"Roger's crew's Vivre Card?!"
"You kid actually had something like this prepared?"
Garp couldn't hide his surprise as he saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni hand Sengoku the Vivre Card. He hadn't expected Yoriichi to think this far ahead. It was as if Yoriichi had predicted how things might play out today, preparing for it well in advance.
Sengoku held the Vivre Card in his palm, watching as it slowly drifted in one direction. His expression showed his surprise as well. Known as the brilliant strategist of the Marines, Sengoku's strength was not just in his power as a fleet admiral, but in his ability to think things through. Unlike Garp, who preferred to solve matters with his fists, Sengoku always tried to use his head whenever possible.
He had once assumed that, under Garp's tutelage, Yoriichi would become another headstrong brawler. But now, it seemed Yoriichi had also inherited Zephyr's careful, calculated mindset.
Hearing Garp's teasing tone, Yoriichi shook his head and calmly explained, "It's not that I don't have faith in our Marines. This was just a precaution. After all, our opponents were the Roger Pirates. It only made sense to be prepared. And look, this precaution is proving useful now, isn't it?"
Sengoku's gaze shifted from the Vivre Card to Yoriichi. After a moment, he stored the card carefully inside his coat, then gave Yoriichi's shoulder a firm pat and praised him.
"Well done, Yoriichi. This will be invaluable to the Marines. But it's still not the right moment for a full-scale strike. Roger's crew and the Whitebeard Pirates are still together. As we are now, we can't handle two legendary pirate crews at once. We'll wait for them to split. I'll deploy surveillance ships to track their movements in the meantime. Until then, everyone is to stay stationed on Lodestar Island."
As Sengoku spoke, he turned and looked at the devastated port, letting out a heavy sigh.
"We invested a lot in this island's infrastructure. Even though the tsunamis destroyed most of it, what we've built isn't nothing. I plan to salvage what remains and establish a Marine base here. Garp, what do you think of that plan?"
The Marines, now that the pirates had retreated, began cleaning up the battleground. The twin tsunamis Whitebeard had unleashed had leveled most of the island's structures. The residential areas were completely destroyed. Only the port area, which Sengoku had defended, was in slightly better shape. Even so, it was littered with debris and shattered defenses.
This battle, stirred up by Whitebeard's intervention, had cost the Marines dearly. Ships whose masts Roger had cleaved had vanished beneath the waves during the chaos. Though no final tally had been made, the losses were clear. Far from victory, the Marines had suffered heavily.
Sengoku didn't linger. There was too much to be done in the aftermath. He left to coordinate recovery efforts, leaving Garp sitting on a stone post at the ruined dock, gazing at the sea as it began to calm.
He exhaled deeply, glancing at Yoriichi.
"Yoriichi, that bit of foresight of yours… I have a feeling it's going to stir up more trouble yet."
Yoriichi turned to meet Garp's gaze.
"The Roger Pirates… Garp, why do you think the Marines really went after them this time?"
Garp kept his eyes on the distant horizon, his voice low and serious.
"Do we really need a reason to fight pirates, Yoriichi?"
Yoriichi caught the undertone but didn't press it.
"Isn't that what Marines are supposed to do?"
Garp chuckled without mirth.
"Really? We gathered nearly all of Marine Headquarters' might here, abandoned our grip on the Four Seas, just to take down a crew that's never even preyed on innocent civilians?"
"While we've been tied up with Roger, the Four Seas without Marine protection have become a pirate's paradise. Who knows how many people have died, who didn't have to?"
"Tell me, Yoriichi. Do you really believe this was for the good of the people?"
Garp's words cut deep. Yoriichi fell silent for a moment, then spoke with resolve.
"Shanks and Buggy are just kids. They haven't done anything heinous. Our own intelligence confirms it. Killing them would go against the justice I believe in. As for my duel with Kozuki Oden, he's a swordsman, and so am I. Between swordsmen, there's no room for holding back. That doesn't betray my justice."
"And sparing Marco? That was to stop us from dragging the Marines into a war with both Roger's crew and Whitebeard's. The cost would've been unimaginable. We can't afford that, not when our forces are drawn from the Four Seas. I made that call knowing it bent my principles, but I don't regret it."
Garp regarded Yoriichi with a broad grin and turned back to the sea.
"Good. Hold on to that justice, Yoriichi. If you ever lead the Marines one day, I know you'll make them better. But listen, if you mean to defy the higher-ups, to live by your justice, you'll need more than strength. You'll need power, allies. And you're not there yet."
After a stop, he added,
"You won't be joining the pursuit of Roger's crew. You're a rear admiral now, Yoriichi. It's time you took on greater responsibilities. Sengoku plans to build a base here, and I'll be recommending Kuzan to lead it. You'll work alongside him. Grow strong here in the New World's heart. Remember this, alone, you can't achieve anything."
Yoriichi nodded, offering no objection.
Garp lapsed into thoughtful silence. As he stared out at the sea, his mind raced with unspoken thoughts.
And as the two of them spoke, far from Lodestar Island, the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates regrouped on another island deep within the New World.
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