Sengoku and Zephyr's Shock

"This is my disciple, Xia Le!"

Xia Le bowed solemnly without saying a word.

"You mean the brat who offended the nobles, the Celestial Dragons?"

"Garp, you're really getting more reckless by the day."

Sengoku frowned.

After observing Xia Le, he nodded lightly. "I'll help you eliminate the impact of this matter."

Xia Le was startled. "Thank you, Admiral Sengoku."

Sengoku waved it off, clearly unconcerned about that matter. Instead, he said seriously, "We need to hurry to the Edd War Waters!"

"Golden Lion Shiki has gathered a huge force there."

"The Roger Pirates have appeared there as well."

Hearing this, Garp laughed heartily. "Then let's set out as soon as possible!"

"Roger and Shiki—I haven't seen those two in a long time. You have to let me lead the charge this time!"

"None of you are allowed to fight me for it!"

Zephyr frowned. "The situation is different from before. Don't act rashly."

The group headed toward the Marine Base, with Xia Le silently following among them.

"Xia Le, we might get to see those two this time."

Kuzan spoke in a low voice beside him.

"Those two?"

Xia Le was puzzled.

"Kuzan must mean Sakazuki and Borsalino!"

Bogard, who had remained silent all this time, spoke up.

Xia Le narrowed his eyes slightly.

He would soon meet all three of the future Admirals.

Chapter 11: Sengoku and Zephyr's Shock

G-5 Fortress was an enclosed Military Base. Its entrance was narrow, connected to the inner area by a long, constricted bridge.

Xia Le swept his gaze from side to side. He saw huge cannons standing silently beneath the sun, their surfaces gleaming with a dark luster. He also noticed that the Marines patrolling the base stood ramrod straight and were all battle-hardened elites.

What made him even more wary was that all these Marines were officers. Their ranks were at least Lieutenant, and most of them were Staff Officers.

"Staff Officers are the threshold for entering the New World."

"If they're any weaker, their strength won't be enough."

Kuzan said with a smile.

Xia Le nodded.

Compared with the First Half of the Grand Line and the Four Blues, the intensity of combat in the New World was completely different, as were the enemies they faced. Naturally, it demanded more from the Marines' strength.

A short while later, everyone entered the fortress.

Garp and the others hurried away, clearly needing to attend a meeting.

Xia Le stayed with Kuzan and Bogard.

The person who received them was a curvaceous female officer with long, golden, wavy hair. Her rank was Commander.

"Major Kuzan's reputation precedes him. Like the other two Staff Officers currently stationed at the base, he's one of the Monsters who just graduated from our Marine Academy."

The female officer, Rista, said this with a smile.

"What kind of Monster am I?"

"That kid is the Monster!"

Kuzan waved his hand and put an arm around the silent Xia Le beside him.

Rista looked at the black-haired youth curiously and realized that she didn't know him. Even when she smiled at him, he showed no reaction whatsoever—not even a nod in greeting.

Seeing Xia Le like this, Kuzan couldn't help shaking his head with a bitter smile.

"Sorry, Commander Rista. He's a taciturn person, just like Bogard."

"He barely speaks."

Rista was startled, then shook her head with a smile. "I can see that."

She turned her gaze back to Xia Le and soon noticed that the boy really wasn't good with words. He merely listened to them talk.

After a while, two tall figures strode over.

"What a fearsome guy! After graduating, I finally get to see you again!"

Laughter rang out, and Xia Le looked up.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but soon returned to normal.

The two people approaching were the other two of the future Three Admirals.

"Long time no see, Borsalino, Sakazuki!"

Kuzan waved at them.

"I heard you've been following Vice Admiral Garp. I wonder if your strength has improved recently."

Sakazuki spoke coldly.

"Haha, you'll find out soon enough."

Kuzan laughed heartily.

The three of them began chatting, while Commander Rista tactfully greeted them before turning to leave.

She knew very well that these three were famous among the new generation at the Marine Academy. Thanks to their outstanding talents and exaggerated strength, they were known as the Three Monsters.

Their future prospects in the Marines were even more promising.

"Oh, who's this handsome young man? He looks rather fearsome. Kuzan, aren't you going to introduce him?"

Borsalino noticed Xia Le and asked with a smile.

Since arriving, Xia Le had remained silent and calm, showing no particular reaction to their arrival.

"His name is Xia Le. He's Vice Admiral Garp's disciple."

Kuzan said this.

After a pause, he added with a smile and a hint of seriousness, "He's also a Monster!"

Hearing this, Sakazuki and Borsalino were both startled. They naturally understood that the Monster in Kuzan's words referred not to personality, but to strength.

The Three Monsters was the title they held among the Marines' new generation.

"If he's valued by Vice Admiral Garp..."

"Then his strength must be formidable as well!"

The coldness faded from Sakazuki's face, replaced by a faint, challenging smile.

Xia Le looked up at the young version of Akainu before him—the future Fleet Admiral—then suddenly bared his teeth in a grin.

"I'm not that strong."

"But defeating you shouldn't be a problem."

Those words left Kuzan stunned. He looked at his friend in surprise. In his impression, the other man had always been calm and indifferent, hardly acting like a young man at all.

It was almost the first time he had seen him display such intense emotion.

Bogard was also somewhat surprised.

Borsalino, meanwhile, kept exclaiming in admiration. "Another Monster! What a frightening aura!"

Sakazuki was silent at first, then began to laugh as well.

He keenly sensed that the other man seemed emotional, harboring an instinctive resistance and disgust toward him.

"Then I'd very much like to test your strength."

As soon as those words fell, the quiet reception room was instantly filled with the scent of gunpowder.

At the same time, in an office elsewhere.

"Golden Lion Shiki has gathered almost all his forces at Edd War. Such abnormal behavior has drawn the attention of the entire world."

"We still don't know his objective!"

Sengoku frowned as he stared at the sea chart on the desk.

"That Golden Lion is stirring up trouble again. He really is the greatest source of instability in the world!"

Garp chuckled.

"But I only care about Roger. Where are the Roger Pirates?"

Sengoku shook his head. "We can be certain that Roger and the others are in these waters, but we still don't know which Island they're on."

At this, his expression grew solemn.

"But one thing is certain: Golden Lion's sudden movements are probably connected to Roger."

A smile spread across Garp's face. He suddenly slammed his fist onto the table. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's set out! I can't wait to meet Roger again!"

"Garp, calm down. Judging from the situation this time, there's a good chance we'll witness a top-level battle between Pirates."

"The Flying Pirates are probably planning to deal with Roger."

"We've always known about Golden Lion Shiki's ambitions."

Sengoku shook his head and spoke in a deep voice.

Then he suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Why did you suddenly decide to take a boy as your disciple?"

"Kuzan admires you so much, yet you never took him as your disciple, did you?"

Hearing this, Garp grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Because that kid is truly outstanding!"

"He won't be weaker than me in the future!"

Those words left Sengoku and Zephyr, both Admirals, stunned. They were immediately shaken.

They knew all too well how terrifying Garp's strength was. He was in his prime, at the peak of his power, and possessed an astonishing record.

Although they were both Admirals, the strongest person in the Marines today—apart from Kong, who had not fought in many years—was probably the Hero of the Navy, Garp, standing before them.

"That kid has the most outrageous talent I've ever seen in my life!"

Garp sounded somewhat boastful.

"When I met him a few days ago, he couldn't do anything at all. His physical fitness was only a little better than an ordinary person's, about the same as a regular Marine's."

"But he awakened Conqueror's Haki!"

Sengoku's expression changed. Zephyr's pupils contracted, and disbelief filled his face.

"In just a few days, Xia Le has already mastered Tekkai under my guidance. His physical fitness is no weaker than that kid Kuzan's."

"He's a Monster among Monsters!"

Garp continued, sounding somewhat pleased.

He failed to notice that the faces of his two old comrades beside him were already filled with shock and disbelief.

"And..."

"He's also learned Conqueror's Haki Infusion!"