Chapter 28: Ripples of Conflict
"Marshal! Marshal Sengoku!"
In the highest office of Marine Headquarters, a Lieutenant General burst in and knelt before Fleet Admiral Sengoku's desk.
"Report," Sengoku said, looking up from the documents he was reviewing.
"Sir, we have a report from Major General Debor, who was monitoring one of Big Mom's ships. The vessel was sunk by another pirate crew in the waters near Food Island. The number of survivors is unknown."
"What?" Sengoku's hands slammed down on his desk as he stood up in surprise. "Who was responsible?"
"The Spade Pirates, sir."
"The Spade Pirates… that name sounds familiar." Sengoku frowned, trying to place it among the thousands of pirate crews on the seas.
"Their captain is Portgas D. Ace, the Logia-type Mera Mera Fruit user. But according to Major General Debor's report, there is another crew member of significant concern—a swordsman. His weapon is a white sword, suspected to be one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords, and its design is remarkably similar to Hawkeye Mihawk's Yoru."
"D… another one from that initial," Sengoku muttered, sinking back into his chair, his expression deeply troubled. After a moment of heavy silence, he issued his orders. "Understood. Liaise with the operations department. I want new bounties issued for both of them. Increase Fire Fist Ace's significantly."
"Yes, sir!"
As the Lieutenant General departed, Sengoku stared at a stack of pending documents. "With Bartholomew Kuma's agreement to undergo Vegapunk's procedures and join the Warlords now vacant… A Logia user like Fire Fist Ace certainly has the raw power for the position. I'll have to discuss with the World Government. Perhaps he can be persuaded to take Kuma's place."
"There it is! Food Island, dead ahead! Finally, we can get off this boat and relax!" Roy exclaimed, pointing at the approaching coastline.
"And have a proper feast!" Ace added, his mood equally buoyant.
"Speaking of feasts, Ace," Roy said, turning to him with a wide grin. "You still owe me a meal."
"Agh! Don't remind me!" Ace groaned, his joy momentarily replaced by the pain of his lost bet, before he scurried off to try and borrow money from Joseph.
An hour later, their ship docked at the bustling port of Food Island.
"We're here!"
Meanwhile, amidst the floating wreckage where their ship had been sunk, Baron Tamago and Pekoms clung to a broken section of the mast.
"Cough... cough... How dare those wretches sink our ship!" Baron Tamago spat out a mouthful of seawater, his voice trembling with rage. "This is a direct insult to the Big Mom Pirates! They will not be forgiven!"
"They will have gone to Food Island," Pekoms stated, his voice a low growl. "On land, we can fight properly. Their advantages at sea were too great."
"I thought they were mere children, but they possess formidable power," Tamago admitted, a sliver of fear in his eyes. "Pekoms, should we inform Mama?"
"We must. She will find out regardless. If we fail to report this immediately, her wrath will be far worse," Pekoms said, a visible shudder running through him.
"Right." Tamago pulled out a Den Den Mushi and placed the call.
"Mama, it is I, Baron Tamago."
The snail's face morphed, perfectly imitating Big Mom's distinctive, imposing expression. "Oh? Tamago. And Pekoms is with you?"
"Mama, we've had an… incident," Pekoms said.
"Hm? What is it? Did the fools on Food Island refuse to sell us our sweets?" Big Mom's voice took on a dangerous, irritable edge.
"No, Mama, it's not that!" Tamago hurriedly clarified. "Our ship… we encountered a pirate crew in Paradise, and… they sank our ship."
The Den Den Mushi's face contorted into a mask of fury. "Sank? Your ship was SUNK? Who was it? Who dares to attack my children?!"
"It was a crew with a Logia user, and a powerful swordsman. They engaged us at sea, Mama. You know our limitations in such an environment. The Logia user… he wields the Mera Mera Fruit."
"I DON'T CARE!" the snail roared, its voice echoing across the water. "You will bring me my sweets! If you fail, you can say goodbye to your lives! And you will bring me those two brats! I will make an example of them for daring to touch my ships and my crew!"
"Yes, Mama!" Tamago and Pekoms chorused, a wave of relief washing over them that the initial blame had not fallen on their heads.
"I am sending Cracker to retrieve you. You will secure my sweets and you will bring me those two. No excuses." The line went dead with a sharp click.
"She's sending Lord Cracker?" Tamago breathed, the tension leaving his shoulders. It was clear Big Mom had no confidence in their ability to handle the situation alone.
With Cracker, one of her Sweet Commanders, the task seemed simple. He was a monster who could trade blows with a Marine Admiral. Two rookie pirates would be no match for him.
The only complication would be the Marines. The arrival of a Sweet Commander in Paradise would not go unnoticed, and the Navy would not sit idly by.
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Garp Or Whitebeard? I would lean towards Garp.