Chapter 89: The Shock of Marineford!
[Sabaody Archipelago - Grove 9 - The Ruins]
The massive silhouette of the Heavy Cruiser Pola cast a long, imposing shadow over the scorched coastline of Grove 9. The engines hummed with a low, mechanical vibration that resonated in the chests of those standing on the shore.
"Lord Suzaku!"
Before the gangway could even fully extend, a small blue figure leaped from the high deck.
Rem, ignoring the height, manipulated her own gravity to glide down like a feather. She landed lightly amidst the smoking rubble, her maid shoes kicking up a small cloud of ash.
She didn't care about the heat radiating from the glassed earth or the smell of ozone that hung thick in the air. She rushed directly to Suzaku's side.
Her wide, azure eyes scanned him frantically, starting from his head and moving down to his boots. She reached out, her small hands hovering over his chest, checking for any sign of injury—a scratch, a bruise, even a speck of dust that shouldn't be there.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Rem asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Only after confirming that his breathing was steady and his clothes were (mostly) intact did she let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief. The tension that had held her rigid since the battle began finally melted away.
"You had me worried..." she whispered, clutching the hem of her apron.
Beside her, a gentle breeze swirled.
Ram descended gracefully from the ship, using her Wind Magic to carry Nami down to the ground safely.
"Ugh... the smell..." Nami covered her nose as her feet touched the cracked earth.
But then she looked up.
"Wow!"
Nami stared at the apocalyptic scene before her. Her mouth hung agape in shock, and her eyes widened to the size of saucers.
The commercial district she had walked through just hours ago was gone. In its place was a moonscape. Craters the size of houses pockmarked the ground. Entire buildings had been sliced in half or melted into slag. The mangrove roots were charred black.
"Your destructive power is too exaggerated!" Nami shrieked, turning to Suzaku. "The entire island has been smashed! Did you fight a war? Or did a volcano erupt?!"
She looked around nervously, half-expecting another attack.
"Did you fight that flashing man we met out at sea? And the old man?"
Seeing Suzaku smile calmly, Nami immediately puffed out her chest proudly. She placed her hands on her hips, striking a pose as if seeking praise for her own contribution.
"Don't worry, Captain!" Nami declared. "I already had Pola take revenge for you guys while you were busy down here!"
She pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the steel leviathan.
"Pola's firepower is incredible! Just now, one volley made that guy and another person scatter and scramble like rats! You should have seen it! Their faces were completely blackened with smoke! It was hilarious!"
"Hahaha, well done, Nami!" Suzaku laughed, amused by her vivid description. He reached out to ruffle her orange hair. "Garp and Kizaru, faces black with soot? That's a sight worth a billion Berries."
"So, Lord Suzaku!"
Rem, standing nearby, looked up. Her expression shifted from the worried maid back to the efficient, loyal subordinate.
"We have successfully rendezvoused with Lord Ulquiorra. The Marines have retreated. What is the plan now?"
Hearing this question, Nami's eyes lit up. The fear of the battle was instantly replaced by her professional pride as a Navigator.
"I know! I know!"
She raised her hand excitedly.
"I found out all about it while I was shopping! To get to the New World, we usually have to follow the Log Pose strictly."
She began to count on her fingers, lecturing the group.
"There are two routes. One is to request permission from the World Government to cross the Red Line on foot, leaving the ship behind. Obviously, that's impossible for us since we just blew up their base."
She raised a second finger.
"The second option is the standard pirate route. We find a skilled coating mechanic on this island. We coat the ship with a special resin membrane from the Yarukiman Mangroves. Then, we submerge and pass through Fish-Man Island ten thousand meters beneath the sea! It takes about three days for the coating process."
Suzaku chuckled softly. He shook his head and ruffled her hair again, messing up her bangs.
"Silly girl. You're thinking like a normal pirate."
He pointed at Rem.
"Why would we dive deep underwater into the dark, crushing depths, risking sea kings and currents?"
"Eh?" Nami blinked.
"We can clearly just fly over," Suzaku grinned, looking at the massive Red Line towering in the distance. "Why bother with coating when we have gravity?"
"Ah! That's right!"
Nami slapped her forehead in sudden realization. She stuck out her tongue, laughing playfully at her own oversight.
"Hahaha! I almost forgot! Rem ate the Float-Float Fruit! We don't need coating! We don't need Fish-Man Island! We can just... fly over the continent!"
Seeing everyone's gaze focus on her, the petite Rem puffed out her chest.
She nodded with a serious expression, her tone exceptionally firm and reliable.
"No problem! Please leave it to Rem! I will carry the ship to the ends of the earth if you wish, Lord Suzaku!"
"Then it's decided," Suzaku said, turning back to the ship. "We rest for an hour, resupply, and then... we take to the skies."
[Marine Headquarters - Marineford]
The atmosphere at the center of the world was peaceful.
The colossal complex, shaped like a massive crescent moon, symbolized Absolute Justice. It shone brightly under the midday sun, a beacon of order in a chaotic world. The white stone walls were pristine, untouched by the filth of piracy.
The cries of seagulls and the unified shouts of Marine soldiers drilling in the plaza intertwined, forming a majestic rhythm.
"One! Two! One! Two!"
To the average soldier, today was just another day of protecting the world. They had heard rumors of a Buster Call, but that was standard procedure.
However, the tranquility was shattered by a sound from the sky.
WHOOSH!
It wasn't a gentle landing. It was a crash.
A golden light slammed into the main plaza, kicking up a cloud of dust and cracking the ceremonial tiles.
The drilling soldiers stopped. The officers froze.
When the dust settled, the silence was heavy, suffocating.
Everyone saw them.
Marine Hero Garp, the legend of the sea.
And Admiral Kizaru, the Highest Fighting Power of the World Government.
They stood there, breathing heavily.
Their condition was shocking. Their clothes were tattered, covered in scorch marks, dust, and drying blood. Their Justice coats were torn.
But what drew the most attention were the patches of ridiculous, shameful black soot smeared across their faces—the remnants of the barrage from the cruiser Pola.
Garp's face was so gloomy it looked like a thundercloud about to burst. The eyes that usually shone with confidence and boldness were now filled only with suppressed rage and a deep, haunting sorrow. His fists were clenched so tight that blood dripped from his palms.
As for Kizaru, although he maintained his usual sluggish posture, his signature lewd smile had vanished without a trace. His lips were pressed into a thin, grim line. His sunglasses were cracked.
"Garp! Kizaru!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Chief of Staff Tsuru appeared on the high balcony overlooking the plaza immediately after receiving the urgent sensor alerts.
Sengoku leaned over the railing. When he saw the two legends in such a disheveled state, even he, who had weathered countless storms and wars against Roger and Shiki, felt his heart skip a beat.
His pupils constricted.
What happened? Sengoku thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. They went to catch a rookie and some Giants. Why do they look like they just fought Whitebeard and Kaido simultaneously?
"What's the situation? That..."
Just as Sengoku was about to shout a question demanding answers, he was stopped by Tsuru beside him. She placed a firm hand on his arm.
She merely shook her head slightly, her eyes signaling toward the surrounding soldiers.
There were too many eyes and ears here. Thousands of young Marines were watching. If they saw their invincible leaders looking defeated and panicked, morale would collapse instantly. The rumor would spread like wildfire.
Sengoku understood instantly. He swallowed his words, forcing his face into a mask of stoic command.
Tsuru's weathered, wise eyes calmly swept over the two battered men below.
"Follow me," she said softly, her voice amplified by Haki just enough for them to hear. "To the office. Immediately."
[The Fleet Admiral's Office]
SLAM.
The heavy oak door closed, sealing the room from the outside world. The soundproofing cut off the noise of the seagulls and the whispers of the soldiers.
The office was spacious, filled with trophies and maps, but at this moment, it felt like a coffin.
Sengoku could no longer suppress the anxiety in his heart. He didn't sit behind his desk. He walked around it, leaning forward with his hands heavily braced on the surface, staring intensely at the two men who had slumped onto the guest sofas.
"Tell me," Sengoku demanded, his voice low and dangerous, vibrating with tension. "What exactly happened? You went to Sabaody to intercept the Giants and the newcomer, Ulquiorra."
He looked around the room, as if expecting others to walk in.
"Where are the others? What about the five Headquarters Vice Admirals? Momonga, Doberman, Onigumo, Strawberry, Stainless... What about the three thousand elite soldiers you took with you?"
Garp didn't answer. The Hero sat with his head bowed, staring at the floor. He didn't ask for crackers. He didn't laugh. He just stared at his hands, the hands that had failed to save his subordinates.
Kizaru sat with his legs crossed. He slowly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping the black soot from his face. The motion was slow, methodical.
"Oh my, oh my..." Kizaru's voice was drawn-out, lazy as always, but today it carried a weight that made the air heavy. "That was truly terrifying..."
He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, or perhaps just trying to process the reality of the defeat.
Only then did he slowly continue.
"They were all wiped out~"
The sentence hung in the air like a guillotine blade.
"All the Vice Admirals we brought... along with the three thousand soldiers. None of them returned. We are the only survivors."
The air inside the office seemed to be sucked out in that instant. The clock on the wall seemed to stop ticking.
"You said... what?"
The muscles on Sengoku's face stiffened. His round glasses slid down his nose. He repeated the question in disbelief, his brain refusing to comprehend the words.
"Are you saying... five Headquarters Vice Admirals... and thousands of elites... all sacrificed? In one afternoon?"
"Yes indeed~" Kizaru's tone remained flat, but it was precisely this flatness that made the news feel even more cruel and terrifying. "The Vice Admirals were all cleanly dealt with by that man named Ulquiorra. He didn't even break a sweat. He pierced their hearts before they could react. He is truly a monster."
"CRASH!"
Sengoku's tall body heavily collapsed back into the Fleet Admiral's chair. The reinforced wood groaned under the impact.
He remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at the map of the world on the ceiling.
Five Vice Admirals!
Those were not ordinary soldiers. They were the backbone of the Navy. They were the ones who led Buster Calls. They were the candidates for the next Admiral position. To lose one was a tragedy.
To lose five simultaneously in a skirmish with a rookie pirate crew?
This was unprecedented. This was a catastrophe.
This was no longer just a failure; this was a crushing defeat capable of shaking the foundation of the Marine's power structure. The balance of the Three Great Powers was wobbling.
A deathly silence descended upon the office. Even Sengoku's pet goat stopped chewing.
"That newcomer pirate named Ulquiorra..."
After a long while, Sengoku slowly recovered. He rubbed his throbbing temples, his voice hoarse.
"Is he really... that strong? Strong enough to kill five Vice Admirals while you two were there?"
"He is undeniably a powerhouse of the Yonko level," Kizaru stated simply. "He fought Garp to a standstill. He regenerates instantly from lethal wounds. He moves faster than Soru. And his energy attacks can vaporize islands."
Kizaru looked at Sengoku, his eyes visible behind the cracked lenses.
"And the most troublesome part... is his Captain."
"Captain?" Sengoku stood up again, his eyes wide. "Wait. Isn't Ulquiorra the Captain? The reports said he was leading the Giant Warrior Pirates!"
"No," Kizaru shook his head slowly.
He glanced at Garp, who let out a deep, ragged breath.
"Ulquiorra is a subordinate. He takes orders. And the man he bows to... the man who commands the Giants, the Demon Albedo, and this Ulquiorra... is someone we've been watching before."
Kizaru dropped the name that would haunt them.
"'Vermillion Bird' Suzaku."
"WHAT!"
This time, even Tsuru, who was always calm, cried out in surprise. Her notebook fell from her hands, hitting the floor with a loud thud.
"Suzaku?" Sengoku gasped. "The rookie from East Blue? The one who kidnapped the Celestial Dragon? We thought he was just a brat with a Logia fruit!"
"He is no brat," Garp finally spoke, his voice low and rumbling like an earthquake.
Garp looked up, his eyes burning.
"His Armament Haki... it rivals mine. He tanked my fist and smiled. He has gathered monsters. Ulquiorra. The Giants. The Blackwing Demon. They all call him 'Lord'. And Suzaku himself... he clashed with me and split the sky."
Sengoku slumped back down, his face pale.
A rookie who commanded Yonko-level subordinates? A captain who could split the sky with Garp?
"God help us," Sengoku whispered, looking at the map of the New World. "A new Emperor has been born before he even entered the New World."
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