Chapter 54 – Red Hair and East Blue
The source of all this trouble could be traced back to one man—Donquixote Doflamingo.
In two years' time, that man would rise to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and with that status, he would spiral out of control, caring less and less about Marine authority.
Right now, they couldn't just assassinate Doflamingo outright—he probably knew too much about the Celestial Dragons. But that didn't mean Kyūjō was about to let him run wild.
"If you don't have the strength to back it up, then you better learn to act humble. Got it?"
He wouldn't kill him—yet. But a trip to Impel Down to cool off sounded just right.
Still, Kyūjō was painfully aware of his own limitations. No matter how far he had climbed, he was still just a man. And there was no way he could take on the true monsters of this world just yet—
The World Government... and the Celestial Dragons.
He had no crew. No underground network. No political influence. Just raw strength, and a will of steel.
So the only path forward? Keep training. Keep climbing. Push his personal power to the absolute peak of this world.
Only when he shattered that invisible ceiling would he have the right to stand face-to-face with the World Government.
Until then... best to keep his head low and stay off their radar.
The truth was, very few knew the full extent of the power the World Government and the Celestial Dragons had hidden away. The information floating around the world was just crumbs. Incomplete. Sanitized.
Even Tachibana Kyūjō, who had come from Earth in his previous life, had only managed to read One Piece up to the Wano Country arc before death claimed him.
Yeah… he hadn't even finished the manga.
Everything he knew about the true powers of the World Government and the mystery behind the Celestial Dragons? It was mostly fan theories. Random internet speculation. Wild guesswork.
Like that shadowy figure who sat atop the Empty Throne…
Imu-sama.
Was Imu male? Female? Something else entirely?
Did they become immortal using the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi?
How long had they ruled the world from the shadows?
Just how powerful was this final boss?
Did they wield a Devil Fruit?
Or had they mastered all three forms of Haki at the highest level?
Or maybe… were they using ancient technologies long lost to the world?
All Kyūjō could say for sure was one thing:
Imu-sama was a monster. No doubt about it.
At the very least, they'd have to be as strong as Edward Newgate, the Whitebeard himself. (Kyūjō's favorite old man—bless his beard.)
After all, how else could someone sit atop the world for centuries, unseen and untouched?
Imu's strength had to surpass even the Admirals and current Yonko.
That much was certain.
But again… these were just his own hunches. Unconfirmed. If Kyūjō didn't want to stumble into a war he wasn't ready for, he'd need to investigate slowly, carefully.
Or—he could just wait until he was strong enough to march straight into Mariejois and cleave the Celestial Dragons in two.
Heh.
Just a matter of time until the World Government pissed him off enough.
And if he died doing it?
So what.
He'd probably just end up reincarnated into another world or dimension anyway.
…Though yeah, aging peacefully with a pipe in his hand sounded better.
Too bad that option rarely existed for people like him.
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While Kyūjō was still lost in thought, the door to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office burst open with a familiar boom—
"SENGOKU!! SENGOKU!! I GOTTA GET BACK TO EAST BLUE!!"
The voice was unmistakable.
Vice Admiral Garp had arrived—shouting before he even stepped foot into the room.
Sengoku raised an eyebrow as his old war buddy stormed in.
"Huh? What's going on now?"
Garp's face was unusually grim. His jaw clenched as he spoke:
"I just got word from East Blue's naval branch… The Red-Haired Pirates showed up!"
"They've been sailing around the Grand Line for years—and now they're in East Blue!"
"Their heading… it's toward Foosha Village!"
Garp's tone grew darker with each sentence. His arms were already rolling up his sleeves, veins bulging with fury.
"That damn Red-Hair dares step foot near my hometown?! He's got guts—I'll give him that!"
Sengoku furrowed his brows, clearly unsettled.
What was Shanks planning?
They were a rising power in the Grand Line. And now they'd turned back toward the weakest of the four seas?
Something didn't add up.
Still, Garp's request wasn't unreasonable.
Sengoku was about to give his approval—
When a calm voice interrupted from the side.
Kyūjō stepped forward casually.
"Why not let me handle the Red-Haired Pirates?"
"I am on leave right now, after all. And if I'm not mistaken, Grandpa Garp… aren't you still on active duty? Doesn't G-6 need their Vice Admiral back?"
Garp and Sengoku both turned to him in sync.
Sengoku spoke first:
"Hm. Kyūjō's right. Garp, you should return to your post. And I trust Kyūjō has more than enough strength to handle Red-Hair's crew."
But Garp didn't budge. He clenched his fists and growled.
There was something he wasn't saying.
Ace…
He also wanted to check in on Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Luffy.
He wanted to see how they were doing. Make sure they were safe.
And so, Garp barked back without hesitation:
"No way!"
"East Blue's my turf. Now some top-tier pirate crew shows up and even the local branch can't stop them—and you want me to just stay put?!"
"How am I supposed to sit around and 'finish my duties' with that going on?!"
Kyūjō just chuckled.
As if he didn't see right through the old man.
Wanting to play hooky just to visit his grandsons... and maybe keep an eye on Ace's secret?
Kyūjō grinned and teased:
"Come on, Grandpa Garp—did you forget? I'm from East Blue too!"
"If you're skipping work to visit home, wouldn't it make more sense for me to go instead, especially since I'm officially on break?"
"Oh, and don't forget—my Blue Dragon warship is waaay faster than your beat-up Dog-Class cruiser. You'd take ten days minimum. Me? I'll be there in three."
That did it.
Garp's eyes bulged as if Kyūjō had just spat blasphemy.
"WHAT?! I knew those Vice Admirals were bragging about your Blue Dragon's speed, but—THREE DAYS?!"
"You brat! Are you sure you're not Sengoku's biological kid?! How come you always get the good stuff?!"
Then, without warning, Garp turned and pointed at Sengoku.
"You old hypocrite! This is why Navy discipline's gone down the drain!"
"When this is over, I want one of those fancy warships too!!"
And just like that, Garp grabbed Kyūjō by the collar and stormed out, yelling and ranting the whole way down the hallway.
Back in the office, Sengoku just sat in stunned silence.
Wait a minute…
Since when does Garp have the right to call me the reason Navy discipline's falling apart?
HE'S the biggest troublemaker in the whole organization!
But by the time Sengoku came back to his senses—
Both of them were already long gone.
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