"Tch, tch, this is really a pain. Don't you guys know how to write the words 'fear'?"
Bazel, who had only returned to Toki's side a few hours ago, stood up helplessly.
"You sinners who blaspheme against Raijin-sama! Surrender and accept the punishment from us, the priests, or else…"
"Or else what?"
Bazel's eyes widened as Conqueror's Haki burst forth from his body, knocking out all the enemies except the leading old man.
"Enel, move those people away. Clear a path."
"Yes, Aniki!"
Enel glanced at the old man, picked up a small knife from the ground, and while moving the bodies, finished them off one by one.
After all, Bazel only told him to move them.
He didn't say where to move them to.
Since he didn't specify~
Moving them to Hell shouldn't be a problem, right?
Looking at the familiar faces and features, a flicker of satisfaction passed through Enel's eyes.
He had been bullied by these people since he was a child, both beaten and humiliated.
Today, he could finally get a little payback!
Bazel didn't pay attention to Enel either. His Haki-clad hands took the long knife from the old priest, twisted it into a spiral, and handed it back.
"Do you know why I didn't kill you?"
The old priest stared at the weapon, now shaped like a twist of bread, and swallowed nervously.
"N-No."
"Because sometimes, living is the real punishment."
Bazel patted the old priest on the shoulder.
"Let's go, Toki."
"We need to find Byrnndi World. Until I see his corpse, I can't even drink properly."
Enel threw down the short knife, wiping the blood from his hands on the old man's clothes.
"You old bastard, had a lot of fun bullying me before, didn't you? Go back and tell those scumbags on Birka."
"I, Enel, will definitely be back. When I set foot on this place again, it will be the day you bastards meet your end in the Hell!"
"Enel, what are you still muttering about? We're leaving."
Enel immediately switched to a sweet, innocent young boy expression, "Yes, I'm coming right away, Aneki~!"
He turned his head back, reverting to his previous vicious expression.
"Remember this, you old fool! Wash your necks and wait for death to come!!"
Meanwhile, on the White Sea at the edge of the Raijin Forest, Bazel curiously stroked the large Waver.
"What a strange vehicle. But the Dials here might become best-sellers."
"I'll ask Kaido later if he'd be willing to move these sky islands to Wano Country."
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