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"If there are pirates giving even you a headache... though I've retired, I wouldn't mind going out to take care of them. Ha ha ha..."
The sixty-year-old, purple-haired, robust middle-aged man chuckled as he walked into the office and sat down.
"Zephyr, you still hold the title of Headquarters Admiral," Sengoku said irritably. "If necessary, Fleet Admiral Kong will naturally mobilize you, the Headquarters Admiral, to handle the situation."
The Marine's three Admirals were originally Zephyr, Sengoku, and Garp.
That's how it should have been...
But now, Sengoku was the only Admiral left.
Eighteen years ago, shortly after pirates murdered Zephyr's family, he resigned from his position as Admiral.
Despite repeated attempts by Marine Headquarters to retain him, even preserving his title of Great Shogun, Zephyr had effectively transitioned to the role of Instructor. He dedicated himself to nurturing fresh talent for the Marines, rarely acting in his capacity as Admiral. After all, in the Sabaody Archipelago, it had been countless years since a pirate dared to provoke the Celestial Dragons, only the foolish or the utterly arrogant would attempt such a feat.
As for his old comrade Garp... for various reasons, he had consistently refused promotion to Admiral.
Naturally, that was the official story. In reality, Marine Headquarters had always treated and deployed the "Marine Hero" as a de facto Headquarters Admiral.
Otherwise, when Gold Lion rampaged through Marineford years ago, why would only Garp and Admiral Sengoku have been dispatched to confront him, with no other Admirals appearing?
Thus, the current Marine Headquarters had one genuine Admiral Sengoku, one Zephyr Admiral who held only the title, and Garp, the "Marine Hero," who was an Admiral in every sense but lacked the official rank.
It was fortunate that Admiral Sengoku was a user of the Mythological Beast Great Buddha Fruit Ability, a superhuman with the boundless energy of a sacred Buddha. Otherwise, bearing the full weight of the three Admirals' duties alone would have been an unbearable burden.
"Why aren't you at the training camp?" Sengoku asked, pouring Zephyr a cup of tea.
Zephyr waved his hand dismissively. "They're all fools! They can't even grasp the basics of Haki after all this time... nothing like Kuzan and his generation."
Sengoku chuckled. "Don't you think comparing them to Kuzan and his peers is a bit harsh on the recruits?"
"Back then, those three were recruits too!" Zephyr gulped down his scalding tea in one go, leaned back on the sofa, and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, what was giving you a headache earlier?"
Sengoku tapped his fingers on the documents on the table. "Laut Haiyna has been captured and is currently on trial. She'll be sent to Impel Down soon..."
"That Shichibukai?" Zephyr scoffed. "I thought those seven damned legal pirates you appointed would never get caught."
Sengoku sighed. "She overstepped her boundaries, reaching into the Heavenly Tribute..."
"I told you long ago," Zephyr said, "pirates can never be trusted."
Sengoku's tone turned peculiar. "The ones who defeated Laut Haiyna were two other pirates... Jolyne Cujoh and Giorno Giovanna."
"Those two?" Zephyr's face lit up with surprise.
"You've heard of them too?" Sengoku chuckled. "I thought you were only focused on your recruit students these days."
Zephyr replied sternly, "Pirates who can steal Devil Fruit abilities are hard to forget! Sengoku, you've been too lenient with those two. Anyone with such dangerous powers can't be trusted to stay quiet. Sooner or later, they'll plunge this sea into chaos! I never imagined they could defeat Laut Haiyna, who was already famous before Roger's execution. Once they spread word of their victory over Oka Shichibukai, Giorno and Jolyne, whose reputations are soaring, will only need to raise their banners, and countless pirates will flock to their cause..."
"Zephyr, you're underestimating them," Sengoku said, shaking his head. "I used to think the same way, but when I spoke with Garp on the Den Den Mushi, he said..."
"Wahahaha! Sengoku, you're underestimating these pirates!"
The Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk, its whiskers now gray, emitted Vice Admiral Garp's booming laughter. At the same time, the creature's mouth crunched loudly.
'That old geezer, still eating senbei while on the phone…' Sengoku sighed. "What kind of pirate are you referring to?"
The Den Den Mushi, its face resembling Garp's, smiled. "Have you ever heard Roger's crew bragging about their glorious victory over Rocks?"
Zephyr listened in silence for a long moment, then closed his eyes and shook his head. "To compare these brats to someone of Roger's caliber..."
Sengoku chuckled. "Think about it. Whether on the Grand Line, Kuja Island, or in the South Blue, we've never heard Giorno or his female Captain boasting about their exploits."
"So, does that mean these pirates are harmless?" Zephyr asked, his face cold. "They've already defeated Laut Haiyna. We can no longer ignore their strength."
"Don't misunderstand me, Zephyr," Sengoku replied, his smile fading. "Pirates are, by nature, pirates."
Zephyr snorted and strode away.
Sengoku remained alone in his office, sipping tea and finishing his paperwork. He casually fed the documents to his pet sheep, letting it chew them to shreds.
"Admiral Sengoku, royal ships have docked," a Marine reported urgently from outside.
"Royal ships?" Sengoku asked.
The Marine entered and reported, "They're from the Skyre Kingdom..."
Sengoku's mind raced, and he quickly guessed their purpose. He sighed, "Ah, to cover up the Shichibukai incident, it seems we'll have to spend some money..."
Just as Sengoku was about to leave his office, he suddenly remembered something, sat back down, and pulled out a rough map of the Grand Line's first half, known as "Paradise."
The map was only approximate, naturally, due to the Grand Line's unique geography and climate, which made it nearly impossible to create an accurate sea chart.
"Resort Island... Drum Island... Kuraigana Island..."
Sengoku's finger traced the JoJo Pirates' movements over the past six months, finally landing with a tap on a cluster of islands near the Red Line.
"It seems they'll be reaching Sabaody soon...
"I hope they stay out of trouble. I don't want to engage them in direct combat unless absolutely necessary.
"After all..."
Sengoku shook his head, grabbed his Justice coat from the back of his chair, and draped it over his shoulders with a whoosh. He strode purposefully out of the office.
Sabaody Archipelago, Port 44 on the front side,
A merchant ship sliced through the waves, gradually slowing as it approached the harbor.
On the deck, a young man over two meters tall stood in baggy shorts and a short-sleeved jacket, his bare chest and abdomen revealing clearly defined muscles. He and the woman beside him wore matching amber sunglasses. The woman's long, green-streaked hair was styled into two intricate buns, her flowing sleeves and ethereal aura blending with a modern flair as she gazed at the approaching Sabaody Archipelago alongside the young man.
"What a dreamlike sight..." Robin murmured in awe.
Liam, clutching two notes, one old, one new, chuckled. "Almost six years. We've finally made it."
(End Of This Chapter)