'Bang!'
At that moment, in Marine Headquarters, Marineford, a brand-new desk was shattered once again.
Hammons William, his face ashen with rage, clenched his fists tightly, seething with fury. "Fallen Angel El—"
"That damned brat... I won't let you get away with this!!"
He never expected this. El had just attacked G-5 Fortress, and instead of retreating, the audacious rogue went on to assault G-1 Fortress directly. And now, with the Celestial Dragons being attacked, William couldn't help but wonder if these incidents were connected to El.
After all, the Lunarians had a deep, complicated grudge against the World Government. For centuries, the World Government had issued orders to hunt down and exterminate the remaining members of the Lunarian race. Knowing El's brazen and lawless nature, it wasn't far-fetched to think he could be behind the kidnapping or even murder of the Celestial Dragons, retaliating directly against the World Government.
"Fleet Admiral William, what should we do now?" The young ensign next to him, drenched in cold sweat, braced himself and asked cautiously.
Earlier, G-5 Fortress had been attacked by Fallen Angel El, and communication had been cut off. They hadn't even had time to send someone to investigate when, less than two hours later, G-1 Fortress, located at the entrance to the New World and far from G-5, was also assaulted by El. His speed was simply terrifying.
At the same time, the Celestial Dragons had been kidnapped on the Sabaody Archipelago, and one of them had already been killed. Admiral Hark was needed to handle the situation, as the higher-ups had ordered the Celestial Dragons' rescue at any cost and the capture of the bold criminals. There was no way he could be sent to the New World.
"That's right..."
William rubbed his temples as a thought came to mind. "Aren't Sengoku and Garp on vacation at Sabaody Archipelago?"
The ensign paused before replying uncertainly, "I think they were planning to head there earlier today. I overheard them chatting, arm-in-arm, about going to Sabaody Archipelago."
The "Sengoku" and "Garp" mentioned by the Fleet Admiral were both rising stars in the Navy, known for their remarkable talents. Despite their youth, their potential rivaled that of a young Admiral Steel Bone Kong.
Sengoku, also known as "Sengoku The Buddha," had a rare Mythical Zoan ability and was already famous for his strategic brilliance. Garp, dubbed "Iron Fist," was a formidable fighter, excelling in martial arts and Armament Haki, despite lacking a Devil Fruit ability. Though young and lacking in accolades, their strength was undeniable, making them promising future admirals.
"Immediately cancel their vacation and send them to Island 1," William ordered without hesitation. "Tell Rear Admiral Sengoku to take command from Rear Admiral Mace. His priority is the safety of the Celestial Dragons, but he must ensure the criminals don't escape!"
Compared to Mace, the average commander of the Sabaody Archipelago Marine branch, Sengoku had far more potential in terms of both intelligence and power, making him a better choice to command the island's Marines until Admiral Hark arrived with reinforcements.
"Yes, sir!"
…
"Hurry—"
"Surround Island 1!"
"We've confirmed the criminals are hiding inside the auction house!"
"Make sure they don't escape!"
"Ensure the safety of the Celestial Dragons!"
Before long, the Marines stationed on the Sabaody Archipelago had mobilized, rushing toward Island 1 after receiving orders from Marine Headquarters. The heavily armed Marines stormed through the streets, causing panic as residents and tourists scrambled to get out of their way.
Reports from undercover CP agents had already reached the Marines, detailing suspicious activity at the auction house. The Marines wasted no time surrounding the building in full force.
"Mirror World!"
Inside the auction house, under the surprised gazes of Linlin, Nef, Moss, the Three-eye girl Lillian, and others, Barry held up a mirror. The mirror quickly expanded, revealing the Mirror World in front of them.
"Crawl inside and stay put. Don't move!" Nef commanded.
The Celestial Dragons, trembling in terror and restrained by both their slave collars and the green rings created by Nef's Pet-Pet Fruit, reluctantly crawled into the Mirror World.
"You all go in too. Hide inside and keep an eye on those Celestial Dragons. The upcoming battle isn't something you're ready to handle yet!" Linlin stood up, addressing the newly freed slaves, including Lillian and the mermaid girl Ily.
"Wait, the sedative is wearing off! I can help too!" Lillian protested, wanting to contribute. Her three eyes scanned the area, and she pointed outside. "There are over two thousand presences surrounding us, but none stronger than me..."
As a natural user of Observation Haki, Lillian could accurately sense the presence of those on the island, immediately detecting the large number of people converging on the auction house.
"Mamamama~ Your Observation Haki is quite impressive..." Linlin praised, patting Lillian's shoulder. "But those are just the local Marines, and their commander is only a measly rear admiral. This is just the appetizer. The real fight is yet to come."
Though Linlin was only thirteen, her monstrous abilities, including her Mythical Zoan Vampire form and near-invincible defense, made her almost unkillable. Even if a Marine admiral arrived, she wouldn't fear them. Though an admiral might be able to suppress her, they wouldn't be able to kill her.
"We understand your desire to prove yourself, but it's too early for that," Nef added, smiling.
"But..."
Before Lillian could say anything more, Linlin grabbed her and tossed her into the Mirror World.
"Mamamama~ If you want to help, remember how powerless you feel now and train harder. You're not strong enough yet!" Linlin waved dismissively, leaving Lillian to reflect on her weakness.
After all the slaves entered the Mirror World, the mirror shrunk back down, and Barry handed it to Linlin. Another mirror was given to Moss, who entered the Mirror World, ready to assist.
"Air Door!" Uthan pressed into the air, opening a portal to a green alternate space where the outside world could still be seen.
"Mamamama~ Too bad we can't trap others inside this thing," Linlin remarked.
"Don't joke around. The space won't hold for long..." Uthan sighed. "Besides, my range for moving through the space is only about 500 meters right now."
"Alright, let's head out!" Uthan and Moss entered the space, ready to move.
"Time to warm up!" Linlin stretched, her curvaceous figure on full display, licking her lips in excitement. "Mamamama~ I can't wait!"
"Wait, Oars. You don't need to help with Marineford. Uthan and Moss have that covered," Rock appeared, having just scouted outside. "I've received intelligence from Sally. There's a slight complication. We'll need your help."
"Oh?" Linlin and the others paused, curious.
"Two of the Navy's brightest stars, Sengoku and Garp, are vacationing on this island," Rock explained, burning a piece of paper. "They may come to interfere."
"Rayleigh, have we finished coating the ship's anchor?"
"How could it be done so quickly? If it weren't for you, Roger, dragging me to that auction, we'd probably be done by now!"
"Come on, why bother doing it yourself? Can't we just leave it to the workers?"
"Idiot, this is a life-or-death matter! How could I trust those guys with something so important?"
"Now we're in trouble... those people really are causing chaos!"
"Before we left, I definitely sensed something disappear. It wouldn't surprise me if a Celestial Dragon has already been killed!"
"Tsk tsk, I heard that even just offending a Celestial Dragon brings out the Marine Admirals. If one actually dies, the Marines will go crazy!"
"Enough talking, let's leave the New World for later... Getting off Sabaody Archipelago is our top priority!"
"Exactly, I don't want to get dragged into this mess for no reason. The Marines alone are troublesome enough... and if the CPO shows up, we're finished!"
At a quiet coating dock on Island 53, a pirate ship with nearly completed coating work hoisted its sails, ready to leave the island. The black pirate flag, emblazoned with a skull and two curled mustaches on either side, waved prominently in the wind. It was unmistakably the ship of the Roger Pirates.
Roger and his crew had returned to the ship from Island 1, fully aware that the attack on the Celestial Dragons would soon stir up a massive storm across the island. They were urgently gathering all their crew members to set sail.
"Roger—!"
A tall figure charged forward, cutting through the air with incredible speed, racing toward the pirate ship that was about to depart. "I knew you'd be here! You're not getting away!!!"
Clang!
A flash of steel followed by the loud clash of metal echoed. Roger reacted swiftly, leaping to the shore and drawing his sword to block the incoming blow. His blade collided with a Haki-coated fist that struck with the force of iron.
"Hmph…"
The collision between the two sent shockwaves across the area, causing the sea to churn and the sails of the pirate ship to shake violently.
"Heh, Garp…"
Roger's eyes narrowed as he locked onto the muscular, scarred, black-haired young man before him. "Can't you stop causing trouble? This isn't the time for a reunion!"
"This guy…"
"Isn't that Rear Admiral Monkey D. Garp from Marine Headquarters?"
"Why do we keep running into this guy no matter where we go?"
"He's relentless, like a bloodhound with a keen nose!"
The Roger Pirates exchanged serious glances, mixed with a bit of exasperation. They were all too familiar with Garp, having clashed with him multiple times. He was an exceptionally skilled and troublesome opponent.
"Garp, if you think you can stop us on your own, I'm afraid you're outmatched…"
Rayleigh, smiling, stepped forward with his sword drawn, its sharp edge glinting in the light as he pointed it directly at Garp, who was facing off against Roger.
Though pirates might pride themselves on fair fights, this wasn't the time to uphold such ideals. If they delayed any longer, a Marine Admiral would soon arrive.
"Heh, Garp…"
"Why did you rush ahead?" Two more figures appeared, catching up to Garp. One was a beautiful, imposing woman with a ponytail, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. The other was a brawny, square-jawed man with an afro, around the same age as Garp.
The three were none other than the famous Marine trio: Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru, who had risen through the ranks together and were now regarded as the brightest stars of the Navy's new generation.
"Huh?"
Sengoku's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the crew before him. "Roger Pirates?"
"You guys are really here?" Tsuru, hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow. "I thought Garp had just run off on some wild chase again!"
"The Buddha Sengoku and Strategist Tsuru…"
"These are some serious opponents!" Rayleigh and Gaban, the third-in-command, exchanged glances and stepped forward to confront Sengoku and Tsuru.
"Heh, Roger's here. I can smell him a mile away…"
Garp grinned, his fists clenched tight, crackling with black Haki. His fiery gaze was locked onto Roger. "Roger, you're not getting away this time! Surrender, and I won't let you escape again!"
"That's not happening, Garp…"
Roger's grin never faltered as he lifted his sword, fearless. "My dream is to sail around the world on the greatest adventure of all! I won't stop here!"
"That's impossible…" Tsuru folded her arms, her voice firm. "Your crew has already tried, hasn't it? All the Log Poses stop working once you reach Lodestar Island in the second half of the New World. There's no other way forward."
"For hundreds of years, no one has completed a full circumnavigation of the world... It's just a myth," Sengoku added, his sharp gaze fixed on Rayleigh.
"It's only a challenge if it's something nobody else can achieve!" Roger laughed. "But you Marines have bigger issues to worry about right now, don't you? Shouldn't you be more concerned with saving your precious Celestial Dragons?"
Roger Pirates' third-in-command, Scopper Gaban, chimed in seriously. "Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru... Instead of trying to stop us, you might want to focus on rescuing the Celestial Dragons. Otherwise, your Fleet Admiral William will have a hard time explaining things."
"What do those vile Celestial Dragons being attacked have to do with us?" Garp scoffed, puffing out his chest defiantly. "I'm on vacation. I didn't hear anything, and I didn't see anything... If someone else wants to deal with it, they can! Besides, I'm busy capturing you, Roger!"
Garp had no love for the Celestial Dragons, having witnessed their arrogant, oppressive behavior. The thought of helping them disgusted him. If it weren't for his sense of justice and desire to take down pirates, he would have quit the Marines long ago.
Sengoku remained silent, feeling the weight of the situation. He had come to drag Garp back, ready to deal with the situation at hand. While Garp had no ambition, Sengoku had dreams of becoming Fleet Admiral one day and changing the system from within.
Brrr~ Brrr~
Just then, Tsuru's Den Den Mushi rang. She pulled it out and answered, "Moshi moshi, this is Tsuru."
"Rear Admiral Tsuru, are you with Rear Admiral Sengoku and Rear Admiral Garp?"
"Yes, we've found the Roger Pirates and are in pursuit," she replied, eyeing the pirates before her.
Sengoku's eyes twitched, and Garp raised an eyebrow, sensing something amiss.
"You should have received the news by now. The Celestial Dragons were attacked, and Fleet Admiral William has ordered that your leave is canceled. You're to head to Island 1 immediately and rescue the Celestial Dragons at all costs. The criminals must not escape."
The voice of a young ensign came through the Den Den Mushi, relaying the orders. "Until Admiral Hark arrives with the fleet, Rear Admiral Sengoku is in charge of the Marines on Sabaody Archipelago."
"As for the Roger Pirates, ignore them for now. Your priority is the Celestial Dragons! That is all!"
Click.
"Hahaha!!"
The Roger Pirates burst into laughter, clearly amused by the situation.
They grinned at Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru.
"You wanted to capture us, didn't you? Go ahead, disobey your orders and try it!"
Garp: "..."
Sengoku: "..."
~~~
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