"It's almost as if a great war is about to break out!"
Sengoku's expression was grave as he spoke in a low voice.
Garp sat there, looking equally puzzled.
"Hey, what's going on outside? Why is it so quiet today?"
Nearby, Helmeppo soon shouted at the pirate standing ahead of them, who seemed dazed and nervous.
At his words, the pirate slowly turned around, a stark departure from his usual behavior.
Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, his face was pale, and he seemed utterly disoriented.
"The Marines... are here!"
The words left his mouth in something like a murmur.
They also made the faces of the SWORD Squad members imprisoned in the cage change.
"What? You said the Marines are here?"
"How could they have arrived so quickly?"
Sengoku demanded loudly.
But the pirate had already turned away in a daze and answered none of his questions.
"It seems headquarters has learned that we were captured."
"So they sent an advance force to try to rescue us."
"That brat Xia Le... honestly!"
"Couldn't he have held back a little?"
Garp spoke with a sigh.
Sengoku frowned at those words.
On the surface, the explanation sounded reasonable, but closer consideration revealed a problem.
He raised his head and looked at the pirate, whose back was turned to them and who seemed to have fallen into an abnormal state.
"A mere advance force couldn't leave the Kaido Pirates looking like this."
He had paid little attention before, but now that he looked again, the pirates here all seemed gripped by extreme anxiety.
He had only seen expressions like these among the Marines on the eve of the Summit War.
In an instant, a flash seemed to streak through Sengoku's mind, making his whole body jolt.
He raised his head in