"That's right — Romu."
The voice coming through the Den-Den Mushi was heavy.
"Which pirate crew is he from? How many men did he bring?"
Fleet Admiral Kong frowned. If it wasn't Rocks' people… then who?
He'd never heard the name.
A new pirate force rising near Hachinosu?
Anyone bold enough to destroy a Marine base — and kill a Vice Admiral — should at least command a thousand men.
This was a headache.
"…He came alone."
The voice sharpened with urgency.
"What?!"
Kong's square beard twitched.
Shock — then anger.
But the real bombshell came next.
"According to survivors, he's extremely young. Possibly not even twenty. A Devil Fruit user."
"What kind of fruit?"
"Unknown classification. He controls plant growth. Massive trees erupted and leveled the base. Then a black vine skewered dozens of Marines — officers included — draining them into husks."
Silence filled the room.
Instant base destruction.
Dozens killed by a single strike.
Plant manipulation abilities existed… but they were mostly harmless utility powers.
Nothing like this.
Awakening?
Impossible.
Only a handful in the world had ever reached that stage.
Kong's brow tightened.
"Continue."
"Yes, sir."
"The trees were harder than steel. Bullets did nothing. Vice Admiral Ethan could barely hold them back with Armament Haki. But then… Romu stopped using his fruit."
"He chose hand-to-hand combat."
"…Hand-to-hand?"
Kong blinked.
Most Devil Fruit users relied heavily on their powers.
Close combat against a Haki specialist?
That made no sense.
"Yes. One punch. Ethan lost combat capability immediately — then was finished by the vine."
The Den-Den Mushi's face trembled with unease.
"Impossible."
Zephyr slammed his palm on the table and stood.
"I trained Ethan. Excellent fundamentals. His signature technique combined Shave with Armament Haki for instant kills."
"There's no way a fruit user drops him with one punch."
Kong turned back to the line.
"You're certain?"
"…Yes, sir."
"Ethan's blade struck the target. No injury to Romu. The saber shattered."
"Autopsy confirms — aside from the vine wound, Ethan had no external trauma, but every bone in his body was pulverized."
The room froze.
Garp's eyes widened.
Sengoku leaned forward.
Kong's expression hardened.
They all understood what that meant.
Advanced Armament Haki.
"I understand," Kong said quietly.
"Restore the base. Report any updates immediately."
He hung up.
The office fell into a heavy silence.
"Rocks is already a nightmare," Sengoku muttered, pushing up his glasses.
"And now this…"
Garp scratched his head, face grim.
Zephyr and Tsuru exchanged looks.
"Advanced Armament?" Tsuru asked.
Kong nodded.
"Armament Haki has three tiers. Basic coating. External emission — which Garp, Sengoku, and I use."
He paused.
"Then there's the rarest form. Wano swordsmen call it Flowing Sakura."
"It allows Haki to bypass defenses and destroy targets internally."
"Extremely difficult to master."
"And by all indications… Romu has."
Zephyr's fists tightened.
"A monster fruit… and Haki beyond even admirals?"
Tsuru exhaled slowly, already analyzing.
"He's under twenty. His current power likely doesn't equal Whitebeard or the other Rocks officers yet."
"But if he keeps growing…"
She looked up sharply.
"We cannot allow that."
Kong nodded.
"Recommendation?"
"Deploy a headquarters force — rear admiral or higher."
"Prevent the worst-case scenario."
"Romu joining Rocks."
That thought chilled the room.
Zephyr stepped forward immediately.
"Send me."
"I'll stop him before he becomes something we can't contain."