"Jinbe, it's the Marines!"
A Fishman shouted to Jinbe.
"I see them!"
Jinbe watched the approaching warship and leaped to the bow.
A moment later, the pirate ship and the warship both stopped, facing each other.
"Shichibukai, why have you come to East Blue?"
The speaker was a Marine Commodore, presumably the officer in charge of Loguetown. He stared at Jinbe with a grave expression.
Because of the Shichibukai's status, the Marines couldn't attack them at will. It was an order from the higher-ups and the World Government.
But he couldn't just watch a Shichibukai enter East Blue.
"I'm here to find someone. I won't attack East Blue's civilians!"
Jinbe thought for a moment before answering.
"Find someone?"
Jinbe's reply immediately reminded the Marine Commodore of the group of Fishmen who had escaped a Marine pursuit earlier.
If not for that incident, the warships wouldn't have gathered here.
"Let him pass!"
The Marine Commodore thought it over, then gave the order.
He had no choice.
The Shichibukai were all powerful pirates of the sea. A Marine Branch Commodore like him was no match for them.
Besides, he couldn't attack a Shichibukai.
The warship slowly turned to let them pass. Jinbe turned and gave an order.
"Jinbe, Hatchan says Arlong is getting ready to attack an island."
A Fishman came up behind Jinbe and spoke.
Jinbe's expression tightened. Worry weighed on his mind, and he felt somewhat exhausted.
Shyarly's vision of a death had probably come from the attack.
Thinking of this, Jinbe ordered them to speed up.
The Marines watched the Shichibukai's ship leave. The Marine Commodore immediately took out a Den Den Mushi and reported the matter to Marine Headquarters.
This was no small matter.
A Shichibukai had gone to the Four Blues. He had to report it, and Headquarters could decide what to do.
Marine Headquarters.
The intelligence officer who received the news didn't dare delay. He hurried to the Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Come in!"
Sengoku was bent over his paperwork. Hearing the knock, he answered without looking up.
"Fleet Admiral, Commodore Tibus of Loguetown in East Blue reports that Shichibukai Jinbe has gone from the Grand Line to East Blue."
Sengoku, who had been hard at work, suddenly raised his head, his gaze sharp.
"Jinbe went to East Blue? What's his purpose?"
Sengoku knew Jinbe quite well.
Or rather, among the Shichibukai recruited so far, Jinbe was the one he approved of most.
Compared with the other fearsome men, Knight of the Sea Jinbe hadn't done anything evil. In a way, he had inherited the ambitions of Fisher Tiger, the former captain of the Sun Pirates, and dedicated himself to the coexistence of humans and Fishmen.
He also rescued his fellow Fishmen out on the sea.
Someone like him wouldn't suddenly get the urge to take a trip to East Blue. Something must have happened.
"Well, Commodore Tibus said he was looking for someone. Earlier, Commodore Tibus spotted a group of Fishmen entering East Blue, but they escaped when he tried to intercept and capture them."
Sengoku frowned and fell into thought.
"I understand!"
The intelligence officer saluted, then turned and left.
Sengoku thought it over and picked up the Den Den Mushi.
Although he didn't think Jinbe would do anything evil in East Blue, he contacted Garp just in case.
Garp was on his way from Foosha Village back to the Marine Base in the Conomi Islands when Sengoku contacted him aboard the ship.
When he saw the Den Den Mushi take on Sengoku's appearance, Garp felt a little guilty.
He'd come to find someone, but he'd gone to see his grandsons again. Now Sengoku had found out.
"Garp, how's it going? Given your position, you can't stay in East Blue forever."
"Hahaha! I found him, but I'll have to wait a bit. That brat's gone out to catch pirates again."
"Oh, he's catching pirates?"
"Yeah. He'd already set sail when I arrived. But while I was out looking for him, that young man brought in a whole bunch of pirates to claim their bounties. One of them had a bounty of ninety million."
"Ninety million?" Sengoku's voice was clearly startled.
"There are pirates with ninety-million-berry bounties in East Blue?"
Sengoku was dumbfounded.
How had he not heard about this?
"Hahaha! Didn't see that coming, did you? That young man caught a whole bunch of pirates. He practically wiped out all the pirates active near Reverse Mountain."
"That really is unexpected."
Sengoku fell silent for quite a while before replying.
"Don't worry. I'll do my best to bring him back this time, but I can't promise I'll succeed."
"Fine. Do your best! I called you about something else, too. Shichibukai Jinbe has gone to East Blue. He's probably looking for a group of Fishmen. Try not to let them cause too much trouble."
"Jinbe? That guy actually came to East Blue?"
Garp's smile faded, and he grew serious.
Garp didn't approve of the Shichibukai system, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"Yeah. He just arrived in East Blue. Find out where he is, and keep an eye on him if you can."
"Got it. I'll take care of it."
Garp hung up the Den Den Mushi and stood.
"Take a break for a bit."
Garp gave the Marines steering the ship an instruction. "Oh, and hold on tight."
The Marines froze for a moment. As if they realized what was coming, their faces changed, and they hurried to secure themselves.
Garp went to the stern and clenched both fists before throwing a punch.
A powerful gust of wind burst from his fist, and the air erupted with a tremendous boom.
The force sent the ship beneath his feet flying across the sea.
Aboard a pirate ship near the Conomi Islands.
"Arlong, the Conomi Islands are just ahead. There are more than twenty villages, but there's a Marine Base nearby."
A Fishman studied the sea chart in his hands and spoke to Arlong.
"Shahahahaha! Boys, our conquest of the sea starts here! Take this place!"
The other Fishmen were all excited.
Hatchan, the octopus Fishman, looked worried.
He knew what doing this could lead to. It might put Jinbe in a difficult position.
Jinbe was already in East Blue. He hoped he would make it in time.
"Arlong, shouldn't we plan this out some more? The Marines already spotted us before, and there's a Marine Branch here. The Marines might surround us."
Hatchan thought it over, hoping to persuade him indirectly.
"I'm not afraid of those damn Marines! Besides, East Blue is the weakest sea, and its Marines are the weakest, too."
Arlong turned to look at Hatchan, his expression displeased.
That guy was always dampening their spirits. He should've left him behind.
As they spoke, the silhouette of an island appeared on the horizon ahead.
"Boys, grab your weapons!"
Arlong pulled out his serrated greatsword and pointed it toward the distant island.
"Our goal is the treasure!"
"Treasure!"
The Fishmen cheered aboard the ship, which then picked up speed.
But a crafty glint flashed in Arlong's eyes.
With a Marine Base nearby, perhaps they could try a different approach.
Either way, they needed to build up their strength to dominate East Blue. As long as they achieved their goal, the method didn't matter.
Before you continue