Sengoku's words carried enormous weight, and the excitement still lingering across Marineford Plaza after Dorry's five-exchange victory gradually settled into attentive silence.
He stepped forward with his heavy coat of justice snapping in the sea breeze and fixed his gaze on Dorry and Brogy.
The five defeated Giant Vice Admirals had already been checked by the medical teams and moved beyond the boundary of the training ground, while giant-unit officers stood nearby with notebooks in hand, still arguing over the details of Dorry's footwork and Haki control.
"On behalf of Marine Headquarters, I formally extend an invitation to the two of you and the Giant Warrior Pirates under your command," Sengoku said through the loudspeaker Den Den Mushi.
"This is separate from the provisional Warlord charter. Dorry remains the official representative for that single seat, with Brogy recognized as equal co-captain, but I want the training cooperation we discussed put into a proper framework."
A low murmur moved through the plaza.
Sengoku continued before Garp could interrupt him.
"Observation Haki against fast opponents, selective use of Armament Haki, coordinated combat against large targets, and the control needed to keep attacks like the one you just used from tearing apart everything around you.
Marine Headquarters is willing to provide training grounds, medical support, equipment, food, and whatever reasonable compensation is needed for you to work with our giant units."
The Marines who had watched Dorry defeat five Vice Admirals in five controlled exchanges immediately became more attentive.
There was no miraculous martial art to steal and no secret technique that could turn an ordinary soldier into a monster overnight, but what they had just witnessed was useful in a way every veteran understood.
Dorry had not won by throwing more power into every swing.
He had won because he saw openings sooner, used Haki only where it mattered, and stopped wasting force on anything outside his target.
Even Sakazuki, who had watched the entire demonstration from the terrace with an expression carved from stone, showed the faintest change when Sengoku spoke about turning those lessons into formal training.
Dorry and Brogy exchanged glances.
Neither captain looked particularly comfortable with negotiations that involved paperwork, schedules, or anything that could not be settled with meat, alcohol, or a weapon, but they had already agreed in principle during the banquet.
Dorry scratched at his beard.
"Well, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, we already said we'd show your giant soldiers what we know. There's no problem with that."
Brogy nodded vigorously. "Gababababa! As long as the food doesn't get worse once the paperwork starts."
Garp immediately slapped the table beside him. "See?! I told you the barbecue was essential!"
"You are not putting 'barbecue' into an official military agreement," Sengoku snapped.
"Then call it morale supplies."
"That is still barbecue!"
The exchange drew laughter from the Marines, and some of the stiffness left Dorry's shoulders.
He looked toward the damaged training ground, then toward the five younger giants who had challenged him.
"There is one thing, though. Don't make the mistake of thinking everything you saw today came from Elbaf. Brogy and I fought the same way for a hundred years, and that made us strong, but it also made us predictable."
Sengoku's expression sharpened.
Dorry raised one enormous finger and pointed toward a visual Den Den Mushi sitting on a communications table beside the field.
Its eyes were closed now because Gion had disconnected the Oni Slayer's feed at the end of the match.
"That brat is the one who beat the bad habits out of us."
For a moment the plaza went strangely quiet.
Garp's grin froze, while Sengoku slowly turned his head toward the sleeping relay snail.
Brogy laughed. "Gababababa! He yelled every time Dorry hit something he wasn't aiming at."
Dorry rounded on him. "He yelled at you too!"
"Not as much."
"Because you missed more quietly!"
Several Marines began laughing again, but Sengoku was no longer listening.
He marched to the communications table, snatched up the secure command receiver beside the visual snail, and dialed the Oni Slayer.
The call connected after several rings.
Zaraki's face appeared on the Den Den Mushi with all the enthusiasm of someone who had just been interrupted while doing nothing.
"What?"
Sengoku's forehead darkened.
"You spent days correcting the way those two fight and somehow never thought that information might be useful to Headquarters?"
Zaraki stared at him. "You watched the fight."
"That is not the point!"
"You figured it out anyway."
Behind Sengoku, Garp leaned toward the receiver until half his face filled the snail's expression.
"Bwahahaha! How did you get Dorry to stop wasting power?"
"I hit him whenever he missed."
Dorry's voice boomed from across the field. "THAT IS NOT HOW YOU TEACH!"
Zaraki did not even blink. "Worked, didn't it?"
Brogy's laughter nearly shook the communications table over.
Sengoku pressed two fingers against his temple. "I am trying to establish a training program, not reproduce whatever lunatic method you used on Little Garden."
"Then don't."
"What?"
"Dorry and Brogy know what changed. Let them teach it their way. If your giants need someone to stand there and get punched every time they make a mistake, Garp looks free."
Garp's eyes lit up. "That actually sounds fun."
"It was not a suggestion," Sengoku said through clenched teeth.
On the other side of the call, Gion's voice drifted from somewhere beyond the snail.
"Fleet Admiral, if you keep encouraging him, he's going to forget we're less than a day from Kalles."
That reminder changed Sengoku's expression immediately.
The joking atmosphere did not vanish, but the strategist returned.
"Right. Zaraki, enough about Marineford. Maintain the six-hour contact schedule and do not enter Kalles Harbor before Gion has the updated approach map. The candidate is only one part of that island now, and you already know Dapus has people waiting."
"I know."
"And if the situation is worse than the intercepted relay suggested, you withdraw."
Zaraki's mouth curved faintly. "You keep saying that as though repeating it will help."
Sengoku's eye twitched. "Just stay alive long enough for me to yell at you in person."
"Now that sounds more realistic."
The connection ended before Sengoku could answer.
Garp looked at the sleeping receiver for a moment, then laughed and slapped Sengoku on the shoulder hard enough to make his glasses shift.
"Bwahahaha! He got you again."
Sengoku turned slowly.
"Garp."
"Hm?"
"Go help the five Giant Vice Admirals with their recovery exercises."
Garp's smile disappeared.
"That sounds like work."
"It is work!"
The crowd laughed as the old Marine Hero tried to walk away and Sengoku grabbed the back of his coat.