"Vice Admiral, shouldn't we come up with a more tactful report? Marine Headquarters might—"
"It's fine. So what if a Celestial Dragon got killed? Consider it cleaning up trash."
"Mr. Garp…" his adjutant sighed helplessly.
"Oh, right, I probably shouldn't say that. Anyway, let's go. Things have been hectic lately," Garp said with a shrug. As far as he was concerned, Sakazuki should be more than enough to handle the situation.
Besides, he had some idea about what really happened on Lantis Island, and honestly, he wasn't that motivated.
"Mr. Garp, our attendance rate this month has been… not great," the adjutant hinted. Even with all the chaos at Headquarters, none of it seemed to involve him.
Vice Admiral Garp was probably the most free-spirited and unpredictable officer in Marine HQ. He'd seen too much, knew too much about the World Government, and sometimes blatantly slacked off.
"Hahaha, don't sweat the details… let's get moving," Garp laughed it off, pretending he wasn't the worst offender.
Meanwhile, Rosen had no idea that both an admiral and a marine hero were heading straight to where he had just appeared.
Not that it would matter even if he knew—no one could've predicted how awkward their position would be after descending from Skypiea.
"Crocodile! I've finally found you. A man of sin must be put down by my own hand! Full speed ahead—abandon all supplies! Notify all nearby Marine bases to establish a blockade centered on this location. Mobilize all forces. Report any sightings immediately," Akainu commanded, leading two warships and accompanied by a vice admiral in charge of logistics—more than enough with him present.
With Akainu on board, more ships would be a waste.
"Yes, sir!" the captain replied without hesitation. As Akainu's personal guard, he was stronger than most captains. The scars covering his body told the story of countless battles.
Normally, discarding all supplies at sea would be incredibly risky—possibly inciting mutiny—but with Akainu, food was the least of their worries.
For them, mission came first. The crew skillfully threw away all excess cargo.
Marine warships were already faster than most pirate ships, and now traveling light, their speed peaked.
Akainu clenched his fists, his magma ability raising the temperature around him significantly.
"Boss, three Marine ships ahead at eleven o'clock. Still some distance away," reported Daz Bones, now acting as their lookout. A powerful observer was essential in combat.
"Evade. Head for two o'clock. The Marines' mobility isn't bad," Rosen said with admiration. There was probably a nearby island.
The Dawn and the Ark shifted direction, but after sailing for a while, they encountered another three Marine ships—one of them a full-scale warship.
"If the Marines were always this mobile, piracy rates might've dropped ages ago. Something's off... Was there some military activity here before?" Rosen frowned. The odds of randomly running into Marine warships in such a vast sea were too high.
Unless ships were approaching from all directions. But that would take an enormous number of troops. Even knowing Rosen was the target, would they really send so many just to die?
If standard warships tried to surround him and Rosen forced a breakout, the cost to the Marines would be enormous—unless they had overwhelming firepower.
Surely the Marines had considered that… but still proceeded?
Could the local commander be an idiot? It wasn't impossible.
But another possibility made more sense: there might be forces nearby capable of holding him or posing a serious threat. Only then would the encirclement strategy make sense.
Rosen leaned toward that second possibility.
"Keep changing course," Rosen said calmly. He wasn't sure yet. Maybe he was overthinking. The next direction might be clear, and they could slip through the blockade.
"Are the Marines underestimating us? They're even sending those trashy little boats after us—unbelievable," MR.5 growled. Ahead, several barely repaired and tiny Marine ships were approaching, making him furious.
"Boss, looks like we're surrounded. Are we all going to die at sea?" Nico Robin said coolly, resting her chin on her hand.
"Robin, can we not say things like that?" Valentine muttered nervously. As a Devil Fruit user, drowning was her worst nightmare. She'd rather be riddled with bullets than sink.
"Get ready for battle. We'll break through from this direction. Looks like the local Marine base has mobilized everything. If we're lucky, it's just one or two vice admirals. If not... it'll be a tough fight," Rosen said seriously, though his expression remained calm.
No one imagined they'd run into an admiral.
"Enel, what's the situation?" Hathaway asked the Ark's pilot. Enel raised the Ark a bit higher for a better view of the surrounding sea.
"Not good. We're being surrounded from all sides. Is the captain really that unpopular down here? Judging from what I can hear with my Mantra, these guys aren't that strong… Can I attack? How dare these bugs chase us," Enel frowned. He was ready for precise strikes.
"Attack in the direction we're heading," Rosen ordered. Many of those Marines were just doing their duty, but there was no helping it. When paths cross in battle, only one side walks away.
"Judgment of God!"
Boom!
Thunder cracked across the sky, and a lightning bolt struck a shabby Marine vessel with pinpoint accuracy, blasting it to pieces.
"Lightning strike?! Sergeant, what the hell?! Is this area prone to storms? That bolt was massive!" The Marines on neighboring ships were stunned by the destruction.
"I don't know either! We just got our orders and left the outpost. Maybe it's a Devil Fruit user? No way lightning's that precise!" a panicked sergeant stammered.
They were just regular garrison troops, sent to search the area without any clue they'd run into a pirate with a 600-million bounty.
"Retreat! They're heading this way!" the sergeant screamed. Their luck was terrible. Sure, retreating might get them court-martialed...
But if no one talked, maybe it'd blow over. Besides, if they didn't run, these infamous pirates would kill them.
"Foolish Blue Sea dwellers. So weak. Being chased by bugs like you is infuriating," Enel said coldly, appearing on a Marine ship in a flash of lightning.
A discharge followed—knocking dozens unconscious in an instant.
"Where's Enel?" Rosen muttered as he watched the thunder flash. He felt an increasing sense of danger.
"He's just letting off steam. Don't worry, it's normal," Hathaway replied calmly.
"Boss, two top-tier warships are now within support range. We're almost in their firing zone. Their range is farther than ours—if the ship gets sunk, it'll be a big problem," Daz Bones warned.
(End of Chapter)