Marine Headquarters in Shock

After eating his fill at the tavern, Moke rested for another night.

Early the next morning, Moke transformed into a beam of light once more and headed for Reverse Mountain.

Marine Headquarters.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku shot to his feet in shock and cried out, "What?!"

Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru, who happened to be in his office, both looked over. Garp, in particular, even forgot to put the doughnut in his hand into his mouth.

Because he rarely saw Sengoku lose his composure like this.

Vice Admiral Tsuru frowned slightly. She had a bad feeling that some major incident had happened again.

She immediately asked, "What is it?"

"Phew..."

Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi in his hand and slowly let out a breath, calming himself somewhat. "Colonel Wild Dog, who was sent to East Blue to replace Smoker, has been killed."

"How could that be?"

Garp looked astonished. He often went to East Blue, so he knew it well. There were only a handful of pirates in all of East Blue who had any real strength.

But none of them had either the nerve or the strength to kill the highest-ranking Marine officer in East Blue!

Clearly, Tsuru thought the same. If East Blue's pirates had even one decent powerhouse among them, it would not be known as the weakest of the Four Seas.

With some doubt, she asked, "Could a powerful figure have emerged in East Blue?"

Sengoku nodded. "Moke. Age unknown, birthplace unknown. He possesses decent swordsmanship and is also a Devil Fruit user."

At that, he paused. Then he added, "According to intelligence, he learned his swordsmanship from Smoker's subordinate, Petty Officer Tashigi. His Devil Fruit is extremely unusual. Not only can he wield light and earth, he even possesses the Elementalization unique to Logias."

"Huh?"

Vice Admiral Tsuru and Garp both revealed stunned expressions.

Garp blurted out, "Sengoku, did you hear that wrong? What kind of Logia can control both light and earth at the same time?"

Forget Garp—even Sengoku himself doubted it. If he had not confirmed it repeatedly just now, he would never have believed it. No... even after confirming it again and again, deep down, he still found it hard to believe.

He muttered, "Logia... Logia means a natural element from the natural world. How could two natural abilities appear in the same person? Could there really be such a Devil Fruit? Or does this person possess two Devil Fruit abilities at once?"

But either possibility had already exceeded everything they had ever known.

Vice Admiral Tsuru came back to her senses and turned to Sengoku. "Since this man learned swordsmanship from Smoker's subordinate, Petty Officer Tashigi, why not ask the two of them? Perhaps they know what is going on."

Sengoku's eyes immediately lit up.

Meanwhile, Smoker, who was pursuing the Straw Hat Crew at full speed, stared distractedly out at the sea.

Before long, a soldier hurried over to Smoker with a Den Den Mushi cradled in both hands.

He respectfully said, "Colonel Smoker, it is Fleet Admiral Sengoku from Headquarters."

Smoker's pupils contracted. Tashigi, standing nearby, also looked over.

Her face was filled with worry.

After all, Smoker had acted first and reported afterward. Otherwise, Marine Headquarters would never have agreed to let Colonel Smoker pursue the Straw Hat Crew.

Now, there was probably going to be trouble.

Otherwise, Fleet Admiral Sengoku would not have contacted him personally.

But there was no turning back now. Smoker could only take the Den Den Mushi and brace himself. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Smoker."

Sengoku asked, "Do you know Moke?"

"Huh?"

Smoker and Tashigi both froze, because they had already been prepared for a scolding. At the same time, they were deeply puzzled as to why Fleet Admiral Sengoku was asking about Moke.

Once they recovered, although they were still doubtful, they immediately answered, "We know him to some extent. He is a friend of my subordinate, Petty Officer Tashigi. Not only does he possess terrifying talent in the way of the sword, he also has an extremely unusual Devil Fruit ability."

Sengoku said, "Explain in detail."

Smoker looked at Tashigi, and she immediately understood. "Three months ago, I met him in a weapon shop in Loguetown. He bought two Meito at once. He used one of them as payment and asked me to teach him swordsmanship, and I agreed. At the time, he knew nothing about swordsmanship... Three months later, his swordsmanship had already surpassed mine by far, and he was only one step away from becoming a Swordmaster. His talent in the way of the sword is the greatest I have ever seen... Even those vice admirals at Headquarters who specialize in swordsmanship are far inferior to him in that regard."

"His Devil Fruit ability is extremely unusual. When I first met him in the weapon shop, he displayed an ability similar to the Paramecia Dice-Dice Fruit, capable of turning people into blades. Later, when we surrounded the Straw Hat Crew, he also helped us. But at that time, he displayed Elementalization and the ability to control earth."

At that point, she glanced at Smoker before adding, "Colonel Smoker and I suspect that he may possess multiple Devil Fruit abilities!"

"What?"

Tashigi's words drew a cry of alarm from Sengoku.

Then the Den Den Mushi immediately changed into Vice Admiral Tsuru's appearance. "That man actually possesses such terrifying talent in the way of the sword? He also has an ability similar to the Paramecia Dice-Dice Fruit? Adding earth and light, does that not mean he has three abilities, along with terrifying talent in the way of the sword?"

The key was that each of those three abilities was stronger than the last!

Especially that light-element ability similar to the Glint-Glint Fruit—it was practically a replica of Kizaru!

Anyone would find someone like that extremely troublesome.

Because whether he chose to fight or flee was entirely up to him.

This was troublesome!

Smoker could not help asking, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, did that kid do something? Why did you contact us personally...?"

Sengoku answered bluntly, "Because he killed Colonel Wild Dog, who was sent to replace you."

"What?"

Smoker and Tashigi both cried out in shock, and both were filled with doubt.

Tashigi said, "That cannot be right! I spent three months with him, and I could tell he held no hostility toward the Marines!"

Sengoku said, "He took a Devil Fruit that Colonel Wild Dog was supposed to hand over."

As soon as those words were spoken, Smoker and Tashigi's pupils shrank.

Aside from the Celestial Dragons, Devil Fruits were among the most important strategic resources of every faction. A single Devil Fruit could quickly cultivate a powerful fighter.

It could even directly win over a powerful fighter.

So those words carried an enormous amount of information!

Tashigi clenched Yubashiri in her hand, her face full of anger. "I will never allow a Meito to fall into the hands of someone like him. One day, I will reclaim the Third Generation Kitetsu from him."

Back in Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office, he had already hung up the Den Den Mushi. Yet his brow was now furrowed even more tightly...

Only one step away from becoming a Swordmaster in three months?

What kind of talent in the way of the sword was that?!

And his abilities... Sengoku suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Vice Admiral Tsuru beside him also wore a grave expression. Even her close friend Momousagi did not possess such talent in the way of the sword!

The three of them, including Garp, fell into a brief silence.

Then Vice Admiral Tsuru was the first to speak. "Sengoku, I suggest issuing a bounty..."