No one dared to speak or move. Everyone wore serious expressions, not even daring to breathe heavily.
They all knew in their hearts that Garp was no ordinary Marine Vice Admiral, nor someone they could provoke at will.
He was a man who lived in legends—a fierce figure who once chased the King of the Pirates, Roger, across the seas; a hero who crushed the Rocks Pirates; a monster who could withstand Roger's Divine Departure with nothing but his body and Haki, emerging completely unscathed.
Even now, aged and slightly diminished in strength, he remained terrifying.
Though Moria was arrogant, he understood he was no match for Garp. If they truly fought, he likely wouldn't survive a single punch.
No matter how furious Doflamingo was, he wouldn't dare act recklessly in front of Garp.
He knew Garp's strength well and understood his status within the Marines. Provoking Garp would be nothing short of suicide.
Blackbeard was even more aware of Garp's terror. Though ambitious, he knew how to assess the situation. At this moment, he would never be foolish enough to provoke a monster of this caliber.
Garp looked at the now-subdued Seven Warlords of the Sea before him and snorted in satisfaction.
"All of you, behave! This is a critical time. If anyone dares cause trouble again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Sengoku followed Garp into the room, relieved to see the suddenly quiet conference hall.
Thankfully, Garp was here. Otherwise, if Moria and Doflamingo had truly fought, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
He stepped forward, sweeping his gaze over the assembled Warlords, and said gravely:
"Alright, settle down. We've summoned you today to discuss war preparations. We need your full cooperation."
Ivan followed behind the two, standing quietly to the side. His eyes calmly scanned the Warlords present, his expression as composed as ever.
He had anticipated Garp's entrance would have this effect. After all, the old man's deterrent power was among the greatest on the seas.
In the conference hall, the Warlords stood with bowed heads, none daring to act recklessly anymore. The earlier arguments and hostility seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Only Garp's hearty laughter still echoed in the room, pressing down on everyone so heavily that none dared to look up.
After the war-related matters were explained, the atmosphere in the conference hall eased slightly.
Sengoku's gaze swept over all the Warlords present as he announced gravely:
"Today, aside from war preparations, there is one more matter to announce.
Blackbeard Teach captured Fire Fist Ace alive and presented him as a tribute to Marine Headquarters. After deliberation among the higher-ups, it has been decided that he will officially replace the deposed Crocodile as a new member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
As soon as these words fell, a noticeable stir erupted in the conference hall.
The eyes of all the Warlords turned toward Blackbeard, filled with shock, doubt, and disdain.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea were powerful figures recognized by the World Government, capable of standing against both the Marines and the Four Emperors. Each bore a reputation that resounded across the seas.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard had previously been nothing more than an unknown minor figure under the Whitebeard Pirates, not even holding the position of a division commander. Yet now, he had leaped to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, standing on equal footing with them—a reality the veteran Warlords present found difficult to accept.
Doflamingo was the first to regain his composure. Having just been mocked by Moria, he was already simmering with anger. Seeing Blackbeard rise to such heights in one step only deepened his disdain.
His narrow eyes filled with contempt, a sinister smile curling at the corners of his mouth as he sneered:
"Fufufufufu... An unknown nobody, worthy of becoming a Warlord? Worthy of standing on equal footing with me, Doflamingo?
Utterly ridiculous."
In his view, Blackbeard was merely a lucky fool, unworthy of the title of Warlord and even less deserving of standing before him.
Moria also cast a cold gaze toward Blackbeard, his anger undisguised.
Earlier, when he and Doflamingo had been at each other's throats, Blackbeard had watched with evident amusement.
Though Moria already despised Doflamingo, Blackbeard's attitude had still greatly irritated him.
Now was the perfect opportunity to settle the score.
His massive body swayed slightly as his sharp, mocking voice rang out:
"Shishishishishi... Just a worthless nobody who wasn't even a division commander in the Whitebeard Pirates, and you dare to become a Warlord?
I'd like to see what skills you actually have. I certainly don't believe you possess strength worthy of the title."
Faced with the dual mockery from Doflamingo and Moria, Blackbeard remained unfazed, revealing a rough grin.
"What foolishness, seeing only the surface," Blackbeard scoffed.
"I captured Fire Fist Ace alive and escaped right under the nose of the world's strongest man, Whitebeard. That alone speaks volumes.
Without sufficient strength, how could I have accomplished such feats?"
He paused briefly, then slowly rose to his feet. The aura around him instantly turned cold and sinister.
Beneath him, a mass of pitch-black darkness silently spread, swiftly covering the entire floor of the meeting room.
Wherever the darkness passed, tables, chairs, wine glasses, and plates were all swallowed. Even light was absorbed, plunging the room into gloom.
"If you still don't believe me," Blackbeard's voice echoed from within the darkness, "then why not test me yourselves? See if this 'worthless nobody' is truly worthy of being a Warlord!"
This eerie darkness instantly startled the Warlords present, their expressions turning grave.
They could clearly sense an extremely bizarre power within the darkness, as if it could devour everything.
None had ever encountered such a strange ability, and a trace of wariness stirred within them.
Just as everyone remained solemn, none daring to respond lightly, a hearty roar suddenly erupted:
"Fine! Let me test you myself!"
Before the words faded, Garp had already stepped forward, his Conqueror's Haki erupting violently around him. Black and red lightning crackled wildly across his body.
Clenching his fist, he infused it with Conqueror's Haki, gathering immense power as he swung it fiercely toward Blackbeard:
"Galaxy Impact!"
Empowered by Conqueror's Haki Infusion, the very air distorted from the force of his punch.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea present all stepped back, their expressions filled with terror.
They all understood that the power of this punch was enough to kill a Vice Admiral. If Blackbeard were struck by it, he would undoubtedly die.
Facing Garp's terrifying punch, a flash of gravity appeared in Blackbeard's eyes, yet he did not retreat in the slightest.
With a low shout, the darkness beneath his feet surged instantly, condensing into a black vortex that shielded him.
This black vortex spun at an extreme speed, emanating a force that devoured everything, attempting to swallow Garp's fist.