"Know~!"
The Den Den Mushi's alert sounded crisply.
Sengoku swiftly picked it up, his face dark with frustration.
Kizaru's status was still unknown, and the massive earthen sphere looming over the Sabaody Archipelago remained unresolved.
This was nothing short of a direct provocation against the Navy and the World Government.
"Is this the Navy Headquarters?"
A strange voice came through.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
"This is the Navy Headquarters. Sengoku speaking."
At those words, the man on the other end—wearing sunglasses—smirked faintly.
"So it's Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Good. I've got news. You'll be very interested. So will the World Government."
"Who are you?" Sengoku's tone turned cold.
"My name doesn't matter. What matters is that I have news… about the Celestial Dragons."
The Den Den Mushi's expression twisted into one of malice and mockery.
Sengoku's pupils contracted slightly. A sense of foreboding crept over him.
"What news?" he asked, a rare urgency in his voice.
The Celestial Dragons had only recently been publicly humiliated—beaten by Garp's grandson, no less.
And now, new developments? Sengoku couldn't help but tense.
"Heh… you Navy dogs really are loyal to your masters, huh?"
"Your beloved Celestial Dragon was killed… on Fishman Island."
"WHAT?!"
Sengoku froze, then let out a furious growl.
Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
A Celestial Dragon… dead?
He shot to his feet, his expression turning grim.
"Hahaha~!"
"Just the reaction I expected. Yes, they're dead!"
"And the one responsible? Someone you're very familiar with."
"The man with the new 4 billion bounty—Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Belibelibeli~!"
The call abruptly ended.
Sengoku stood there, his expression clouded with rage and disbelief.
"Dead… a Celestial Dragon… is actually dead…"
"This is huge…"
"Uzumaki Naruto again… damn it!"
"Kizaru's situation isn't even resolved yet, and now this… another Celestial Dragon, killed…"
"Fishman Island… of all places?"
"Wasn't Whitebeard supposed to be protecting it…?"
He let out a long, heavy sigh, slowly setting down the Den Den Mushi.
"Someone! Get in here!"
"Marshal Sengoku!" A Marine burst in and saluted.
Sengoku glanced at him sharply. "Tell Sakazuki and Garp to meet me in the conference room. Emergency meeting—immediately!"
"Yes, Marshal Sengoku!" The soldier responded crisply and ran off.
Sengoku turned toward the door, his jaw tight.
"This is spiraling out of control…"
"The execution must proceed as scheduled—three days from now."
"If we delay, the Navy's prestige will plummet to zero."
His gaze sharpened. "Garp… don't do anything reckless."
He pushed the door open and made his way to the conference room.
Ten minutes later.
Inside the Navy Headquarters' conference room, Sengoku stood before the assembled leaders.
The usual faces were present—each one a pillar of the Navy's power and authority.
Vice Admiral Garp. Fleet Admiral Akainu (Sakazuki). Admiral Aokiji (Kuzan). And Vice Admiral Tsuru.
But this time, Sengoku's expression was darker than it had been even when Kizaru's fate was uncertain.
"Sengoku, what now?" Garp asked irritably. "If this is about Kizaru again, we still can't break that damn dirt ball."
But Sengoku didn't snap back.
He simply gave Garp a cold glare. "Shut up."
Garp blinked. That was rare—even for Sengoku.
"W-What happened?" Garp asked, voice quieter.
The room fell silent. Everyone straightened up in their seats.
It was the first time they'd seen Sengoku look like this.
"A Celestial Dragon was killed… on Fishman Island."
"I thought it was some big emergency," Garp muttered with a shrug—then choked mid-bite of his donut.
"Wait… WHAT?!"
His eyes bulged in shock. "A Celestial Dragon… dead?!"
The others stared, speechless.
Being beaten was one thing.
Being killed was another matter entirely.
Aokiji leaned back slowly, rubbing his temples as he closed his eyes.
This… was not something they could brush off.
"This is serious."
"Too reckless... even the Celestial Dragons have been killed."
Bang!
Akainu slammed his fist on the table, fury radiating from him.
"Who did it?!"
Sengoku spoke gravely:
"Following Kizaru's defeat, the mysterious man—Uzumaki Naruto—killed a Celestial Dragon on Fishman Island."
Buzz—
The entire conference room fell into stunned silence.
Then, Akainu rose to his feet, magma boiling and seeping out of his body, unable to contain his rage.
"Damn it! Idiotic! Reckless!!"
The death of a Celestial Dragon had thrown Marine Headquarters into a full-blown crisis.
And Akainu's fury toward Naruto had reached its peak.
At that moment, Sengoku slowly pulled out a special black Den Den Mushi and set it on the table.
Everyone in the room knew what it meant.
Even Akainu fell silent. He glanced at the Den Den Mushi, then sat back down slowly.
But the cigar in his mouth was shaking—a clear sign of his barely contained anger.
Sengoku closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
"Kizaru's life is still uncertain, and now Uzumaki Naruto has killed a Celestial Dragon."
"The Navy's prestige... is crumbling."
"There can be no mistake in the execution three days from now."
"Absolutely none."
"Unless you're all ready to abandon your uniforms and be purged."
His tone was cold, his voice sharp and unforgiving.
He looked toward Garp, whose expression had turned grim.
"Garp... I've already given you and your grandson more chances than I should have."
"But things are different now."
"If you dare to interfere again—your title as the Hero of the Navy won't protect you."
"You know what I'll have to do."
Everyone present understood what the death of a Celestial Dragon meant.
Sure enough, the tension didn't last long.
"Belibelibeli~!"
The special Den Den Mushi rang.
Sengoku glanced at the others, then calmly picked it up.
The voice on the other end spoke immediately:
"Marshal Sengoku, we are already aware that a Celestial Dragon has died on Fishman Island."
"The culprit is the same mysterious figure who defeated Admiral Kizaru—Uzumaki Naruto."
As those words fell, everyone's pupils contracted.
They already knew.
This voice—calm, commanding, unyielding—belonged to one of the Five Elder Stars, the highest authority in the World Government.
Sengoku took a deep breath.
"We only just received confirmation."
The Den Den Mushi's face mirrored the Elder's—cold, expressionless.
"No need to explain."
"We're not interested in the details. We only care about results."
Suddenly, Akainu's voice cut through the air.
"Initiate the Buster Call—immediately!"
The voice from the Den Den Mushi responded sharply:
"Foolishness!"
"Fishman Island is located beneath the sea."
"In three days, I expect to see Uzumaki Naruto on the execution platform."
"Additionally, since a Celestial Dragon has been killed on Fishman Island, we are now short one Admiral."
"Have the reserve Admiral take up the position—and destroy Fishman Island."
Whether or not the fish-men or mermaids were involved in the murder, it didn't matter.
The fact was, the Celestial Dragons died there.
Fishman Island would cease to exist.
Everyone in the room understood the reality of the order.
"If the Whitebeard Pirates dare to interfere, we will initiate the highest-level encirclement and suppression operation against them."
The Elder's voice rang out again:
"Marshal Sengoku."
Sengoku looked down at the Den Den Mushi.
"Do not allow this incident to shake us again."
"Do not allow the dignity of the World Government to be trampled a second time."
"Understood," Sengoku replied solemnly.
Belibelibeli~!
The call disconnected.
Sengoku slowly returned the black Den Den Mushi to its case.
"Now, I trust you all understand the weight of this situation."
Sengoku swept his gaze across the four officers before him.
"Three days from now—there can be no mistakes!"
"And the matter of Fishman Island must be resolved!"
He tapped the table firmly, eyes sharp.
"For both these objectives... Whitebeard is likely to choose Fishman Island as his point of attack. Vice Admiral Tsuru—"
He turned to her.
"Have Gion—Momousagi—handle the Fishman Island operation."
"Once she returns, she will be promoted to Admiral of Marine Headquarters!"
With that, Sengoku stood up.
Akainu followed, fists clenched.
"Marshal Sengoku! I request to accompany you!"
"That damn Uzumaki Naruto may show up again!"
But Sengoku shook his head solemnly.
"Both missions are critical. But the public execution in three days is even more important."
"Besides, based on what happened with Kizaru, Uzumaki Naruto doesn't stay in one place for long."
"Our focus here must be on guarding against the Whitebeard Pirates."
Akainu clenched his jaw, but ultimately stepped back.
"Garp..." Sengoku looked at the old hero, his tone heavy.
"If you can't accept this outcome, take a walk outside. Or go with Tsuru to clear your mind."
Without waiting for a response, Sengoku pushed open the door and walked out of the conference room.
"Tch."
Akainu snorted coldly, not even sparing a glance at Garp's darkened face as he left in another direction.
Aokiji rose slowly.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, Sentomaru is still stationed at Sabaody Archipelago."
"If you plan to go to Fishman Island, you can rendezvous with him first."
Vice Admiral Tsuru gave a faint nod and stood as well.
"Let's not waste any more time. Let's move."
"Right."
The two left, their footsteps steady, leaving Garp alone at the long table—his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, Sengoku had already left the command center and activated the Navy's highest alert level.
All forces were now preparing to intercept the Whitebeard Pirates.
In the silence of the empty room, after a long pause, Garp slowly stood and walked toward Impel Down—the most secure prison in the world.
There, deep within the cold corridors, Garp stood before a particular cell.
Inside sat a familiar figure. And opposite him—another one Garp knew all too well.
He spoke, voice hoarse:
"You just had to rebel, didn't you... I told you not to."
In the distance, Magellan stood with arms crossed, watching silently.
Even Hannyabal had come out in person, his face tense.
The Hero of the Navy, Garp, had arrived. Whatever his purpose, they remained extremely vigilant.
At the same time...
Crash—!!!
A towering wave erupted from the deep.
Beneath the sea, a massive bubble slowly rose to the surface—encapsulating the entire Fishman Island.
The calm was shattered as the sea roared and split.
Fishman Island broke through the waves—bathed in sunlight once more!
The Marines stationed at Sabaody Archipelago stood in disbelief.
Sentomaru narrowed his eyes and raised his telescope.
Clang—
The telescope slipped from his hands and hit the deck.
His mouth fell open, eyes bulging in shock.
He was speechless.
"..."
...
TN:
🍃 Support me on P-com/LordMerlin