"What did you say? You're in a naval battle with the Sky Pirates? The situation is critical? What's going on? Where are you now?"
Marineford.
Marineford had just regained its peace after seeing off the Giant King Harald, who had severed his own horns.
It was now in an uproar once again because of an emergency call from a den den mushi.
Inside Fleet Admiral Kong's office.
Kong, who had answered the den den mushi, had a look of utter bewilderment and shock on his face.
While listening to the anxious report from the Naval Officers over the den den mushi, he furrowed his brows and looked at Garp, who was sitting in the office.
"Garp! What is the meaning of this? Wasn't Zephyr just with you? Why did he suddenly run off to the Grand Line? And why is he picking a fight with the Sky Pirates?
I recall emphasizing in yesterday's meeting that the World Government requires us to avoid conflict with pirates from the New World for the time being. All operational plans were to be decided only after the struggle for the Rocks Pirates' legacy concluded. Can someone tell me what is happening now?!"
"I... I don't know!" Garp scratched his head, looking like he'd seen a ghost as well.
He scratched his head and wracked his brain, trying to recall the scene from a few hours ago.
He finally remembered that when Harald came over to sever his horns earlier, Zephyr had indeed mentioned wanting to find someone who knew the truth about God Valley for questioning.
Come to think of it.
He wanted to find Carlo at that time?
But... why have the two sides started a war now?
He remembered that the relationship between Zephyr and Carlo was quite good, wasn't it?
Although Zephyr loathed evil with a passion.
He should have known what kind of pirate Carlo was.
The Marines usually turned a blind eye to pirates who didn't cause a negative impact on ordinary civilians.
Even though the higher-ups were probably itching to get rid of Carlo as soon as possible.
However.
Now was not the time to be thinking about this.
Judging by the situation reported by the Marine over the den den mushi.
It was actually Zephyr's Marine fleet that was in grave danger.
The firepower of three large warships combined was actually no match for six ordinary pirate ships.
Two warships had already been damaged.
One of them had even been sunk outright.
What made Kong and Garp's expressions change even more was...
The Naval Officers on the den den mushi said that Zephyr was being completely suppressed by Carlo and was on the verge of being seriously injured.
This was exactly why they had made this emergency distress call.
"Now is not the time to consider why Zephyr suddenly went to war with Carlo."
After hearing the situation.
Kong stood up abruptly and ordered Garp:
"Garp! Head to the waters off the Rulusia Kingdom at top speed immediately; you must save Zephyr! He is a vital combat asset for Marineford. You should know how dire the situation in the New World is right now! Nothing can happen to him! Otherwise, our Marine presence in the New World will be completely eroded by the ever-increasing number of pirates!"
"Leave it to me!"
Garp also knew the gravity of the situation; without hesitation, he strode out.
To save time.
He didn't even use the stairs; he jumped straight down from the Fleet Admiral's office at the top of the fortress, stepping on Moonwalk to cross the Marineford plaza, rushing like a meteor toward the dog-headed warship docked in the inner bay.
"Bogard! Start the warship immediately! To the Rulusia Kingdom!"
Bogard, who was always on standby on the dog-headed warship and wearing a black leather hat, didn't delay for a second and immediately complied.
Soon.
Garp set off with his dog-headed warship.
Behind him, five more large warships and over ten Marine Vice Admirals currently at Marineford all mobilized, rushing toward the waters off the Rulusia Kingdom in a swarm.
This massive mobilization left the World Government officials, who hadn't had time to leave yet, completely stunned.
"What's wrong with the Marines? Are they going to attack the New World?"
The waters off the Rulusia Kingdom!
The fierce naval battle was still in full swing.
However, aside from the three warships Zephyr had brought earlier.
There were now over a dozen more ships of various sizes on the sea.
Only four of them were Marine warships that had arrived from nearby waters after receiving the distress signal.
The other seven or eight smaller vessels were from the Rulusia Kingdom.
These ships were extremely crude and small in scale, with only a few pitiful cannons on board.
They were originally just patrol boats established by the Rulusia Kingdom to protect their ports.
Now, they had all been sent by the Rulusia Kingdom's royal family to assist the Marines.
They had no choice.
This was the sea off the Rulusia Kingdom.
The Marines and pirates were fighting so intensely here.
With such a huge commotion, it was impossible for them not to know unless they were all deaf and blind.
If the Marines had the upper hand and could win, that would be one thing.
But anyone with eyes could see that the Marine side was completely outmatched by those pirates.
In less than ten short minutes, one Marine warship had been sunk.
Of the remaining two.
One was struggling to hold on under the siege of six pirate ships, looking like it was about to be sunk as well.
And the last one.
It had become the battlefield for the two commanders, shaking violently and constantly breaking apart under the force of the combat.
The terrifying power that continued to erupt was like a natural disaster.
The people of the Rulusia Kingdom couldn't even imagine what scale of destruction would be caused if this terrifying devastation occurred within their royal city.
Therefore, even though they knew that sending these patrol boats to help was like throwing eggs against a rock.
To prevent the country from falling into ruin.
They had to do it.
No matter what, the Marines could not lose!
On the pirate ship.
"Uncle John! The Marines are getting more and more numerous!"
Ivankov looked at the warships and patrol boats rushing in from all directions and firing without hesitation, and a hint of panic and nervousness couldn't help but appear on his cynical face.
In the cabin not far away.
Kuma protected Ginny, while Alice held Teach, nervously waiting for the final outcome of this great naval battle.
At the bow.
Aside from the pirates fighting with their guns.
There was also a young man with an anxious expression, constantly looking around, worried for the Marines while also not wanting to see Carlo get hurt, refusing to return to the cabin for shelter.
Dragon's eyes were filled with struggle at this moment.
He was even somewhat bewildered and in pain.
He had seen it clearly just now.
He saw Carlo kill Vice Admiral Zephyr's adjutant without showing any mercy.
Jesman, a Marineford Captain.
Dragon had also met this adjutant when he was at Marineford.
He knew that he was an extremely outstanding officer at Marineford in recent years.
He seemed to be less than thirty years old this year and had already reached the rank of Captain at Marineford.
It was said that he had long since accumulated enough military merits to be promoted to General rank.
He had simply been willing to give up his promotion opportunities because he didn't want to leave Zephyr's command.
However, today.
He was dead.
And he had died at Carlo's hands.
Dragon couldn't understand.
Why things had developed to this point.
Why did Carlo have to kill Jesman?
And... is this the real sea?
All that talk about the vast sky and wide sea, the calm waters where one can roam, the adventure and freedom—it was all fake!
Only chaos, cruelty, slaughter, and death!
Were real!
Dragon looked at the scene before him, where the gunfire was relentless and the flames reflected a bright red across the sea for dozens of kilometers; he was completely stunned.
On the ship.
Hearing Ivankov's panicked shout, John merely gave a contemptuous smile.
"Numerous?"
"You call this numerous?"
"A brat is just a brat. You haven't seen what a real fleet looks like. When you go to the New World and see that bastard Shiki's flying fleet, you'll know what it means to... cover the sky and blot out the sun like a dark cloud!"
*Gulp, gulp, gulp—*
John raised the hot, throat-burning liquor and gulped it down.
Halfway through, he casually threw the unfinished bottle aside, and it was caught by a pirate in a scramble.
"Keep a good hold on my booze! If anyone fucking steals a sip, I'll skin them alive when I get back!"