"It's obvious," Tsuru said, her voice calm yet sharp. "Someone must have provoked Rosinante. Otherwise, he wouldn't be acting so openly and brazenly."
"Provoked him? Who would be dumb enough to piss him off like that?" Garp asked, crunching on his senbei with his usual casualness.
"At a time like this, and this close to Marine Headquarters, for him to make such a bold move in the Sabaody Archipelago… there must be a damn good reason," Tsuru replied. "But it seems clear that Rosinante isn't targeting the Marines or the World Government directly. Otherwise, those captured spies of theirs would already be dead."
"If not the World Government or the Marines, then who could possibly be worth such an uproar?" Sengoku said, frowning as he crossed his arms. "According to reports, the child army that appeared isn't particularly strong, but each of them has a solid foundation. At their age, they're bound to become the elite of the Gray Kingdom in the future. Doesn't he fear losing them in Sabaody?"
"These child soldiers most likely came from the Gray Kingdom's main base," Tsuru said, her eyes narrowing. "They're said to be the BloodSworn Royal Guard's reserve troops. I'd wager they're being watched over by someone strong — no one will be able to truly harm them. Unless, of course, someone's foolish enough to start another war." She shot Sengoku a knowing glance.
Tsuru could see what Sengoku was thinking — the appearance of these child soldiers had clearly made him consider whether the Gray Kingdom's future strength could somehow be curbed or contained.
"Bins, huh? What a headache…" Sengoku muttered.
He knew full well that those kids weren't unprotected. If they were the Gray Kingdom's future elite, the nation would never leave them unattended. If the Marines or the World Government tried to make a move, the Gray Kingdom — with Bins' wormhole ability — could instantly deploy forces from anywhere in the world straight to Sabaody.
"These child soldiers are attacking the slave traders. So whoever provoked them must've been a trafficker," Tsuru continued.
"Rosinante has two little maids with him — one of them is Nico Robin, wanted by the Marines for seventy million Berries. You know how things work in Sabaody. It's entirely possible she was captured by slavers," Tsuru said gravely.
"There's a good chance of that," Garp agreed, frowning. "Those slavers are all scum anyway. The fewer of them left alive, the better. Sabaody would be better off without their kind."
"With Rosinante and the BloodSworn Guard's power, wiping out the slave traders would be child's play. Bringing in the child army is probably his way of giving them real combat experience — using the slavers as training dummies," Tsuru said, giving Garp a sidelong glance.
Destroying slavers wasn't hard. What was hard to kill was the demand for slaves — the massive profits behind it, the greed that fueled the black market, and the Celestial Dragons who made use of it all.
Buru buru buru!
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk rang loudly.
"Hello?"
"Moshi moshi — can you hear me? This is Borsalino," came Kizaru's lazy drawl through the receiver.
"Borsalino, what's the situation over there?" Sengoku asked immediately.
"Rosinante's BloodSworn Guard has assembled… and it's terrifying. Every one of them could rival a pirate captain worth tens of millions. Over half are at the level of captains worth a hundred million or more. Their target… seems to be the Number One Human Auctioning House," Kizaru said in his usual languid tone.
Since Rosinante was still in Sabaody, the World Government had ordered Kizaru to remain stationed there to monitor him — especially with so many Celestial Dragons in the area.
"What?!" Sengoku stood up in shock.
"This is bad…" Garp muttered, equally surprised.
The slavers themselves weren't the problem — they were weak and easy to crush. A single Marine officer could wipe out every trafficker on the island if they wanted to.
The real danger lay in what was behind them — the auction houses, the vast underworld networks, the intricate web of profits and connections that stretched all the way up to the Celestial Dragons themselves.
The Number One Human Auctioning House, as Kizaru mentioned, wasn't just any slaver den — it was the central hub of the slave trade in Sabaody, linked to countless underworld titans and even noble clients in the Holy Land.
Rosinante's large-scale mobilization made one thing very clear — he wasn't just targeting an auction house. He was going after the giants hiding behind it.
"This is going to be a nightmare," Sengoku muttered, slamming the receiver down and rising to his feet.
"It seems Nico Robin's been captured and taken to that auction," Tsuru said grimly.
"Ha! So they dared to auction off a member of the Gray Kingdom — right under Rosinante's nose? No wonder he's furious! Hah, this'll be fun to watch. No one's going to calm him down easily after this," Garp laughed, shaking his head.
"This is indeed a serious problem," Tsuru said, her tone darkening. "According to records, that girl once saved Rosinante's life. Since then, he's treated her like his own little sister. During the Ohara incident, it was for her sake that he chose to intervene. If anything happens to her now, there's no doubt — Sabaody will be drenched in blood."
"I can't sit still. I'm going to Sabaody myself," Sengoku said, standing abruptly.
"You can't!" Tsuru protested. "There's still a mountain of work here at headquarters waiting for your review and transition."
"If we don't handle this properly, that pile of paperwork will be the least of our worries!" Sengoku snapped back.
"I'll go instead," Garp said, standing with a grin. "If it comes down to it, I can still suppress Rosinante."
"You?" Sengoku frowned.
But then, after a brief moment of thought, he realized — Garp might actually be the better choice. His sheer power could serve as a deterrent to Rosinante, and Rosinante's awakened Devil Fruit powers were far less effective against someone who relied purely on physical might.
"Garp going might be best," Tsuru agreed with a nod. "His presence alone will be enough to make Rosinante think twice."
"Fine, but listen carefully," Sengoku warned sternly. "If you go, you'd better keep yourself under control. Don't you dare cause trouble."
He wasn't wrong to worry. While Garp could definitely intimidate Rosinante, his tendency to cause trouble was legendary. If something ticked him off — even a Celestial Dragon — he wouldn't hesitate to throw a punch.
At this rate, Rosinante might not be the one causing chaos… it could end up being Garp instead.
"Hahahaha! Relax, Sengoku. I'm not about to make a mess right before you take the position of Fleet Admiral," Garp said, laughing heartily.
Hearing that, Sengoku finally allowed himself to exhale.
"Then how about I accompany Garp?" Tsuru suggested.
"That would be ideal," Sengoku said at once. "Keep an eye on him for me."
"Oh come on," Garp complained, rolling his eyes. "You really don't trust me at all, do you?"
"If you were capable of sitting still and taking an admiral's seat, then maybe I'd trust you," Sengoku said dryly.
"Bah, leave that to the youngsters! Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino — they're all good enough, aren't they?" Garp said with a grin.
"Speaking of that," Sengoku said with a sigh, "the proposal to officially promote Sakazuki and Kuzan as Marine Admirals — along with Borsalino — has been sitting on the World Government's desk for weeks now. Still no reply."
"Maybe they're waiting to announce all three together, after you're promoted to Fleet Admiral," Tsuru said thoughtfully. "Three Admirals at once — the Marine's strongest force. That would send a clear message to the world's pirates."
"Maybe you're right," Sengoku said with a tired smile. "The seas are growing more turbulent by the day. I can barely keep up as it is."
"Don't worry — the World Government knows it too," Tsuru reassured him. "Once you're officially Fleet Admiral, there's no way they'll leave the Marine's highest ranks empty."
"Alright then," Garp said, stretching his arms with a grin. "Let's go handle Rosinante."
"I'll have Borsalino assist you," Sengoku said firmly.
And so, the strongest Marine — the Hero of the Marines, Monkey D. Garp — set out for Sabaody… where a storm was already beginning to brew.