"What on earth happened?"
Sengoku, well-acquainted with Kizaru's nature, asked directly.
After all, Kizaru was notorious for slacking off, always seeming half-hearted. Just like back in the office—he had been the same then.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I'm telling the truth this time. That man… Don—he's indeed a Logia user. And the level of his Fruit mastery is extremely high."
"That much I already know."
Sengoku's voice came again, calm but steady.
"But what you don't know, Fleet Admiral, is that… he has Conqueror's Haki!"
Kizaru's lips jutted in a pout as he spoke, leaving Sengoku speechless.
Even the Den Den Mushi's eyelids drooped as if mirroring the stunned silence.
"…You're certain?"
After a long pause, Sengoku's voice finally returned, heavy with seriousness.
"Certain. Not only that, he's mastered both Observation and Armament Haki, and he's proficient in them. His Armament Haki has already reached the level of flowing techniques—he can channel it into his fists and blades."
Kizaru spoke as he recalled their battle.
At the time, he had only felt surprise. After all, mid-fight, there was no room to dwell on it.
But now, with a calm mind, the more he thought about it, the more incredible it seemed.
"I've seen plenty of geniuses—Marines, fearsome pirates alike. But someone at his age, with that level of power? I've never seen it before."
Kizaru let out the words with rare sincerity, his tone tinged with emotion.
"So then… what was the outcome?"
Sengoku finally asked.
"There wasn't one. Like you said before, with the kind of ability and Haki he showed, it wouldn't have been easy for me to capture him."
Kizaru shook his head, his squinted eyes narrowing further, his tone uncharacteristically solemn.
Sengoku seemed to pick up on the weight in his voice. After a brief silence, he simply hung up the line.
Staring at the now-sleeping Den Den Mushi in his hand, Kizaru rubbed his chin.
"Hm… maybe it's just me, but it didn't look like he was hurt at all."
As he spoke, he tugged up his sleeve, revealing a faint burn mark on his arm. Not too serious, but still—he had been burned.
As for Don, Kizaru could sense that in many aspects, the man still lagged behind him.
And yet… something felt off.
His instincts told him: even if he went all out, victory was far from certain.
"My, my… what a monster."
With that thought, Kizaru couldn't help but sigh aloud.
At Marine Headquarters
Sengoku sat before his desk, gaze fixed on the Den Den Mushi, deep in thought.
He replayed Kizaru's report in his mind—everything about Don.
Barely in his teens, yet awakened Conqueror's Haki. Already proficient in Observation and Armament Haki. His mastery of his Logia was advanced, and on top of that, he might even be a swordsman.
Where in the world had this man come from?
There had been no trace of him before.
But strength like that wasn't something gained overnight. Even monsters needed time to grow.
Unless… he was from the East Blue.
That thought brought Sengoku's mind to Roger—and to Garp.
"Bring me the Chief of Staff and Garp."
Sengoku called out. The Marine guard outside saluted sharply and left at once.
"If what Borsalino said is true, then our stance toward this Don must change."
The good news was—Don wasn't a pirate, at least not in name.
The bad news? His actions were no different.
Making such a ruckus in the North Sea—even if his target was Doflamingo—the scale was far too great.
Who in their right mind attacks twenty islands in succession? And all within such a short span of time?
It wasn't long before Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru arrived.
Sengoku wasted no time. Once they entered, he laid out everything—his orders to Kizaru, and Kizaru's report.
Garp sat in silence, arms folded.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, however, seemed thoughtful.
"Garp. Let's hear your thoughts."
Seeing them both quiet, Sengoku called him out directly.
"What's there to say?" Garp shrugged. "We already knew about Don before. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone on two trips myself. At most, this is just… a little beyond what we expected."
Sengoku's face darkened instantly.
A little beyond? This was monumental.
"What a fine young man. A pity, really."
Seeing the two old comrades about to erupt into another quarrel, Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke, drawing their attention back.
"What do you think, Tsuru?" Sengoku turned to her. Her wisdom was beyond question—he wanted her perspective.
"Difficult," she replied before he even finished.
"The kind of personality that comes with Conqueror's Haki—you two know better than anyone. He's already refused twice. That basically means it's impossible."
Sengoku and Garp exchanged a look. Neither said a word.
"But since he doesn't call himself a pirate, that's at least good news. The problem is, he's reckless. Too reckless."
Normally, one individual should not have occupied this much of their attention.
But with the level of power Don had already displayed, ignoring him was no longer an option.
And more importantly—he was still so young.
That meant, as long as he lived, his strength would only continue to grow.
Killing him now? Nearly impossible.
"How about I head to the North Sea and drive the brat out myself?"
Garp suddenly offered.
Sengoku and Tsuru both turned to him with odd looks.
"Ahem. Why the looks? You both said he's reckless. If Borsalino couldn't do it, then I can give it a try."
Garp coughed and defended himself.
"Enough. That's not what this is about," Tsuru cut in, ignoring him. She turned back to Sengoku. "So, you called me here because you want me to go to the North Sea?"
"Yes."
Sengoku nodded firmly.
"Tsuru, that boy's strength is not to be underestimated."
"Oi, Sengoku, don't forget—Doflamingo's been in the North Sea for years," Garp reminded suddenly.
But Tsuru shook her head. "We're not talking about Don—we're talking about Doflamingo. He's built his network in the North Sea for a long time. Now that Don's targeted his arms factory, he won't sit still."
"Exactly. I've already received word—Doflamingo has left Dressrosa. He's heading for the North Sea."
Sengoku's gaze turned solemn as he looked at Tsuru.
"You need to intercept him. Drive him back to the New World. The two of them cannot be allowed to clash in the North Sea."
"Fine. Keep me updated on his location," Tsuru agreed, rising to her feet without hesitation before leaving.
Garp watched her departing back, then turned to Sengoku.
"What's this about?"
"Doflamingo's identity," Sengoku said simply.
Seeing that Garp hadn't quite grasped it, he added, "The World Government definitely knows about what happened in the North Sea. If Don and Doflamingo clash now, the Government will put a bounty on him instantly. That would make things messy."
"Oh, I see," Garp said, finally understanding.
"Even if they fight, it has to be in the New World. Not the North Sea."
END OF CHAPTER
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