On the Grand Line, a massive Marine warship was speeding through the waves.
On deck, Aokiji lounged lazily under a parasol, reading the latest newspaper that had just arrived.
"Ah la la… Leno, huh? You've gone and done something incredible again. So you were the 'Thunder God' all along… what a terrifying young man."
Thinking back to their battle in the North Blue, Aokiji's expression turned somber. Leno's words from that day still echoed in his ears.
'What have I been doing all these years? Just drifting along?'
He sighed softly. 'Well, at the very least, I should start by doing my job properly.'
"Report! Admiral Kuzan, a pirate ship has been spotted ahead. Should we engage?"
"Well, pirates are pirates. We can't just let them go—accelerate and prepare to intercept."
Putting the newspaper aside, Aokiji stood and leaned against the railing, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon.
His thoughts wandered again, but as he said—it was time to at least act like a proper Marine.
The change in Aokiji hadn't gone unnoticed. The senior officers at Headquarters, especially Fleet Admiral Sengoku, had been pleasantly surprised.
Over the past weeks, Aokiji had completely shed his former laziness. He'd been taking initiative—personally patrolling the seas with his warship and capturing pirate after pirate.
At first, everyone thought it was a temporary whim. But when his diligence continued, even the most skeptical Marines began to believe that Aokiji had truly changed.
"It's been so many years… that guy Kuzan finally snapped out of it," Sengoku said with a satisfied smile, sipping his tea.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, seated nearby with her arms crossed and her coat draped over her shoulders, nodded thoughtfully.
"That incident back then hit him hard. He lost his drive for years. Seeing him like this again reminds me of when he first joined the Marines."
Her eyes softened as she remembered.
Back then, he'd been full of fire—overflowing with passion and a strong sense of justice. His 'Burning Justice' had inspired countless young Marines to charge forward without fear. That was… until that fateful day.
"Even if he doesn't have that same fire now," Sengoku continued, "his years of reflection have matured him. He's grown. I think he's ready for greater responsibilities."
Tsuru gave him a sidelong glance. "So that's your plan, huh?"
Sengoku chuckled quietly but said nothing. She understood now—he'd always believed in Aokiji.
And perhaps rightly so. After all, the other two admirals weren't exactly ideal candidates.
Kizaru was practically the embodiment of laziness, always slacking off and pretending to work.
Akainu, while diligent and ruthless toward pirates, was too extreme—too inflexible to lead the entire Navy.
The two sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
Then—
BANG!
The office door exploded open with a thunderous crash.
"Gwahaha! Sengoku, where are you hiding your rice crackers? I broke into your safe last time and found nothing!"
Sengoku's temple throbbed violently. "Garp! You bastard! That was a new door!"
Tsuru sighed helplessly. Garp would never change. Even at his age, he was as brash and carefree as ever.
"Oh, Tsuru, you're here too. Perfect. I just got some big news and came to ask Sengoku's opinion. You might as well hear it too."
Tsuru pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're still as reckless as ever, Garp. Try acting your age for once."
Sengoku crossed his arms. "So what is it? What's so important that you had to kick down my door this time?"
Garp just laughed heartily. "Heh heh, don't exaggerate, Sengoku."
Then his face grew serious. "It's about that kid, Leno. What's your plan for him?"
Sengoku frowned. "What else can we do? The Holy Land's already issued an order. They're targeting his associates. The CP agents are probably already near his hometown by now."
Garp's expression darkened.
"There's no helping it," Tsuru said softly. "He participated in the Mary Geoise incident and killed a Celestial Dragon. The World Government will never let that go."
Garp sank onto the sofa heavily.
"Knowing that kid… if the government lays a hand on his family, he'll lose it completely."
He looked up, voice low and grim. "He's got two Devil Fruit powers. If he goes berserk, the destruction would be unimaginable."
Sengoku rubbed his temples. He'd been thinking the same thing. "That's exactly why I'm considering summoning the 7 Warlords. It may be the only way to contain him."
Garp slammed a fist into the armrest. "Damn it! All this because some Celestial Dragon died? It's been years already!"
"Watch your mouth, Garp!" Sengoku barked immediately.
"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking!" Garp snapped back. "The New World's already chaos. Our forces are stretched thin. And now we're expected to fight a walking natural disaster?"
"Nobody knows his current strength, but the fact that he beat Kaido half to death shows how terrifying he is! You think we can just throw bodies at him?"
His voice boomed through the office, making the guards outside jump.
"Calm down, Garp," Tsuru said gently. "Yelling won't help."
She turned back to Sengoku. "Our plan is simple—gather our top forces. Leno may be powerful, but he's alone, and he doesn't command an army."
She spoke evenly, explaining their approach. "We'll mobilize the three Admirals and issue a compulsory summons to the Seven Warlords. The Navy Headquarters' own forces will be enough. There's no need to pull troops from other branches."
Sengoku nodded in agreement. "For an opponent like Leno, numbers won't matter. Only strength will."