"Garp," Sengoku said, his voice carrying the weight of command even in something as trivial as this, "stop being so negative."
The Marineford office was quiet save for the soft clack of game pieces and the distant gull cries drifting through the open windows. Papers lay neatly stacked on Sengoku's desk. The Fleet Admiral himself stood tall behind it, arms crossed, his expression stern but composed.
Garp, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair with all the discipline of a cannonball rolling downhill.
He burst into laughter.
Not a restrained chuckle, no, it was loud, booming, the kind that filled the room and rattled the windows. He slapped his knee as tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
"I'm tellin' you," Garp said between laughs, "I sense something within that boy. Something real familiar. Something akin to me."
Sengoku's brow twitched.
"He's a very unruly one," Garp continued, grinning wide. "I can just tell."
Sengoku exhaled sharply. "Nonsense. Not everyone is like you, Garp. That boy's maturity is ages ahead of yours."
"Hahaha!" Garp laughed even harder. "Sengoku, your world view is still too narrow."
Sengoku clicked his tongue and turned his head slightly. "Tsuru. Tell him he's wrong."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had been quietly observing from the side, folded her arms and sighed.
"Well," she said calmly, "I can tell that Tenjin truly is a mature and level-headed kid. But…" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe Garp sensed something we didn't."
Garp leaned forward and casually reached across Sengoku's desk, grabbing one of the crackers laid out neatly beside the game board.
Crunch.
He chewed, amused. "It won't be long. You'll see."
Sengoku said nothing.
But for just a moment, the Fleet Admiral felt a faint, inexplicable unease.
---
Elsewhere — Lvneel Kingdom
The emergency boat scraped against the docks of Lvneel Kingdom with an undignified screech.
The vessel itself was lavish beyond reason, golden trims, silk banners fluttering even in the weak wind, and an oversized emblem of the World Government carved into its side. Yet despite its opulence, it looked painfully out of place against the modest harbor and stone piers of the North Blue kingdom.
A red carpet was hastily rolled out.
Kneeling figures lined both sides of the dock.
Saint Paul of the World Nobles stepped onto land.
He wore a massive glass bubble over his head, his expression twisted in perpetual disgust. His ornate white suit was spotless, embroidered with gold, while his posture screamed entitlement rather than dignity.
The moment his feet touched the carpet, he clicked his tongue.
"Tch… this place is so detestable," Saint Paul said lazily. "Is this really Lvneel Kingdom? How vulgar."
Standing stiffly at the front was Inoshishi, Commander General of the Marine forces stationed in the kingdom. Broad-shouldered, square-jawed, and impeccably uniformed, he stood at full attention and saluted.
"Saint Paul-sama," Inoshishi said firmly, "I am Commander General Inoshishi. By order of Captain Tenjin of the Marine Forces, I have been instructed to ensure your safety during your stay in Lvneel Kingdom."
Saint Paul's nose wrinkled.
"Captain Tenjin?" he repeated. "Why didn't this 'Captain' come himself to greet me?"
Inoshishi did not waver. "Captain Tenjin is currently en route. Until his arrival, I will carry out his orders without fail."
Saint Paul scoffed. "Hmph. Typical. Sending underlings instead of groveling in person."
Behind Saint Paul stood two figures clad in dark suits, faces hidden beneath white masks. CP0 agents Brun and Marrón. They said nothing, their presence silent and oppressive, eyes tracking everything.
Beside them loomed a massive human figure, barefoot, towering and his eyes empty. Saint Paul casually sat atop his shoulders, treating him less like a person and more like furniture.
Inoshishi gestured, and several Marines moved into formation around the World Noble.
Additionally, a man clad in polished royal armor stepped forward.
"I am Gigi, Saint Paul-sama," he announced, bowing deeply. "Captain Guard of the Royal Forces of Lvneel Kingdom. My men and I will also ensure your protection."
Saint Paul barely glanced at him.
"Fine," he said. "Just don't let any of your filthy citizens breathe too close to me."
---
The procession through Lvneel Kingdom moved slowly, not because of ceremony, but because the streets themselves seemed to recoil.
Saint Paul sat high atop the massive human he used as a mount, legs crossed, chin lifted behind the glass bubble that separated him from the air everyone else breathed. His expression was permanently twisted in disdain, as though the world itself were an inconvenience.
"Tch… disgusting," he muttered, looking down at the cobblestone streets. "Even the ground here looks filthy."
The people of Lvneel knelt wherever he passed.
Merchants dropped to their knees mid-sale. Soldiers slammed their foreheads against stone. Parents forced children down so hard some began to cry. No one dared look up.
Saint Paul's lip curled. "At least they understand their place," he said, tapping his finger lazily against the grip of his golden pistol. "Lowly humans should spend their lives on their knees. It's the only posture that suits them."
The Marines escorting him remained silent. Their faces rigid. The CP0 agents Brun and Marrón walked a step behind, unreadable masks turned forward. They did not react. They never did.
Then it happened.
A man stood.
He was older, carrying a crate, confusion written plainly across his face. He hadn't been briefed. He hadn't heard the orders shouted down the streets to kneel when the Noble passed through. He simply looked up, blinking, trying to understand why the world had suddenly stopped.
Saint Paul noticed instantly.
The World Noble's eyes narrowed, offended, as though reality itself had insulted him.
"…What is that?" Saint Paul asked softly.
No one answered.
The golden pistol rose.
BANG.
The sound echoed far louder than the scream that followed.
The man collapsed backward, blood pooling beneath him as the crate shattered beside his body. The street went deathly silent. Even the gulls overhead seemed to vanish.
Saint Paul exhaled in irritation. "Honestly," he said. "If you're going to exist, at least learn your place."
He holstered the gun as if swatting an insect.
And the procession resumed.
No one dared react. As soon as Saint Paul was out of sight. That was when people got up to help the elderly merchant.
---
At The Royal Palace
King Hanatama stood waiting at the gates.
The same man who usually barked orders at his court, who bullied nobles and servants alike, who reveled in his authority, was now bent nearly double in a deep, eager bow.
"Saint Paul-sama!" Hanatama exclaimed, his voice syrupy, his smile stretched so wide it bordered on painful. "What an indescribable honor it is to host you in Lvneel Kingdom!"
Inside, his thoughts churned with glee.
I don't care how much I have to humiliate myself, he thought, smiling even wider. If I can curry favor with a World Noble… I can finally crush that arrogant, egotistical Captain Tenjin.
Saint Paul barely glanced at him.
"…This is the king?" Saint Paul asked, looking mildly disappointed. "He looks small."
Hanatama laughed nervously. "I am but a humble servant before your greatness!"
The maids froze.
Gardeners lowered their eyes.
Royal guards stiffened, jaws clenched.
This was not the king they knew. Who the hell was this puppy they were seeing???
Saint Paul walked past him without acknowledgment.
Hanatama scrambled after him, nodding eagerly at every dismissive remark, every insult landing like a blessing.
"Yes, of course! Absolutely! Your comfort is our highest priority!" he said, voice cracking with enthusiasm.
Saint Paul stopped abruptly and turned.
Hanatama nearly collided with him.
"Don't walk so close," Saint Paul snapped. "Your presence irritates me."
"Yes! Of course! My apologies!" Hanatama bowed again, deeper this time.
The humiliation was almost ritualistic.
And Hanatama enjoyed it.
---
At Sea
The silhouette of Lvneel Kingdom appeared on the horizon.
A Marine ship cut cleanly through the waves.
At the front stood Captain Tenjin.
He looked at the island ahead, eyes sharp and lips slowly curling upward.
A smile spread across his face. This smile was not kind nor gentle.
It was a smile that promised trouble.
"So," he murmured to himself, "this is where it starts."
The wind howled.
And Tenjin smiled wider, already savoring the mayhem to come.