Grand Line — Marineford
Marineford was unusually tense.
Even for a place that served as the beating heart of the World Government's military power, the atmosphere felt heavier than normal. Marines moved briskly through the halls, voices hushed, eyes alert. Newspapers were clutched tightly in hands, folded and refolded until the creases threatened to tear.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, the mood was no better.
Kizaru stood lazily in the center of the room, hands tucked into his pockets, sunglasses reflecting the light streaming through the windows. Despite his relaxed posture, there was a sharp awareness in his stance, like a man who looked half-asleep but could move at the speed of light at any moment.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku~," Kizaru drawled, voice slow and amused. "Is this about the new article? It was quite an interesting read."
He let out a soft chuckle.
"That Big News Morgan fellow," he continued, "he's really hyping up Captain Tenjin as some kind of enemy of the World Government, isn't he~?"
Sengoku let out a deep sigh and rubbed his temple, his fingers pressing firmly as if trying to stave off a headache that refused to leave.
"It's such a pain," Sengoku muttered. "Couldn't Tenjin have just ignored it?"
Tsuru, standing beside Sengoku's desk with her arms folded neatly within her sleeves, shook her head gently.
"But Sengoku," she said calmly, "I would have been more surprised if Tenjin did ignore it."
She glanced toward the window, eyes thoughtful.
"With how he's been described… that boy could never stand by and watch injustice happen right in front of him. Of course, he doesn't understand what kind of trouble this causes for us."
Kizaru hummed softly in agreement. "Mmm~ So I've heard as well."
He straightened slightly, though his posture remained relaxed. "So then, Fleet Admiral. Do I depart immediately?"
Sengoku didn't hesitate.
"Yes," he said firmly. "Please."
Tsuru's eyes narrowed just a bit. "But Sengoku," she added, her tone cautious, "you heard Garp's words, didn't you? If you send an Admiral—"
"I know," Sengoku cut in, his voice heavy but resolute.
He turned his gaze toward Kizaru, eyes sharp beneath his glasses.
"Kizaru," Sengoku said, "when you get there, the chances of engaging with Vice Admiral Garp are one hundred percent."
Kizaru's brow lifted slightly behind his sunglasses.
"Don't try to fight him," Sengoku continued. "Make sure to complete your mission."
For a brief moment, the room was silent.
Then Kizaru let out a long, drawn-out sigh.
"A fight with Vice Admiral Garp, huh~?" he said. "Now that would be troublesome."
Tsuru frowned. "But Sengoku, why the sudden rush? I thought you said you wanted to wait the situation out, see if you could arrange a pardon for Tenjin."
Sengoku clenched his jaw.
"Well," he said, voice low, "that was the plan."
He glanced at the folded newspaper resting on his desk, the bold headline still visible even from where Kizaru stood.
"But thanks to that blasted article," Sengoku continued, "I'm being pressured from all sides to go through with it."
The weight of the World Government bore down on the room like an invisible force.
Sengoku looked up at Kizaru again.
"Kizaru."
Kizaru gave a small nod. "No problem, Fleet Admiral~."
Without another word, he turned on his heel and began walking toward the door, his footsteps unhurried, almost casual.
As he reached the exit, Sengoku spoke again.
"Remember," Sengoku said, voice firm, "your priority is the mission."
Kizaru paused for just a fraction of a second.
"…Understood~."
Then he stepped out, the door closing softly behind him.
The room fell quiet once more.
Tsuru turned to Sengoku, her expression serious.
"Sengoku," she said, "you know that if Garp is serious about protecting that kid… Kizaru has a zero percent chance of eliminating him."
Sengoku leaned back in his chair.
Slowly, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I know," he said.
Outside the office, Kizaru walked down the long corridors of Marineford, sunlight reflecting off the polished floors. Marines snapped to attention as he passed, saluting sharply.
Kizaru raised a hand lazily in acknowledgment.
"Such troublesome times~," he murmured to himself.
---
North Blue — Lvneel Kingdom
The wind swept across the abandoned district of Lvneel Kingdom, whistling through rusted towers and half-collapsed structures that once stood as monuments to the kingdom's technological ambitions. Broken rails, scorched testing platforms, and forgotten machines lay scattered across the area, silent witnesses to progress long abandoned.
Tenjin sat atop a metal crate, one leg dangling lazily over the edge, a Den Den Mushi resting in his hand.
On the other end of the line—
Absolute fury.
"TENJIN!"
Makima's voice exploded from the Den Den Mushi, loud enough that even the empty ruins seemed to echo it back. "What's the meaning of blocking me from leaving the base?!"
Tenjin winced slightly, pulling the receiver a little farther from his ear.
"That's because," he said calmly, "I know if I let you leave, you'll come straight here."
There was no hesitation in her reply.
"Of course I will," Makima snapped. "My son is in trouble!"
Tenjin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't worry about me, Mom. I'll be fine."
"That's not your decision to make!"
"If you came here," Tenjin continued, his voice firm but gentle, "you'd only be a distraction."
The line went silent for half a second.
Then
"Tenjin," Makima said, her voice lower now, dangerous. "If you don't tell these Marines to let me pass—"
Crunch.
Tenjin's head snapped up.
Footsteps.
Not one pair. Not two.
Many.
Heavy boots against stone. Marching in rhythm.
Tenjin closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.
"…Mom, I have to go."
"Tenjin! Don't you dare hang up—"
The Den Den Mushi clicked.
The call ended.
Tenjin stared at the snail for a moment before gently setting it down. He exhaled, shoulders dropping.
"Well," he muttered to himself, "at least Tashigi and everyone else managed to leave."
He pushed himself up from the crate and turned toward the open expanse ahead of him.
"Now then…" he murmured. "Who did they send, I wonder."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Admiral Aokiji… Akainu… or Kizaru."
The sound grew louder.
Moments later, they appeared.
A full Marine fleet had surrounded the outskirts of the abandoned zone, ships docked with military precision. Marines poured out in formation, rows upon rows of them.
Tenjin counted instinctively.
"…Five hundred," he said quietly.
That alone didn't concern him.
What did concern him
Was the old man walking casually at the very front, digging into his nose with his pinky as if this were a leisurely stroll rather than a mission of execution.
The man stopped a short distance away, straightened up, and laughed loudly.
"HAHAHAHA!"
The booming laugh echoed across the ruins.
"So you must be Tenjin, huh?"
Tenjin froze.
His thoughts spiraled as panic and disbelief slammed into him all at once.
You've got to be kidding me.
His breath caught.
'VICE ADMIRAL GARP.'
The Hero of the Marines.
The man who cornered the Pirate King.
The living legend.
That's who they sent after me?
His stomach dropped.
What kind of sick joke is this?
Standing there, relaxed as ever, was Monkey D. Garp himself. And right beside him, calm, silent, sword at his side was Bogard.
Tenjin recognized him immediately.
But what shook him even more was something far deeper.
Tenjin had grown up reading about Vice Admiral Garp.
His battles. His defiance. His strength. His strange, unyielding sense of justice.
To Tenjin, Garp was the blueprint of what a Marine should be.
The man who didn't bow to Celestial Dragons. The man who fought pirates without becoming a lapdog of the government.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say
Tenjin was Garp's biggest fan.
Which made this moment feel unreal.
And terrifying.
Escape?
Zero percent.
Still, Tenjin noticed something odd.
Next to Garp stood two young Marines, around his age.
One with pink hair and nervous eyes.
The other blonde, standing stiff with forced confidence.
Tenjin didn't recognize either of them.
Garp squinted at him.
"What's with the silence?" Garp said. "You not gonna say anything?"
Before Tenjin could respond, the pink-haired Marine stepped forward slightly.
"V-Vice Admiral Garp," he said hesitantly. "Who is this? What's our mission with him?"
Garp grinned.
"This is Tenjin," he said plainly. "Target of elimination."
"…Huh?"
Both young Marines stiffened.
"H-HUH?!" they shouted in unison.
Koby's eyes widened in shock. "D-Did you say elimination, Vice Admiral Garp?!"
Garp casually reached up and removed his Vice Admiral coat, tossing it aside.
"Yep," he said with a smile. "This brat punched a Celestial Dragon."
The words hung heavy in the air.
"Oh," Garp added, as if remembering something trivial. "And he's supposed to be part of the new Marine trainee class. Same one as you two."
Tenjin finally moved.
He stepped down from the crate, boots hitting the stone with a dull thud.
"To think they'd send Vice Admiral Garp after me," Tenjin said, a strained smile forming on his face. "I don't know whether I should be flattered… or curse my luck."
Garp laughed loudly again.
"Well?" Garp said. "You just gonna stand there and accept your fate?"
His eyes sharpened.
"Or are you gonna go out trying like a proper Marine?"
Koby rushed forward, standing in front of Garp.
"W-Wait, Vice Admiral Garp!" he said urgently. "Isn't there anything we can do other than eliminating him?!"
"Move," Garp said firmly.
"But Vice Admiral—!"
Whoosh.
A Captain's coat flew through the air.
Tenjin had already shrugged it off and tossed it aside, the white fabric fluttering before landing on the ground.
"I know my chances of winning are zero," Tenjin said calmly. "But I won't make things that easy for you, Vice Admiral Garp."
Garp's grin widened.
"Good."
Koby and Helmeppo turned back toward Tenjin.
Koby's thoughts raced.
He's actually going to fight Vice Admiral Garp?
That's suicide… shouldn't he be trying to talk his way out?
Helmeppo swallowed.
Who the hell is this guy…?
Garp stepped forward.
The ground seemed to tense beneath his feet.
He raised his fists and settled into a fighting stance, simple, natural, terrifying.
"Alright then," Garp said.
"Show me, Tenjin."
His eyes gleamed.
"Show me some of that potential."