The sea wind tugged at the battle flags, making them snap fiercely as though playing a prelude to some momentous event about to unfold.
As the Dog-Head Battleship continued forward, the might of all Marineford pressed down like mountains and seas.
It was a massive fortress capable of intimidating the world.
Built against colossal peaks that seemed like natural barriers, its white walls soared into the clouds. The enormous words "Marine" were carved into the mountainside like blades, making one feel that irresistible "justice" at first glance.
The mountains on both sides stood like Giants, while countless warships lay moored in formation within the harbor.
The dark muzzles of every cannon pointed toward the sea, and a murderous aura struck straight at them.
—The core of the world's strongest military organization.
Rock's Observation Haki quietly spread outward, his senses rolling forth like a tide—
The next instant, a vast structure formed of presences clearly emerged in his mind.
At the harbor ahead, three exceptionally powerful, almost scorching presences stood out:
The young Sengoku;
The young Zephyr;
The young Tsuru;
Around them stood the orderly strength of Headquarters' elite soldiers and mid-ranking officers.
Rock snorted softly. "What a nest of monsters..."
As the Dog-Head Battleship arrived at the harbor.
Boom—!!
The sound of the ship's hull striking the dock pylons rang out.
Immediately afterward, the well-trained Marines lowered the gangplank at incredible speed and lined up to receive them.
Garp walked at the front, his steps steady as he planted one foot on the harbor ground—
—BOOM!!!
A perfectly synchronized movement, clearly rehearsed in advance, erupted as the two rows of elite Marines at the harbor raised their fists.
Their voices instantly surged with the force of a world-shaking tsunami. "Justice will prevail—!!!"
The roar echoed through the harbor and shot into the heavens.
At that moment, Rock slowly walked out from behind Garp. His pace was unhurried, his expression relaxed.
He was greeted by the gazes of hundreds of elite Marines at the harbor.
Those gazes held vigilance, shock, incomprehension, and instinctive wariness.
Yet Rock was not intimidated by the spectacle in the slightest. Instead, he looked around with interest. "Yo~ Looking lively, aren't you~"
Garp burst into laughter and slapped Rock on the shoulder, making his entire upper body sway. "So, brat? Headquarters has some presence, huh? Hahaha!"
Rock tilted his head and replied lazily, "It's pretty noisy, though."
The air fell silent at once. Then, the expressions of the harbor soldiers collectively shattered the next second.
"Wh-what did he say?! He said we're noisy?!!"
"This is the first time anyone has complained that Headquarters' welcoming ceremony was too loud!!"
"And he said that right in front of Vice Admiral Garp?! Has this kid lost his mind?!"
"Wait... Vice Admiral Garp is actually still laughing?! And he looks really happy about it?!!"
Amid the commotion, the soldiers' shock, confusion, and suspicion blended into a surging wave.
More and more gazes shifted from Garp to Rock, and the longer they looked, the more alarmed they became. Vice Admiral Garp was being this easygoing with him?!
Just who was this boy?!!
Before they could continue guessing, a steady, authoritative voice came from afar. "Garp."
The voice was not loud, yet it was enough to make every soldier immediately stand at attention.
Three figures walked over side by side—the three pillars who would one day uphold the Marines' golden age.
Sengoku had a head of thick black curls, resolute features, and eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
Zephyr wore short purple hair, his body packed with powerful muscles, his steps as steady as a mountain.
Tsuru, meanwhile, was calm and elegant, her clear gaze naturally inspiring respect.
They stopped before Garp. Sengoku stepped forward, his voice steady. "You're finally back."
Garp grinned. "Haha, same as always!"
As he spoke, he pointed at Rock. "There~ The brat you were looking for."
The three of them looked at Rock at the same time.
In that instant, the air seemed to freeze, their gazes carrying the probing intent reserved for a powerful opponent.
Rock, however, did not feel pressured at all. He casually raised a hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you."
Sengoku's brow lifted slightly. Though he did not understand why Garp was so casual with this boy, he still nodded solemnly in response. "Mr. Rock, what we are about to discuss concerns you."
He took a deep breath, his tone formal. "Please come with me—"
"Fleet Admiral Kong wishes to see you."
The moment those words fell, the harbor exploded into uproar.
"The... Fleet Admiral?!!"
"A boy who just set foot in Headquarters is being summoned by the Fleet Admiral!!?"
"Who... who exactly is he?!"
Every soldier stood dumbfounded, and the way they looked at Rock had completely changed.
Rock merely blinked, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Oh? Going straight for the big move as soon as I arrive..."
Seeing this, Garp could not help laughing so hard that his shoulders shook. "You really aren't afraid of anything, kid!"
Rock raised a brow. "It'd be stranger if I were afraid."
"That's true!"
Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru were momentarily stunned by the scene, each thinking the same thing. As expected, only Garp could bring back someone this troublesome...
As Rock disappeared behind Headquarters' tall walls with Sengoku and the other three, the oppressive pressure hanging over the harbor seemed to be sucked away in an instant. Only the sound of seawater striking the shore and the soldiers' increasingly restrained whispers remained.
The brief silence was like the breath before a storm.
Then—
"Hey, hey, hey!! Who exactly was that boy?!"
"Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru—all three Vice Admirals came to receive him... just who is he?!!"
The Marines from the Dog-Head Battleship had barely stepped onto the pier before being surrounded by their comrades.
"Who was that boy just now?!!"
"Could he be the son of some especially important official? Otherwise, how could he be so relaxed?!"
"But Vice Admiral Garp never indulges those bureaucrats!"
The Dog-Head Battleship soldiers exchanged looks. At last, someone blurted out—
"You mean Brother Rock?"
"He's the Lightning Boy everyone's been hunting for all this time!"
"Wha—what?!!"
After a moment of silence, the harbor erupted completely:
"He's the one who turned Hachinosu upside down, the one Vice Admiral Sengoku has been searching for?"
"No wonder Vice Admiral Garp was so polite to him!"
"No wonder he dared to complain that we were 'too noisy'!"
"No wonder Fleet Admiral Kong wants to summon him personally! This kid is a monster!!"
Shock burst across the harbor in wave after wave, every soldier breathing rapidly.
"Is he... really going to join the Marines?"
"If that's true... that would be so cool!"
"We're going to work alongside a monster like that in the future?! That's so exciting!!"
Whispers, astonishment, and disbelief churned through the harbor. Every Marine soldier had the same premonition—
A great upheaval of the era was about to begin.
Meanwhile · Marine Headquarters · Fleet Admiral's Office
Creak—
The heavy doors slowly opened, and a steady presence washed over them.
Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru stood on either side, the sheer lineup enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Yet Rock looked as though he were strolling through his own backyard, his gaze casually wandering around the room.
The office was simply furnished: dark wooden bookshelves, neatly arranged documents, and every detail exuding a sense of steady, absolute power.
Behind the desk sat a burly figure as imposing as a mountain. Broad shoulders supported the Fleet Admiral's cape, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
—Fleet Admiral Kong.
Some said his fists had once shattered the jaws of monstrous beasts;
Some said his aura had once made a hundred pirates fall to their knees;
Some said he was the backbone and blade of the Marines.
At that moment, he raised his eyes and looked at the approaching boy.
His gaze was deep and cautious, like an eagle watching a young Dragon spreading its wings for the first time—
Interested, yet still on guard.
Rock merely smiled. "Nice to meet you, Fleet Admiral."
A casual sentence, yet it was like lightning striking still water.
Sengoku looked solemn; Zephyr's gaze sharpened; Tsuru seemed thoughtful; Garp's lips curled slightly, wearing an expression that said, This is going to be good.
The air seemed to ignite gently before the lightning even appeared.
The first exchange of gazes between two generations of monsters—
Had begun.
Before you continue