After ending the call with Sengoku, Ezra D. Vale turned to Sentomaru beside him.
"Send all of them to Impel Down," he said calmly. "You can handle it on your own, right?"
Sentomaru straightened his posture immediately.
"Please rest assured, Admiral Flame," he replied. "I still have six PX-1 units with me. That will be more than enough to suppress any resistance."
Ezra nodded slightly. "Then I'll leave it to you."
With that, he walked toward the distant warship. Sentomaru's voice rang out behind him.
"Thank you for your hard work, Admiral Flame!"
Ezra did not turn back. He simply waved a hand and left the auction house grounds.
Sentomaru clenched his fist tightly.
"Admiral Flame trusts me this much. I cannot let him down."
He turned sharply toward his subordinates.
"You. Go capture the remaining fugitives immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
Even Kizaru likely never imagined that a single mission would end with his own people being completely won over.
Back aboard the warship, Gion and Tashigi had already led their troops to capture many pirates who failed to escape in time.
"Ezra, are you alright?" Gion asked as she stepped forward.
Ezra gently brushed her hair and smiled.
"I'm fine, Gion."
Then he looked at both women and said, "You should escort these pirates to Impel Down as well. If anything happens along the way, coordinate with Sentomaru. He has a few combat units that are quite reliable."
They both nodded. Gion hesitated before asking, "You are not coming with us?"
Ezra scratched his head lightly. "Marineford has another headache waiting for me."
Gion did not press further. She nodded and left with Tashigi to continue escorting the prisoners.
After confirming everything was properly arranged, Ezra stepped into the air and flew toward Marineford.
"Iceberg, please get your priorities straight," he muttered. "When is my underworld battleship going to be finished?"
Far away in Water Seven, Iceberg suddenly sneezed several times in a row.
Before long, Marineford came into view.
Ezra landed quietly and headed toward Sengoku's office. Before he even reached the door, Garp's furious shouting echoed from inside.
"Sengoku! You knew he was my grandson! How could you agree to that deal?"
"Do you really think I would not leave the Marines over this?"
"Garp!" Sengoku snapped back. "If you were in my position, would you have stood by and done nothing?"
The argument was reaching its peak when Ezra pushed the door open.
The room fell silent.
"Ezra, you're back," Sengoku said, clearing his throat.
Garp sat back down heavily on the sofa, his expression dark and withdrawn.
"I just arrived," Ezra said lightly. "Did I miss something dramatic?"
Sengoku waved his hand. "No drama. Just an old man who only knows how to yell at me."
"Sengoku, you !" Garp exploded again, standing up and marching forward with his fist raised.
Before it could land, Ezra quickly stepped in and pulled the two apart.
"Enough," he said. "Can both of you calm down first?"
The two men snorted and returned to their seats.
Ezra finally spoke seriously. "Uncle Garp, Ace was captured by Blackbeard. At the end of the day, that only means he was not strong enough."
Sengoku nodded. "And since he was handed over to the Marines as part of a deal, I cannot promise much, but at the very least, his life should be preserved."
The room fell into silence.
Preserved? That was wishful thinking.
Once Ace's true identity was made public, no one would be able to save him.
Sengoku frowned. "What is wrong with the two of you?"
He narrowed his eyes at Garp, noticing his hesitation. Then he turned to Ezra.
"Do you know something?"
Ezra shrugged. "I do. More or less."
"Then tell me," Sengoku said firmly.
Ezra glanced at Garp first. "Uncle Garp, should I say it?"
Garp let out a long sigh and nodded without speaking.
Sengoku looked between them, confused.
Ezra spoke slowly. "Portgas D. Ace. That name did not make you think of anything, did it?"
Sengoku frowned deeply. He still did not understand.
"Ace's mother was Portgas D. Rouge."
Sengoku froze.
The name felt painfully familiar.
Ezra continued, "And his father was Gol D. Roger."
"The Pirate King."
Sengoku's mouth fell open.
He was completely stunned.
"Wasn't he your grandson?" Sengoku blurted out.
"How did he suddenly become Roger's son?"
"What exactly happened?" Sengoku demanded.
Garp finally spoke. "I will explain the rest."
Ezra nodded and stepped back.
Garp did not hide anything. He explained how Roger had entrusted Ace to him, how he had protected and raised the child in secret.
As Garp spoke, Sengoku's expression grew darker and darker.
When the story ended, Sengoku finally slammed his desk.
His eyes burned with fury behind his glasses.
"Monkey D. Garp!"
"Do you even understand what you have done?"
"Do you remember that you are a Marine?"
Sengoku felt like he was about to explode.
Protecting the bloodline of the Pirate King. Raising him to adulthood.
If Garp were not the Hero of the Marines, if he were not Sengoku's comrade, Sengoku would have expelled him on the spot.
Garp said nothing.
He had already said everything that needed to be said. His heart felt strangely lighter.
As for what Sengoku would do with Ace, Garp no longer had the strength to interfere.
Ezra looked at Garp, who suddenly seemed ten years older, and silently patted his back.
"Ezra," Sengoku asked, "you knew this as well?"
Ezra nodded. "There is one thing Uncle Garp did not tell you. Ace did not know who his father was."
Sengoku paused. "You mean he chose the path of piracy without anyone guiding him?"
Ezra nodded again. "We both tried to stop him, but in the end, we could not change his decision."
Sengoku sighed deeply.
"I understand. You two may leave now. I need time to think about what comes next."
Ezra and Garp nodded and exited the office.
Sengoku remained behind. He reached for the special Den Den Mushi reserved for the Five Elders.
This was not something he could hide.