Marine Headquarters.
Marineford.
Sengoku held a file as he strode quickly through the corridor and stopped before an office.
Without knocking, he pushed the door open and walked in.
The lights were off, and the curtains were drawn tightly shut.
A burly figure sat in a wide chair with his back to the door.
"Garp," Sengoku said in a low voice.
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 shredded, the scattered words were still recognizable.
Marine Hero Garp Achieves Another Great Feat <Vice Admiral Garp's Iron Fist of Justice Crushes the Rocks Pirates' Plot>
"Hey..." Garp slammed his palm onto the desk and roared, "Who wrote this bullshit news? Was it that damn bird again?!"
"Garp, calm down," Sengoku barked. "You are the Navy's spiritual leader now, the pillar countless civilians rely on."
"Whatever the truth may be, these reports have at least stabilized public sentiment and benefited the Navy's image."
"Spiritual leader? Pillar?" Garp rose to his feet and took a step toward him.
"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 stains 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'm furious too. I'm 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 Navy 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 should have been protected."
He stepped forward and held out 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 his chair, and strode toward the door.
"Garp, where are you going?!" Sengoku called out urgently.
Garp stopped at the doorway and glanced sideways.
"I saw something different in this war."
"Now, I'm going to clean up the mess."
With those words, he slammed the door behind him and left.
Sengoku remained alone, his outstretched hand finally falling with a sigh.
White Shell Town.
Southwestern Harbor.
The once-busy, orderly docks were now in complete chaos.
Local fishermen and workers were being held outside a cordon by burly men carrying clubs and blades, and the crowd was furious.
"Move aside! This is our dock!"
"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 rose one after another, but faced with these desperados, the fishermen did not dare truly charge forward.
Just then, an especially tall figure pushed his way 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 boss of the surrounding waters, known as the Boxing King.
"Brothers and sisters, quiet down, quiet down! Do me a favor."
After sweeping his gaze 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 delaying everyone's business too."
He pointed to a subordinate beside him holding a chest of money.
"So, everyone delayed by this—once the job is done, we'll compensate your lost wages at double the market rate."
"Well? Generous enough, right?"
At the sight of the money chest, most of the fishermen began to hesitate.
At that moment, a female fisher squeezed to the front and shouted, "Who are you trying to fool?!"
"I've seen plenty of people like you making empty promises!"
"Give us our boats back!"
The smile vanished from Hans's face.
The next moment, the woman's chest caved in, her eyes bulged, and she instantly lost all support, dropping helplessly to her knees in a pool of blood.
The entire place fell silent.
No one had even seen Hans make a move before it was over.
Everyone went pale with fright, lowering their heads and avoiding his sweeping gaze.
"That's how it is, everyone."
"Just treat it as a vacation. Afterward, we'll make up the money for you. A win-win partnership—so why protest?"
"Think it over carefully. I have work to do."
With that, Hans ignored the crowd and headed alone toward the harbor.
All kinds of ships were moored here, some flying obscure One Piece flags.
Bound captives were continuously driven off the ships and gathered in an open area on the docks.
Hans walked straight to a ship flying a black chain flag and stopped a crew member.
"Where's Walker?" Hans asked impatiently.
The crew member hurriedly answered respectfully, "Boss Hans! Our captain is still in the cabin."
"He said to wait until you arrived before calling him. Should I go now—"
"No." Hans waved a hand. "I'll find him myself."
He had just stepped onto the gangplank, preparing to board.
His sharp senses suddenly caught a cry coming from the lower deck.
Immediately afterward, Teach crawled out of the passageway, his face streaked with tears.
The moment Teach saw Hans, his whole body trembled 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 strength perfectly.
The crying stopped abruptly. Teach's eyes rolled back, and he went limp.
Hans casually tossed Teach into a corner, then followed the cries he had heard earlier and hurried downstairs.
The lower hold was a complete mess.
Captain Walker had several fresh bloody scratches on his face, and his clothes had been torn.
Across from him, Alice had 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? If word gets out, do you still want that reputation of yours?"
When Walker saw Hans, he shouted in shame and anger, "Don't just stand there watching, damn it!"
"This crazy woman is freakishly strong, and she's ruthless! I almost got caught off guard."
"Quick! Help me kill her!"
Hans's gaze fell upon Alice's beautiful face, which remained impossible to hide even beneath the dust.
Then it swept over her figure rising and falling with her heavy breathing, and a glint 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 more satisfying it is!"
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