Golden Lion, Pirate Titan

Seeing Smoker's grave expression, as if shrouded in an unyielding cloud, Tashigi mustered her courage and asked, "Captain Smoker, what exactly happened? Has the situation deteriorated to the point where Marine Headquarters needs to be mobilized?"

For navies Four Seas, the Marine Headquarters is undoubtedly a sacred place, a place of awe and longing.

Moreover, no matter how dire the situation had been in the past, Smoker had always been able to shoulder the burden alone. Faced with his seemingly invincible Logia-type Fruit ability, all the pirates in the East Blue were utterly helpless. In her eyes, he was practically a guardian deity of the East Blue. This was the first time she had ever seen Smoker with such an indecisive expression.

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, the East Blue is really in big trouble this time." Smoker said, puffing on his cigar. "In my memory, only one person can manipulate islands to float in the sky. That is the Flying Pirate Golden Lion, who roamed the seas twenty years ago and was known as one of the three great pirates alongside Pirate King Roger and the World's Strongest Whitebeard."

People are forgetful. Twenty years have passed, and most people only regard the Golden Lion as a legend, finding it hard to imagine what that name represents.

But Smoker is different. Twenty years ago, he participated in the terrifying battle that almost shattered half of the Marine Headquarters as a lowly soldier. He naturally knows the immense power contained within that terrifying monster. If it were him, destroying the East Blue would not be an exaggeration.

"What? Golden Lion!" Tashigi's adorable eyes went blank, her mouth agape, and her hands unconsciously clenched Shigure, as if only swords could give her a sense of security.

Seeing Tashigi's outburst, Smoker shook his head. "Let's go. We need to report this incident to the Marine Headquarters immediately. If we're too slow, the East Blue might be completely destroyed."

"Oh, oh." Tashigi jogged after her, but after a few steps, she absentmindedly used her amazing skill of taking a flat fall, which made Smoker's face darken even more.

"Hello, Smoker? This is Sengoku." Sengoku was quite puzzled as he looked at the Den Den Mushi ringing in his hand. He still remembered Smoker very well. After all, with the Three Admirals all being Logia Fruit users, Smoker, as Logia "rising star," was naturally easy to be valued. It was Sengoku who made the decision to send him to the East Blue for training.

With Smoker's Logia Devil Fruit Ability, he should be virtually invincible, not only in the East Blue, which is considered the "weakest" of the Four Seas, but also in the first half of the Grand Line, as long as he doesn't encounter those few monsters. How could there be any news sent to him?

In this urgent situation, Smoker got straight to the point. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the East Blue requests your assistance. A being resembling Golden Lion Shiki has appeared in the East Blue has unleashed a large number of powerful beasts, almost each of which possesses the power to destroy a town."

"What did you say? Golden Lion?" Sengoku completely ignored Smoker's next words. After all, compared to Golden Lion, the threat of some wild beasts was insignificant. "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

"I didn't witness it firsthand, but several towns in the East Blue have sent urgent requests for help, claiming that an island floating in the sky is constantly dropping powerful beasts at these towns, intending to destroy the East Blue." Smoker paused before speaking in a heavy tone, "Although we're not sure if it's the Golden Lion, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, we must be on high alert. After all, that guy is... the Golden Lion!"

"You did the right thing. When facing such a monster, any hesitation could lead to extremely serious disasters and consequences." Sengoku first agreed with Smoker's approach, and then said in a deep voice, "Moreover, this approach is indeed somewhat like him. He stormed the Marine Headquarters back then for Roger's sake, and he was especially furious when he learned that we were going to execute Roger in the East Blue. In this light, his destruction of the East Blue might be to avenge Roger."

"Don't worry, I will immediately dispatch a large number of marines and Admiral Kizaru, the highest combatant of the headquarters, to provide support. A mere Golden Lion cannot shake the foundation of the Navy," Sengoku said righteously.

"Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst." Smoker's words were somewhat harsh. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you also know that Golden Lion's greatest strength is his mobility. By the time his naval reinforcements arrive, the East Blue will probably already be completely destroyed!"

"This..." Sengoku had a headache, but he didn't pay attention to Smoker's tone. However, even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. He couldn't just conjure up an army out of thin air. Wait, it seems that it is actually possible.

"Captain Smoker, great news! The giant beast that was rampaging in the Foosha Village of the Goa Kingdom has been wiped out, and there were no casualties!" Tashigi's adorable voice suddenly came from the other end of the phone.

"What? Who has that kind of power?"

"That bastard Garp (referring to Vice Admiral Garp, the Marine Hero)!" Sengoku and Tashigi's voices rang out almost simultaneously.

"Vice Admiral Garp!" Smoker's eyes lit up. This was definitely the strongest of allies. Although ordinary Vice Admiral were no match for pirate giants like Golden Lion, no one would be stupid enough to mistake Garp, a monster, for an ordinary Vice Admiral. He was a Marine Hero who had ended an era. Even Golden Lion was thrown into Impel Down by Garp and Sengoku.

Sengoku rubbed his slightly throbbing head on the other end of the Den Den Mushi. "I almost forgot that the old man went home to visit his family. But with him in the East Blue, things will definitely be much more peaceful."

"If it were any other Admiral, I would have to consider whether Golden Lion would choose to avoid the fight. But if it's that bastard Garp, there's no need to worry about that at all. Golden Lion will never be satisfied with the crushing defeat he suffered at the hands of me and Garp. He will definitely not miss the opportunity to prove his strength by fighting Garp one-on-one."

Smoker breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but then asked with some hesitation, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I don't doubt Vice Admiral Garp's abilities, but you yourself said that twenty years ago it was you and Vice Admiral Garp who joined forces to throw Golden Lion into Impel Down. Now, if he's alone..."

"Hmph, you don't need to worry about that old guy." Sengoku cursed through gritted teeth for a while before calmly saying, "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. Actually, in that battle back then, their strengths were almost equal, and I was actually a bit weaker."

"If it were a one-on-one fight, they could fight for ten days and ten nights without a clear winner. But the battle took place at Marine Headquarters. Every second that passed could mean the death of hundreds or thousands of Marines. In addition, Golden Lion's mobility was too great and he was difficult to defeat. That's why I chose to team up with that bastard Garp to defeat Golden Lion. Although it was a bit dishonorable, it was nothing compared to the lives of those soldiers."

"So many years have passed, and that bastard Garp has never stopped training. His strength has not only not declined, but has become stronger. On the other hand, Golden Lion, having lost both legs, has managed to maintain his strength for twenty years, which is already quite remarkable. So, you have absolutely no need to worry about that old guy."