New World, Marine Headquarters — Marineford!
Fleet Admiral's Office
"Garp, stop being so stubborn! What's so bad about becoming an Admiral?!"
Sengoku spoke sternly, his expression grim.
"Ahahahaha! Admiral? That's way too troublesome. That kind of thing doesn't suit me. If I get promoted to Admiral, I won't be able to move freely anymore.
Fleet Admiral Kong, I've said this before: the Roger Pirates are an extremely dangerous crew. I must capture Roger and bring him to justice, or I'll always have this bad feeling in my gut.
So, Admiral? Nah—let someone else do that job!"
Garp laughed heartily, waving off the idea of promotion and pay raise like it was dust on his sleeve. Rank and power? Garp preferred doing things his own way.
SLAM!
The office door closed with a bang.
In the corner, where he had been silent the whole time, Admiral Sengoku stood up, gave Kong a bitter smile, and quickly went after Garp.
"That guy… still as stubborn as ever."
Marine Training Base
A young Marine soldier clenched his fists tightly with excitement when he heard Garp had refused the Admiral position.
"As expected of Vice Admiral Garp—still as cool as ever!"
This soldier was none other than a new recruit who had joined the Marines just a couple of years ago—future Admiral Aokiji, still burning with a sense of justice.
"Hmph. Naive ideals. I will definitely become an Admiral," muttered Akainu coldly nearby.
"I'll spread Absolute Justice across this filthy world. Pirates have no right to exist."
Since joining the Navy, Akainu had never once shown mercy to pirates. His heart was filled with unwavering Absolute Justice—there was no room for what he considered "trash."
Only the Marines deserve to rule this world with justice.
"Tsk, tsk. Garp sure hasn't changed at all, huh?"
Sitting in a nearby gazebo trimming his nails, Kizaru commented lazily, a faint smirk on his lips. His tone was always indifferent—a follower of Ambiguous Justice, doing things only when he felt like it.
Unaware of the opinions from the next generation of Marines, Garp had already boarded the "Dog Head" warship, setting course for the East Blue.
From Marine Intelligence, he had learned that Roger's ship was currently heading that way. Although the purpose was unknown, his instincts screamed:
"This is the best chance to catch Roger."
East Blue – Calm Seas
Standing on the deck after a round of training, Kaito Raien looked out over the endless ocean.
The wind blew gently across the sea, and Kaito let out a relaxed sigh.
After two days of sailing, he had finally learned the Roger Pirates' objective from Buggy.
They were headed to East Blue in search of the famous doctor Crocus. Roger had already fallen seriously ill. To continue their voyage, he would need medicine to stay alive—the importance of a doctor couldn't be overstated.
"System, I want to draw a prize!"
With 630 anime points saved up over the past few days, Kaito decided to go all-in.
[Congratulations, Host! You've obtained: One Great Strength Roasted Quail!]
(ー_ー)!!
"Oh come on, seriously?!"
Kaito looked at the Roasted Quail in his inventory with a face full of black lines.
It smelled good, sure, but come on...
[Congratulations, Host! You've obtained the skill: Dragon Suction Water!]
Dragon Suction Water?
Isn't that some weird life hack made famous by that internet bodybuilder...?
Eyes wide, Kaito quickly read the skill description. After a moment, he let out a long breath of relief.
No, thankfully, it wasn't that.
"Dragon Suction Water": Spin your body at high speed to create a growing waterspout. The upper end connects to storm clouds, the lower end to the sea surface. Its terrifying pulling force can destroy ships and suck seawater into the sky.
[Great Strength Potion]: Temporarily grants the power of an adult giant. For the sake of your future, young man—
Drink it.
[Congratulations! You've obtained a golden weapon: Fangtian Huaji!]
[Congratulations! You've obtained skill set: Demonic God Three-Form! (Thunder Half-Moon Slash, Bloodthirsty Greedy Wolf, Demonic God Possession)]
"What the—?!"
Kaito's eyes locked on to the final reward. His mouth curved into a wild grin.
Fangtian Huaji + Demonic God Three-Form + Giant Strength?
Such a terrifying combo—it made Kaito itch for a real fight.
Just as he was about to challenge someone, a sudden emergency shout came from the Jackson's deck:
"Marines incoming!"
And not just any Marines—leading the pursuit was the Marine Hero himself, Garp!
"Yaro domo!"
Roger shouted from the deck, his gaze fierce, like he was ready for battle.
The crew, fired up and ready to throw down, clenched their fists with excitement... until Roger's tone suddenly changed:
"RUN!"
"Huh?! (ー_ー)!!"
The passionate crew's faces fell instantly.
Only Dark King Rayleigh showed no surprise.
Facing Garp head-on wouldn't be defeat, but it would spell catastrophe for the Jackson.
After all, Garp's strength was monstrous.
"Captain, it's just one Marine ship! Why run?"
Buggy cracked his knuckles, ready to fight.
His fearless energy made even the veterans glance at him.
"Buggy, quiet."
Shanks turned to him seriously.
Garp the Fist, the Marine Hero—even Roger himself didn't want to tangle with him for too long.
Besides...
Shanks looked at Roger with a soft gaze:
"The captain... doesn't have much time left."
"Roger, this time you're not getting away!"
Watching the Jackson set sail, Garp cracked his knuckles, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.
"This time, I will catch you. I swear it!"
Years of battle had taught Garp just how terrifying Roger truly was.
"Hah! Bone Fist Meteor Swarm!"
With a mighty shout, Garp waved his arm.
Behind him, Marine soldiers rolled out rows of cannonballs.
He picked one up and weighed it in his hand.
In the next instant, a devastating aura burst from his body, like that of a mythical beast.
His muscles tensed, arms stretched back—ready to launch destruction.
Continued...