At that moment, Domino, the head warden, stepped forward to report.
"And what else?" Sengoku asked, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Also, Douglas Barrett escaped along with the prisoner named Renji Kai."
"What?! Douglas Barrett escaped?!"
The news hit Garp like a thunderbolt. He slammed his palm down on the table with a thunderous crack. The entire room instantly tensed. Especially Hannyabal, who was known for being easily startled—his body was trembling violently, terrified of being held responsible.
"Is that guy really that strong?" Kuzan asked curiously. This was the first time he had seen Garp lose his composure.
Garp let out a bitter chuckle. "He started sailing the seas when he was just fifteen. After countless battles, he had never once been defeated. It wasn't until he met Roger that he finally lost. After that, he followed Roger across the world.
When Roger's time ended, Barrett left the Roger Pirates and went solo, turning the seas upside down in the process. Back then, the Navy couldn't handle him at all. It wasn't until he was twenty-two, after we got wind of some critical intel, that nearly the entire Navy mobilized. Sengoku and I led the charge in a legendary battle.
He was eventually defeated, not because we were stronger, but because he ran out of stamina. He was locked away here ever since. Even though years have passed and we've grown stronger, and we've trained admirals like you all, we must still not underestimate him."
Garp's recollection was vivid, and his tone carried the weight of experience. The image of his battle with Barrett was still fresh in his mind. Barrett was one of the few pirates who had ever pushed Garp to use his full strength.
After hearing Garp's story, many in the room gasped in shock. Most of them were younger and had only heard whispers of Barrett's legend. Now, they realized just how dangerous it was that Barrett had escaped.
And worse—he hadn't escaped alone. He left with a mysterious prisoner named Renji Kai, whose background was still unknown. This left everyone deeply uneasy.
"Enough. I'll report this personally to the higher-ups," Garp said. "The rest of you, focus on recovering. I'll also have several heavily armed warships stationed here in case of any further incidents."
"Understood," Magellan said, nodding gravely.
Before long, the news of Renji Kai's escape shocked the entire world.
At Marineford, in the highest-level Navy conference, all officers of Vice Admiral rank and above were present. The meeting was presided over by Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
"Can someone explain to me who this Renji Kai is? How can a prisoner locked in the first-level Crimson Hell cause such devastation in Impel Down?" Sengoku asked, his voice heavy with disbelief.
But the room remained silent. No one knew who Renji Kai really was or where he had come from.
"I don't care what his background is. Any pirate who threatens the world must die. I'll personally lead a Navy task force to bring them back," said a tall man with tattoos across his arms, a sword on his right, roses and cherry blossoms on his left, wearing a deep red suit, black gloves, and a Marine cap. He was Akainu—Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki, that kid's no pushover. Even Magellan and Shiryu of the Rain couldn't handle him," said another man across the table, dressed in a yellow-and-white striped suit with a purple tie and green shirt, his messy black hair and shades adding to his relaxed appearance. This was Kizaru—Borsalino.
"It's not just him. Don't forget Douglas Barrett is with him. Even after twenty years of imprisonment, Barrett is still a force to be reckoned with," said an elderly woman with gray hair tied into a low ponytail, wearing green earrings and two gold bracelets. She wore a Vice Admiral's coat—this was Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Tsuru, once an equal of Garp and Sengoku and a warrior of the same era as Barrett, knew firsthand how dangerous he could be.
"Tch. Vice Admiral Tsuru, times have changed. The Navy is at its peak strength now. Even those in the New World don't scare us," Sakazuki scoffed, unfazed by the warnings.
"Enough, Sakazuki. Since you're so confident, you'll lead the task force to the East Blue and track them down.
This will serve two purposes: to strike fear into them and to show the world that the Navy is taking this seriously.
Although this breakout wasn't directly our fault, the World Government is still extremely displeased. Especially since our support fleet arrived and still let two major fugitives escape.
They've demanded that we clean up this mess immediately to calm public unrest," Sengoku ordered, shooting a glance at Garp.
Garp, completely unfazed, picked his nose nonchalantly.
It was obvious that Sengoku was holding a grudge against Garp for his decision to not pursue Renji Kai at the time. That choice had thrown everyone into this mess.
But what could he do? Garp was his old friend, and even as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku couldn't do much about him—he could only stew in silent frustration.