And just as Momonga finished speaking on the other end of the Den Den Mushi…
*Squeak.*
It was the sound of a stool scraping against the floor.
Kuzan, who had previously looked like he was sleeping in the sun by the window, stood up.
He raised a hand to lift his sleep mask, looking at Sengoku with a rare, serious expression.
He was clearly ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
Even Sengoku abruptly stood up, his face grim as he spoke in a deep voice, “Location!
I will immediately dispatch nearby Marines for reinforcement!
Tell Zephyr not to act impulsively; if you can avoid them, do so immediately.
And don’t engage in a head-on battle just because Elliot is there!
Survival is the top priority!”
A Warlord of the Sea!
A top executive of a Four Emperors pirate crew!
They were absolutely not opponents that could be easily defeated in battle!
Not to mention that Zephyr’s side was mostly comprised of cadets!
The Den Den Mushi subtly mimicked Momonga’s current stunned expression, and Momonga’s voice immediately rang out, “You misunderstand.
We *just* encountered them.
As…
as of right now, they have already been taken out by Elliot alone.
And…
and he took them out with one punch each…
along…
along with the entire Mammoth and all the Beast Pirates members on board.”
Sengoku’s expression froze as he stared at the Den Den Mushi.
“Huh?”
Even Kuzan, having pushed his sleep mask onto his head, suddenly lost his serious expression, his eyes revealing sheer disbelief.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, sitting on the sofa, also had her expression instantly shift from worry to astonishment.
*What is he talking about…?*
This was the only thought in the minds of the three of them.
Perhaps because Momonga’s current expression on the other end was just like that, the Den Den Mushi displayed a dumbfounded look before recounting what had just happened.
Afterward…
“Th…
that is the entire process.
Although I don’t know why Hanafuda, as a [Warlord of the Sea], was killing pirates alongside Jack, it can be confirmed that Jack is currently dead.
Hanafuda’s corpse has not yet been confirmed, and Instructor Zephyr has already sent people into the sea to check, but judging by Elliot’s attack just now, there is a high probability that he is dead.
Especially since Hanafuda is also a Devil Fruit user, his survival rate after falling into the sea is practically zero.”
Beads of sweat could be seen on the Den Den Mushi’s face, which meant that even though some time had passed, recounting the event still left Momonga in a state of disbelief.
And those sharing this expression included the three people currently in the Fleet Admiral’s office.
Elliot was very strong!
The three of them were very clear on this point.
Especially after watching his fight with Zephyr, they could confirm that his strength was not below Zephyr’s, and perhaps even surpassed the current Zephyr.
Even if the current Zephyr had lost an arm and could only rely on that mechanical arm, and his strength had regressed significantly due to old age and illness.
He was still at a quasi-Admiral level.
For a young man like Elliot to possess such strength was already beyond everyone’s imagination.
If nurtured properly, it was entirely possible he could become the youngest Admiral.
But even so…
Elliot single-handedly took out Hanafuda and Jack at the same time?
The main thing was that he took them out so easily, throwing only two punches from start to finish…
What kind of concept was this…?
Sengoku frowned, looking at the Den Den Mushi.
“He…”
But just as he spoke, Sengoku forcefully suppressed the shock in his heart, his expression instantly turning grave.
“Confirm whether Hanafuda is truly dead.
If there are any surviving pirates, interrogate them, and then…
return to base!
Zephyr should be right beside you, right?”
At this point, Sengoku raised his voice.
“Zephyr!
The academy assessment is canceled.
I will notify the Marines at the nearby Base 72 to handle the matters on Early Summer Island.
You all return to base immediately!”
Zephyr’s voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
“Yeah, I know the severity of the situation.
I’ve already ordered the ship to return.”
Hearing this, Sengoku said, “Give a detailed report once you return.”
“Understood.”
Receiving the response, Sengoku was about to hang up, but his hand suddenly paused.
He couldn’t help but ask, “What is…
Elliot doing right now…?”
Zephyr replied, “Slicing fish fillets.”
Sengoku blinked, not understanding!
But after dropping a “Got it,” he directly hung up the Den Den Mushi.
The office instantly fell into a dead silence.
Kuzan plopped down into his chair and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It seems that what Mr.
Garp brought back isn’t just a simple monster.”
Marine Headquarters Great Staff Officer, Vice Admiral Tsuru, also sat back down on the sofa.
Taking a deep breath, she crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and said, “Although it exceeds imagination, his matter is only one part of it.
Right now…”
Tsuru opened her eyes and looked at Sengoku.
“A Warlord of the Sea has died, and a top executive of a Four Emperors pirate crew has died.
Especially since it’s Kaido’s subordinate.
Hanafuda was originally Kaido’s subordinate; after breaking away, he was recruited by Mary Geoise to become a Warlord of the Sea.
But looking at it now…
he has always maintained contact with Kaido.
He might have even been helping Kaido do some shady business.
If this isn’t handled properly, it might escalate into an all-out war between Marine Headquarters and the Beast Pirates.
No captain would sit idly by while their top executive is killed.”
Kuzan sat in his chair, leaning back lazily.
“Ever since Kaido occupied Wano Country, he has been accumulating power.
Although we haven’t heard of him making any major moves, looking at it now, Hanafuda constantly killing rookie pirates at the entrance to the New World must have been a secret connection with him.
A collaboration between a Warlord of the Sea and a Four Emperors is no small matter.”
Kuzan looked up at the ceiling.
“Although the ones who died were pirates, which is no big deal, the fallout will be troublesome, though not uncontrollable.
But this news can’t be hidden or covered up; after all, it will be a huge boost to the Marines’ morale.
But what about Elliot…?
A Marine in his twenties possessing such strength—no matter which faction finds out, they won’t be able to sit still.
Especially those people living up above; they might even try to recruit Elliot…”
“Kuzan!” Sengoku interrupted with a deep frown, then said, “The most pressing matter is to investigate the movements of the Beast Pirates.
If, as Momonga reported, Jack the Drought’s men were completely annihilated, then we can deduce that Kaido is currently unaware.
But it’s only a matter of time.
Who knows what Kaido will do when that time comes…”
With that, Sengoku tapped his finger lightly on the desk.
“As for Elliot’s matter, he can no longer stay in the Marine Academy.”
Kuzan and Tsuru looked at Sengoku.
Sengoku stated, “Change the circumstances of Elliot joining the Marines to…
the World Military Draft.”
…
In the New World, on the small island known as Onigashima, located outside Wano Country.
“Boss Kaido!
We just lost contact with Bro Hanafuda, and now we can’t reach Jack either.
It seems there’s a problem with the Den Den Mushi.
Should we have Bro Hanafuda’s men go check it out?”
A pirate stood at the highest point of the small island, shouting toward the sky.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared amidst the thick, heavy dark clouds.
Every time the lightning illuminated the sky, a giant dragon could be seen coiling within the dense cloud layer.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly!
A massive dragon head emerged from the clouds, utterly terrifying and exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression!
However…
Its giant, ferocious eyes seemed somewhat cloudy—or more accurately, glazed over with drunkenness.
It appeared as though it was about to speak, but the moment it opened its mouth, a ball of dragon fire formed within.
Then…
*Fwoosh!!*
The dragon fire spewed forth.