Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
"I'm telling you, Sengoku! You had Sean deliver those three guys, but aren't you afraid he'll just kill them on the spot?" Garp shouted at Sengoku, his voice laced with irritation.
Garp knew exactly what kind of person Sean was. This was the man who, years ago, had the audacity to proclaim a "Justice that Reigns Supreme" right to Garp's face.
Would someone like that simply hand over three pieces of trash to CP9 without a fight?
It wasn't that Garp thought those three deserved to live; rather, if Sean actually did it, he would likely be ordered out of the Marines by the Holy Land immediately, or worse, be slapped with a bounty.
In the end, there was a high probability that another future powerhouse would be pushed into the arms of the Marines' enemies.
That was why he was so angry.
Sengoku was known as the "Strategist." There was no way he hadn't considered this. If he understood the risk, why on earth did he still assign Sean to this mission?
"Garp, be quiet!" Sengoku snapped. "I had my reasons for sending Sean!"
"Simply pursuing one's own sense of justice without regard for the consequences is unacceptable. Often, to ensure the greatest possible victory for justice, we must make certain compromises."
"Neither you nor I are exempt from this truth!"
"Therefore, this mission was a test for Sean. He was faced with three choices."
"First: endure the urge to act and continue building his strength."
"Second: act, but leave no evidence behind."
"Third: act recklessly, without any regard for the consequences."
"If he chose the first or second option, he would pass my final assessment."
"But if he actually chose the third..." Sengoku paused. "It would prove he is unfit for great responsibility. No matter how much justice he holds in his heart, he wouldn't be worth promoting."
"You understand this, don't you?"
Understand? Of course Garp understood.
In other words, as long as the Marines continued to act as the hounds of the World Government, the World Government would allow the Marines to play their "justice game" within a certain boundary.
But the moment that justice overstepped its bounds, the World Government would not hesitate to purge the Marines—or simply build a new, more obedient force to replace them.
If that happened, even the limited justice they currently held would vanish.
This was precisely why Garp forced himself to endure even when he saw the Celestial Dragons murdering people right in front of him. He knew the stakes.
Sengoku was the same. It was for this very reason that he had removed the plaque that once read "Justice that Reigns Supreme" and replaced it with "Absolute Justice."
Fundamentally, neither Sengoku nor Garp possessed a biological makeup like Sean's, nor did they have the sheer power to suppress the entire world. Based on that reality, one couldn't say they were absolutely wrong.
At the very least, they ensured the world retained a shred of justice, however limited it might be.
"I know, I know! But this is something that can be handled slowly. You didn't have to force Sean to—"
"Enough. Stop making that face. Word just came back; the handover was completed smoothly, and Sean is on his way back. Nothing happened."
Hearing this, Garp finally relaxed a little.
"You see? Sean is capable of distinguishing the priorities. Now, I can feel confident about grooming him as a future Admiral, or perhaps even the Fleet Admiral," Sengoku said, sounding quite pleased with himself.
But right at that moment...
'Purupurupuru...'
"This is Sengoku!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Rear Admiral Hailan of the Enies Lobby garrison!"
"Did something happen?"
Hearing the panicked tone in Hailan's voice through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's heart skipped a beat. Garp, standing beside him, felt the same.
Both of them were thinking the same thing: 'Did that brat Sean sneak back to Enies Lobby on his way home to finish the job?'
"Reporting to the Fleet Admiral! Approximately ten minutes ago, a mysterious individual attacked Enies Lobby. Over a hundred ordinary CP9 agents were killed, and the CP9 director, Spandam, was seriously injured!"
"Furthermore, the three Vice Admirals who had just arrived at Enies Lobby were killed in the attack. As for our garrison forces, since there were few people in the Judicial Tower and most were on the lower levels, only a few suffered minor injuries from the violent tremors."
As the report continued, the expressions of both Sengoku and Garp shifted drastically.
Sean actually did it?
Three Vice Admirals dead—if Sean didn't do it, who did? As for the CP9 agents and Spandam, they were likely just collateral damage.
"Who was the attacker?"
"Unknown. No one saw the attacker's face, but—"
"But what?"
"Witnesses described the attack method. Based on the descriptions, it can be deduced to be the power of a Logia—the Flame-Flame Fruit!"
"What? A Logia Flame-Flame Fruit... are you certain?"
"Based on several witness accounts, we are over ninety percent sure!"
Now, Sengoku and Garp were completely bewildered.
After all, the entire Marine knew that Sean's ability was lightning-based. A fire ability—specifically the Flame-Flame Fruit—had absolutely nothing to do with Sean.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku and Garp looked at each other, both utterly confused.
Sengoku quickly picked up another Den Den Mushi and dialed out. A moment later, a Lieutenant Commander aboard Sean's warship answered.
Sengoku questioned him directly about everything that had happened after the handover at Enies Lobby. The Lieutenant Commander reported honestly.
"So, you're saying that after the handover, you departed immediately, and Sean went back to his cabin to rest? He hasn't been seen since?"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral! I stationed a messenger outside the Commodore's cabin to deliver orders at a moment's notice. I can confirm that Commodore Sean never left the room."
"I see. That's all. Hurry back to Headquarters."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Setting down the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku looked at Garp.
"What do you think?"
"What is there to think? No matter how you look at it, it has nothing to do with that brat. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Just... I have a feeling I've been played, though I have no idea why!!"
'What the hell?'
'Feeling like you've been played?'
'What does this have to do with you?'
Sengoku looked at him with complete exasperation.
However, if Sean were there, he would certainly know exactly why Garp felt that way.
After all, there is less than a year left before Ace sets sail.
But once Ace begins utilizing the powers of the Flame-Flame Fruit on the open sea...
Tsk, tsk. Just imagining the scene...
By then, Ace probably won't have done a single thing before the World Government slaps a bounty of hundreds of millions of Belly on his head, leaving him hunted across the entire world.
Wouldn't that just leave Garp completely screwed?