Well then, let's head out first!
At the entrance to Shakky's bar, Fang Yi stood with Shanks and Buggy, grinning as he spoke to Roger and Rayleigh.
"Alright, we'll meet at Marineford when the time comes," Roger replied with a smile and a nod.
Originally, Roger had planned to go to Marineford himself to negotiate with the Navy, offering to turn himself in in exchange for Barrett's freedom.
But Fang Yi and Rayleigh had firmly shot down the idea.
If Roger went straight to Marineford, wouldn't that be putting himself entirely at the Navy's mercy?
What if Barrett wasn't freed, and Roger ended up locked away first?
So, after the discussion, they agreed Fang Yi would take Shanks and Buggy to Marineford first to negotiate with the Navy, using the excuse of "selling out Roger's location" as leverage to trade for Barrett's release.
It was fitting enough, since the three of them had also been part of the Mary Geoise incident years ago.
The Sabaody Archipelago wasn't far from Marineford, and before long, Fang Yi's group arrived at the legendary Navy Headquarters.
"Who goes there?!"
Before they could even approach, a patrolling warship moved to block their path.
"Fang Yi, intern of the Roger Pirates, here to visit Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp! The same goes for Shanks and Buggy!" Fang Yi called out from the front, his voice carrying clearly to the Marines on deck.
"Pirates?"
The Marines exchanged baffled looks.
This was the first time they'd ever seen pirates brazenly appear in Marineford—much less openly ask to meet high-ranking officers. Was this… some kind of suicide attempt?
"Wait… which pirate crew did you say you're from?" one officer asked, stunned.
"The Roger Pirates," Fang Yi said with a faint smile.
"The crew of the Pirate King… Gol D. Roger?"
Sure enough, the officer's expression darkened at the name.
A tree casts a long shadow; a man's reputation precedes him.
By this time, the Roger Pirates had enough renown that just their name could strike fear.
"Heh… our captain's name isn't Gol D. Roger. My captain is the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!" Fang Yi corrected with a straight face.
"What should we do, sir?"
The sailors knew this was no small matter, especially since the whole world was searching for the Roger Pirates. But ever since Roger had become Pirate King, the crew had vanished from the seas without a trace.
"Arrest them first, then report immediately!" the officer ordered, unwilling to take risks.
Regardless of the reason, these three appearing here meant they needed to be restrained.
Fang Yi and the others didn't resist—after all, their goal was to meet the Navy's top brass, whether it was Garp or Sengoku.
"Where are they? Where are the Roger Pirates?"
Before long, Fang Yi heard a familiar voice approaching.
"Yo~ Vice Admiral Garp, long time no see!" Fang Yi greeted with a grin as Garp hurried over.
"So it's you brats!"
Garp recognized them at once. Even though they'd grown over the past year, Shanks' red hair and Buggy's big red nose were unmistakable.
Most of all, Garp remembered Fang Yi very clearly.
"Alright, spill it—why are you troublemakers here in Marineford? And what's Roger up to now?" Garp dragged a chair over, sat down, and stared at the three.
"Let's wait a bit. What I've got to say isn't something Vice Admiral Garp can decide," Fang Yi said with a glance toward Shanks and Buggy, smiling slightly.
"You brat, don't try any tricks—this is Marineford!" Garp pointed at Fang Yi, smirking.
From Fang Yi's words, Garp sensed a deliberate provocation—but he wasn't about to fall for it.
"I'm not playing tricks! Who tricks themselves into coming to Marineford? But what I have to say—if not to Fleet Admiral Kong, then at least to Admiral Sengoku. As for you… Your rank's still a bit short."
BAM!
"You punk! Who are you looking down on?! If Roger himself were here, he wouldn't dare talk to me like that!"
Garp lunged forward and punched Fang Yi in the head so hard that he was momentarily dazed. If not for nearby Marines holding Garp back, Fang Yi would've been in for a beating.
"You bastard… Garp, let me loose and I'll tear down this whole Navy HQ! You dare hit me?! Come on—let's settle this today!" Fang Yi struggled against his bindings, looking ready to brawl.
Shanks and Buggy's faces darkened. Wasn't this guy forgetting why they'd come here?
"Enough! This is Navy Headquarters, not your playground. I assume you didn't come here just to pick fights?"
At that moment, Sengoku walked in, Vice Admiral Tsuru at his side.
The moment Fang Yi saw them, his eyes lit up.
When Garp hit him just now, he had already "checked in" with Garp. Now, Sengoku and Tsuru were here—and they were fresh targets.
"Hmph! I was here for important business, but now I'm annoyed. I don't feel like talking," Fang Yi said, pretending to sulk.
"Fine, then we'll just throw you in Impel Down and see what you've got left," Garp said angrily.
"Go ahead! Just remember—I came with information about our captain," Fang Yi said smugly.
Sure enough, his words made the three officers exchange glances.
"Alright, if you're here on business, just say it," Sengoku said calmly.
"Nope. My head still hurts from Garp's punch—I forgot," Fang Yi said stubbornly.
Garp's face darkened, and he was about to step forward again, but Tsuru stopped him.
"And what would you like to do, little one?" Tsuru asked with a pleasant smile.
"At least untie us, right? This is Navy HQ—surely you're not afraid of three kids?" Fang Yi said, smiling faintly.
Sengoku didn't hesitate and waved for the soldiers to release them.
With himself and Garp here, there was no chance of them escaping.
"Now this is hospitality. Some idiots could stand to learn," Fang Yi said, moving closer to Sengoku and shooting Garp a provocative look.
"You brat… I'm going to beat you today!" Garp nearly exploded.
Sengoku, however, was puzzled—when Fang Yi came closer, he'd expected an attack, but instead Fang Yi just patted his arm.
"Congratulations, host—check-in with Admiral Sengoku complete. One spin voucher acquired!"
With a slight smirk, Fang Yi's attention shifted to Tsuru.
It wasn't easy to get close to her—her Wash-Wash Fruit ability and her long-term stationing at HQ made her difficult to encounter on the seas.
"This must be Vice Admiral Tsuru? I've heard of you—your reputation precedes you," Fang Yi said warmly, offering a handshake.
"You're young, yet already a Pirate King's crewmember. I'm sure you'll achieve much in the future," Tsuru replied with a smile.
After shaking hands, Fang Yi shook his head.
"We're no longer members of the Roger Pirates—and we were only interns to begin with."
Having achieved his goal, Fang Yi returned to Shanks and Buggy's side, smiling faintly at the surprised Navy officers.
"You're no longer part of the Roger Pirates? Then where's your captain? What happened?" Garp asked, his face serious.
"This is exactly why we're here. Admiral Sengoku, would you be able to arrange a meeting with Fleet Admiral Kong? I think only he can make the decision," Fang Yi said.
Shanks and Buggy were puzzled—they'd thought Sengoku would be enough to free Barrett. But Fang Yi, having just scored with Sengoku and Tsuru, was now aiming for Fleet Admiral Kong himself—a man even harder to meet than Tsuru.
Hmph, if you've got something to say, say it here. If we can't decide, we'll report it, Garp said gruffly.
Fang Yi just shrugged. "Instead of me saying it here and you relaying it later, why not go together and speak to Fleet Admiral Kong directly? That way, there's no trouble. No offense meant—just saving time."
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged a glance, then nodded.
Fine. Follow me.