Whoosh!
A young man was flying rapidly through the air a thousand meters above the ground, his clothes flapping violently in the wind.
Pere pere pere… Pere pere pere…
Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi rang from the man's pocket.
Click!
"Moshi moshi! This is Aeridar." Aeridar took the Den Den Mushi out of his pocket and answered it casually.
"Captain, it's me, Arlan," came the voice from the other side, who was still in the Clifford Kingdom.
"Oh, Arlan! What's up?"
"Big Mom sent Perospero with an invitation."
"An invitation? Is it for a tea party?"
"That's right. Big Mom is holding a Sweets Festival where she's gathered a thousand kinds of sweets. Basically, it's just a party to gather all her friendly allies."
"I see. When is it?"
"The date is still early. May 1st."
"Got it. That's all for now. When I get back, I have something important to tell you. It's not convenient to say it over the phone."
"Understood. Talk to you later."
Click!
Aeridar hung up the Den Den Mushi and put it back in his pocket.
"A tea party, huh? I hear the desserts are pretty good. I might as well go check it out," Aeridar mumbled, rubbing his chin.
....
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the family town behind the fortress, a figure swayed as he entered a tavern. This was a tavern for Marine families, and business was good.
When the people inside saw Garp enter, they didn't react much because the hero Garp, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and several other Admirals were regulars here.
"Vice Admiral Garp, you're here again," the middle-aged bartender at the counter said with a smile.
"Ah! A cup of rum and twenty doughnuts. And give me the latest newspaper," Garp said, waving his hand as he sat down and picked his nose.
"Alright. Just a moment. You can read the newspaper first," the bartender said, handing Garp the latest newspaper.
"Mm-hmm." Garp nodded and began reading the paper.
"Still the same old trivial stuff." Garp scanned the newspaper. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he said angrily, "That guy… he became a pirate!"
At that moment, on the hallway outside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku walked with his head down, looking at a wanted poster in his hand. The photo on the poster showed a young man with freckles on his cheeks, wearing a necklace of red beads and a cowboy hat with both a "smile" and a "sad" emblem on it.
"Fleet Admiral, he's a pirate whose power has been rapidly expanding recently," the adjutant next to him said.
"Where did he come from?" Sengoku asked with a frown.
"We're not sure of his origin, but he's a newcomer with a Logia-type ability," the adjutant said with a hint of admiration.
Looking at the "D." in the name on the wanted poster, Sengoku fell into deep thought and didn't say anything. He separated from his adjutant and entered his office.
"Hey, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Seeing Sengoku walk in, Borsalino sat in his seat, pouting, and said leisurely, "Dr. Vegapunk suggested that Bartholomew Kuma resign as a Warlord so he can stay with him. He said it would speed up his research on the Pacifistas." "Have Kuma resign as a Warlord?" Sengoku frowned as he sat down. "That's not an easy matter.
The world's balance is maintained by the three great powers: the Marines, the Yonko, and the
Seven Warlords. If Kuma suddenly resigns without a successor, it could be very troublesome."
"I'm just delivering the message," Borsalino said with a shrug. Although he was the commander of the Marine's Special Science Group, this wasn't a decision even three Admirals could make.
Sengoku thought for a moment before saying, "Let's wait. If we can find a suitable successor, we can consider it."
"Hmm?!"
Sengoku suddenly seemed to think of something. He looked at the wanted poster he had just placed on his desk and muttered, "Portgas D. Ace… a suspected Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit user. This newcomer seems like a good choice."
"Portgas D. Ace, huh? He is a pretty good newcomer, ne~" Hearing Sengoku's mumbling, Borsalino said, "A suspected Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit user who has taken down three pirate crews with bounties over 80 million and four crews with bounties over 50 million. He's a strong newcomer."
"Oh, you know about him, too?" Sengoku looked up at Borsalino.
"It was in today's newspaper," Borsalino said, patting a newspaper on the table next to him.
Sengoku nodded and remained silent, as if still contemplating something.
"Based on this momentum, he'll be the most outstanding newcomer this year, or maybe even in the next few years." Then, Borsalino shrugged and teased, "I just don't know if he can compare to Golden Ring Aeridar from back in the day."
Sengoku's face darkened when Borsalino mentioned that man's name. With the position and privileges of a Warlord, that man had developed over the years. His former collaborator, Doflamingo, only had an advantage in connections; he was no match for this man. Even the Marines and the World Government couldn't touch him. His power had become a giant behemoth.
"Logia-type abilities are strong, but it's the person who develops and uses them that counts. Compared to that man, this newcomer is probably a bit lacking," Sengoku said, giving an honest assessment despite his dislike for Aeridar.
"How scary~" Borsalino said leisurely, taking a sip of his tea.
"Hmph. Since you were the one who brought this up, you can go and make contact with Portgas D. Ace when he reaches the Sabaody Archipelago," Sengoku said, annoyed at Borsalino's relaxed attitude.
"Hey, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, have mercy on me. My vacation starts tomorrow." Borsalino raised his hands, pleading. "Just notify a general from a branch along the way, or at the very least, have Rear Admiral Edgeven Karnte from the Sabaody Archipelago go. I don't want my vacation to be ruined."
"Hmm?!" Sengoku suddenly said, "Or, we can have Golden Ring Aeridar do it. According to the latest intelligence, that man has appeared in the first half of the Grand Line recently."
"Have that man go?" Borsalino was stunned. "Looking at the messy situation on Aznat Island, who knows when Garfield Caesar will make a move? Does that man even have the time?"