Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's fist slammed heavily on the desk, causing a few drops of tea to splash out of his teacup.
On the desk were two wanted posters side by side; Luffy's grinning bounty photo contrasted sharply with Cheng Xiaoyu's sinister profile.
The two reports in his hand were already crumpled.
One depicted the Straw Hat Pirates' battle against the Arlong Pirates, with a description of their victory over the Arlong Pirates below.
The other prominently displayed a photo of Colonel Nezumi stripped naked and hung on the Marine branch gate!
And the extremely arrogant warning Cheng Xiaoyu left behind…
"Watchdog?! This Cheng Xiaoyu… he's absolutely lawless!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice was low and furious, veins bulging on his forehead.
"A rookie pirate dares to provoke us so brazenly!"
Garp, who was sitting on the sofa eating senbei, looked up when he heard this and laughed indifferently:
"Hahaha, Sengoku, why are you so angry? He's just a rookie; there are at least eight hundred to a thousand rookies sailing out every year. Just let the subordinates handle it, right?"
"Garp!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku turned sharply, glaring at his old comrade.
"Do you know what he did? In just one week, he not only wiped out two pirate crews, killed over a dozen Marines, but also stripped our men naked and hung them on the branch gate!"
"Now, the entire East Blue's Marine branches are talking about this, and the Marine's prestige is completely gone!"
Garp chewed his senbei, mumbling, "Isn't that good? That Nezumi fellow was a parasite anyway; he should have been dealt with a long time ago."
"You!!!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku was so angry he almost tore the report in his hand. "That's not the point! The point is that Cheng Xiaoyu's actions have severely challenged the Marine's authority!"
"If we let it go, other pirates will definitely follow suit, and then the entire Marine will be in chaos!"
The door to the Fleet Admiral's office was pushed open, and Kizaru lazily walked in, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
He pushed up his sunglasses and slowly said, "Oh my, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, getting so angry first thing in the morning isn't good for your health, you know~"
"Kizaru!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku glared at him. "You've come just in time! You've heard about that Cheng Xiaoyu, haven't you?"
Kizaru took a sip of coffee and nodded casually.
"Heard about him, heard about him. That rookie pirate from the East Blue, what was his name, the Shadow Pirates? Seems quite interesting~"
"Interesting?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku was so angry he almost flipped the table. "He's slapping the Marine's face! As an Admiral, don't you think you should do something?"
Kizaru shrugged, his tone still lazy: "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you know, I've been busy handling matters in the New World recently, and I really can't spare the time~"
"Why don't you let Akainu go? Isn't he quite free lately?"
"Akainu?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku snorted. "If he goes, the East Blue will probably be burned to a scorched earth! I don't want to clean up that kind of mess again!"
Garp, hearing this, suddenly burst into laughter:
"Hahaha! Sengoku, aren't you making things difficult? Kizaru doesn't want to go, and you're afraid Akainu will mess things up if he goes. So what do you plan to do? You can't possibly make my old bones go, can you?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stared at Garp, a glint flashing in his eyes: "Garp, you're right."
Garp's smile instantly froze, and the senbei in his hand almost fell to the ground: "Wait, Sengoku, you're not serious, are you?"
"Of course!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku slammed the table, his tone resolute. "Monka already escaped from your hands, and the East Blue is your old stomping ground. It's most suitable for you to handle this matter!"
Garp quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no, Sengoku, I'm almost retired. Let the young people handle such troublesome matters!"
"Retired?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku sneered. "When have you ever officially retired?"
"Is it because your grandson Luffy is also there? You can't hide this time!"
Garp: "Hahaha! That Luffy fellow is just like his brother… he still doesn't listen to me. I originally wanted him to join the Marine!"
Kizaru, standing by, laughed gleefully: "Vice Admiral Garp, it seems most suitable for you to handle this~"
Garp glared at Kizaru and said irritably, "You brat, stop making sarcastic remarks!"
"Garp! This matter is no small thing; you must take it seriously!"
"Regardless of Cheng Xiaoyu's strength for now, just his ability to use public opinion to undermine the Marine's prestige is a huge threat! He's a ticking time bomb!"
"And no one knows what he'll do next. By the time we deal with him then, it might be too late!"
Garp sighed, shaking his head helplessly: "Alright, alright, I'll go. But Sengoku, you have to promise me one thing."
"What is it?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked, frowning.
Garp grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "When I come back, you have to treat me to a month's worth of senbei!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku was stunned for a moment, then smiled helplessly: "Alright, as long as you bring Cheng Xiaoyu back, let alone a month's worth of senbei…"
"Two months' worth is fine!"
"You're really stingy. I thought you were going to say a year!" Garp said disappointedly.
Kizaru interjected from the side: "Vice Admiral Garp, don't be careless. It's said that Cheng Xiaoyu is a bit strange, and his strength shouldn't be underestimated~"
Garp waved his hand, saying indifferently, "Don't worry, a mere rookie can't stir up much trouble."
"Besides, my iron fist isn't just for show!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku nodded, his tone serious: "Garp, this mission is not just about capturing Cheng Xiaoyu; more importantly, it's about restoring the Marine's prestige in the East Blue. Don't be careless."
Garp stood up, brushed off the senbei crumbs from his clothes, and laughed: "Don't worry, Sengoku. I'll let that kid know what happens when you provoke the Marine!"
With that, he strode out of the office, humming a tune.
Kizaru watched Garp's retreating back, shook his head, and muttered softly, "Vice Admiral Garp is truly still going strong~"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat back in his chair, rubbed his temples, and let out a long sigh:
"I hope this can be resolved smoothly…"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sending Garp to handle the East Blue incident was also a way of showing him respect. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't treat Straw Hat Luffy so kindly.
"Tell his aide, Bogart, to inform that old scoundrel to write a 'Self-Reflection on Grandchild Education' before he departs. If he lets the family disgrace drift into the Grand Line again… then it won't be easy to handle…"
Kizaru picked up his coffee, took a slow sip, and a meaningful smile played on his lips:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, do you think… Cheng Xiaoyu might be more troublesome than we imagine? I just checked, his bounty is now 20 million Berries."
Although 20 million Berries is already quite high for a rookie who just set sail!
But compared to Luffy, whose bounty is 30 million Berries, his threat seems greater, and he's an unstable factor…
Fleet Admiral Sengoku didn't answer, only stared at the report and wanted poster on the desk, his brows tightly furrowed.
"I understand what you mean. From today onwards, triple his bounty."
"60 million Berries!?"
"Yes! And dead or alive!"