"Garp!"
Everyone was startled to hear the name. Roy had told them how strong he was.
"Is it Garp the Marine Hero?" Stella looked worriedly at Roy and Bullet. "Are we really going to steal something from right under Garp's nose?"
Bullet looked at Roy, his resolute gaze leaving no doubt about what he meant-he would never give up.
Roy smiled, a smile mixing madness and calculation.
"Of course we're going to steal it. A Mythical Zoan Fruit doesn't appear in front of us every day. Besides... who said we were going to take it by force from the ship Garp is protecting?"
Roy waved his companions closer.
"Our advantage right now is that we know something they don't. The World Government doesn't know we've also heard about the fruit, or that we can pinpoint its location."
"Garp may be strong, but his mission is to escort the ship, not go out of his way to wipe out pirates. Besides, we haven't officially set sail and raised a pirate flag yet, unless we attack first."
"Then what do you have in mind, boss?" Savi asked curiously.
"We'll follow them from a distance, just close enough to keep their ships in sight. Knowing Garp, they'll escort the government ship as far as Sabaody at most. After that, we'll play it by ear."
"Ah, boss. Are we going to make our move on Sabaody Archipelago?" Tesoro wore a miserable expression. Though they had escaped last time, he still vividly remembered the terrible state Roy had been in when Rayleigh brought him back.
"That can't be helped."
Who could have known Rayleigh would be on the island too? With him there, Roy had also intended to test whether he had the aptitude for Conqueror's Haki. Wasn't the result obvious? A sly glint flashed in Roy's eyes.
"But we might not have to wait until we reach Sabaody. Perhaps our other 'guest' is already on his way."
"You mean Golden Lion?"
"That's right!"
Seeing that Bullet had caught on, Roy explained to the others.
"We took the Vivre Card from Golden Lion's men in the first place, so they must have one too. Once they hear their men are dead, they'll catch up sooner or later, considering how important this fruit is."
"When Golden Lion and Garp clash, that'll be our chance to fish in troubled waters!"
"Wow, boss, that's a sinister smile!" Tesoro teased.
"Get lost!"
Roy immediately wiped the smile from his face and punched Tesoro in annoyance.
With the plan settled, Roy didn't speed up the White Dove again, simply following the warship from a distance.
Meanwhile, aboard the Dog-Head Warship, a man wearing a Marine "Justice" cape and a dog-head hood was happily crunching away at a bag of rice crackers. He was the Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp.
"Vice Admiral Garp!" A Marine recruit ran over to report.
"An unidentified ship has been spotted following the warship. It isn't flying a pirate flag. We suspect it's a merchant or private vessel."
Garp pushed his hood up, revealing an unconcerned face, and yawned. "Oh? A merchant ship... leave them alone. Maybe they know this is my ship and are following us to avoid trouble."
"Vice Admiral Garp, how about I go take a look, just in case?"
A curly-haired Marine nearby spoke up as he trained on a punching bag. He was as skinny as a pole, but stood three meters tall.
"No need, Kuzan. You'd better get back to training. As you are now, you still can't take a single punch from me! Ahahaha~"
Garp scratched his dog-head hat, seemingly unconcerned about anything.
Hearing that, Kuzan could only drop the matter and resume pounding the punching bag.
However, as he turned around, Garp casually glanced at the White Dove trailing their warship in the distance. A barely perceptible gleam flashed through his sleepy eyes.
His Observation Haki faintly sensed several quite powerful presences aboard the ship. Two in particular were no weaker than Kuzan, the trainee on his ship.
"Hm?" Garp rubbed his chin, said nothing, and went back to eating his rice crackers as though he had noticed nothing.
The White Dove continued to follow at a distance. Roy didn't dare use Observation Haki to probe the ships ahead; if he attracted Garp's attention, things would get serious.
Time passed bit by bit, and the ships drew closer and closer to the Sabaody Archipelago. Just as Roy thought Golden Lion wouldn't make a move...
A short distance away in the sky, a man with flying golden hair was rapidly approaching with his division commanders aboard a massive ship with a golden lion's head carved into its prow.
Before long, a huge shadow enveloped the warship ahead. Seeing this, Roy's lips curved into a confident smile. "You showed up after all, Golden Lion Shiki!"
"Boss, look! There's a ship flying in the sky ahead."
It was Tesoro's first time seeing such a sight, and his shout drew the other crew members' attention.
"Don't panic. It's just a ship flying!" Roy could do it himself; it just took a lot of stamina.
"Has Golden Lion arrived?"
"Yeah! Our chance is here." Roy looked at Bullet, whose fighting spirit was soaring. "But with our current strength, our chances of taking it in a direct fight would be too small. We might even have to leave a few people behind."
"Boss..." Stella called out worriedly. She didn't want anyone on the ship to die over a Devil Fruit. After all, as the only girl aboard, she tended to be more emotional than the others.
Seeing how worried Stella looked, Roy realized what he wanted to say.
"Don't worry. Bullet and I will go after the Devil Fruit this time. Once Golden Lion and the others make their move, sail away from the battlefield. After all, the aftermath of a battle between top-tier powerhouses isn't something you can withstand yet."
"Yes, boss/Roy!"
Just as Roy and the others settled their plan, the Marines aboard the Dog-Head Warship ahead also noticed something unusual in the sky.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Bad news! A ship has appeared above the warship. It's Golden Lion Shiki's ship!"
At that moment, aboard the Golden Lion in the sky, Golden Lion was staring intently at the World Government ship and the warship beside it. He paid no attention at all to Roy's group following behind.
"Boss Shiki, that's where the Vivre Card is pointing!"
Hearing his subordinate's report, Golden Lion cursed under his breath.
"Damn World Government. It really was their doing!"
The surrounding division commanders roared in anger. "Boss Shiki, let's go down there! We'll kill them and take back the fruit!"
Garp finally put down his rice crackers, stood up, and twisted his neck. He looked troubled, though there was also a hint of excitement on his face.
"Wahahaha~"
"Golden Lion Shiki, you really know how to pick your moment."
"All Marines, prepare for battle!"