The Special Recruit Confirmed, Ace to Be Publicly Executed!

"How on earth did that brat do it?"

Garp's eyes grew a little dazed.

The strength Feng Lei had just displayed had still been within Garp's understanding.

But the sudden surge in power made Garp wonder for a moment whether his disciple had been hiding his strength all along.

Otherwise, how could he have improved so much?

Likewise.

Below, Momonga, Boka, and the others also felt the oppressive pressure of Feng Lei's surging strength in the sky!

"Has he been hiding his strength all this time?"

"Impossible! How can he be so strong? Is he a monster?"

"Is that really the kind of strength someone his age can possess?"

A string of questions surfaced in everyone's minds.

Then.

Momonga's expression changed drastically. He hurried forward and shouted to Feng Lei and Garp in the sky.

"Vice Admiral Garp, Feng Lei, stop fighting!"

"If you keep going, you'll destroy the G-1 Branch!"

Before, he would not have stopped Garp and Feng Lei from fighting.

After all, Garp was strong enough to keep Feng Lei under control.

But Feng Lei's strength had clearly reached a terrifying level. If he and Garp were allowed to continue fighting, the two of them would destroy the entire base.

"Vice Admiral Garp!"

Boka also realized how serious the situation was and hurriedly spoke up to help persuade them to stop!

Hearing everyone's pleas, Garp understood that this was not a good place to continue fighting.

He had already tested his disciple's strength, and continuing would only make it easy to cause damage.

He burst out laughing.

"Feng Lei, you brat, let's stop here for today!"

In midair.

Feng Lei had also heard what everyone said. Seeing Garp stop, he had no choice but to abandon the idea of continuing the fight.

He had already gained some learning progress, so there was no need to keep going.

After closing the "Gate of Wonder," Feng Lei found that he was not overly exhausted.

Clearly.

With the system's enhancements, his physical strength had reached an incredible level.

Only after both men stopped did Momonga breathe a sigh of relief.

He had truly been afraid they would keep fighting.

"Vice Admiral Garp, your disciple really is a monster!"

Momonga stepped forward and glanced at Feng Lei before speaking to Garp with feeling.

Garp was in high spirits. He laughed heartily and said, "Haha, he really does have my bearing from back in the day!"

The more Garp looked at Feng Lei, the more pleased he was.

His talent was boundless, and he was a Marine Garp had personally trained.

It probably would not be long before he became an Admiral.

That would also fulfill one of Garp's wishes.

"Vice Admiral Garp, shouldn't we return to Marine Headquarters? Feng Lei still needs to go back and complete the handover for the [Special Recruit] assessment process!" Boka reminded him from the side.

Only then did Garp nod. "It is time to head back!"

He had come because he was worried the Big Mom Pirates would retaliate against Feng Lei. Now, it seemed that with Feng Lei's strength, there was nothing to worry about unless an Emperor took action personally.

His trip had been somewhat unnecessary.

Soon.

Feng Lei boarded the Dog-Head Warship and set sail back to Marine Headquarters.

As he watched Feng Lei and Garp leave, Momonga's expression turned serious.

"Pass on my orders. Starting today, keep a close watch on the Big Mom Pirates' movements. Everyone is to stay within the base for now. Do not put to sea unless necessary!"

Feng Lei had killed Cracker, and sooner or later, that would come to light.

When it did, the Big Mom Pirates would surely retaliate. They could not go to Marine Headquarters to find Feng Lei, so they would certainly look for an opportunity to strike the G-1 Branch.

After all, the G-1 Branch was the Marines' bridgehead in the New World.

In the blink of an eye.

Several days passed.

Feng Lei and Garp returned to Marine Headquarters.

As soon as they arrived, Sengoku summoned Feng Lei to the Fleet Admiral's Office.

"Hahaha, Sengoku! You have nothing to say this time, do you? It's time my disciple's status as a [Special Recruit] was confirmed!"

As soon as they entered the office, Garp could hardly wait to ask for Feng Lei to be given the status of [Special Recruit].

Sengoku ignored Garp and turned to Feng Lei instead.

For a moment, he was a little envious of Garp.

How had this unreliable fellow managed to take on such an outstanding disciple as Feng Lei?

"I've reviewed your [Special Recruit] assessment and approved it. Starting today, your status is equivalent to that of an Admiral Candidate."

"However, you won't have any actual authority. Once you've gained enough seniority and merit, you'll be assigned a specific position with authority."

With that.

Sengoku handed Feng Lei a document.

"Take the document I've stamped and go to Instructor Zephyr to register!"

Feng Lei took it and saw that it recorded how he had killed Cracker and completed the [Special Recruit] assessment. It also bore the Fleet Admiral's seal.

"All right!"

After answering, Feng Lei left the office and headed for the Marine Academy.

Inside the office.

Garp also prepared to leave, but Sengoku called him back.

"Garp, there's something else I need to discuss with you!"

"What is it?"

Garp asked casually.

Sengoku handed him a document.

When Garp took it and looked at it, his face immediately darkened.

Fire Fist Ace was being held on level six of Impel Down!

"Ace!"

Garp's eyes filled with sorrow.

Though Ace was not his grandson by blood, Garp had raised him himself and had long regarded him as his own grandson.

Now that Ace had been captured and locked up in Impel Down, how could his heart not ache?

"What are you planning to do by showing me this?"

Garp looked at Sengoku.

He knew his old friend's nature. If Sengoku did not have a plan, he would never have discussed this with him in private.

Sengoku met Garp's gaze and, after a moment's silence, decided to voice his thoughts.

"I'm going to publicly execute Ace!"

"Sengoku!!"

Garp's eyes turned red as he stared fixedly at his old friend.

That was his grandson!

How could he stand by and watch Ace be executed?

"I know this is hard for you to accept, but there's no room for discussion!"

Sengoku refused to back down.

"You know what Whitebeard is like. He places great importance on those he calls family, and given his friendship with Roger, he certainly won't stand by and watch Ace be executed."

"So?"

Garp spoke calmly. He did not understand why Ace had to be executed.

"I intend to gather the Marines' full fighting strength and use Ace's execution as bait to lure Whitebeard into breaking him out. Then we'll wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates, deter the pirates of the world, and bring an end to the Great Pirate Era!"

Sengoku slowly laid out his plan.

The plan had been in the works for a long time, and he had discussed it with the Five Elders and reached an agreement with them.

If he really could wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates, it would count as a tremendous contribution before his retirement.

Enough for him to retire with honor!

"If he's bait, Ace doesn't really have to die, does he?"

Garp asked.

He knew what his old friend had in mind, but Ace was his grandson. Even being locked up in Impel Down was better than dying by execution.

Sengoku did not respond.

After all, Ace carried that man's blood. Even if Sengoku's target was Whitebeard, he still had no intention of sparing Ace.

So Sengoku took out another report and changed the subject.

"Take a look at this too!"

Garp frowned and looked at the report. It had a prominent headline.

[The Straw Hat Pirates wreak havoc on Enies Lobby and openly defy the World Government!]

It gave a detailed account of how Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy and his crew had defeated CP9 and wreaked havoc on Enies Lobby.

"Hahahaha, that's my grandson for you! Well done!"

Sure enough, Garp's attention was diverted when he saw it.

"Garp, remember where you stand!"

Sengoku gritted his teeth and slammed the table. "This grandson of yours has already attracted the attention of those above us. They've issued orders to send someone to capture him!"

"Tell me yourself, who should I send?"

Garp picked his nose and said dismissively, "Were you planning to send someone else?"

Ace had already been captured and was facing public execution.

Now, he could not stand by and watch his other grandson get captured too.