As Sakazuki arrived, Rossy had already left with Jack and the Mammoth Fleet. All he saw were two Navy warships on the verge of sinking.
"Damn it!" Seeing this scene, Sakazuki was furious, but he had no choice but to call for reinforcements from Marine Headquarters. After all, he was still just a Vice Admiral. He wasn't yet one of the Navy's three highest combat forces, capable of disregarding the lives of his subordinates in pursuit of pirates.
Moreover, Sakazuki knew that even if he continued the chase, he would have no advantage in an aerial battle.
Upon receiving Sakazuki's report, Fleet Admiral Kong immediately dispatched Vice Admiral Kuzan to assist him.
"This Rossinanti... We originally thought he was still in the Four Seas or the first half of the Grand Line. We never expected him to enter the New World directly. If he hadn't encountered Sakazuki this time, we would still be in the dark," Kong said.
"Haha! Looks like this Rossinanti is quite capable! Both Borsalino and Sakazuki have suffered setbacks against him!" Garp laughed.
"It seems the worst-case scenario has happened," Tsuru said gravely.
"Hmm?" Garp looked at Tsuru in confusion.
"Based on Sakazuki's report, Rossinanti has already mastered silencing gravity, attack force, and even the burning heat of Sakazuki's magma. Combined with his previous ability to silence Devil Fruits... If we allow him to keep growing, he may become a Whitebeard-level opponent for the Navy," Tsuru explained.
"A Whitebeard-level opponent? That brat? Tsuru, aren't you overestimating him?" Garp asked.
"In any case, we can't let him continue growing unchecked. The entire sea is already in turmoil. If another Whitebeard-level pirate emerges—even if he doesn't reach Whitebeard's exact level—the Navy will be in even greater difficulty. Sengoku is still dealing with the Pirate King's orphan. Garp, I'm assigning this task to you. You must take him down with overwhelming force," Kong ordered.
"Me? Ugh... I was hoping to take a vacation," Garp grumbled.
"Do you understand the current situation? No vacations!" Kong snapped.
"Fine, fine... But where exactly is Rossinanti right now? The New World is vast—I can't just search aimlessly," Garp said impatiently.
Although Roger had selfishly left behind the burden of his bloodline for him to bear, Garp couldn't just walk away from it. If he got delayed because of the situation with Rossinante, he had no idea what consequences might unfold.
"Sakazuki was acting on orders from the World Government to escort the royal family of the Kingdom of Joromia. Not long ago, we received reports that Jack had attacked the kingdom. Now, it seems Jack has been subdued by Rossinandi. That means Rossinandi is most likely in the Kingdom of Joromia," Tsuru analyzed.
"That makes sense! Alright, I'm heading out now to capture that brat," Garp said as he stood up, eager to set off.
Meanwhile, aboard Jack's ship—
"Wow, the nobles of the Kingdom of Joromia were quite wealthy. Just the cash alone amounts to six billion Berries," Rossy said in amazement.
"The Kingdom of Joromia is a renowned iron-rich nation in the New World. Although it's not a large country, it's a major producer of iron ore. If managed properly, their annual income would far exceed six billion Berries," Jack remarked casually.
"Huh? What's this?" While inspecting the treasures left behind by the royal family and nobles, Rossy suddenly noticed two treasure chests. Opening them, he found two strange-looking fruits inside.
"Devil Fruits... There were actually two Devil Fruits hidden in these chests!" Rossy exclaimed.
"I must have underestimated these nobles. I didn't expect them to have such valuable assets," Jack said in surprise upon seeing the Devil Fruits among the kingdom's treasures.
"Is that really so strange? After all, this is an entire kingdom. Owning one or two Devil Fruits shouldn't be that unusual, right?" Rossy asked, noticing Jack's surprise.
"You think this is just any place? This is the New World. Here, strength rules everything. Devil Fruits are items that can directly enhance a person's power, making them highly sought after by all major forces. Only the strongest nations and the most powerful pirates can afford to stockpile them. A small country like the Kingdom of Joromia? If they had Devil Fruits, pirates would come after them the very next day. They simply don't have the strength to protect them," Jack explained.
"If they couldn't protect them, why not just eat them? If the Kingdom of Joromia had even one or two Devil Fruit users, they wouldn't have been so helpless against the pirate attack," Rossy asked in confusion.
"The nobles and royals of this kingdom wouldn't lower themselves to fight personally. They see themselves as similar to the Celestial Dragons and look down on the idea of using Devil Fruits. Their selfish nature also prevents them from giving the fruits to others. Instead, they hoard Devil Fruits as gifts to curry favor with powerful figures. A single Devil Fruit might even be used as a bargaining chip to save their own lives one day," Jack said indifferently.
"That's exactly the kind of thinking I'd expect from nobles. Oh well, their loss is our gain," Rossy said with a grin.
"Do you recognize what kinds of Devil Fruits these are?" Rossy asked.
"One of them is a Paramecia-type... but I'm not sure what its ability is," Rossy muttered.
"There should be a Devil Fruit encyclopedia somewhere," Jack suggested.
Following Jack's advice, Rossy found an illustrated Devil Fruit guide and began matching the fruits.
Both of these Devil Fruits turned out to be quite valuable. The nobles of the Kingdom of Joromia must have identified their worth through the guide, which is why they had hoarded them.
One was the Zoan-type Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Lynx. The other was an even rarer Paramecia-type Hollow Hollow Fruit.
The Zoan fruit was remarkable—Lynxes are carnivorous animals, possessing not only the powerful physique and attack prowess of a predator but also the agility of a feline. Among Zoan-type fruits, it was a top-tier choice, second only to Ancient and Mythical types.
As for the Hollow Hollow Fruit, it bore similarities to the Door Door Fruit used by CP9's Blueno in the future. It was a space-based ability that allowed the user to create wormholes within space itself. However, the Hollow Hollow Fruit was likely a superior version of the Door Door Fruit, offering even greater capabilities.
"This is quite a haul!" Rossy's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Indeed, not bad at all," Jack agreed.
While Rossy was more interested in the Hollow Hollow Fruit, Jack was particularly drawn to the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Lynx. It was an exceptionally powerful Zoan fruit, offering both enhanced physical abilities and speed.
Suddenly—
"Captain! Lord Rossinanti! We've spotted a large number of pirate ships ahead! We're surrounded!" A crew member from the Mammoth Fleet shouted in alarm.
Hearing this, Rossy and Jack immediately set aside the Devil Fruits and rushed outside.
As they stepped onto the deck, they saw that their fleet had been encircled by over twenty pirate ships of various sizes. The pirate flags indicated that they were from ten different pirate crews.