The sun shone brightly over the massive fortress of Marineford, casting long golden rays across the towering white walls that overlooked the vast ocean. The sea breeze blew steadily through the harbor, causing the enormous banner bearing the symbol of Justice to flutter proudly above the central building.
That symbol had become synonymous with the authority of the Marines, a declaration to the entire world that order still existed upon the chaotic seas.
From a distance, Marineford looked calm and majestic, an unshakeable bastion of power.
However, inside the headquarters, peace was currently in very short supply.
Within the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku sat behind a wide wooden desk that was usually kept impeccably organized. Reports from Marine bases across the Grand Line and the four seas were stacked neatly in tall piles before him, each sheet containing information that required his immediate attention.
Ordinarily, Sengoku would have been calmly reviewing the documents with the efficiency that had made him one of the most respected leaders in Marine history.
Today, however, the Fleet Admiral had not touched a single page.
His hands rested on the desk while his brows were furrowed deeply, and a visible crease had formed between them as if his mind was wrestling with something troublesome.
The cause of his headache was not the paperwork.
It was the news that he had been waiting to receive for a few days.
And as if his mood was not already bad enough, a particularly irritating sound kept echoing inside the room.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
The sound was loud, repetitive, and utterly shameless.
Sengoku's fingers slowly curled against the desk as the vein on his forehead began throbbing. His eye twitched uncontrollably at the sound.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Finally, he turned his head sharply toward the source of the noise.
There, sprawled comfortably across the sofa like a retired old man enjoying his afternoon snack, sat Monkey D. Garp.
The legendary Marine hero leaned back against the cushions with complete ease, one leg resting over the other while he enthusiastically munched on a large bag of crackers. His expression looked carefree and relaxed, as though the entire world had nothing to do with him.
Another cracker disappeared into his mouth.
"Garp, you bastard!" Sengoku's patience finally snapped, and his furious roar shook the room.
Several seagulls outside the window startled and flew away.
"Look at the great things your grandson has done!"
Sengoku slammed his palm against the desk so hard that several papers jumped slightly into the air.
"And you still dare to sit there and eat crackers so comfortably?!"
His glare was sharp enough to frighten most Marine officers into silence.
Unfortunately for him, the man he was glaring at happened to be Garp.
The old Marine hero blinked once, as if only now realizing Sengoku was talking to him.
Then his face lit up with an enormous grin.
"Bwahahaha!"
Garp burst into loud laughter, his shoulders shaking as he leaned back further into the sofa.
He flashed his shining row of teeth proudly and raised his thumb toward Sengoku.
"As expected of my amazing grandson!"
For a brief moment, Sengoku simply stared at him in stunned disbelief.
"GARP!"
The shout echoed through the office.
Sengoku shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor as he leaned across the desk like he was genuinely preparing to jump over it and punch his old friend.
Garp quickly waved his hand dismissively, though the grin never left his face.
"What do you mean, Sengoku?" He said while casually tossing another cracker into his mouth.
"Hmph… isn't it just one Kaido?"
The casual way he said that name made Sengoku's jaw tighten.
Garp scratched his cheek lazily.
"Back then, that little brat tucked his tail between his legs and ran away in fear," He continued with complete confidence. "He is nothing special."
"Nothing special?!" Sengoku's eyes widened in outrage. He slammed both hands against the desk again. "You bastard, Garp! He is a Yonko!"
His voice grew louder with every word.
"A Yonko!!"
The windows rattled faintly from the force of his shout.
"If something happens with him, the balance of the seas will be broken!"
He pointed accusingly at Garp like a prosecutor presenting evidence in court.
"That good grandson of yours…" Sengoku growled through clenched teeth. "…he is even worse than you!"
Garp scratched his nose casually and shrugged. "Bwahaha… sounds like a compliment to me."
Sengoku's face darkened so much that it almost looked like smoke might start rising from his head.
Just when the two old Marines appeared ready to escalate their argument into an all-out shouting match, the office door suddenly opened.
A calm yet firm voice spoke from the doorway.
"Why the hell are you two arguing like children?"
Both men turned their heads and saw Tsuru standing at the entrance.
The veteran Marine strategist walked inside with slow, steady steps, her sharp eyes calmly observing the chaotic scene before her. The look on her face resembled that of a strict schoolteacher who had just caught two troublemakers fighting during class.
Garp instantly straightened slightly.
Sengoku coughed awkwardly and sat back down.
Tsuru sighed softly.
"And also Sengoku," She continued, folding her arms, "did you get any information from Kuzan?"
A faint hint of concern appeared in her normally composed expression.
"That little brat even took my dear granddaughter with him," She added quietly. "I'm so worried."
The mention of that particular matter caused Sengoku's shoulders to slump slightly. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples in frustration.
"I have no idea," He admitted with a tired sigh. "It has already been almost a week since I last heard from that bastard Kuzan."
Garp laughed loudly again. "Bwahahaha! Sounds like Kuzan."
Tsuru shot him a cold glance that instantly shut him up.
Sengoku continued grumbling.
"He must be being lazy somewhere again," He muttered irritably. "I shouldn't have sent him in the first place."
The room fell quiet for a brief moment.
"Yeah… you should've sent me instead, Sengoku-san."
Then suddenly, a slow, playful voice echoed through the office.
Before anyone could react, a brilliant golden flash appeared outside the window.
The light shot into the room like a beam before condensing into a swirling mass of glowing particles.
Within seconds, the light gathered together and formed the tall figure of a man.
The glow faded, and standing there with his hands in his pockets was Borsalino.
He casually adjusted his sunglasses while wearing the usual lazy expression that somehow made him resemble an old monkey pretending to be serious.
"Oooh… what a troublesome situation," He drawled slowly.
Sengoku stared at him for a moment before letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
Then he rolled his eyes.
"Just you?"
He pointed a finger at Borsalino accusingly. "You're even worse than that Kuzan."
Borsalino tilted his head slightly. "Oh my… how cruel."
Sengoku leaned forward with an annoyed expression.
"If I had sent you," He continued firmly, "you would have made an even bigger mess together with that little brat Luffy."
Garp burst into loud laughter again. "Bwahahaha! That would've been fun!"
Tsuru pinched the bridge of her nose as if trying to suppress a headache.
Meanwhile, Borsalino slowly scratched his cheek and looked around the office with mild curiosity.
"Ara ara… is that how little faith you have in me, Sengoku-san?"
His tone sounded almost innocent.
"Faith? In you?" Sengoku snorted as if he had heard a joke. He leaned back in his chair.
"If you and that troublemaking brat ended up on the same battlefield, half the Wano Country would probably explode before sunset."
"Bwahahaha..."
Garp laughed even harder at that image.
Borsalino merely smiled faintly behind his sunglasses, clearly amused by the idea.