The distant sea.
Kizaru returned to the warship.
The Den Den Mushi rang, and he leisurely answered it.
The Den Den Mushi's face quickly changed into Rock's.
Inside the Marine Headquarters office, Rock was not alone. Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp were all present as well.
The atmosphere was far from relaxed.
Kizaru dropped his usual lazy tone and reported, "The Blackbeard Pirates have withdrawn."
"Red-Hair did not pursue them."
"The civilians are safe."
Sengoku asked in a deep voice, "What about the battle?"
Kizaru glanced at the distant island, which was still smoking, and his tone lowered.
"That man is no longer an ordinary pirate."
"He has pushed both the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to their limits."
"Combined with his formidable Haki and physical skills, his strength alone qualifies him to enter an Emperor Class battlefield."
The office fell silent for a moment before Zephyr snorted coldly.
"Another monster raised by the World Government."
Garp's face was unusually grim, devoid of his usual smile.
Rock remained seated, lightly tapping his fingers against the table.
After a moment, he spoke in a low voice. "I understand."
"From today onward, the Blackbeard Pirates will be classified as the highest-priority extermination target."
The atmosphere on the other end of the call abruptly sank.
Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses and asked, "Do we need to act now?"
Rock did not answer.
He looked at the sea chart on the table, where the Blackbeard Pirates' location was prominently marked by a black chess piece.
Rock stopped tapping the table.
"No siege for now."
Sengoku frowned slightly. "Why?"
"Teach's foundation is not yet stable," Rock said calmly. "If we kill him now, we will only force the World Government to choose another candidate and make new arrangements."
"Only by allowing him to continue growing can