That sudden brake nearly sent the surrounding Marines sprawling.
Everyone had already been knocked flat by the Straw Hat Pirates—what else was there to say? Luffy was still a rookie barely out to sea, while Buggy was a sideshow clown; neither could have possibly defeated Garp.
Crocodile? Obviously not. He couldn't even take down Whitebeard on his best day.
Which left only two names that made any sense: Garp's grandson, the Straw Hat boy… or Teach of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The conclusion was almost too simple.
Garp must've let it happen.
Sengoku felt the vein in his forehead twitch. When he heard Brannew's words, he practically scratched his head bald. Today, Marine's honour was dragged straight into the mud by Garp again.
He glared at Garp, wordlessly promising that this would not be forgotten.
Garp's grin faltered, guilty and thin. Even he wasn't sure anymore if he'd actually done it—or if he would.
Sengoku sighed and turned away. There were bigger things to think about than Garp's personal disasters.
As Fleet Admiral, what truly mattered to him wasn't just Ace's rescue—it was what that rescue meant.
The Summit War had yet to happen, but if this vision of the future was real, then Marine Headquarters had mobilised a hundred thousand elite troops, the Three Admirals, and even summoned the Seven Warlords to their side—every ounce of power the organisation could muster.
And still, they would fail to hold Ace.
That single failure meant something far worse than defeat. It meant weakness.
If one Emperor could humiliate them before the world, then the balance of the seas—the thin peace that existed through mutual fear—would shatter.
And when that fear vanished, war would come. Endless, ravenous war.
Across the New World, in the Kingdom of Totto Land and Onigashima, two monstrous silhouettes—Kaido and Big Mom—watched the same broadcast, grinning wide. Marine's strength, once believed to be absolute, suddenly looked fragile.
Maybe, they thought, it was time to expand.
Back in East Blue, Luffy's eyes lit up when he heard his name among the choices.
"See? That's gotta be me!" he said, punching the air. "Who else could knock Gramps down?"
His shout echoed across the deck, startling Krieg and Zeff, who exchanged bewildered looks.
Was this kid… actually connected to the Four Emperors?
In the vision, Ace fell silent for a moment at Marco's question. Then he spoke quietly:
"I've never heard of this Buggy, and Crocodile's got nothing to do with me. It's Luffy… he's my brother. But we haven't seen each other in two years."
He smiled faintly, the corners of his lips tightening with something between pride and ache. The mention of Luffy—carefree, stubborn Luffy—softened his eyes.
"I think only Luffy and Teach could fit those answers," he continued. "But knowing the old man… even if it were my execution, he wouldn't let Teach go free."
A pause.
"Though he's my grandfather, he's also a Marine. A damn good one. He's spent his life chasing pirates—he barely has time to see us. But if there's anyone he'd let slip through his fingers… it'd be Luffy."
He laughed, quietly, a little broken around the edges.
"Sometimes, blood means nothing—and sometimes, it's the only thing that can break you."
His words settled over the room like smoke. The Whitebeard Pirates said nothing. Neither did the world.
Those who'd been furious moments ago—calling Garp a traitor, demanding answers—found their anger fading to silence.
A man who had spent his life chasing pirates… whose grandsons both chose the sea he tried to suppress… what could they even call that but tragedy?
Perhaps Garp's greatest sin wasn't betrayal, but love.
And love, in this world, was never without consequence.
.......................................................................................................
If the story spoke to you ,even just a little ,leave a trace behind.A few words from you can mean more than you think.