Dragon Betrays the Marines?!

"Hahahaha! Fleet Admiral Kong, I just got back and didn't even have time to go home before you summoned me. What's this about?"

At Marine Headquarters, Marineford, before the office door had even opened and before anyone could be seen, Garp's hearty laughter rang out from outside.

Then, with a bang, the office door was shoved open. Garp strode in with a bag of senbei in hand and dropped onto the sofa.

"Yo, Sengoku, you're here too?" Garp grinned at his old friend across from him. "Shouldn't you be busy in your office at this hour?"

But he soon noticed that Sengoku's expression was off—far too serious. At the same time, Fleet Admiral Kong, seated behind his desk, was staring at him without expression.

Garp stopped reaching for a senbei and asked in surprise, "What's going on? I already dealt with that brat Bullet and just sent him into Impel Down!"

"Garp, your son Monkey D. Dragon intends to defect from the Marines. He's got some nerve!"

Fleet Admiral Kong angrily slammed a report onto the desk. "Read it yourself. CP0 sent this ten minutes ago!"

"What?!"

Garp was dumbfounded, his eyes nearly bulging out. He shot to his feet as if his backside were on fire, then snatched up the intelligence report at a speed ordinary people could not even see and read it word by word.

The report briefly stated that CP0 had intercepted Rear Admiral Dragon just as he threw off his Coat of Justice and prepared to leave the G-3 Branch, and was bringing him to Marineford.

"Th-This..."

Garp stood there with his mouth open, not knowing what to say. It was obviously such a grave matter, yet his thick nerves left him feeling as though there were too many things to criticize and no energy to even begin.

First, why had Dragon suddenly decided to leave the Marines?

Second, how had the World Government known in advance and arranged an interception? And why had they sent CP0?

Garp knew exactly what CP0 was.

It was the directorate of all CIPHER POL, known as the Celestial Dragons' strongest shield. It could be said that only the Five Elders were qualified to command them.

Was there really any need to use such an organization against his own son?

The most astonishing thing was that they had even prepared—no, were currently bringing Dragon to Marine Headquarters. What was that about?

Logically, shouldn't they have escorted him straight to Enies Lobby for sentencing before throwing him into Impel Down?

Garp did not believe that CP0's people would care about his status as a Marine hero. That meant the Five Elders above them must have ordered this.

Could it be that the one I saved back then is helping out?

Garp pondered it in secret. It really seemed possible, since that person was now one of the Five Elders.

No matter what, CP0 being willing to bring Dragon here was a blessing amidst misfortune. At Marineford, his status and seniority still counted for something.

"Wait. Even taking the direct route through Mary Geoise, it'll take several hours to get here from the New World. We'll ask that brat what he's thinking when he arrives!"

Sengoku looked furious. He had watched Dragon grow up as well. After joining the Marines, Dragon had initially performed exceptionally, always saying that he would become a Marine hero greater than his father.

But over the past few years, he had become increasingly negative and withdrawn. The fire in his eyes had long gone out, and the passionate smile on his face had vanished as well.

He had also taken an unenthusiastic attitude toward all sorts of missions, leaving his rank stuck at Rear Admiral. Still, because he was Garp's son, no one in the Marines had said much about it.

In Sengoku's view, with Dragon's strength, even if he could not become an Admiral in the future, he would be more than qualified to serve as the commander of a G-Branch.

The reason Sengoku said he might not become an Admiral was that the Marines already had three Admiral candidates with top-tier Logia abilities. There could not possibly be a fourth Admiral position.

About five hours later, Fleet Admiral Kong received a report from a warship stationed near Headquarters' harbor. After listening, he returned the receiver to the Marine Den Den Mushi's back and found Garp staring at him.

As for Sengoku, he had already returned to his office. He really was busy, after all. How could he sit on the sofa and waste time?

"CP0's ship has arrived. However, they asked us not to go out and receive them, lest it attract too much attention. They'll bring the man here themselves."

After saying that, Fleet Admiral Kong ignored Garp and picked up the receiver again to call Sengoku, informing him to come over so they could meet them together.

Not long after, Sengoku entered the office again. His office was on this floor as well.

[Knock knock knock]

Sengoku had only been seated again for less than two minutes when someone lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Fleet Admiral Kong called out. The door was slowly pushed open, and Dragon entered first, expressionless, wearing a green suit and a Coat of Justice with both hands behind his back.

Behind him came a tall figure wearing a white mask, a white suit, a white coat draped over his shoulders, and white leather boots.

With a soft bang, the latter casually shut the door behind him.

"You damned brat!"

The instant Garp saw his son, he angrily tore into him. "What the hell is going through that head of yours?"

Dragon merely lowered his head and remained silent, seemingly having no interest in speaking with his father. A few years ago, he had greatly admired him.

This year, he was thirty-four years old, the same age as Kizaru Borsalino.

"Garp, calm down first."

Sengoku rose to his feet with a grave expression, but then he noticed something strange. Dragon's hands behind his back seemed to be in handcuffs?

What was going on? Ordinary handcuffs were useless against Dragon. The Physical Arts he had trained since childhood were no joke.

At that moment, the CP0 agent spoke. His voice was somewhat hoarse and grating, devoid of any extra emotion.

"This Rear Admiral Dragon is already a Devil Fruit User. Judging from the ability he used in battle, it is the Logia-type Hurricane Fruit. Therefore, we had no choice but to put him in Seastone Handcuffs."

"A Devil Fruit User?!"

The Navy Fleet Admiral, Navy Admiral, and Marine hero—three great figures in the office—were stunned once more. Their gazes all fell upon Dragon, especially the first two, who looked at him as though he were a priceless treasure.

Ever since Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan had appeared in the Marines, they had consulted the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia several times, mainly to look into Logia types.

The Hurricane Fruit? Good lord, this was another top-tier Logia Devil Fruit, no weaker than magma, light, or ice!

"No wonder CP0 had to be deployed. Otherwise, with this brat's Physical Arts and Haki, plus the Hurricane Fruit's power, even CP9 probably couldn't have stopped him, right?" Fleet Admiral Kong said in sudden realization.

Yet the same question still weighed on both his and Sengoku's minds: how had the World Government known?

In truth, that was also the question Dragon most wanted answered right now. He was completely baffled.

He had never planned when to leave the G-3 Branch, nor had he told anyone. The Hurricane Fruit was even more of a secret.

Yet, just after he shook off his Coat of Justice and turned into a gust of wind to leave the base, less than two kilometers out, three CP0 agents in white masks had surrounded him.

He had tried to escape, but although he was much stronger than an ordinary Vice Admiral, he was no match for three CP0 agents. Besides, he had only eaten the Hurricane Fruit not long ago.

"Dragon, what exactly are you thinking? Why are you leaving the Marines?"

Sure enough, the period before reaching one hundred thousand words during a new book's run was the hardest to endure. Let me report this book's numbers to everyone: it currently has 130 bookmarks and 178 recommendations. As for follow-up readers, there are probably fewer than twenty. Everyone's letting chapters pile up, and I understand that, but hardly anyone talks. It's boring and lonely. I guess I've experienced Imu's feeling of being lonely at the top. Tell me, am I too aloof, making all you readers feel distant from me—especially when it comes to being handsome?