Hero's Fury, Teach's Crisis

Marine Headquarters.

Marineford.

Holding a file, Sengoku hurried through the corridor and arrived at an office door.

Without knocking, he pushed the door open and walked in.

The lights were off inside, and the curtains were drawn shut tight.

A burly figure sat in a large chair with his back to the door.

"Garp," Sengoku said gravely.

Several newspapers torn to shreds lay scattered across the desk before him.

Hearing Sengoku's voice, he slowly turned around, his eyes bloodshot.

Sengoku stepped forward, placed the file on the desk, and swept his gaze over the scraps of paper.

Even torn apart, the scattered words were still recognizable.

Marine Hero Garp Achieves Another Great Feat<Vice Admiral Garp's Fist of Justice Crushes Rocks Pirates Plot>

"Hey..." Garp slammed his palm onto the desk and roared, "Who wrote this bullshit news? Was it that damn bird?!"

"Garp, calm down," Sengoku snapped. "You are the spiritual leader of the Marines now, the pillar countless civilians rely on."

"Regardless of the truth, these reports have at least stabilized public sentiment and benefited the Marines' image."

"Spiritual leader? Pillar?" Garp rose to his feet and stepped closer.

"Sengoku, you knew all along, didn't you?! About those Celestial Dragons' hunting games."

"Those slaves and civilians slaughtered like livestock! You knew all along!"

Faced with Garp's accusation, Sengoku fell silent.

Seeing that he did not deny it, Garp's disappointment deepened. "Tell me! Why?!"

"How much blood has stained the justice we wear?!"

"Enough, Garp!" Sengoku abruptly cut him off, his voice turning stern.

He took a deep breath and began pacing through the dim office.

Only after a long while did he stop.

"I know, Garp. I have always known."

He turned around, his gaze sharp.

"I am angry too. I am disgusted too."

"But anger and fists alone cannot change rules that have governed this world for eight hundred years."

"If we charge in now, what will we gain besides throwing ourselves away, splitting the Marines from within, and leaving the seas without order?"

Sengoku's tone was cold. "We need power, Garp."

"We need a higher, more secure position before we can push for change from within and protect more people who deserve protection."

He stepped forward and extended his hand to Garp, his eyes sincere.

"Keep working with me, Garp. What we want to protect is the same."

"We need time. We need strategy."

"Only then will we be qualified to build true justice."

Garp stared at Sengoku's outstretched hand.

A few seconds later, he suddenly gave a derisive laugh.

Rather than take Sengoku's hand, he turned around, grabbed the coat of justice draped over the back of the chair, and strode toward the door.

"Garp, where are you going?!" Sengoku hurriedly shouted.

Garp stopped at the doorway and turned his face slightly.

"I saw something different in this war."

"Now, I'm going to clean up the mess."

With those words, he slammed the door shut and left.

Sengoku was left alone, his outstretched hand eventually falling as he sighed.

White Shell Town.

Southwest Harbor.

The docks, once busy and orderly, were now in complete chaos.

Local fishermen and workers were blocked outside a cordon by burly men wielding clubs and blades, their outrage boiling over.

"Move aside! These are our docks!"

"We need to go to sea! We need to work and feed our families!"

"What gives you the right to occupy this place?! Is there no law anymore?!"

Protests rang out one after another, but faced with these desperate criminals, the fishermen did not dare truly rush forward.

Just then, an exceptionally tall figure pushed through the crowd.

He wore sleeveless shoulder armor, and a scar ran diagonally across the bridge of his nose.

He was Hans, the notorious bounty hunter and local strongman of the nearby waters, known as the Fist Emperor.

"Brothers and sisters, quiet down, quiet down! Do me a favor."

After looking around, he waited until the crowd had quieted somewhat before continuing.

"We brothers are only borrowing this harbor for a few days to handle a small matter."

"We feel bad about holding up everyone's business, too."

He pointed to a subordinate beside him holding a cash box.

"How about this? For everyone delayed, once this is over, we'll compensate your lost wages at double the market rate."

"How's that? Generous enough, right?"

Upon seeing the cash box, most of the fishermen began to hesitate.

Then a female fisher squeezed to the front and shouted, "Who are you trying to fool?!"

"I've seen plenty of scumbags like you making empty promises!"

"Give us our boats back!"

The smile vanished from Hans's face.

The next instant, the fisherwoman's chest caved in. Her eyes bulged, and her body instantly lost all support as she collapsed to her knees in a pool of blood.

The entire place fell deathly silent.

No one had even seen Hans make a move before it was over.

Everyone turned pale with fright, lowering their heads and avoiding his sweeping gaze.

"That's how it is, everyone."

"Just treat it like a vacation. Once we're done, we'll make up the money for you. A win-win arrangement—why protest?"

"Think it over carefully. I've got work to do."

With that, Hans ignored the crowd and headed alone toward the harbor.

All kinds of ships were docked here, some flying obscure pirate flags.

Bound captives were constantly driven off the ships and gathered in an open area on the dock.

Hans walked straight to a ship flying a black chain flag and stopped a crewman.

"Where's Walker?" Hans asked impatiently.

The crewman quickly answered respectfully, "Boss Hans! Our captain is still in the cabin."

"He said we were to wait until you arrived before calling him. Should I go now..."

"No." Hans waved his hand. "I'll find him myself."

He had just stepped onto the gangplank, ready to board.

When his sharp senses suddenly caught a shout coming from the lower deck.

Right after that, Teach crawled out from the passageway, his face streaked with tears.

The moment Teach saw Hans, he shuddered in fear.

Hans bent down, grabbed Teach by the back of his collar, and lifted him up.

Two-year-old Teach struggled in midair, crying and screaming.

"You're too noisy."

Hans swung his other fist, controlling the force perfectly.

The crying stopped abruptly. Teach's eyes rolled back, and he went limp.

Hans casually tossed Teach into a corner, then followed the shouts he had heard earlier and quickly headed below.

The lower cabin was a complete mess.

Captain Walker had several fresh bloody scratches on his face, and his clothes had been torn as well.

Across from him, Alice stood with her back against the wall, gripping an iron hook tightly as she stared at the two men.

"Walker," Hans said, leaning against the doorway, "you can't even handle one woman? Do you want to keep your reputation or not?"

When Walker saw Hans, he shouted in humiliation and rage, "Stop standing there watching, damn it!"

"That crazy bitch is freakishly strong, and she fights dirty! I nearly got taken down by her."

"Quick! Help me kill her!"

Hans's gaze fell upon Alice's beautiful face, still impossible to conceal beneath the dust.

Then it swept over the curves rising and falling with her heavy breaths, and a gleam flashed in his eyes.

He took off his gloves and tossed them to the floor, baring his teeth in an excited grin.

"I love beating women."

"The prettier they are... the better it feels to beat them!"