At the end of the first half of the Grand Line, above the Sabaody Archipelago—where, thanks to the Yarukiman Mangroves, resin bubbles of every size floated everywhere, shimmering with rainbow colors in the sunlight and making the islands look like a vivid, dreamlike world—a carrier pigeon flew over the Marine base in Area 60. Then it opened its beak and began to squawk at the top of its lungs:
"Extra! Extra!"
"One of the Four Emperors, Kaido, has officially declared war on the Brat!"
"Extra! Extra!"
"One of the Four Emperors, Kaido, has officially declared war on the Brat!"
"Come and see!"
"Breaking news from the New World!"
Its loud cries drew the attention of quite a few Marines, and it dropped several newspapers before its antics finally caught the eye of a high-ranking Marine.
"Hey!"
"Newspaper pigeon!"
"Quick!"
"Drop a couple of those down here!"
When Garp saw the carrier pigeon flying past and heard what it was saying, the retired Vice Admiral, who had been dozing on the edge of the training ground, suddenly sharpened his gaze. He waved at the pigeon circling overhead.
The news did sound explosive and unexpected. More importantly, Garp hadn't received so much as a hint about it beforehand.
As Garp saw it, Kaido, one of the Four Emperors and a fearsome powerhouse known as the "Beasts," had suddenly declared war without warning on the Brat, who was just as powerful and just as reckless—and who didn't put anyone or any organization above her, not even the Marines or the Celestial Dragons, whom she had beaten up more than once. It was an enormous development, and he needed to give it some serious thought.
"Caw!"
With a cry, the carrier pigeon swooped down and precisely dropped two newspapers onto the table beside Garp.