Just as Rosinante had predicted, after that letter arrived at Marine Headquarters, the entire base went on high alert. The uncertainty surrounding the Gray Kingdom Pirates and their ability to traverse space had made everyone wary—they didn't know how the enemy might attack, so they had to prepare for anything, especially a sudden ambush.
But one day passed. Then two. Then three.
Still, Rosinante made no move. The eerie silence stretched on, and the tension began to fray nerves. More and more hot-tempered Marine officers started cursing out loud.
What the hell was going on? They received a blatant declaration of war, and then—nothing?
They felt like they were being toyed with.
After all, maintaining full alert status wasn't just lip service. It required massive manpower and resources. Even vice admirals had to be on constant standby.
On the third day, when some began to believe Rosinante's letter had been a prank and started to let their guard down, it happened—
Several bombs suddenly appeared out of nowhere and exploded within Marine Headquarters, throwing the supposedly ironclad base into utter chaos.
The entire facility erupted in panic. But when the smoke cleared, they realized it was... just a few bombs. Only a few dormitories were damaged.
Steelbone Kong's face turned dark as storm clouds. He hadn't expected things to spiral like this.
Despite the heightened security, the mere appearance of a few bombs had turned Marine Headquarters into a circus of chaos. But what enraged him even more was this: no one had died. The bombs didn't even directly injure anyone. Most injuries came from Marines panicking and trampling over one another. Some even mistakenly opened fire and wounded their own allies.
"This is what we call the elite of Marine Headquarters?" Steelbone Kong growled. "This is our so-called well-trained force? A few little bombs and you all lose your minds? At this rate, we won't even need the enemy to destroy us—we'll self-destruct just fine. How are you people training your troops?"
"Fleet Admiral, it's not entirely the soldiers' fault," a vice admiral offered cautiously. "They've been on edge for days under full alert. The sudden explosions simply overwhelmed their nerves."
"Oh? So issuing the alert was a mistake?" Kong's voice turned icy.
"No, sir, that's not what I meant!" the vice admiral said quickly. "I just think… we're being too passive here. We can't stay in full alert mode forever. If the enemy never attacks, are we supposed to just sit around wasting manpower and doing nothing?"
"Marine Headquarters should always maintain a certain level of readiness," Sengoku interjected calmly. "Even without the threat of the Gray Kingdom, we must stay vigilant for security's sake. But Vice Admiral isn't wrong—remaining in full alert indefinitely renders us ineffective."
"What's your suggestion then, Sengoku?" Kong asked.
"Let the regular troops stand down from full alert. Replace it with base-level readiness. Meanwhile, deploy elite forces in covert positions," Sengoku proposed. "This way, we'll appear relaxed on the surface but remain tight within. If the Gray Nation strikes, we'll be ready. More importantly, we must urge the World Government to locate their base. No one can defend forever. Sooner or later, we have to hunt the thief rather than guard the treasure."
Sengoku was famous for his tactical brilliance. With just one glance, he grasped the situation and proposed the most practical response.
"I think that'll work."
"Agreed. It's a good balance."
Other officers began nodding in approval.
Steelbone Kong gave a satisfied nod. "I'll coordinate with the World Government. You handle the reorganization."
"Yes, sir!" Sengoku replied.
After the meeting, Sengoku invited Garp and Tsuru into his office.
"This is getting complicated," Sengoku sighed, rubbing his temples.
"What's so complicated about it?" Garp asked with a grin. "If Rosinante shows up, I'll punch him back to the Stone Age."
"It's not that simple," Tsuru said grimly. "We're already on the defensive."
"Don't worry, Little Tsuru. If that brat Rosinante dares show his face, I'll make sure he regrets it." Garp cracked his knuckles confidently.
He wasn't boasting. As one of the world's top powerhouses, even someone like Bins, with his space-warping ability, wouldn't dare try anything funny around Garp.
In fact, if the Gray Kingdom did try to sneak up on Garp, the whole situation might be easier to solve. But would they really be that foolish?
"As long as Bins remains at large, we'll always be reactive," Tsuru said coldly. "I'm not even worried about a frontal assault on Marine HQ. We've got enough firepower here to counter them. What worries me is that Rosinante may just be using this as a diversion. What if his real goal is assassinating World Government officials? Or even world leaders—or the Celestial Dragons?"
"That would be disastrous," Tsuru added.
"The problem is we don't even know where the Gray Kingdom is hiding," Sengoku said with frustration.
He had already sent word to Marine branches around the world to look out for Rosinante or any trace of the Gray Kingdom. But so far—nothing. Not a whisper.
"Now it's all up to the World Government's intelligence network," Tsuru said.
"I wouldn't hold my breath," Sengoku replied. "They've been trying to track Rosinante for two years now, even before the Ohara incident. He was a ghost then, and now? Still a ghost. Trying to locate him in a short time is… nearly impossible."
"You mean the World Government's intel has never turned up a single clue about him in two whole years?" Garp asked, frowning.
"That's right," Sengoku confirmed. "After that stunt with the letter, I went to CP's archives to check Rosinante's files. The last two years are completely blank. At most, there were sightings of possible affiliates—but those individuals vanished without a trace."
"Even CP couldn't dig up a lead?" Garp murmured, lost in thought.
"With the World Government's resources, someone like Rosinante should leave a trail. Especially with a whole crew under him. They can't all just disappear. It doesn't add up," Tsuru said sharply.
"To stay hidden from the World Government for that long…" Garp muttered. "There's only one guy I know who could do that."
"You're thinking of the Golden Lion," Sengoku said, startled.
Indeed—just recently, the infamous Golden Lion had escaped from the deep-sea prison, Impel Down. He had vanished completely, despite the World Government's full efforts. The only confirmed sighting was a brief meeting with Whitebeard before he disappeared again.
"You think Rosinante is doing the same thing?" Sengoku asked.
"Same method, different people," Garp replied. "We all know where Golden Lion's hiding. He's up in the sky. But knowing that doesn't help if we can't find where in the sky."
"There's one other possibility," Tsuru said slowly. Her voice carried a chilling edge. "They're on a Sky Island."