The Navy's Response

"Miss, are you waiting for Smoker? I'd advise you to stop. He's already lying over there. It would be more appropriate for you to go find him." Before Carmen could answer Tashigi, a purple bird carrying several people flew onto the pirate ship. A man in a black trench coat spoke to Tashigi.

"Locke, you're back! Let me see if you're hurt!"

Seeing the man, Carmen hurriedly rushed over and began checking him over.

That was right. The ones who had ridden the large bird back to the ship were Locke, Big Bear, and the others. At the edge of the island, Locke had met up with Big Bear's group. He then used his ability to create a giant bird, and they rode it back to the ship. Unexpectedly, they had barely returned when they heard Tashigi's words, prompting Locke to explain.

"What? Impossible! How could you possibly defeat Colonel Smoker?" Tashigi said, disbelief written all over her face.

"Don't believe it? I'll take you to see." As soon as Locke finished speaking, another purple bird appeared. It grabbed the immobile Tashigi by the shoulders and flew toward the distant Navy 16th Branch.

Watching Tashigi grow farther and farther away atop the bird, Locke tossed the Nezumi colonel he had been carrying onto the deck.

"Set sail. We're heading back to Bisi Island!" Locke said to Big Bear and Carmen.

As the two went to get the ship moving, Locke turned to Second Bear and said, "Move them into the room first, then treat them."

Second Bear nodded. He and Locke each carried one person on their backs and headed toward Second Bear's private medical room.

"How are they?" Only after laying the two down did Locke finally have time to ask Second Bear about their condition.

"Panda is fine. He only has a few broken ribs and some minor internal damage. He'll recover in a few days," Second Bear explained.

"What about Yun Zhinnan?" Locke asked again.

"His condition is much more serious. I don't know what kind of enemy he encountered, but muscles throughout his body have been damaged to varying degrees. There are also wounds of different sizes all over the surface of his body," Second Bear said gravely.

"Is his life in danger?" Hearing how serious it was, Locke immediately grew tense.

"No, but his recovery will be slow. Even with his physical condition, it will take at least a week before he can walk again. He also can't do any high-intensity exercise for a month." Seeing Locke suddenly tense up, Second Bear hurriedly explained.

"Whew!" Hearing this, Locke breathed a slight sigh of relief.

After telling Second Bear to take good care of the two, Locke left the room and came to the deck.

By then, the ship had slowly begun to move. Looking at the Navy base growing farther and farther away, Locke felt no ripples in his heart.

When he had first set sail, he had known that one day he would clash head-on with the Navy. He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon. But Locke had never regretted it. Since Big Bear and the others had boarded his ship, they were his companions. Did avenging his companions require waiting for the right time?

Locke turned around and no longer looked at the Navy base that was nearly vanishing beyond the horizon. Instead, he found a rope in the cabin and tied the still-unconscious Colonel Nezumi to the mast.

Locke and the others had no intention of killing him just yet. They planned to take him to Bisi Island and let Big Bear's group personally deal with him before their relatives' graves, to comfort their loved ones' spirits in heaven.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford, the Fleet Admiral's office.

Sengoku, the Navy's highest commander, was diligently handling official business. However, there was someone else in the office at the moment.

This man wore a ridiculous dog-head hat, his exposed beard already gray. Sitting on a sofa nearby with his feet on the coffee table, he ate doughnuts one after another, acting as though this were not the Fleet Admiral's office at all.

"Garp, enough! If you have something to say, just say it. Stop disturbing me while I work!" Sengoku roared at Garp, having reached the end of his patience.

"Come on! Come on! I'm just eating doughnuts. How am I disturbing you?" Garp said as he stuffed another doughnut into his mouth.

"You..." Before Sengoku could finish speaking, the Den Den Mushi suddenly began ringing.

"Brrr! Brrr..."

"Answer it first," Garp said, pointing at the Den Den Mushi.

"Who is it?" Sengoku said as he picked it up.

"Reporting to the Fleet Admiral, this is Navy Colonel Smoker." Smoker's weak voice came from the Den Den Mushi.

"Oh, Smoker. What is it?"

"Reporting to the Fleet Admiral, the Navy's 16th Branch in the East Blue has just been attacked by the Phantom Pirates, suffering severe losses."

"What?!" Upon hearing this news, Sengoku flew into a rage and crushed the Den Den Mushi in his hand.

"Guard, bring me another Den Den Mushi," Sengoku ordered the soldier standing outside the door.

At this point, Garp, sitting to one side, also realized that something major might have happened. He did not speak again and simply continued eating his doughnuts.

Very soon, the guard brought another Den Den Mushi. Sengoku then contacted Smoker again.

"What exactly happened? Tell me in detail," Sengoku said to Smoker.

"Not long ago, the Phantom Pirates attacked the Navy's 16th Branch for some unknown reason and destroyed every building on the island. I happened to arrive at the time and fought their captain. I was no match for him and was knocked unconscious. Then, for some unknown reason, the group withdrew," Smoker briefly reported.

"What about the casualties?" Sengoku asked again, his face completely darkening.

"Excluding personnel on patrol outside, there were two thousand personnel stationed at the branch. Four hundred died, and all the rest were injured. One veteran named Old Qin suffered shattered fractures throughout his body. Of all officers at the rank of captain and above, fifteen were killed in action, with only five surviving. The branch's highest-ranking officer, Colonel Nezumi, was taken away bound. The reason is unknown," Smoker continued.

"Bastard!" This time, Sengoku did not crush the Den Den Mushi. Instead, he slammed the desk before him into two halves.

"Alright, I'll arrange the rest. Get to Loguetown and assume your post immediately!" Sengoku gave Smoker his orders, then directly hung up.

"Did he say Old Qin just now?" Garp suddenly spoke up.

"If you hadn't spoken, I almost would've forgotten. That Old Qin should be the soldier from your ship—the one who was too old but refused to leave the Navy and insisted on becoming a gate guard. I assigned him to the Navy's 16th Branch in the East Blue," Sengoku said, looking at Garp as though he had suddenly remembered something.