After almost half a day, a Marine warship rapidly approached Shimotsuki Island.
Standing at the bow was Smoker, a cigar clenched between his teeth.
And Garp, wearing a rare look of solemnity.
"Smoker, is your intelligence true? Did my grandson really run into Treasure on Shimotsuki Island?"
Garp looked at the island emerging as a black speck at the edge of the sea and secretly clenched his fists.
"Vice Admiral Garp, our last contact with Domon placed him on Shimotsuki Island, and someone also spotted your grandson Bai Yu there."
With his cigar between his teeth, Smoker watched the island grow clearer as he spoke.
"Unless he chose to run, they were bound to meet."
"But Treasure Hunter Treasure has a bounty of eighty-nine million on the Grand Line. I'm worried your grandson will lose and end up hindering my pursuit of Treasure."
Ever since he began guarding Loguetown, the gateway to the East Blue, Smoker had made it his goal to arrest every pirate entering or leaving the East Blue.
A pirate of some standing had made a rare incursion into the East Blue, and Smoker had no intention of letting him slip away.
"Don't worry. That brat Bai Yu keeps his cards well hidden. Even if he can't win, he can protect himself."
A sharp glint flashed through Garp's eyes.
"If Bai Yu falls into Treasure's hands, I'll be responsible for rescuing him."
"V-Vice Admiral Garp, what if Bai Yu gets killed by Treasure..." Aolan stammered.
Boom!
An immense aura erupted from within Garp.
The resulting blast swept across the entire warship.
The Marine soldiers on deck froze.
Even Smoker was no exception.
Garp usually gave the impression of being utterly carefree.
Now, however, his killing intent towered to the heavens!
He truly intended to kill!
If anything really happened to Bai Yu, Smoker believed Garp would absolutely smash Treasure apart with his fists.
"Captain Smoker, Vice Admiral Garp, we've arrived! There are terrifying signs of battle onshore, and a warship has run aground!"
A Marine soldier leaned out from the lookout and shouted urgently.
"That bastard Treasure! If so much as half a hair on my grandson is damaged, I'll make you wish you were dead!"
With an angry roar, Garp kicked off hard with both feet and shot toward the island like a cannonball, stepping through the air with Geppo.
Seeing this, Smoker had no time to think. Clouds of smoke billowed from his body as he rushed after him.
The two hurtled forward one after the other with overwhelming force.
In barely a dozen seconds, they crashed onto the shore.
Bang!
A dull impact rang out. Sand and dust surged outward, and the ground beneath their feet shattered.
"Treasure, get out here and die!"
"Mr. Garp, leave Treasure to me..."
Garp roared urgently.
Smoker, following close behind, hurriedly spoke up as well.
After guarding Loguetown for so long, he had finally encountered a rare quarry from the Grand Line.
Smoker did not want Treasure to be smashed apart by a single punch from a rampaging Garp.
As that urgent thought flashed through his mind, Smoker quickly dispersed the surrounding dust and looked around.
But the sight before him made his expression freeze.
They looked at the Marine soldiers all around, hauling supplies and repairing the warship.
Smoker and Garp were dumbfounded.
This was far too different from the scene of bloody battle they had imagined.
The desperate struggle and blood-drenched battlefield they had expected were nowhere to be found.
"Captain Smoker, you're finally here."
Domon strode forward, then quickly noticed Garp and broke into an ecstatic expression.
"Vice Admiral Garp is here too..."
"Vice Admiral Garp? Is that Lord Bai Yu's grandfather?"
"The bearing Lord Bai Yu showed earlier was the very image of Vice Admiral Garp's heroic presence! He'll definitely become a Marine Admiral who can hold his own one day!"
The scene erupted at once.
As they watched over a hundred Marine soldiers burst into excitement, Smoker and Garp were dumbfounded once again.
This was not what they had imagined!
"Captain Domon, what's going on? Didn't you call for reinforcements over the Den Den Mushi? Where is Treasure?"
A trace of unease rose in Smoker's heart, and he hurriedly pressed for an answer.
Beside him, Garp also looked impatient.
"Captain Smoker, Treasure is already dead!"
Domon froze for a moment, slapped his forehead, and hurriedly explained.
"I was busy handling the things Lord Bai Yu assigned and forgot to let you know, Captain Smoker."
"We were being pursued by Treasure Hunter Treasure, and after fleeing to Shimotsuki Island, we ran into Lord Bai Yu."
"You have no idea! Lord Bai Yu sent his wooden sword flying and instantly killed one of Treasure's right-hand men."
"Then, with a raise of his wooden sword, he ground Treasure into the dirt. With his final slash, he cut Treasure, his men, and his pirate ship clean in two."
"Look at the slash mark over there! It stretches for at least ten thousand meters!"
The stream of words poured out like rapid-fire cannonballs.
His spittle nearly covered Smoker's entire face.
At that moment, however, Smoker followed the direction Domon was pointing.
The first thing he saw was a corpse cut clean in two, along with a vicious slash mark stretching from the docks across the beach and out to sea.
Fully ten thousand meters long, it resembled a heavenly chasm.
The baleful aura lingering there rushed straight at him.
At the shocking sight, Smoker quickly pulled out Treasure's wanted poster. After comparing it repeatedly, he felt as though an invisible hand had clenched his heart.
This was the strongest target he had hunted since taking up his post in Loguetown.
Yet Bai Yu, whom he had thought little of, had beaten him to it.
Moreover, according to Domon, the battle had been entirely one-sided in Bai Yu's favor.
This was absolutely not the outcome Smoker had wanted.
"Haha, Smoker, do you see now? I told you that brat Bai Yu was no ordinary kid. A mere Treasure was no match for him."
Garp clapped Smoker on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
"Not long ago, that fellow Sengoku was worried Bai Yu would get hurt sailing alone. I'll tell him right now that Bai Yu has already cut Treasure down in overwhelming fashion."
"Oh, right. With a battle record like this, I have to recommend Bai Yu for a good position."
"Vice Admiral? Admiral Candidate sounds pretty good too..."
Admiral Candidate?
The Marine soldiers present sucked in a breath of cold air.
Even Smoker's expression changed dramatically.
They had no way of knowing how serious Garp was about those words.
But if Bai Yu really was recommended as an Admiral Candidate...
He would probably become the youngest Admiral Candidate in the history of Marine Headquarters!
As for that position, never mind Smoker-even within Marine Headquarters...
Many people were eyeing it like hungry tigers!