South Blue.
Five warships, far larger than the vessels commonly seen in these waters.
They sped through the waves in a one-two-two formation.
Not far ahead of them, an ordinary, peaceful island sat upon the sea.
On the deck of the lead warship, four towering men, each roughly three meters tall, stood at the bow.
Each exuded his own distinctive presence.
The man standing farthest forward, sporting an afro, had the most imposing presence of all.
The loose white coat he wore fluttered constantly in the sea breeze.
"I never imagined that man would be living in seclusion in a little place like this. Didn't he only just become famous around the world?"
The man on the right of the three asked as he gazed excitedly toward the island.
He wore a purple cap bearing a seagull emblem and glasses with small, round lenses. Black curls framed his head, and a white Coat of Justice draped over his purple suit.
"And why do we have to dress formally?"
A trace of displeasure crossed his face.
"Enough, Kuzan. We could be facing a major battle shortly. Get yourself settled down."
The man with the afro spoke gravely without turning around.
"Understood, Admiral Sengoku!" Kuzan felt both excited and nervous.
"Pirate King Roger, huh? Sounds like quite a handful. Good thing the three of us aren't the main force~"
Standing shoulder to shoulder with the other two, Borsalino pursed his lips.
He wore a black gentleman's hat and a white suit beneath his coat.
He was also thoroughly puzzled.
Why had they specifically brought him in for this operation when he was still only a rear admiral?
He truly wanted no part in anything this troublesome.
Sakazuki, standing in the middle of the trio, wore a red suit.
Though he said nothing, his icy gaze remained fixed on the island called Baterilla.
"Return to your own warships. Remember, once the fighting starts, your job is to provide support and maintain the encirclement. Don't push yourselves too hard!"
Sengoku loosened his collar as he gave his instructions.
"Yes, sir!"
"Understood."
Soon, the three most promising rising stars of Marine Headquarters returned to their respective posts.
Four warships then fanned out to either side, surrounding the island from several directions in an imposing formation.
Meanwhile, Sengoku's warship continued straight ahead.
Standing alone at the bow, Sengoku watched the island draw closer while mulling over this rather peculiar assignment.
How did the World Government know Roger was here? And did Roger really disband his crew because he was terminally ill?
They even said Roger had a wife named Rouge on this island, and that she was pregnant!
This was the top-secret intelligence the World Government had sent him through Fleet Admiral Kong a few days earlier.
Such unbelievable revelations made him all the more wary of Cipher Pol's capabilities.
The fact that they could uncover even something like this was truly chilling!
"Yaaawn~ Are we finally here? That bastard Roger really hid himself well."
Garp strode out of the cabin, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
Seeing his lackadaisical behavior, Sengoku's forehead bulged with veins as he shouted angrily:
"Look at yourself! We're about to begin the operation, and you look like an idiot who just woke up!"
Garp waved dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine. Didn't they say Roger was terminally ill? And he's alone now, too. He's far less of a threat than he used to be."
"You're a real bastard!"
Sengoku glared at him, then turned toward the island and ignored him.
Garp, however, walked over beside him and rubbed his chin, looking puzzled.
"But this mission specifically requires us to look out for the civilians, evacuate the island's residents first if possible, and avoid damaging the buildings and environment as much as we can."
"Honestly, I still can't believe my ears. Did the Five Elders eat something that had gone bad?"
"Watch your mouth, Garp!" Sengoku snorted.
Still, he was just as astonished himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that the World Government had grown rather strange.
But regardless, this order aligned perfectly with their wishes, so they were happy to accept it.
On Baterilla Island.
The residents going about their business near the harbor began to panic when they saw five enormous warships moving in to surround them.
They had no idea why the Marines would come to such a remote corner of South Blue.
Roger, who was having lunch with Rouge, whose pregnancy was still in its early stages, frowned as his expression gradually grew solemn.
"What's wrong, Roger?" Rouge set down her table knife and looked at him curiously.
"I'm going out for a bit. Go ahead and eat."
Roger stood up, stroked her long golden hair, and left the dining room with a smile.
But the moment he opened the front door, his gaze sharpened, losing every trace of the gentleness that had made him seem like an ordinary islander.
He slowly closed the door behind him.
He glanced over the deserted street around him and finally let out a sigh.
"Ah, so they found me after all..."
Roger slowly headed off in one direction.
Soon, after rounding a corner, he saw familiar figures and a group of Marine soldiers aiming their rifles at him.
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
"Hey, Roger! Long time no see~"
Garp greeted him with a broad grin.
He acted as though he had run into an old friend, displaying none of the usual attitude a Marine would show toward a pirate.
"Can you tell me how you found this place, Garp, Sengoku?"
Roger ignored the densely packed gun barrels, his voice sounding perfectly calm.
"You underestimated the World Government's intelligence capabilities, Roger."
Sengoku answered gravely, while inwardly reflecting, Haven't we Marines done the same?
"Cipher Pol, huh? What a frightening organization..."
Roger fell into thought.
He wondered whether some oversight on his part had allowed Cipher Pol's agents to find him.
But no matter how he thought about it, something didn't add up.
He had never mentioned this island to anyone, not even his crewmates.
"Roger, I shouldn't need to explain why we're here. So, what will you choose?"
Sengoku posed the question in his capacity as a Marine admiral.
The moment he brought it up, Garp's body tensed as well.
After all, the man standing before him had been his opponent for half his life.
"Can you spare Rouge?" Roger asked.
Truthfully, he held little hope of that.
But he asked anyway, just in case.
To his surprise, Sengoku's next answer left him utterly astonished.
"Yes. Under the Five Elders' orders, as long as you don't resist, your wife Rouge and your unborn child will live in Marineford. They simply won't be allowed to leave the island without permission."
Sengoku spoke words that even he found unbelievable.
"You even know Rouge is pregnant!"
Roger stared at Sengoku in shock.
She was only one month pregnant.
Even if Cipher Pol had agents hiding on this island, surely they couldn't have learned something like that immediately?
Faced with that question, Sengoku could only remain silent.
He didn't know the details either.
Regardless, the answer still put Roger somewhat at ease.
But he turned to Garp anyway and asked, "Is that true, Garp?"
Garp thought for a moment, then nodded. "Those are the orders I heard, too."
"I see. Then I'm leaving Rouge and the child in your care, Garp..."
Roger grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth.
As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly held out both hands.
He allowed a stern-faced Marine captain to approach and place him in handcuffs.
And just like that, Gol D. Roger, who had become the Pirate King renowned throughout the Four Seas only a year earlier.
Was now officially under arrest by the Marines!
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