As soon as Borsalino finished speaking, Den Den Mushi suddenly rang out in synchronized chorus.
After hearing the sound, Borsalino, Kuzan, and Gion all froze momentarily. All three of their personal Den Den Mushi were ringing simultaneously.
They looked at each other, the same thought crossing their minds.
Something big must have happened. Otherwise, how could the timing be such a coincidence?
At that moment, Momonga was pinned down with Finn's fist raised above his head, ready to strike.
When the Den Den Mushi rang, it interrupted the competition between them.
Not just Momonga and Finn, but everyone else watching the match turned to look at Borsalino and his companions.
"Admiral Sengoku?" Borsalino answered his Den Den Mushi.
Beside him, Kuzan and Gion also answered their calls. Sure enough, the ones contacting them were Vice Admiral Garp and Chief of Staff Tsuru respectively.
After exchanging a few words in low voices, the expressions of all three became gravely serious.
After a moment, they hung up their Den Den Mushi, looked at each other, and said in unison, "Looks like we're heading into trouble. Let's go. The mission is urgent."
The others had no idea what had happened, but from the expressions on their faces, they knew something significant was unfolding.
At that moment, Borsalino looked at Finn. "Finn, come with us. It's time for a mission."
Finn was stunned momentarily, then quickly stood and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
He was genuinely confused. Hadn't he just been told to train peacefully here without worrying about missions in the short term?
Why was he going on a mission before even finishing this fight?
Simultaneously, he wondered what had happened.
"I'm leaving first," Finn said with an apologetic smile at Momonga.
Momonga rubbed his red and swollen cheeks, waving dismissively. "Go quickly. We'll fight next time."
Though he said this, he knew in his heart that he was probably genuinely no match for Finn in pure hand-to-hand combat.
But he wasn't discouraged. After all, he wasn't someone who focused primarily on physical techniques. If he really thought about it, he felt he might have more talent in swordsmanship.
He hadn't decided what to pursue for his future development yet.
Soon, Finn followed Borsalino and the other two out of the venue.
Finn wasn't very familiar with Borsalino and Gion yet, so after a moment's thought, he whispered to Kuzan, "What happened?"
Kuzan glanced at Finn, then whispered back, "According to intelligence our Marines just received, the Roger Pirates returned to the New World not long ago."
Finn nodded but still asked with some surprise, "What's the big deal about that? Haven't the Roger Pirates moved in and out of the New World several times? Why is this significant?"
For ordinary pirates, the entire Grand Line was essentially a one-way journey. They had to navigate according to Log Pose readings, otherwise the dangers were extreme.
Therefore, from the moment they set foot on the Grand Line, they had basically only one path forward.
But for top-tier pirate crews, the Grand Line didn't hold so many deadly threats. Roaming freely throughout it, coming and going as they pleased, was normal.
However, most pirates rarely left once they entered the New World.
Because the New World was pirate territory. The Marines and World Government struggled to govern there. But outside the New World was justice's domain, where the Marines could target them at any moment. Therefore, even though the New World was more dangerous, it was more comfortable for them.
But Roger's pirate crew was different. They ran around the entire world, not just the Grand Line. Today they'd be in the New World, tomorrow they might cross the Calm Belt and appear in one of the Four Blues. A few days later, they might show up in the Grand Line again.
In short, their whereabouts were completely unpredictable. Seeing them anywhere wouldn't be surprising.
The Marines had been investigating what they were up to, but so far, they hadn't figured out their intentions.
But Finn understood perfectly well. He knew the Roger Pirates were searching for clues about Raftel, the final island.
That's why they traveled the entire world.
"If it were just the Roger Pirates, it wouldn't be a huge deal. But according to intelligence, Golden Lion Shiki is planning a war against the Roger Pirates. If we act quickly, we might catch up with their battle. This is an excellent opportunity for the Marines," Kuzan explained rapidly.
Hearing this, Finn was stunned. He suddenly understood what was about to happen.
The once-powerful Flying Pirates, Golden Lion Shiki's grand fleet... was about to be destroyed.
This the Battle of Edd War about to take place in the story?
Today was 1496 in the Sea Circle Calendar. The Battle of Edd War occurred this year, but Finn hadn't known exactly when.
Now it seemed it would be early in the year!
The Battle of Edd War. Originally, the Roger Pirates should have met their end there. Shiki had made sufficient preparations and could have directly annihilated the Roger Pirates.
Unfortunately, man proposes but heaven disposes. Shiki never expected that Roger was a man of destiny who carried plot armor and would encounter a massive storm during this Naval battle.
Because of his Devil Fruit abilities, Shiki had no power to resist in the storm and was directly defeated. Not only was the pirate fleet he'd assembled almost completely wiped out, but he himself suffered grievously.
A ship's rudder embedded itself in his skull, impossible to remove.
It was precisely because of this that the rudder in his head caused his strength to decline rapidly over the next twenty years. He went from being a Golden Lion who dominated the world to an unlucky old man who could barely manifest his Haki properly.
In the end, he was pinned down and beaten by the Straw Hat Pirates, who also came from the East Blue... nearly dying on the spot.
The legend of a generation ended pathetically.
"That's right. Perhaps this is the opportunity for our Marines to wipe out both pirate crews in one stroke," Gion said excitedly.
Finn nodded, agreeing with this assessment.
Indeed, if the Marines could arrive in time, when Shiki fought Roger, regardless of whether Roger could escape, the Marines would definitely be able to deal with Shiki.
But his memory suggested that though the Marines seemed very capable, they ultimately didn't catch up with this battle, right?
This was normal. The Marines had originally estimated the battle between Shiki and Roger would last at least three days and three nights. However, the storm arose not long after the battle began, and the outcome was decided quickly. The Marines had no time to intervene before it ended.
"I didn't expect my first mission at Marineford would be such a major operation..." Finn said with a smile.
Kuzan, walking beside him, also smiled. "What? Are you scared? I can talk to Admiral Sengoku and have you stay at Headquarters to train peacefully."
Finn shook his head. "I'm not afraid at all. On the contrary, I'm very excited."
As they talked, they'd already entered the massive Fortress of Justice. Soon, in front of Fleet Admiral Kong's office, they saw a group of Marines standing in the corridor.
The most conspicuous among them was a giant Vice Admiral. Finn recognized him immediately.
Jaguar D. Saul, Kuzan's good friend.
He was the one who would later play a major role in the O'Hara Scholar massacre.
This guy's condition was very similar to Kuzan's. He leaned against the wall, yawning enormously.
Besides him, Finn also met Sakazuki, who would later become one of the three Admirals alongside Borsalino and Kuzan.
Sakazuki stood in the corridor with arms folded across his chest, wearing his Marine cap, completely silent and stern.
Before Borsalino, Kuzan, and the others could approach to greet them, the Fleet Admiral's office door suddenly opened.
A middle-aged man with an extraordinarily powerful build and imposing aura strode out.
He wore a black suit with a Justice coat draped over his shoulders. On the coat were Vice Admiral epaulettes of Marine Headquarters.
Finn immediately recognized him. None other than the Marine hero, Monkey D. Garp.
"Hey! Garp, I haven't finished speaking yet!" A roar came from the Fleet Admiral's office.
Though he didn't see who it was, Finn knew that voice belonged to the Marines' supreme commander, Fleet Admiral Kong.
"Although you haven't finished speaking, I've already listened!" Garp laughed heartily, then raised his hand and closed the Fleet Admiral's office door behind him.
Even through the closed door, Finn and the others could still hear Fleet Admiral Kong's angry roar inside.
But perhaps many were accustomed to Garp's rough style of doing things. No one looked surprised. On the contrary, many wore amused smiles.
"Vice Admiral Garp, have you rejected the Admiral appointment again?" Kuzan asked with a knowing grin.
Garp walked toward them, laughing boisterously. "Hahahaha! Vice Admiral is enough. If I became an Admiral, I'd be like Zephyr and Sengoku, stuck behind desks. I don't want that."
Before Kuzan could respond, the Fleet Admiral's office door opened again. Chief of Staff Tsuru and Admiral Sengoku emerged.
"The moment I stepped out, I heard you, bastard, talking badly about me," Admiral Sengoku complained irritably.
"Hahaha! Tsuru, when you set sail, count me on your ship," Garp said, completely ignoring Admiral Sengoku and addressing Chief of Staff Tsuru instead.
Chief of Staff Tsuru said calmly, "I don't want to. You'll definitely destroy the ship."
"Don't say such things," Garp replied without any embarrassment whatsoever.
The three high-ranking officers walked ahead. The Marines in the corridor followed behind them. Finn naturally followed behind Admiral Sengoku.
"Hey, Garp, you heard everything just now. I'll handle the matter with Shiki..." Admiral Sengoku glanced at Garp pointedly.
"Hahahahahaha! Don't worry, all the credit goes to you," Garp said without any concern.
"You bastard, that's not what I'm talking about!" Admiral Sengoku scolded angrily.
However, he also knew that if it were just Shiki, Garp might still listen to advice. But if Roger was there, no one could persuade him. So in the end, Admiral Sengoku stopped paying attention to this incorrigible man.
The group quickly boarded a massive warship. Soon the ship departed from port.
Only then did Admiral Sengoku turn toward Finn, a smile appearing on his face. "Long time no see, Finn. How have you been lately?"
Finn also smiled. "Thank you for your concern, Admiral. I'm doing well."
"Good. I originally intended to let you train thoroughly at Headquarters first, but then I reconsidered. Although this operation is very dangerous, if it succeeds, it will be a tremendous achievement and may help you accumulate foundation for advancement. So I asked Borsalino to bring you along," Admiral Sengoku said warmly.
It was clear he genuinely cared about Finn's development.
"Thank you, Admiral!" Finn quickly nodded his gratitude.
"Pay close attention to safety when the time comes," Admiral Sengoku added with a warning tone.
Finn stood on the warship's deck as it cut through the waves, destination: the New World.
The Battle of Edd War. A legendary clash that would reshape the pirate world.
And he'd be there to witness it.
His hand unconsciously moved to rest on Sōzai's handle.
This was going to be interesting.