"This guy… he's developed the Mera Mera no Mi to this extent?"
Sengoku's face turned deathly pale.
The moment those words left his mouth, the towering wave—four or five hundred meters high—crashed down with a deafening roar.
At that point, no wind was needed. The sheer force of the water swept across the sea, engulfing pirate ships in its path and carrying them far into the distance. The Marines' warships, meanwhile, were shoved back and stranded ashore.
Sengoku stood there, fuming with frustration and powerlessness—there was nothing he could do.
The sea's temperature had skyrocketed, as if it had been boiled alive.
Kuzan didn't move this time. A freeze of that scale was already pushing the limits of his power, especially with the sea heated to such extreme levels.
Yet despite the overwhelming spectacle of Yemu's attack, there had been almost no casualties—aside from a few scorched by the hot water.
And then there were those words. The ones Yemu had hurled at Sengoku. They had hit deeper than expected.
As a Marine Vice Admiral—and one of the strongest candidates to become Admiral—Kuzan knew full well about the darkness festering behind the Navy and the World Government. But even with his strength, he had been powerless to change any of it.
And yet... this pirate...
Thinking back to the agreement they made just yesterday, a flicker of hope lit up in Kuzan's heart.
"Ara ara... maybe you're the one who can give me the answer, Yemu of the Sky Pirates..."
Just then, a familiar offbeat laugh rang out beside him.
"Yo, Kuzan... Looks like your Hie Hie no Mi got shown up by that brat's Mera Mera no Mi, huh?"
Kuzan didn't need to look—he knew who it was.
"Vice Admiral Garp... now's really not the time for jabs like that..."
"Bwahahaha!"
Garp scratched his head with a carefree grin.
But before he could finish laughing, an iron fist dropped from the sky and slammed him straight into the ground.
Sengoku's furious voice followed immediately.
"Garp, you bastard! Where the hell did you run off to just now?! If you'd been here—!"
Garp climbed out of the crater, brushing the dirt from his uniform with a sheepish smile.
"Ah, sorry 'bout that, Sengoku... I got tricked by that brat of mine. But you really gotta admit—you actually got fooled by that kid's Haki... that's impressive."
Sengoku's veins bulged in anger, but in the end, he let it go. That punch had at least let him vent a bit.
"All Marines, except those stationed in Loguetown, return to headquarters immediately. Alert every base—whether in the Four Seas, the Grand Line, or the New World—prepare for full-scale mobilization. The worst era is about to begin."
"Understood!"
With orders given, Sengoku stormed off, and the others quickly followed.
Only Garp remained, staring silently out at the sea, a grim look on his face like never before.
Noticing, Kuzan asked, uneasily, "Vice Admiral Garp... what's wrong?"
"Nothing... nothing at all. Just... that kid is terrifying."
With that, Garp walked off as well.
No one knew what he was thinking—but if they had, the entire Navy and World Government would be thrown into chaos.
He had been fooled by Dragon—but with Garp's power, had he truly wanted to, he could've arrived in time and stopped all of this.
Even that black energy sphere—Garp was confident he could've destroyed it with a single punch.
So why hadn't he?
Because in that brief moment, he'd sensed something—something familiar—from that pirate called Yemu.
At first, he thought it was just a trick of the mind. But then instinct took over—that primal intuition honed by years of battle—and told him it might be real.
The year was Sea Circle Calendar 1498. He and Roger had defeated that man back in 1484.
Roger had left behind a child before he died...
Would Rocks not have done the same?
The timing. The boy's age...
But Garp had no intention of sharing this suspicion with anyone.
Just like Roger had entrusted his bloodline to him—because the sins of the father should not be passed on to the child—so too did Garp believe this boy deserved a chance.
And remembering the questions Yemu had shouted, the challenge he had thrown at the Marines and the World Government... and the quiet conversation he'd had with Kuzan just yesterday...
Garp couldn't help but wonder.
Could this boy... really change the world?
...
The vast ocean had finally calmed, its raging currents stilled.
All that could be seen was endless blue sea, scattered with drifting ships.
That towering wave, hundreds of meters high, had indeed carried them to safety—but its sheer force, so overwhelming it felt like the sea itself was devouring everything, had left even the braver ones shaken. Surging ahead with terrifying speed, the ships were practically flying. Flare, instinctively reacting to the rush, clung tightly to whatever was nearest.
"We... escaped? That was... way too close..."
As the wind eased and the seas settled, Flare finally regained her composure.
She had known life as a pirate wouldn't be peaceful—but this was insane.
And it was only the first day.
Was this what her life would be from now on?
No... no, this was that cocky bastard's fault.
Wait... where was that bastard?
She looked around.
Tiger, the red-skinned fishman, stood at the helm. Enel was on the deck with Baby-5 perched on his head. But Yemu... nowhere to be seen.
Just then, a voice whispered in her ear.
"Hey, my cook... how long are you gonna keep holding me?"
"!!!"
Flare jolted, suddenly realizing that the thing she'd been clutching tightly the whole time... was Yemu.
No wonder it felt warm. And soft. And... kind of firm.
"Wha—?! 'Your cook'?! You jerk, quit saying weird things!"
Flare's face turned bright red as she released him and bolted to the other side of the deck, shouting at him from a safe distance.
"Eh? Aren't you my crewmate?"
Yemu looked genuinely confused.
"You...! Bastard...!"
Flare wanted to deny it—but couldn't figure out how to argue it in that moment.
Yemu just laughed, easing the tension for everyone around. Then he turned serious again.
"Looks like we're safe for now... Tiger, where are we? How far from Reverse Mountain?"
Tiger glanced around, then checked the log in his hand.
"Judging by the direction the current carried us and our current speed... we're slightly northeast off the line between Loguetown and Reverse Mountain. If we sail full speed ahead, we'll reach the Red Line in about a day and a half."
"Got it. Then let's not waste time. Right now, we're a thorn in the side of the Marines and the World Government. With so many eyes on us, we need to move before they get their bearings. Use the Eternal Pose—aside from essential resupply, no stops. We head straight to the Sabaody Archipelago. Once we enter the New World, only then will we be truly safe."
"Understood... But Captain... before we head to the Sabaody Archipelago, can we stop by Water 7? I've got a friend there..."
Yemu paused—then immediately understood.
"You don't mean Tom the shipwright, do you?"
"Eh? Captain, you know him too?"
"Of course. You're our navigator now. From here on, the route's yours to chart. Let's move—full speed ahead!"