Zephyr unceremoniously pulled Roldy over to his side. Sengoku had no objections. Compared to Zephyr, he carried far more responsibilities. With Kong all but certain to become the next Fleet Admiral, Sengoku—whose wisdom and strength were both top-tier—was already being groomed as a future pillar of the Marines.
After a brief farewell, Zephyr led Roldy out of the Admiral's office. As the Chief Instructor of the Recruit Training Camp, keeping Roldy by his side would ensure the boy's fastest growth.
Meanwhile — Inside the Admiral's Office
"Sit."
Kong handed Sengoku a cup of coffee. Sengoku accepted it without ceremony and sat down across from him.
"The Rocks Pirates have been restless again lately."
Kong glanced at the mountain of documents piled beside his desk and felt a headache coming on.
The current Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters was Andre, seventy-nine years old this year. A highly respected veteran, he had remained in his position out of unwavering devotion to justice. But his body could no longer endure the burden. Retirement was likely next year.
And at such a critical juncture, the Rocks Pirates had emerged—proclaiming themselves the most vicious pirate crew in history.
They had been established only a few years, yet had already become the undisputed overlords of the New World.
Their captain, Rocks, was the most wanted man on the seas. Under him were six division commanders, each with a bounty exceeding 300 million Berries. Their total manpower surpassed ten thousand.
Such a colossal force already possessed the qualifications to confront Marine Headquarters head-on.
"Yes," Sengoku replied, taking a sip of coffee. "According to intelligence gathered from the underworld, the Golden Lion went to the North Blue this time in search of a legendary Devil Fruit—the More-More Fruit."
Relief flickered across Sengoku's face.
The Paramecia-type More-More Fruit was practically a god-tier ability. Its power was simple—multiplication—but overwhelmingly destructive. A disaster-class Devil Fruit, inferior to none.
"The Rocks Pirates already have six division commanders, all Paramecia users. If they obtain that fruit as well, they might truly turn the world upside down."
"Take a look at these reports."
Kong tossed several documents across the desk. Sengoku scanned them quickly, his brows knitting tighter with each page.
"Rookie King! The New Ruler of the Grand Line!"
"Unstoppable Momentum! The Undefeated Roger Pirates!"
The reports detailed a rising pirate crew.
Ordinarily, Sengoku wouldn't spare them a glance. Their focus was entirely on the Rocks Pirates in the New World.
But this was different.
A pirate crew that hadn't even entered the New World yet—and its captain already had a bounty of 160 million Berries.
Did they realize what that meant?
"What a turbulent era…"
Pirates were running rampant, their power growing stronger by the day. Meanwhile, the Marines were critically lacking in mid-tier combat strength. There were promising young talents—but few capable of standing on their own just yet.
"By the way," Kong suddenly said, "did you notice anything unusual about that boy, Roldy?"
Sengoku paused.
He replayed everything about the boy in his mind—his expressions, movements, words. Nothing seemed out of place.
"Nothing abnormal. If anything, he harbors extreme hatred toward slave traders. Probably related to his past. He seemed particularly concerned about those traffickers being sent to Impel Down."
"I see… That's good news."
As he spoke, Kong retrieved a thick volume from his cabinet. The only sound in the office was the rustling of pages as he flipped through it.
"'The Berserker' Fett Simodo! Mink—Wolverine Type. Captain of the Simodo Pirates. Bounty: 105 million Berries!"
The book was filled with old bounty posters, their paper and ink clearly aged.
After a moment of searching, Kong found what he was looking for. He carefully removed a worn and partially damaged poster and examined it before handing it to Sengoku.
The poster showed a fierce-looking man. A scar ran across his lips, another at the corner of his eye. His body was covered in black-and-white fur.
Looking closely—
The resemblance between his brows and Roldy's was striking.
"This is…"
Sengoku's pupils shrank.
"That's right. One of my old rivals—and one of the pirates I never managed to capture. Given the Mink Tribe's lifespan, he has probably died of old age by now."
In this era, when the value of a Berry had not inflated, a bounty exceeding 100 million marked someone as a true great pirate.
And this man was from the previous generation.
In his later years, he had clashed with Kong—and had been regarded as a worthy adversary.
A 100-million-Berry bounty in that era?
What kind of monster was that?
But that wasn't what shocked Sengoku the most.
"That man…"
Kong's gaze darkened slightly.
"…possessed Conqueror's Haki."
"What?!"