"How is that possible?"
The future Fleet Admiral, Sengoku, currently holding the rank of Admiral "Buddha" Sengoku, shot up from his seat in shock as he listened to the report coming through the Den Den Mushi.
"What's wrong?" asked Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Navy's Chief Strategist, as she stepped into the room and noticed Sengoku's startled expression.
"Borsalino has been defeated—gravely wounded and unconscious," Sengoku replied gravely.
"Hmm… Could it have been one of the great pirates?" Tsuru speculated.
She knew Borsalino's strength well. Among the younger generation, very few could match him in battle. Even if someone managed to fight him, his Devil Fruit ability made escape almost effortless. For him to not only be defeated but also left critically injured and unconscious, it would have taken a top-tier veteran pirate.
Right now, Loguetown was filled with legendary pirates—though they were not on the level of Roger, Shiki, or Whitebeard, they were only a step below.
"No, it wasn't a great pirate. The one who defeated Borsalino was 'Silent Blade' Donquixote Rosinante. And he lost in just one move," Sengoku said, his tone dark and serious.
"Donquixote Rosinante?" Tsuru frowned. "Doflamingo's younger brother? If I recall correctly, he's the user of the Silence-Silence Fruit. Because of his swordsmanship and the ability to erase sound, he's known as 'Silent Blade.' His bounty is 76 million Berries. At most, his strength should be on the level of a Rear Admiral. By all logic, he shouldn't be capable of defeating Borsalino."
"A Silence-Silence Fruit user? That fruit isn't supposed to be that powerful," Sengoku muttered.
Neither Rosinante's known strength nor his Devil Fruit should have been enough to leave Polusalino in such a dire state. Yet the fact remained—Borsalino barely managed to escape using his Light-Light Fruit and was now lying unconscious.
"This Rosinante is far more dangerous than we realized," Tsuru mused. "He must have been hiding his true strength all this time. If Borsalino couldn't even flee, then the Silence-Silence Fruit must have abilities we're unaware of."
"This is a problem," Sengoku said, his face grave. "Loguetown was already a powder keg. Now, it's going to explode."
"Send Kuzan and Sakazuki," Tsuru advised, equally serious.
"We have no choice. Someone, call in Kuzan and Sakazuki!" Sengoku ordered.
"Yes, sir!" A Marine messenger rushed out to deliver the command.
Moments later, two men entered the room—Kuzan, later known as Admiral Aokiji, and Sakazuki, the future Admiral Akainu.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru," they greeted.
"You two are to lead a task force to seal off Loguetown and capture 'Silent Blade' Rosinante. Find him at all costs," Sengoku commanded.
"Rosinante?" Both Kuzan and Sakazuki exchanged confused glances. The name was unfamiliar, and they didn't understand why he was such a priority.
"Borsalino has been defeated and left critically injured at Rosinante's hands. He's still unconscious," Sengoku informed them gravely.
As two of the Navy's so-called "Monster Vice Admirals," Kuzan and Sakazuki knew Borsalino's strength better than anyone. They couldn't fathom how someone like Rosinante had managed to overwhelm him.
Especially given Borsalino's speed—he should have been able to escape almost any situation.
"Rosinante is a former Celestial Dragon and a member of the Donquixote family. He's Doflamingo's younger brother and a Silence-Silence Fruit user. His bounty is 76 million Berries," Sengoku said as he handed them Rosinante's file.
"But if he could critically wound Borsalino, then the Silence-Silence Fruit must have abilities we never considered. Proceed with extreme caution when capturing him," Sengoku warned.
"Understood!" Both men acknowledged before leaving to begin their hunt.
As they departed, Vice Admiral Garp, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke. "At such a sensitive time, let's hope this doesn't lead to an all-out war."
"We don't have a choice," Sengoku sighed. "Word of Borsalino's defeat will spread quickly. The Navy has spent years building up the legend of the 'Three Monster Vice Admirals.' If we don't act, it will be a massive blow to our reputation.
"With Gol D. Roger's execution approaching, the last thing we need is reckless new pirates thinking they can cause chaos. Not to mention, the veteran pirates won't hesitate to fan the flames. Kuzan and Sakazuki need to make an example out of Rosinante to minimize the damage."
"Let's hope that works," Garp said skeptically.
"At the very least, we'll keep the situation under control until Roger's execution. After all, the Navy isn't the only group that wants Roger dead," Tsuru said confidently.
Right now, all eyes were on Loguetown. Secrets were impossible to keep. Every movement, every whisper, would be noticed by the world's major forces.
Rosinante and Doflamingo's clash of Conqueror's Haki had already drawn attention, and Borsalino's intervention only escalated things. Now, with Borsalino's defeat, the news was spreading like wildfire.
---
### Elsewhere…
"Fuffuffuffu… I never expected Rosinante to be this strong."
Even Doflamingo was surprised when he heard the news. He had always considered Borsalino a major threat—strong enough to be a serious problem for the entire Donquixote family. And yet, Rosinante had taken him down? It made him wonder what else his younger brother had been hiding.
"Hey, Doffy, do you really think Rosinante is strong enough to defeat Borsalino?" Trebol asked, frowning.
"Who knows?" Doflamingo replied, his expression unreadable. For the first time, he realized just how little he truly knew about his brother.
---
### Meanwhile, on an unknown island...
"The 'Silent Blade,' huh?"
A man with piercing, hawk-like eyes murmured to himself, intrigued.
---
### Aboard the Moby Dick...
"Old man, I just got word—Navy Vice Admiral Borsalino was defeated," Marco reported to Whitebeard, holding a Den Den Mushi in disbelief.
"Gurararara! That flashy little brat?" Whitebeard chuckled. "Interesting. Who did it?"
"Someone called 'Silent Blade.' His bounty is only 76 million Berries, so he's probably a rookie," Marco replied.
"Gurararara… The new era hasn't even begun, yet the rookies are already shaking things up. Roger, is this the new age you wanted to start?" Whitebeard laughed heartily, staring off into the distance.
---