"...Is all of this really necessary?"
After a long silence, Garp finally spoke, his voice heavy with exhaustion. He slowly raised his head to look at his old friend. In that single moment, he seemed to have aged years.
"Garp," Sengoku called his name, his expression grave.
Seeing the confusion and grief written across Garp's face, he let out a quiet sigh. "If it were only Fire Fist Ace, there'd be no need for such an elaborate operation. But when you consider the Whitebeard Pirates standing behind him, and the possibility of shattering the balance of the entire world..."
"He is, without question, the perfect trigger."
Garp clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, yet he had no words to refute Sengoku. As a Marine, he had no right to resist the orders of his superiors.
"...Can you at least let me escort him to Impel Down myself?"
Sengoku hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I'll go with you. A prisoner as important as Fire Fist Ace should be escorted personally by the Fleet Admiral."
Garp gave a silent nod. His heart was a tangled mess; he wasn't in the mood to reminisce with an old friend. Ace's capture was something he had never expected, and Sengoku had already made his fate clear: Ace would be executed before the entire world.
The freckled boy Garp had watched grow up didn't have much time left.
"...Ace." With heavy footsteps, Garp walked over to him, his face clouded with sorrow.
"Old man." Ace slowly lifted his head. Looking at the elderly Marine's white hair and weathered face, he forced out a faint smile.
Garp's eyes glistened with tears. Just as he was about to speak, Ace cut him off.
"Don't feel sorry for me, old man. This was the path I chose. Whatever happens next... I'll bear it myself."
Garp froze. After what felt like an eternity, he finally let out a long breath. "...Is that so?"
Silence settled between grandfather and grandson. Neither of them knew how to comfort the other.
"Garp. It's time," Sengoku's voice came from the side.
Garp nodded and watched as Ace walked past him. Without another word, the group made their way toward Marineford Harbor.
Along the way, Garp finally broke the silence. "Does Kojin know about this?"
"He does," Sengoku nodded. "Ace was brought back personally by Kojin after he took him from Marshall D. Teach."
"Marshall D. Teach?" Garp blinked in surprise.
"That's right. Ace was defeated by the Blackbeard Pirates and handed over as their bargaining chip to become the new Seven Warlords of the Sea. Kojin was in charge of the Warlords' meeting and accepted their proposal."
"I see..." Garp murmured softly. For some reason, he felt slightly relieved.
If Kojin had been the one to capture Ace himself... Garp didn't know whether Ace would have felt disappointment or simply numbness.
After a brief hesitation, Sengoku continued. "It seems... he and Ace reached some kind of private agreement."
"An agreement?" Garp looked at him in surprise.
"But our decision will not change. We will announce Ace's capture to the world and execute him publicly. Kojin and I made that decision together. This concerns the future of the Marines, and the stability of the world itself." Sengoku's tone was firm. "So, Garp... I hope you won't let your emotions get the better of you."
Garp said nothing. He slowly turned his head toward Ace, who sat cross-legged on the deck with his head lowered, silent from beginning to end.
A quiet sigh escaped him. At this moment, the one suffering the most had to be Ace, waiting for the end of his own life, and perhaps having to watch a massive war erupt because of him.
"...Sengoku. Can't we delay the announcement?" Garp asked quietly.
"The news has already leaked," Sengoku shook his head. "If it were possible, I'd gladly give Marineford more time to prepare for the war that's coming. But you know as well as I do what it means for the Marines to capture Fire Fist Ace. It can no longer be kept secret."
Garp's eyes flickered before he let out another weary sigh. He looked toward the sea ahead, where the enormous whirlpool current roared like thunder.
Unconsciously, Kojin's face appeared in his mind.
"You damn brat... What are you planning? You were the one who saved Ace all those years ago," Garp muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth.
If there was anyone left in the world with the strength and resolve to turn the tide of a war and save Ace, the only person Garp could think of was his own disciple.
Not long afterward, the battleship arrived at Impel Down. Escorted personally by Garp and Sengoku, Ace was taken deep into Level 6 of the underwater prison. Every Marine and jailer they passed stared in utter disbelief.
"Fire Fist Ace... the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division... Fire Fist Ace?!"
"Y-You're kidding! A pirate of that caliber was actually captured?"
"The whole world is about to change!"
Just as Sengoku had predicted, there was no way the Marines could keep something this enormous secret for long. Too many eyes were watching, and reporters had already begun gathering information in secret.
Rather than trying to hide the truth, the Marines decided it was better to announce it openly. The date of Ace's execution, however, would be revealed later.
Even so, everyone knew what would happen once the news spread. The entire world would be shaken, and a storm unlike any before would begin.
---
### Impel Down – Level 6: Eternal Hell
"I'll stay here... with Ace." Garp sat cross-legged outside the cell, his expression calm as he spoke.
Sengoku wasn't surprised. He simply sighed before turning to leave. As Fleet Admiral, countless matters still demanded his attention.
That very day, Marine Headquarters released an official announcement:
[Fire Fist Ace, commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, with a bounty of 550 million Berries, has been captured and transferred to Impel Down.]
It was only a brief statement. Nothing was mentioned about Ace's eventual fate or how the Marines intended to deal with such an important member of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Even so, that alone was enough to shock the world. Newspapers were rushed across every sea, signaling the beginning of a tidal wave that would soon engulf the entire world.
---
### Amazon Lily
Tables overflowed with food, fresh fruit, and fine wine, filling the palace with rich, inviting aromas.
Elder Nyon frowned as she looked toward the throne. Boa Hancock sat there with flushed cheeks, her gaze never once leaving the Marine seated across from her.
'Have you no shame?' she cursed inwardly.
At the same time, she couldn't help feeling puzzled. Not long ago, Hancock's two younger sisters had revealed that this Marine was the man who had saved all three of them years ago.
What worried Elder Nyon even more was the group accompanying him. Hancock was so blinded by love that she saw only Kojin, but Elder Nyon immediately recognized the others.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea... Bartholomew Kuma.
Another Warlord... Gecko Moria, along with his top subordinates.
Two Warlords traveling together under the command of a Marine... It wasn't merely unprecedented, it should have been impossible. Every Warlord ruled over a powerful pirate force of their own. Even during official Warlord meetings, getting two of them together was difficult enough.
'Why have they suddenly come to Amazon Lily?'
A sense of unease settled over Elder Nyon. Something told her this visit could only mean trouble.
Kojin swept his eyes across the room, instantly noticing what the former ruler of the Kuja Kingdom was thinking. As for what was going through Hancock's mind... he could guess well enough.
Now clearly wasn't the right time for serious discussion.
Smiling faintly, he spoke first. "My apologies for arriving unannounced and disturbing everyone. I am Headquarters Admiral Kojin. I've come to Amazon Lily to deliver Marine Headquarters' latest decision to the captain of the Kuja Pirates, Boa Hancock."
"An Admiral?!" Elder Nyon's eyes widened in shock.
Hancock and her two sisters snapped back to reality, staring at Kojin in surprise.
"Ten years ago, Fleet Admiral Sengoku promoted me to Admiral. I'm no longer a Vice Admiral, Hancock." Kojin smiled.
"L-Lord Kojin... that's incredible..." Hancock's face grew even redder as their eyes met.
"So then, Admiral Kojin..." Elder Nyon asked solemnly, "what exactly brings you here?"
What kind of matter could require an Admiral and two Warlords to appear together?
"Oh, it's nothing too serious." Kojin smiled lightly before continuing. "First, I'm here to inform fellow Warlord Boa Hancock that Marshall D. Teach, Blackbeard, has officially become the newest member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Second..." He paused, his eyes narrowing as his expression turned serious. "In the near future, the Marines may move against the Whitebeard Pirates. For that reason, I've come to deliver the Warlords' summons."
"Boa Hancock, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, you are hereby requested to join the operation against one of the Four Emperors of the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates."
The room fell silent.
Elder Nyon's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Even Kuma and Moria narrowed their eyes in surprise.
Kojin had never mentioned this before. The fact that he was saying it now meant only one thing: the Marines had already made their decision. There was no turning back.
"The Marines are actually going after Whitebeard? Have you all lost your minds?" Elder Nyon exclaimed.
Kojin's expression remained unchanged. "Of course not. In truth, this decision was reached only after Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Marine Headquarters' senior officers held countless meetings. You probably haven't heard yet: Fire Fist Ace has already been captured by the Marines. And that is certain to draw the attention of the World's Strongest Man... Edward Newgate, Whitebeard."
By now, Hancock had completely regained her composure. The playful look had vanished from her beautiful face, replaced with unmistakable seriousness.
"Admiral Kojin... when will this war begin?"
(End of Chapter)
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