Chapter 28: Escaping the Hero!
The sea behind the Vermilion Wing was a chaotic churn of white foam and explosions.
Monkey D. Garp, the Marine Hero, had transformed into a human artillery platform. Standing at the bow of his warship, he reached into crates of cannonballs with a speed that blurred his movements.
"Take this! And this! Fist of Love—Meteor Shower Edition!"
He launched continuous, rapid-fire shells coated in Armament Haki at Suzaku's ship. The frequency was terrifying—several rounds per second, each thrown with more force than a cannon could ever generate. It was as if a deadly rain composed of black steel was falling from the sky, intent on turning the pirate ship into driftwood.
"Incoming!" Nami screamed from the helm, her knuckles white as she fought the currents. "There's too many of them!"
However, this terrifying attack, enough to annihilate an entire fleet, was intercepted entirely before it could reach the hull.
On the aft deck, a black blur moved with supernatural speed.
Albedo's figure flickered like a phantom. She wielded her pitch-black battle-axe, Ginnungagap, in an impenetrable flurry of steel. She didn't just block; she batted the cannonballs away with precise, minimal movements, redirecting them into the sea.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"Is that all you have, human hero?" Albedo scoffed, effortless deflecting a shell that would have shattered a mast. "My defense is absolute!"
Beside her, Rem was a whirlwind of blue and steel. She swung her massive flail, the chain tracing sharp, lethal arcs in the air. She struck down the cannonballs one by one, her movements fluid and graceful, like a dance of destruction.
CRASH!
Explosions constantly blossomed in the water behind the Vermilion Wing, like cruel fireworks bidding them farewell. Yet, not a single shell touched the ship.
As the Vermilion Wing rode the currents toward the entrance of the Reverse Mountain, the distance rapidly increased. Even Garp's monstrous strength had limits against physics; he could no longer propel the cannonballs far enough to reach the target with lethal force.
Garp stopped throwing. He stood at the bow of his ship, watching the pirate vessel gradually disappear over the horizon. His face, usually full of laughter, was now filled with a rare astonishment.
"That's incredible..."
Garp stroked his chin, his smile fading into a thoughtful frown.
"Not only does that kid himself have some strength... but his crew members... even though they are just two young women... are certainly not weaklings. To intercept my throws so easily... they are at least Vice-Admiral level."
His adjutant, Bogard, nodded, still shaken. He tipped his hat. "That was Marine Hero Garp's full-power throw. Yet, two people on the opposing side intercepted all of them without breaking a sweat. The strength of the 'Suzaku' Pirate Crew far exceeds our understanding of pirates from the East Blue. They are... anomalies."
Garp grinned again, though his eyes remained serious.
"Anomalies, huh? Just like my grandson. The New World is going to be noisy soon."
On the Vermilion Wing.
The ship finally broke through the raging waves of the pursuit and sailed into the relatively calmer, though faster, currents leading to the mountain. Garp's warship had long since vanished from sight behind them.
"Hahaha! Excellent work, everyone!"
Suzaku laughed heartily, wiping sweat from his forehead. He turned to the helm.
"Nami! That steering skill was truly impeccable! You read the currents like a book!"
Nami slumped over the wheel, exhausted but smiling. "Of course! Who do you think I am? But don't think this gets you out of your debt!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Suzaku felt a scorching gaze focused on him from the deck.
Albedo was staring at him unblinkingly with her gilded vertical pupils. Her exquisite face was filled with unconcealed anticipation, her wings twitching slightly. It was the look of a puppy waiting for a treat, if the puppy were a high-level demon.
Praise me, Lord Suzaku, her eyes seemed to scream.
Suzaku immediately understood. He chuckled and walked over to her.
"And of course, Albedo and Rem! You were magnificent!"
He patted Albedo on the shoulder.
"Thanks to you both, those cannonballs didn't even scratch our ship's paint! Your coordination was flawless! You are truly the strongest shield and spear!"
Upon receiving Suzaku's personal praise, Albedo's face instantly glowed with immense satisfaction. A blush dusted her cheeks, and she placed a hand over her heart.
"It is my supreme honor to share your burdens!" she declared, her tone fervent and resolute. "Should it be your wish, even if a bottomless chasm or a Marine Admiral lies ahead, I am willing to flatten it for you! My body is yours to command!"
On the other side, Rem, hearing that she had indeed helped and wasn't just a burden compared to the powerful Albedo, immediately swept away her self-reproach. A relieved and happy smile appeared on her small lips.
"Rem is happy to be of service," she curtsied.
However, the relaxed atmosphere lasted only a few seconds.
"HEY! YOU LAZY BASTARDS!"
Nami's discontented roar came from the helm, cutting through the celebration.
"This is not the time to drop your guard! You're making me do all the work again! Look ahead! HOLD... ON... TIGHT!"
Hearing the panic in her voice, Suzaku immediately turned his head to look forward.
His eyes widened.
The previously vast ocean abruptly came to an end.
Ahead of them, blocking the entire horizon, was an unimaginably towering, massive red mountain wall that seemed to connect heaven and earth. It stretched endlessly to the left and right, dividing the world in two.
The Red Line.
And right in front of them, carved out of the nearly vertical mountain face, was a twisted, narrow waterway. The water didn't flow down; it flowed up.
A massive current, defying gravity, rushed up the side of the mountain into the clouds.
"We're going up that?!" Nami screamed, fighting the wheel as the current grabbed the ship.
"Yes!" Suzaku grinned, running to the bow. "That's the entrance! Reverse Mountain is right before our eyes! To the Grand Line!"
The Vermilion Wing surged forward, its bow pointing toward the sky.
Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Buru buru... Buru buru...
The Den Den Mushi on the desk rang insistently, interrupting Sengoku's paperwork. He sighed, rubbing his temples, and picked up the receiver.
"Sengoku speaking."
"Sengoku! It's me!"
Garp's boisterous voice came from the other end, but this time, it lacked its usual laughter. It was rare to hear the Hero so serious.
"Something huge has happened in the East Blue. Bigger than we thought."
As Garp narrated the events of the last few hours, Sengoku's brow furrowed tighter and tighter. The veins on his forehead began to throb.
When he heard the name "Golden Lion Shiki," the hand holding his pen suddenly froze.
"Shiki?!" Sengoku stood up, knocking over his chair. "He's back?!"
Garp continued his report. He spoke of the testimonies he had gathered from the few surviving remnants of the Flying Pirates—how Shiki had deliberately waited at the entrance to Reverse Mountain intending to recruit Suzaku. How his vanguard fleet was utterly destroyed single-handedly by the woman named Albedo.
And finally... the earth-shattering battle between Suzaku and Shiki that resulted in the fall of the Floating Islands.
"...Those lucky bastards who were fished out said they were knocked unconscious by that kid Suzaku's Conqueror's Haki," Garp said, his voice heavy. "When they woke up, they were floundering in the sea, surrounded by falling islands."
"Besides these few pieces of trash, everyone else—along with whatever secret weapons and rare beasts Shiki had been breeding for twenty years—were fed to the fish. I sent people to search the area, but we didn't find Shiki's corpse."
Garp paused. The Den Den Mushi mimicked his grim expression.
"But those islands all crashed down... Sengoku, that old lunatic most likely perished. Or he's too broken to ever return. He fell at the hands of that Super Rookie named Suzaku."
Silence filled the office. The only sound was the faint chewing of the goat in the corner.
Sengoku sank back into his chair. He stared at the map of the world on his wall.
"The Golden Lion... defeated by a rookie from the East Blue?" he whispered, disbelief coloring his tone. "Shiki was a rival to Roger. Even in his old age... this is absurd."
After a long while, Sengoku finally spoke again, his voice low and weary.
"This news... must be strictly sealed off. It absolutely cannot be known by the outside world."
"Seal it?" Garp asked. "Why? It's a victory, isn't it?"
"No, Garp. Think," Sengoku said, walking to the window and looking down at Marineford. "The Great Pirate Era started by Roger is like a wound that cannot heal. To this day, it still causes countless villains to flood from the Four Seas into the Grand Line like madmen."
He clenched his fist.
"If... if the news spreads that 'Golden Lion, the Legendary Pirate, was defeated by an East Blue newcomer'..."
He could almost visualize the headlines. Legends Fall. The New Era is Here. Anyone Can Be King.
"This won't bring fear to the pirates," Sengoku explained. "Instead, it will act like a massive torch thrown into a powder keg! It will ignite the madness of all ambitious individuals! They will believe that the old legends are weak! That they are surmountable!"
"A person who can defeat a legend will become a role model and a beacon for all pirates! At that time, the number of desperadoes rushing to the sea will multiply tenfold, and our already stretched military forces will be completely overwhelmed!"
He turned around, his eyes sharp behind his glasses.
"Furthermore, according to your description, the strength of Suzaku and his group far exceeds conventional understanding. His subordinates wiped out Shiki's fleet and intercepted your cannonballs. They escaped you."
"If this matter gets out," Sengoku said sternly, "the credibility of the Marine Hero—and the Marines as a whole—will be damaged. We cannot let pirates think we cannot even deal with an East Blue newcomer who just beat a Legend."
He made his decision.
"Temporarily suppress all information regarding Shiki. The official narrative to the outside world will be unified: An abnormal celestial phenomenon—a meteor shower or storm—occurred in the East Blue, resulting in a large-scale maritime disaster that destroyed the Floating Islands."
"But what about Suzaku?" Garp asked.
"All information regarding the battle between Golden Lion Shiki and Suzaku Yareon is classified as Level 6 Top Secret," Sengoku ordered. "Only the Admirals and above are to know."
"We must immediately convene a high-level meeting. We cannot allow this storm to sweep across the world prematurely. We need a plan to neutralize this 'Vermilion Bird' before he destabilizes the Grand Line."
Sengoku hung up the phone. He looked at the "Justice" kanji on the wall.
"Suzaku Yareon..." he muttered. "You are more dangerous than a Yonko. You inspire hope."