Chapter 198: Gathering
Rhodes finally received a call from Sengoku.
"Rhodes, when are you heading to Mariejois? The war is about to begin."
Sengoku didn't mention the Sabaody incident at all. If Kizaru could overlook it, he certainly understood the reasoning behind that decision.
Furthermore, in a certain sense, he hadn't wanted Luffy to be captured anyway.
Ace's public execution had already left Garp extremely, painfully distressed.
At this point, if Luffy were also captured...
Sengoku couldn't even imagine what might happen at Marine Headquarters. He would never forget whose son Luffy actually was.
"Mariejois? Aren't we going directly to Marine Headquarters?"
Rhodes mumbled while savoring a bowl of spicy ramen.
"You Shichibukai must first gather at Mariejois to receive orders from the World Government," Sengoku explained patiently.
After all, the Shichibukai appointments were decided by the Five Elders—a separate organization from the Marines.
"I see. I'm available anytime."
Rhodes said, finishing his noodles and wiping his mouth clean.
"In that case, I'll arrange for a Marine warship to retrieve you."
Sengoku replied before disconnecting.
He'd been extraordinarily busy lately—overwhelmingly so.
In Sengoku's eyes, the upcoming war represented both a tribute to and conclusion of the previous era. He wanted to give everything he had, to bring his career as Fleet Admiral to a perfect finale.
"Marines, Whitebeard, the Three Admirals, the Fleet Admiral... tsk."
Sitting in his seat, Rhodes contemplated his plans momentarily before rising to pay and leave.
After his departure, the ramen shop owner breathed a profound sigh of relief. Looking at the money left on the table, he couldn't help but reveal an expression of awe and reverence—deciding to preserve those particular Berries as a keepsake.
Walking through the streets of Sabaody—
Rhodes noticed the crowds had thinned considerably. And almost everyone—whether pirates, bounty hunters, or wealthy nobles—would immediately clear a path upon recognizing him.
The battle several days ago had left a profound impact.
Even with recent news of the approaching Marineford War dominating headlines worldwide, intelligence about Rhodes fighting an Admiral to a standstill still occupied significant newspaper coverage.
As reflected on the map within his Book of Knowledge, Rhodes clearly sensed that the golden light spots across various world regions were growing denser—even the New World was radiating substantial illumination.
However, some distance remained before meeting the requirements for advancement.
"The Battle of Marineford..."
Rhodes clenched his fist, his knuckles producing sharp cracking sounds.
Sengoku and Whitebeard both wanted to conclude their legacies perfectly through this war, but he intended to achieve his most glorious moment through this same conflict!
The Marine warship's efficiency proved impressive as always.
At noon the following day, he received Sengoku's call instructing him to proceed to Grove 27's docks to board.
Shortly after Rhodes arrived at the harbor, he spotted a Marine warship approaching at impressive speed. Within moments, it had docked properly.
He boarded the vessel and immediately noticed a familiar, breathtaking figure—Hancock.
Before Rhodes could speak, Hancock rushed toward him with surprising speed, her excitement barely contained:
"Finally! I, I've been..."
She seemed to be attempting to express her longing, but the words caught in her throat. Her delicate, beautiful face flushed crimson—the color spreading even to her ears.
"Long time no see, Hancock," Rhodes said with a warm smile.
"Y-yes... long time no see."
Hancock finally managed to repeat, a wave of embarrassment washing over her as she lightly stamped her foot in frustration at her own awkwardness.
Vice Admiral Momonga, witnessing this unprecedented scene, stood completely dumbfounded.
What's happening here?!
Sister, aren't you supposed to be the Pirate Empress?
What's with this lovestruck maiden act? Someone who didn't know better would mistake you for the shy girl next door!
Not only him—the other Marines aboard were equally stunned, as if witnessing something impossible.
"Long time no see, Vice Admiral Momonga."
Rhodes acknowledged the Vice Admiral, ignoring the shocked stares around them.
"Y-yeah... long time no see."
Momonga recovered from his shock, his tone somewhat complicated.
To Rhodes, it might have been quite a while, but to Momonga—who'd been hearing news about Rhodes constantly—it hadn't felt that long at all.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance toward the distant Grove 27, now nearly destroyed and under reconstruction, and felt compelled to ask:
"Did you really... fight Admiral Kizaru to that extent?"
While the newspaper reports had been detailed and such news was difficult to fabricate, he simply couldn't reconcile the image of the young man who'd been roughly his equal just months ago now going toe-to-toe with a Marine Admiral.
"Ah, I accidentally got a bit carried away during our sparring. Most of the destruction is honestly Kizaru's fault."
Rhodes responded with deliberate humility.
As he spoke, the Marine vessel slowly departed from Sabaody Archipelago, heading toward the Red Port.
Red Port lay extremely close to Sabaody Archipelago, and soon a massive harbor nestled against the Red Line became visible in the distance.
"Red Port..."
Seeing the approaching location, Hancock couldn't help but bite her lip, her face paling noticeably. She instinctively averted her gaze in shame, feeling phantom pain where the slave brand had once marked her back.
But Rhodes had already moved to her side, placing both hands gently on her shoulders and whispering reassuringly:
"I already helped you remove the mark from your body, but you need to heal the wounds within your heart yourself."
"Come on, don't be afraid, Hancock. You're the Pirate Empress. Don't make me think less of you."
Hearing Rhodes's words and feeling his affectionate touch, Hancock's expression transformed completely. Her fear and dread instantly dissipated—replaced by an emotion she'd never imagined experiencing before.
Her fair, delicate face turned brilliant crimson—Rhodes could practically feel the heat radiating from her skin.
"U-understood."
Hancock managed to respond, feeling completely dazed—as if floating on clouds.
The warship quickly docked at Red Port.
"It's Vice Admiral Momonga's ship!"
Seeing the vessel approach, numerous reporters surged forward eagerly. Of course, they didn't dare obstruct the path—they simply wanted to capture meaningful photographs.
Upon seeing the first person to disembark from the warship—
The reporters erupted in wild excitement, their eyes blazing with fervor.
"The Pirate Empress! Empress Hancock!"
"Wow, she's so beautiful! I feel like I've been shot through the heart!"
"The legendary world's most beautiful woman—truly worthy of that title!"
The excitement grew so intense that even the Marines guarding the port couldn't help but stare. Like everyone else, their eyes filled with captivated fascination—nearly forgetting their duties entirely.
"Silence! Control yourselves!"
Vice Admiral Momonga barked at this embarrassing scene, but as the crowd grew increasingly uncontrollable, he couldn't help but complain to Hancock:
"Please restrain your... abilities."
"..."
Hancock blinked innocently. She genuinely hadn't done anything intentional.
"Let's go."
Rhodes smiled and shook his head knowingly.
Hancock possessed natural beauty and innate charm, and now—with a delicate blush coloring her cheeks and shy warmth in her eyes—this allure was displayed at its absolute peak. A completely natural enchantment.
(End of Chapter)