Outside the Fleet Admiral's Office at Marine Headquarters—
The moment Roldy arrived, he heard Kong's furious voice erupting from inside.
"You cannot do this! I will never approve of this operation! You're pushing that boy onto a dead end!"
The roar was followed by the sharp crash of a shattered cup.
Then came another voice—calm, indifferent, yet faintly laced with threat.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, we are merely conveying the will of those Five Elders. Your opposition is… surprising. However, we have no authority to alter their decision. And if word of this resistance were to reach them… they would not be pleased."
Roldy had no idea what was happening inside.
He only heard Kong's anger—and the unfamiliar voice that clearly caused it.
He didn't bother thinking further.
He kicked the office doors apart in one explosive motion.
The heavy doors shattered.
His six-meter frame ducked slightly as he stepped inside.
There, seated calmly with coffee cups in hand, were two peculiar men.
They wore white suits and long coats bearing the emblem of the World Government. Their builds were similar—long hair, identical posture—and both wore masks. One mask bore a smiling face. The other, a crying face.
"What the hell? These days, even freaks and monsters dare to run wild in Marine Headquarters?"
Kong had shown Roldy considerable care over the years—whether out of investment in his talent or respect for Zephyr didn't matter. Roldy understood sincerity when he saw it.
And he repaid it without hesitation.
He moved.
Despite his enormous size, Roldy exploded forward with terrifying speed.
Perhaps the two men hadn't expected a Marine brat to attack without warning—
Before they could react, iron-like hands clamped around their throats.
The grip tightened.
A powerful sensation of weightlessness overtook them—
Glass shattered.
They were hurled out of the window like discarded trash.
Kong stared, mouth agape.
Roldy clapped his hands as if dusting them off and plopped down, crushing both chairs beneath him.
"Kong, what did you call me for? Another mission? Make sure it's someone strong this time!"
He reached for a plate of fruit on the desk—
Smack.
Kong slapped his hand away.
Before Roldy could react, Kong's fist rapidly enlarged in his vision—
Boom!
The punch landed squarely on his head.
A massive red lump instantly swelled up, steam practically rising from it. Tears welled at the corners of Roldy 's eyes as he hovered his hands near the injury—too afraid to touch it.
"That hurt! Kong, I just stood up for you! Why hit me?!"
"Idiot! Do you even know who those two were?! They're agents sent by the World Government!"
Kong was nearly apoplectic.
He had been negotiating—carefully. The agents had already hinted at minor concessions. Though they couldn't alter the entire decision, any intelligence from them would strengthen Kong's position when negotiating directly with the Five Elders.
Now—
Roldy had shattered that opportunity.
"I was helping you vent your anger… and I'm the one who got punched…"
Roldy muttered quietly, sensing that Kong was truly furious this time.
"You—!"
Kong was on the verge of exploding again when several sharp sounds cut through the air outside the window.
Roldy turned his head.
The two agents he had thrown out were stepping through the air using Geppo, albeit somewhat disheveled, as they ascended back to the office.
"Fleet Admiral Kong," the smiling-mask agent said darkly, "is this how the Marines receive their guests?"
As one of the Celestial Dragons' strongest shields, he held immense authority. Aside from the nobles themselves, few dared treat him with such disrespect.
If not for Kong's strong prospects of becoming the next Commander-in-Chief of the World Government's armed forces, they would not have tolerated this far.
"These two are tough… and annoyingly so."
Roldy frowned.
How did they know Rokushiki?
That combat system had only recently been refined by his instructors to strengthen Marine forces. It hadn't even been fully implemented across Marine Headquarters yet.
And yet outsiders had already mastered it?
Roldy felt a surge of irritation.
"Shut your mouth!" Kong barked at him.
From the moment the agents reentered the office, their eyes had not left Roldy .
An uneasy feeling settled in Kong's chest.
"You are Roldy ?" the crying-mask agent asked.
"That's me."
His irreverent tone made their eyes narrow behind the masks.
"Impressive strength. Worthy of the title 'Marine Monster.' As for whether you are truly the future of the Marines…"
He let out two low chuckles.
Those final laughs carried ambiguous meaning.
Roldy was puzzled—
But Kong's pupils contracted.
As one of the world's top powerhouses, he could sense that Roldy had grown stronger yet again.
But the attitude of these two—
And the order issued by the Five Elders—
"Gentlemen—"
"No need, Fleet Admiral. Some matters are best discussed directly with the Five Elders themselves. And there is no need for the young man beside you to leave."
The smiling-mask agent reached into his coat and produced a silver Den Den Mushi.
Kong's heart sank.
The Five Elders wished to speak with him—
And with Roldy present.
Things had just become far more complicated.
Everything was moving toward the outcome he feared most.
Beside him, Roldy stood casually—absentmindedly picking his nose.
He truly resembled his teacher, Monkey D. Garp.
A trace of bitterness welled up in Kong's chest.
The trial that ordinarily awaited a Vice Admiral being promoted to Admiral—
Had now fallen upon the rising star in whom he had placed his greatest hopes.
Roldy .
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