"…That name truly belongs to those 'erased' from history."
Sengoku remained silent for a long moment before speaking solemnly.
"The fact that you know this name means you've done quite a bit of digging."
"That's right." Wright nodded. "As I delved deeper into the situation in Wano and the workings of the Big Mom Pirates, I began to notice some peculiar connections."
"'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate, 'Big Mom' Charlotte Linlin, and 'Kaido of the Beasts'—three of the Four Emperors—along with 'Golden Lion' Shiki, all seem to have once been part of the same pirate crew."
Wright's voice carried a weighty certainty.
"And after an in-depth investigation, one particular location stood out—the so-called 'Pirate Island,' Hachinosu. It used to belong to Whitebeard but has since been seized by the Navy."
"It's said that long ago, around forty years back, that place was the stronghold of a terrifying pirate faction."
"And at the helm of it all... was Rocks D. Xebec, the great pirate who ruled over Hachinosu in that era!"
"No one would have expected that Kaido and Big Mom were once crewmates under the same banner."
"His name occasionally appears in the archives, but most records are cryptic at best. What is certain, however, is that Garp earned his title of 'Hero' by taking down the Rocks Pirates."
"So then… what are the truths that have been buried?"
"..."
Siiip.
Sengoku took a deep gulp of tea, setting his cup down after a long silence.
"Ah… yes, those events were indeed wiped from history."
"So even you—Fleet Admiral of the Navy—can't access more information on this?"
Sengoku chuckled lightly at Wright's observation and nodded slightly.
"Are you worried that Kaido and Big Mom are still secretly in contact? That Kaido might intervene when we move against Big Mom?"
"That's part of it."
At this point, everything Wright had set in motion had effectively severed any chance of those two joining forces.
As long as he took one of them down before they met, the problem would be solved.
And right now, there were no circumstances that would push them to reunite.
After this Tea Party, that possibility would be gone for good.
"The crew of the Rocks Pirates… only the youngest members—Kaido and Big Mom—are still alive and active. The others… have all become legends."
"I'm more curious about the battle that ended the Rocks Pirates—the battle at God Valley."
Wright furrowed his brows. The records of God Valley had been completely erased, and in truth, no trace of it could even be found on modern maps.
"Just the name alone makes you wonder what secrets it held…"
"Mm… The truth is, back when the Rocks Pirates were destroyed, the Celestial Dragons were present in God Valley."
Sengoku's tone grew grave.
"The Celestial Dragons had even brought their slaves there to meet with the 'Lord of God Valley.'"
Wright's eyes widened.
"The Lord of God Valley?" That was something he hadn't expected.
"Wait… so God Valley wasn't named after the Celestial Dragons?"
"No, it wasn't. But at the time, both Garp and I were just Vice Admirals. We didn't have the clearance to know the deeper secrets."
Sengoku shook his head.
"What is certain is that God Valley held some kind of 'world taboo.' Otherwise, Rocks wouldn't have believed that conquering it would make him 'King of the World.'"
"Garp's mission at the time, as a Vice Admiral, was to escort the Celestial Dragons and their slaves to God Valley."
"Because God Valley wasn't in the Grand Line—it was located in the West Blue."
"But after the God Valley Incident 38 years ago, the World Government erased it from existence."
"Today, God Valley no longer exists."
"..."
Wright fell into a long silence.
The West Blue... It was in the West Blue…
God Valley was in the West Blue and was erased by the World Government.
Ohara was also in the West Blue… and was erased by the World Government.
"...The West Blue sure hides a lot of secrets."
Wright murmured. Sengoku let out a chuckle.
"The Rocks Pirates were the most notorious terror group of their time. Their crewmates despised each other and weren't even prohibited from killing one another."
"Even if some of them are still alive today, the odds of them ever reuniting are slim to none."
"Back then, Rocks ruled over them only by sheer, overwhelming strength. He kept them under control—but only as long as they were winning battles."
"Even he couldn't truly command those lunatics."
"Oh? So, what…? They got taken down because of in-fighting?"
Wright smirked, making Sengoku chuckle.
"Not exactly, but… tell me, Wright, you know Garp well. Have you ever heard him speak of this event?"
"...No, never."
"That's exactly the point—Garp refuses to talk about it."
"For two reasons.
"First—because in that battle, the Navy teamed up with a pirate."
"Garp joined forces with Gol D. Roger!"
"They fought side by side to defeat Rocks.
"And during that battle, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom, Kaido… they were all just standing in the back, watching."
Wright and Sengoku exchanged odd looks.
Sengoku coughed awkwardly.
"And because of that, they all got to walk away intact once Rocks fell!"
"So really, even if it wasn't exactly in-fighting… it might as well have been."
"..."
Wright opened his mouth, but after a long pause, he could only laugh bitterly.
"So that's how it was… And the second reason Garp refuses to talk about it… is because of the Celestial Dragons, right?"
"Knowing Garp, having to protect the Celestial Dragons in that battle must have made him sick to his stomach."
"Hah… That guy," Sengoku laughed. "You're spot on.
"In his mind, even as a Marine, he never felt any obligation to protect the Celestial Dragons."
"Not only that, he's never even bothered to hide that opinion.
"He's even refused promotions to Admiral to avoid becoming a direct subordinate to them."
"If it weren't for his undeniable achievements and powerful connections, his blatant defiance would've gotten him wiped out long ago!"
"Tsk, tsk… Honestly, having him as a 'precedent' is probably the only reason I've been able to reach this level while keeping my own freedoms intact…"
Wright smirked.
Sengoku's mouth twitched.
"You two… You're walking the exact same path. The only difference is, you're better at it than he is."
"Hahaha… Well, that's all thanks to my brilliant seniors paving the way!"
"…You're the Fleet Admiral! Do you really think buttering up your old boss is a good look?!"
"Heh heh heh…"
Sengoku sighed.
"Regardless, no matter how powerful Rocks was, he's long gone. Back then, Kaido was just an apprentice on his crew."
"But now, he and Big Mom are far stronger than they were back then. You need to be cautious."
"I understand… Just wait for my good news."
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Another canon-slap.
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