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Ignoring Gion, whose face was bright red beside him,
Garp strode toward Xiu.
"Ahahaha, just what I'd expect from the strongest commodore!"
Xiu slowly produced a question mark.
Wasn't I the youngest commodore? When did that turn into the strongest?!
There should be a limit to exaggeration, hey...
Garp couldn't care less about limits.
"Kid, it's been a pleasure meeting you!"
"You just finished your mission, right?"
"How about sailing back together? Hahahaha!"
Xiu didn't refuse Garp's suggestion.
After all, he would be returning to Marineford no matter whose ship he took.
While everyone was chatting happily,
the Den Den Mushi on Garp suddenly rang.
Buru buru...
Looking at the human features on the Den Den Mushi,
with its thick, frog-eyed glasses...
There was no mistaking it. It was Sengoku.
Garp got up, walked aside, and answered the Den Den Mushi.
"Hey! Sengoku, what's up?"
"Ahem, Garp, you haven't entered the port yet, have you?"
Garp glanced at Xiu, who was still chatting nearby, and said,
"Not yet. I ran into an interesting commodore along the way and got held up."
An interesting commodore? Sengoku thought for a moment and immediately understood.
"You ran into Xiu, didn't you? What do you think?"
For once, Garp answered seriously. "Hmm, I think... this kid will be the future of the Marines!"
Sengoku was startled by this. He hadn't expected Garp to give such high praise.
"Ahem, looks like you really do think highly of him?"
"Get to the point, Sengoku."
At those words, Sengoku's expression turned serious as well.
"We have intelligence that Roger is currently with Whitebeard on an island in the East Blue!"
"The two sides are talking!"
"We don't know what about!"
"I'll send you the location shortly. Head out immediately and investigate!"
"I've already dispatched Kizaru, and he's on his way!"
Garp nodded gravely at his words.
"Roger and Whitebeard... understood. I'll leave right away!"
Then he seemed to think of something.
"Then... I'll bring Xiu along too!"
Sengoku considered it for a moment, then agreed.
After all, a gathering like this, and pirates of the very highest caliber...
were things Xiu needed to see sooner rather than later!
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Garp returned to the others with a grave expression.
"Bogard, how's your recovery coming along?"
Seeing Garp's expression,
Bogard immediately understood that they had a mission!
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral. I'm fine now!"
Garp nodded slightly.
"Good. Go pass down the order. We're heading to the East Blue!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp!"
Bogard turned and headed into the cabin, waiting for Marine Headquarters to send the mission location.
"Gion, Xiu, neither of you needs to return to Marineford for now!"
Gion froze, then quickly realized that there must be a mission!
She nodded and asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, what's the mission?"
Garp then told the two of them about Roger and Whitebeard.
Gion drew in a sharp breath.
The Pirate King was meeting with the World's Strongest Man?!
This was no joke!
The situation across the seas might undergo a massive change because of this!
Gion's expression grew grave.
"Understood, Vice Admiral Garp!"
She then turned and returned to her own warship,
passed down the mission,
and instructed her subordinates to follow Vice Admiral Garp's warship closely.
Garp looked at Xiu, who remained calm beside him,
rather surprised by his composure.
"Xiu, aren't you scared?"
Xiu shook his head. "Not really."
Not really, my ass...
Did the Pirate King command no respect?!
Or was the World's Strongest Man not impressive enough?!
But as far as Xiu was concerned, there really was nothing to be scared of.
After all, he knew Roger was only going to catch up with Whitebeard,
and show off a little about having been to Laugh Tale.
But Garp didn't know that...
Although he didn't know why Roger had disbanded his pirate crew,
he knew exactly how powerful Roger and Whitebeard were!
They could end up losing a lot of soldiers this time!
"Xiu, if we run into Roger, whatever you do, don't act rashly!"
"After all, you're the future of our Marines..."
Xiu paused at his words. He really hadn't expected
Garp to think so highly of him.
"Old man, you're saying that a little early. I think you can keep going for another twenty or thirty years."
Garp laughed heartily at Xiu's words.
"Then here's hoping you're right! Hahahaha!"
As the two chatted back and forth,
they grew considerably closer.
After all, one was a carefree old man,
and the other was a carefree young man.
There weren't many restraints on their conversation.
The old man and the young man sat together at the bow like that,
watching the gently rippling sea in the distance...
and fell asleep...
Yes, they fell asleep sitting up!
PS: Dear readers, the stats aren't looking too good.
Please send any stats at all. Anything will do...
Flowers, review votes, monthly votes, tips, whatever-I want them all...