At the Sabaody Archipelago, a massive warship docked at the shore.
Immediately after, a squad of elite Navy soldiers rushed down from the vessel, standing tall as they secured the surrounding area. Before long, two figures dressed in the uniforms of high-ranking Navy officers slowly disembarked as well.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp!" the Navy rear admiral in charge of the Sabaody Archipelago, saluted sharply as he came forward to welcome them.
"Rear Admiral, you've worked hard. How's the situation here?" Sengoku asked as he stepped off the warship.
"The City of Nightless has been fully completed and has already begun opening to merchants and tourists. The grand opening ceremony will be held tomorrow, after which it will officially begin full operations. I've heard there's even a so-called super market inside, selling all kinds of rare and exotic items transported from Sky Island," she reported.
"What about the Gray Nation? Any movements?" Garp asked.
"The Gray Nation's Imperial Guard has completely taken over security in the City of Nightless. Although there are only about three hundred of them, I went to take a look. Every single one is strong enough to rival pirates worth several hundred million to over a billion Beli. Each of them is capable of holding their own. In addition, they've mobilized many decorated squad members from the Four Seas to jointly handle the city's security, ensuring safety on the opening day," she replied.
"It seems Rosinante really spared no effort this time. The Bloodsworn Guard should be almost entirely stationed here," Garp said.
"There's just one very strange thing. The City of Nightless is about to open, but its owner, the captain of the Gray Nation, Rosinante, has vanished without a trace. Neither World Government agents nor Navy intelligence personnel have been able to determine Rosinante's whereabouts," she said.
"We already knew about that beforehand. No idea what he's up to, but logically, he should appear tomorrow. If he doesn't, then these people alone won't be able to hold down such a massive event. What's the situation on the Celestial Dragons' side?" Sengoku asked.
"The Celestial Dragons are behaving as usual. They often go strolling around the City of Nightless, and after returning, they hold meetings. Recently, they haven't done anything particularly excessive," she answered.
"The calm before the storm," Sengoku said with concern.
This time, Sengoku and Garp had come for two reasons. First, to ensure the safety of the Celestial Dragons. Second, to see whether there might be an opportunity to make a move against Rosinante or weaken the Gray Nation.
Protecting the Celestial Dragons was an order from the World Government. Taking advantage of the situation to deal with Rosinante and the Gray Nation was something Fleet Admiral Kong and Sengoku had discussed and decided upon together.
As the Gray Nation continued to grow stronger, the Navy had gradually begun to feel pressure.
The pace of the Gray Nation's expansion was simply too fast, and Rosinante's strength was becoming increasingly alarming to the Navy.
This time, when they learned that the Celestial Dragons were preparing to confront Rosinante during the City of Nightless's opening ceremony, the Navy was fully aware of what was going on.
Thus, the Navy intended to use this opportunity to see whether they could do something to strike at Rosinante or weaken the Gray Nation.
And so, Kong naturally dispatched Sengoku and Garp to the Sabaody Archipelago. He trusted that with Sengoku's judgment, the situation could be assessed and handled appropriately.
In truth, the Navy did not know exactly what level of power the Celestial Dragons would bring out.
But with Sengoku's wisdom and Garp's strength, they would be able to deal with anything.
If the Gray Nation truly found itself unable to withstand the Celestial Dragons, Sengoku and Garp could take advantage of the moment to intervene.
Whether that meant killing off several of the Gray Nation's key fighters, especially core members of the BloodSworn guard like Bins and Enel, or severely crippling the Gray Nation, or even directly eliminating Rosinante.
On the other hand, if Rosinante emerged victorious, their strength would still be enough to protect the lives of the Celestial Dragons.
In short, the order Kong gave them was to act according to circumstances. If they could weaken or even eradicate the Gray Nation in the process, that would be ideal. If not, then at the very least, the Celestial Dragons' safety had to be guaranteed.
"I hope we can take down Rosinante and Bins this time. Otherwise, there may not be such a good opportunity again," Sengoku said worriedly.
"Heh. As long as those guys put in some effort, we'll be able to act openly and legitimately. Even if we can't eliminate Rosinante, severely crippling the Gray Nation won't be a problem. Besides, Borsalino has already set out as well. If both sides make their move at the same time, we'll catch them completely off guard. At the very least, we can eliminate the threat posed by Bins," Garp said.
"Let's hope so. Come on, let's go take a look at just how prosperous this City of Nightless really is. After this battle, that prosperity might no longer exist," Sengoku said.
"A City of Nightless that cost a trillion to build. If it disappears just like that, Rosinante will probably be so angry he'll be jumping around," Garp said with a laugh.
As they spoke, the two of them headed toward the City of Nightless.