Preparing to Head to the East Blue

Vice Admiral Verne spoke to Fleet Admiral Sengoku on the other end of the Den Den Mushi with utmost seriousness. "I swear on my head that they were absolutely two children. I also asked whether they wanted to join the Marines, but they didn't give me a definite answer. I tried to keep them here, but I couldn't."

Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked from the other end of the line, "Do you know their names?"

After thinking for a moment, Vice Admiral Verne replied, "The boy was called Ye Feng, and the girl seemed to be called Avril."

After hearing the two children's names, Fleet Admiral Sengoku said to Vice Admiral Verne, "All right, I understand. If those two go to your place again, you must keep them there for me. Even if you have to tie them up, you have to make them stay."

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Garp, who was standing nearby and munching on senbei, looked at Sengoku and said, "What happened? You're smiling so happily. Did you hide some good food again? Hand it over to me."

Sengoku had only just begun to feel pleased when Garp interrupted him. He immediately snapped, "Get lost! There's nothing here for you to eat. Stop loafing around here. If you have the time, go catch some pirates for me."

Garp, standing to one side, looked calmly at the roaring Sengoku and said, "What? You're giving me two years off? Fine, I'll pack up and leave right away. I'm going home to see my grandson. Goodbye!"

He headed for the door, but before he could even touch it, Sengoku punched him into the ground. Even more furious, Sengoku said, "Get lost! When did I say I was giving you leave? Say that again, and tomorrow I'll launch a Buster Call on your Windmill Village, dock all your pay, and ban you from eating senbei for a year."

Upon hearing that he would not be allowed to eat senbei for a year, Garp finally stopped messing around. He looked at Sengoku and asked, "What was that matter mentioned on the phone just now? Tell me so I can hear it too."

Sengoku looked at Garp and told him what Vice Admiral Verne, who was stationed on Mozambique Island in the South Blue, had just said. "Oh! He said he saw two children there. One could use Haki and was already an early-stage Sword King. The other was a girl whose swordsmanship had reached the middle stage of Sword King. Even more frightening, the boy was six years old, while the girl was only five and a half."

Garp's mouth fell open, and even the senbei in his hand dropped to the ground. He stared at Sengoku in shock and shouted, "What did you just say? A six-year-old child had already learned Haki and was an early-stage Sword King? And that girl was even a middle-stage Sword King?"

Looking at the stunned Garp, Sengoku said solemnly, "Yes, that's right. One was six, and the other was five."

Garp shouted at Sengoku again, "Have my ears gone deaf? Or are Sword Kings everywhere now, as common as cabbages? More frightening still, that boy had actually learned Haki."

Meanwhile, outside the Marine base on Mozambique Island in the South Blue, Avril dragged Ye Feng forward with both hands. After walking for two or three minutes, they arrived at a secluded spot.

She turned around and looked at Ye Feng. "Big brother, you can only marry me in the future. Stay far away from that demoness."

Ye Feng looked at Avril and said, "Fine, fine, fine. When I grow up, I'll only marry you. Is that good enough?"

After hearing Ye Feng agree, Avril skipped happily and said, "All right, you promised me. Don't you dare forget it."

Ye Feng looked at Avril with a doting expression. "Come on, don't worry about that for now. Let's go have a feast."

When Avril heard Ye Feng mention a feast, she completely forgot everything from before. She said excitedly, "Come on, let's hurry and eat."

Later, in a large restaurant, Ye Feng watched Avril hug a chicken leg and gnaw on it. "Eat slower. No one's going to steal it from you."

Hearing Ye Feng tell her to slow down, Avril stuck out her little tongue at him and said, "I haven't eaten chicken legs in a long time. Today, I'm going to feast!"

Ye Feng also picked up a chicken leg from the table and began eating. "After we finish eating, there's something important I need to tell you."

A while later, after half an hour, Ye Feng and Avril finished their meal and headed toward the inn where they were staying.

Once they arrived, Ye Feng said to Avril, "Avril, I've decided! I'm going to the East Blue."

When Avril heard that Ye Feng was going to the East Blue, she asked, "Big brother, what are you going there for?"

Ye Feng said, "I'm going there to train, because I'm not strong enough yet to protect myself—or protect you."

Upon hearing this, Avril said to Ye Feng, "Sure. I want to see what the East Blue is like too."

Ye Feng explained, "I'm going alone this time. You should join the Marines."