Subaru Natsuki Died Here

"Hahaha! Your Majesty, it's been far too long! I've missed you to death!"

Hane was quietly admiring the Empire's increasingly advanced forces with Beatrice and Rem when a booming laugh rang out.

Garp strode toward Hane with a group of senior naval officers in tow.

"Oh, it's you, Garp, you shameless old man. Sengoku trusts you this much now? He actually sent you as the Navy's supreme commander this time!"

Garp's hearty grin froze. Of course he knew why his old friend had sent him here: Sengoku could no longer stand his bragging.

His son was now a senior administrator in the Department of Government Affairs, and Luffy and Ace were growing more accomplished by the day.

They had already begun making names for themselves among the adventurers and heroes in the lower-middle floors of Heaven's Arena. That was no small feat. Heaven's Arena had five ranks: bronze, silver, gold, diamond, and king.

Each rank spanned twenty floors. Reaching the lower-middle floors meant Ace and the others had made it to gold, even if they had only just entered the rank.

For boys who had yet to turn eighteen, reaching the fifty-first floor of Heaven's Arena made them standouts even among the young talents of the Empire's many worlds.

That had made Garp even more insufferable around Sengoku. He often brought up Sengoku's elderly bachelorhood in the office, until Sengoku finally shipped him off to the New World.

"Haha, Your Majesty, could you leave this old man a little dignity? There are so many youngsters watching!"

Garp hurried up to Hane and spoke in a low voice.

Hane surveyed the naval officers who had come. All three of the Navy's former admirals were present, along with several rising stars.

Hina, Smoker, Grant... They had been naval prodigies to begin with,