West Blue, Marine Base 201.
"What did you say???"
Sengoku, the Marine Admiral stationed here for a secret mission, shot to his feet, knocking over the hot tea on his desk.
The Den Den Mushi on the table displayed a weak, pale face, repeating the message.
"Those scum of the sea!" Sengoku's veins bulged on his arms as he slammed his fist on the desk, "Who captured Saul? Weren't you supposed to be on a mission to apprehend scholars?!"
"Admiral, after bombarding the scholars' ship, we were attacked by a pink-haired girl."
"She was incredibly fast. She knocked out Vice Admiral Saul in one blow, and her strength seemed unusually immense!"
The Den Den Mushi faithfully conveyed the soldier's expression and words, leaving Sengoku deep in thought.
'Pink hair... immense strength... Garp... Roger!'
"That's it… it's that brat from Roger's ship!"
Sengoku yanked open a drawer, frantically searching for bounties related to Roger's crew.
Unfortunately, after turning his office upside down, he still couldn't find her wanted poster.
Panting heavily, Sengoku suddenly remembered that the kids on Roger's ship had been deemed too young to issue bounties against.
"Damn it!"
He smashed his fist through the desk, then stormed out of his office in a rage, heading straight for the base's operations room.
"Connect me to the Headquarters! I want that brat issued a bounty!!!"
...
"Achoo~"
In the darkness, Saul felt a chill and sneezed.
"Kuzan, you bastard, stop using your ability recklessly!"
Grumbling about his colleague's habits, Saul tried to roll over but felt restrained.
'Wait, something's wrong! Didn't I get defeated by some little girl?'
"Ugh!"
The giant twisted his massive body, trying to sit up, but realized he was firmly frozen to the deck.
"Ah, he's awake! Quick, go get Sakura!"
A scholar tasked with guarding Saul noticed his movements and hurried into the cabin.
Soon, the pink-haired girl appeared before Saul.
[Notice, Achievement unlocked: Kidnapping a Marine, I'm Wanted! Reward: 100 Achievement Points]
"You... are you a Giant?"
Saul tilted his head, exhaling a large cloud of white breath.
"Probably not. Giants are way bigger than me, right~"
Sakura, pleased by the achievement points, hopped onto Saul's stomach and found a comfortable spot to sit.
"Then what about you? Are you acting to awaken the ancient weapons?"
Saul got his answer but seemed convinced by Sakura's words, turning to look at Olvia beside him.
"How could that be?!"
Olvia, hearing her life's work tarnished and labeled by the World Government as warmongering villains, couldn't bear it any longer and lashed out.
"History is the legacy of humanity! One day, our children will need the guidance of this beacon to move forward!"
"If we allow it to be distorted and falsified, our descendants will repeat the mistakes of the past over and over until they're utterly destroyed!"
"If you don't have the resolve to understand that before condemning us, then you're just a pitiful coward afraid of history!"
"Shut up!"
The giant's voice, far deeper and more imposing than the scholars', stirred up a gust of wind, the roar echoing relentlessly.
"Do you think I don't know I'm slaughtering unarmed scholars?!"
Heavy breaths filled the silent deck as the massive figure wrestled with the torment of his inner sense of justice.
Olvia lowered her head. She knew arguing with this Marine was pointless.
She knew the real fault lay with the World Government, the force that squeezed them into hurting each other.
Silence spread. Neither side could yield their beliefs, yet both understood the other's stance had merit.
"Then take this chance to rest. After all, you're my prisoner now!"
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, a clear voice broke through.
Saul felt a pat on his stomach.
Straining to lift his head, he saw the girl sitting on his belly smiling brightly at him.
"Oi, giant, do you know any techniques from Elbaf?"
Facing Sakura's hopeful expression, the massive Marine guiltily averted his eyes.
"I... I..."
The flustered Saul didn't know how to respond.
After all, he had grown up in the South Blue, never fond of fighting, and never quite fit in with the 'barbarians' of Elbaf.
As an adult, he chose to set out to sea alone and eventually joined the Marines under the influence of Mother Carmel, rising to the rank of Vice Admiral thanks to his innate Giant's powerful physique.
But when it came to respectable Giant's combat techniques... did flailing wildly count?
"Wait, where did you learn Giant's combat techniques?!"
Suddenly recalling the punch she had thrown at him earlier, though it lacked the fierce will unique to powerful Giants, the stance was unmistakably the distinctive starting form of Great Spear of Elbaf!
"Sigh, I learned it from some ruins, but I can't replicate the effects those predecessors achieved at all."
Sakura shrugged helplessly.
Even with her exceptional memory, which allowed her to recall every movement of the will left behind on the mural, she couldn't grasp the internal force application, the flow of will, or the emotions and thoughts behind it.
"The Spear of Elbaf is an extremely advanced technique. Even among Giants, very few can master it."
"As for me... I don't know it either!"
The dejected Saul turned his head away, looking utterly disheartened.
"Eh, how useless!"
"None of your business!"
"Then how about this!" Sakura stood up on Saul's stomach, leaped onto his neck, and planted a foot on his chin, "Giant, I need you to help me train!"
"Hah???" Saul's massive body went completely pale.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Line, Marine Headquarters, Marineford
A woman with slightly graying hair hung up the Den Den Mushi and took the Justice Cloak from the coat rack behind her.
With the rustle of her sleeves, she walked out of the office.
A man carrying a plate of senbei approached, his eyes lighting up when he saw her.
"Tsuru, I stole some good tea from Kong-san's office. Want to share a cup?"
Looking at her eccentric old friend, Tsuru sighed.
"Garp, Sengoku has sent a request for support from the West Blue. Will you come with me?"
"West Blue? No, I'm on vacation!"
Garp stuck his pinky finger into his nose and twisted it.
"The World Government's secret operation has hit a snag. They want us to send additional forces to act alongside CP."
"Apparently, a child from Roger's crew has captured a Giant Vice Admiral in the West Blue."
Tsuru folded her arms across her chest, a teasing look appeared in her eyes as she watched her old comrade.
Sure enough, the moment Garp heard 'Roger', his silly demeanor vanished.
A sharp glint flashed in his aging eyes, though it quickly faded.
"Those World Government scums."
Garp cursed under his breath, flicking away a booger.
"Whatever, that bastard Roger is already dead. Causing trouble for a kid on the World Government's behalf... doesn't interest me~"
Waving his hand, Garp walked past Tsuru, acting as though he couldn't care less.
However, just as his figure was about to disappear at the end of the hallway, Tsuru's Observation Haki picked up a nearly inaudible question.
"That child... what's her name?"
"Haruno Sakura!"