Not too far away, two Marine warships had already arrived and were quietly floating at a safe distance.
On the dog-headed ship, Garp laughed so hard his shoulders shook.
"Wahahaha! That red-haired brat's got guts! He actually sent that fat hag Charlotte Linlin flying!"
Sakazuki folded his arms, eyes cold.
"Hmph. He won't last long like this."
He watched Shanks get cut down.
"That kind of pirate will die sooner or later."
"Ooh? Kaido showed up too," Garp said, squinting at the sky.
"Looks like the brat's gonna croak here."
He laughed again, absolutely carefree.
Then he paused.
"Huh?"
"Are those two idiots… fighting each other instead of just killing Red-Hair?"
Beside him, a CP0 agent in white robes and a sheep mask turned his head.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
"Red-Haired Shanks and Dracule Mihawk are both candidates for the Warlords of the Sea program."
"The World Government can't have them die here."
Garp dug in his nose and gave him a look full of disdain.
"Then you go stop 'em."
"That's Charlotte Linlin and Kaido of the Beasts."
"You think they're some small fry pirates?"
"Buru-buru, buru-buru, buru-buru—"
"Moshi moshi, this is Vice Admiral Garp's ship," said a man in a suit and hat, sword at his waist.
This was Bogard, Garp's adjutant.
"Vice Admiral Garp," Bogard said, holding out the snail.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku wants you to cooperate with CP's operation."
Garp's face twisted with annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear him."
"Tch. Just 'cause he's Fleet Admiral he thinks he can bark all he wants."
"When I get back I'm roasting that goat of his…"
The sheep-masked CP0 agent slowly turned his head.
The others pretended they hadn't heard a thing.
Bogard's face was stiff as he held the receiver.
"Garp!"Sengoku's roar exploded out of the transponder snail.
"Shut up and follow orders!"
"And if you lay a finger on my goat, I'll Buddha Palm those rotten thoughts right out of your skull!"
The snail's face had morphed into Sengoku's, glasses and all, as it yelled.
"Ah-leh… how'd Sengoku hear that…?"
Garp stared at the line.
"…Oh."
He was still connected.
"Shut your mouth, Garp. Execute the mission," Sengoku snapped.
Then the line clicked off.
"Tch. Acting all high and mighty," Garp grumbled, picking his nose again.
"Vice Admiral Garp, if we don't move now, it'll be too late," the CP0 agent said, forcing himself to stay calm.
He didn't care whether Mihawk lived or died.
But Shanks—Shanks knew things.
He couldn't die.
Garp looked up at Kaido and Big Mom, both raising their weapons, gathering that terrifying power.
Yeah.
Couldn't stall anymore.
"Sakazuki," Garp said.
"Get over here."
The magma man leapt over to the dog-headed ship without a word.
Garp bent his knees and drew back his fist.
"Everyone hold on to something!" Bogard yelled.
All the Marines scrambled to grab rails, ropes, cannons—anything they could get their hands on.
"Not this again!"
"We're flying, aren't we?!"
A moment later, Garp punched the air.
"HEEEEEERE WE GO—!!"
Bang!
The sea exploded underneath them.
The dog-headed warship launched forward like a cannonball.
On the other side—
"Ma-ma-ma-ma…"
"Die, brat."
"Wororororo!"
"Don't die too fast, Red-Hair. You're still useful to me."
Big Mom and Kaido brought their weapons together, aiming straight at the Red Force.
"Conquest of the Sea!!"
Heaven and earth changed color.
An overwhelming wave of destructive energy roared toward the Red-Haired ship.
"This is bad…" Beckman said, eyes narrowing.
"If that hits us, we're all going into the drink."
"Doesn't matter."
"We go up," Shanks said.
He raised his sword.
Just then, three shadows came screaming down out of the sky.
"Galaxy… Impact!"
"Great… Eruption!"
"Rokuougan!"
Three massive attacks slammed into the tidal shockwave.
The collision detonated with a thunderous roar.
The sea vanished in a giant crater of white foam, waves towering into the sky.
Kaido and Big Mom both blinked.
Garp's booming laugh echoed over the battlefield.
"Wahahahaha!"
"Kaido! Big Mom!"
"How about you two brats pick on me instead?"
Big Mom lowered Napoleon and glared at the new arrivals.
"Garp, you rotten old fossil."
"You Marines think you can butt into everything now?"
"Wororororo."
Kaido grinned, baring his fangs.
"So the Marines came to the New World after all."
"Good. Let's have ourselves a real war."
"Marines…?"
On the Red Force, the crew stared, completely stunned.
Why would the Marines of all people show up now and save them?
Only Yasopp and a few others had an ugly guess.
"Doesn't matter," Shanks said.
"We move."
"Now!"
He didn't waste time.
Opportunity was opportunity.
Same as Captain Roger.
They ran.
Big Mom pointed her sword at the Marines.
"Garp, you wrinkled corpse."
"Get out of my way and go die somewhere else."
Garp's fists cracked loudly as he clenched them.
"Sorry, Linlin."
"Old man like me just happened to be passing by and saw a fun little brawl."
"Hands started itching, y'know?"
"You believe me?"
"YOU—!"
Big Mom's face twisted with rage.
"You wanna die that badly?! Fine."
"Kaido, we're keeping this old bastard here."
"Wororororo! Works for me."
"If the Marines think they can just stroll around the New World, they'd better be ready to stay forever."
They were just about to charge—
When a deep voice cut across the sea.
"Shockwave…"
Crack.
The air itself shattered.
"Gurararara…"
"If you haven't had enough fighting…"
"How about you add me to the party?"
Everyone turned.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard stood with his bisento in hand, cloak fluttering.
Silence fell.
His ship sailed closer, steady as a mountain.
"Let's end it here, shall we?" Whitebeard rumbled.
"Red-Hair's crew already ran."
"No need to keep fighting."
Big Mom stared in the direction Shanks had fled, unwillingness in her eyes.
Then she clicked her tongue.
"Tch."
"Fine."
Garp snorted.
"Hooh… coming in all high and mighty as always, Whitebeard."
"Not everyone's gonna just 'give you face,' y'know?"
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes.
"You mad dog."
"You sure you want to start something with me here?"
"Not afraid you'll never leave the New World?"
Garp knocked his fists together, grinning.
"You wanna try, old man?"
"Give it your best shot."
Kaido and Big Mom both brightened at the thought.
If they could keep Garp here forever…
That'd be one hell of a prize.
Their crews, along with some of the smarter CP agents, were already shifting—subtly preparing to pin down Akainu and the others and leave Garp surrounded.
The more they thought about it, the more tempting it got.
Just then, the sheep-masked CP0 agent stepped forward.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
"The Five Elders order you to avoid full-scale war."
"The mission is complete."
"Withdraw. Now."
He didn't even look at Garp.
"This is an order from the highest authority."
"You Marines are required to obey."
Sakazuki's jaw clenched.
He said nothing.
"…Tch."
"Retreat."
Garp turned away first.
Big Mom watched the Marines pull back, feeling an ache of frustration.
Whitebeard laughed.
"Gurararara…"
"Kaido. Linlin."
"Old man's heading out. See you next time."
The Moby Dick slowly turned and sailed away.
Tch. Damn old man, both Emperors cursed silently.
Big Mom gave a soft chuckle.
"Kaido, little brother…"
"Want to come to Tea Party next time?"
He shook his dragon head.
"Not going."
"We came all the way out here and got nothing."
"Wororororo. Big loss this trip."
What he didn't say was:
If you hadn't barged in, old hag, I'd have taken that brat myself.
"Back," Big Mom ordered, face dark.
"Yes, Mama."
"Yahahahaha!"
"Hurry it up!"
"Run the presses all night if you have to!"
"This story has to go out!"
Morgans flapped his wings excitedly in a hidden underground print room.
"Headline… headline…"
"Oh, I know!"
'BIG MOM PIRATES CLASH WITH RED-HAIRED PIRATES!'
"Then—!"
'KAIDO, MARINES, AND WORLD GOVERNMENT INTERVENE!'
'WHAT SECRET DOES ROGER'S FORMER CREWMAN SHANKS HOLD?!'
"Perfect! Yahahahaha!"
"This world is wild!"
"Sorry, President."
A man in an editor's coat drew a pistol from inside his jacket and aimed it at Morgans.
"We can't let you publish that."
Morgans stiffened.
"Damn it… Clone."
"You're with the World Government?"
"Yes, Mr. President."
"As long as you cooperate—"
He never finished the sentence.
Something slammed into the back of his head.
He dropped like a rock.
Morgans loomed over him, beak tilted.
"Yahahahaha."
"Just you?"
"If I were scared of dying, I'd never have become a news man in this era."
"Drag him out," Morgans said casually.
"Deal with him."
"Yes, President."
"Pack everything up. This base is blown."
"We're moving. Let the birds fly!"
The Red-Haired Pirates managed to find a nameless island and pulled in to rest.
Shanks, wrapped in bandages and still faintly bleeding, sat with a bottle in his hand.
"Hawkeye."
"Thanks."
"I owe you one."
Mihawk just shrugged.
"I told you."
"I saw a beautiful slash."
"I wanted to answer it."
"That's all."
"I'm leaving."
He turned, stepped into his coffin boat, and drifted away like nothing had happened.
Shanks smiled, a little helpless.
Beckman cut in.
"Shanks."
"What now?"
"If we keep wandering around the New World, Big Mom and Kaido will hunt us down."
"It was a miracle we got out of that last mess alive."
"We're not getting a second miracle."
Shanks lowered his head, looking at the bloody bandages around his chest.
"…Sorry, guys."
"This is on me."
Yasopp instantly snapped at him.
"Don't say crap like that."
"We're on the same ship."
"Don't start drawing lines now."
"Yeah, Boss."
"We're with you."
Shanks laughed.
"Right, right."
"I've thought it through."
"At our current level, we're not ready for the New World."
"Let's go back to the Four Seas."
"Once we're stronger, we'll come back and turn this place upside down."
Beckman nodded.
"That's the sensible call."
"As long as we're in the New World, those two won't leave us alone."
"Then it's decided."
Shanks grinned and raised his bottle.
"Boys!"
"We're throwing a feast!"
"We eat, we drink…"
"And then we say goodbye to the New World—for now!"
"OOOH!! BOSS!!"
Just then, they all stiffened.
Someone was approaching.
Weapons came up automatically.
Shanks squinted at the newcomers.
Two people in suits and cloaks approached, wearing lion and dog masks.
CP.
"What do you need?" Shanks asked.
The lion mask stepped forward.
"We represent the World Government."
"We're here with an invitation."
"To ask you, Red-Haired Shanks…"
"…to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
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