Chapter 60

"That is your issue, Fleet Admiral. He is a Marine, and like any Marine, he should follow orders. If he can't do that, perhaps it would be best to relieve him of his duties rather than let him tarnish the government's name. Understand this: the Marines serve a purpose, and there's no place for rebels among our ranks. I don't know how you've been running things here, but changes are necessary. If you won't make them, then I will have to take matters into my own hands," Agana declared, rising from her seat with lethal grace. With a fluid motion, she retrieved her katana, her every step echoing with a sense of impending danger. It was as if a bloodthirsty beast awaited its chance to be unleashed upon the world.

It had been almost a week since Garp's ship set sail towards Marineford, where the promotion of Dragon to Admiral and the impending promotion of the second Admiral recommended by the World Government were set to take place. Despite the anticipation surrounding these events, an unease had settled within me. Initially, I attributed it to the impending chaos likely to be caused by Roger's actions. However, after a day or two, I realized it was something entirely different.

My sense of unease only intensified when I learned of Doffy's plans to personally negotiate with the Beast Pirates regarding the supply of sea stones. It seemed reckless, and despite my attempts to dissuade him, Doffy remained steadfast in his decision.

He assured me that contingency plans were in place for a retreat from the New World if things went awry. Yet, everything felt orchestrated, as if there was a crucial detail I was overlooking. Try as I might, I couldn't pinpoint the exact source of my unease. As we approached the Marine Headquarters, the feeling only grew stronger.

"Are you alright, kid?" Garp's voice broke through my chaotic thoughts as he gently tapped me on the shoulder.

"Oh, sorry, Garp-san. I was lost in thought. Did you say something?" I replied, shaken from my reverie, realizing I hadn't heard Garp's words.

"You seem lost in thought. Is something troubling you? Sometimes you think too much. You're only fourteen this year, kid. You still have a long life ahead of you." Garp chuckled heartily as he tapped me again, this time with more force.

"Hahaha, Garp-san, if I were superstitious, I would think you're jinxing me by saying that I have a long life ahead," I replied jokingly, attempting to push away the unease in my heart.

"Garp-san, I wonder, aren't you worried about how Dragon-san might take to this abrupt promotion to Admiral? I'm not sure if Kong-san took Dragon-san's mindset into consideration. He hasn't been in the best state of mind lately, and forcing him into such a position might backfire." I voiced my concern while gazing towards the horizon, where the silhouette of Marine HQ finally came into view.

"And who do you think should be blamed for all that, kid? You've put almost half of those weird thoughts in his mind. I wanted to raise him as a perfect Marine, and look what you've done," Garp retorted with mock anger. He knew well the influence I had on Dragon and how it conflicted with the ideals he had instilled in him since childhood.

"Come now, Garp-san; you can't blame me. It was you who, since he was three, has been feeding him ideals about what true Marines are. You were quite heartless, Garp-san, throwing a little child into a sea king nest in the name of training. How cruel can you be? No wonder Dragon-san hates you, hahahaha," I replied, recalling the stories shared by both Garp and Dragon about Dragon's tumultuous childhood. Compared to Dragon's training, Luffy's in canon seemed like a walk in the park.

"Ah, yes, this promotion wasn't even something I was expecting for Dragon. But Kong knows that Dragon is currently the only Marine in the younger generation strong enough to be an Admiral. With the World Government abruptly pushing for two admiral spots, I understand Kong must have wanted to keep at least one position within the Marines and pushed Dragon's name. It might also be those bastards' strategy to keep both myself and Dragon in check, as the Admirals directly serve the World Nobles," Garp explained. Though the marine hero seemed goofy, he possessed a keen political mind. He simply didn't actively take part in the affairs of the Marines, which was the reason for his goofy nature.

"Something doesn't seem right," I muttered under my breath as the ship finally neared Marineford. With my observation Haki extended to its fullest, I detected a significant presence of powerhouses waiting on the dock for Garp's ship. Unlike other times when his friends eagerly welcomed him, this time the atmosphere felt completely different, and the emotions emanating from the waiting figures felt off. If these were regular Marines, I could easily read their minds, but these were the top powerhouses among the current Marines.

As we approached the bay, the lineup of familiar faces became more staggering. The Fleet Admiral himself was present, along with the two Admirals Sengoku and Zephyr, and the Marine Chief of Staff Tsuru. Even the rising stars of the Marines, Sakazuki and Borsalino, stood among them, alongside more than a dozen famed Vice admirals.

"Garp-san, did we come here for an admiral ascension ceremony, or are we going to invade the New World?" Kuzan's voice cut through the tension as he joined us, his expression mirroring my own concerns. Even Bogard, standing next to Garp, had already gripped his sword tightly, ready for battle.

"Don't do anything stupid; let's understand the situation first," Garp advised, his tone serious. Without hesitation, he propelled himself into the air using Geppo, moving towards the waiting retinue. Bogard and Kuzan followed suit, but my instincts told me otherwise. I chose to stay on the ship, opting to understand the situation before taking any action.

As I observed the bay, a few words were exchanged, and suddenly, Garp's aura surged out like a tidal wave. But before he could act, he was immediately restrained by Kong, Zephyr, and Sengoku. Even Bogard found himself surrounded by a dozen Vice admirals, while Kuzan faced off against Borsalino and Sakazuki. It was as if the Marines were trying to prevent them from interfering with something.

As my mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening, my observation Haki picked up a massive threat from my right. Without wasting another moment, I pulled out Sandai Kitetsu.

"Busoshoku Koka!" I exclaimed, imbuing my sword with Armament hardening as I swung it.

"Clang!" The resounding clash echoed through the air as my attack connected with a massive flying slash made of blood. Yes, blood—I could never mistake the unmistakable stench of blood.

On the bay, Garp found himself besieged by three figures of Admiral level, each struggling to restrain themselves as they confronted the Marine hero.

"Kong-san, what is the meaning of this? I have already told you that I will personally take responsibility for Ross's actions on that island. He did what he did under my command, and I would have done the same to save the innocents," Garp roared, his voice reverberating with defiance as he tried to break free from the confinement imposed by the trio.

Despite their reluctance, the other three admirals knew they had to follow orders from above.

"Garp, you kept things to yourself again. You knew the kid had killed a ruling monarch, someone who had a seat at the Reverie. You should not have kept something like this hidden," Kong retorted, attempting to maintain a facade of righteousness in the face of apprehending Ross. Deep down, Kong harbored doubts about the circumstances surrounding the monarch's death, but he understood the necessity of upholding the Marine's reputation.

Zephyr shared Kong's reluctance, knowing that leaving Garp unchecked could spell disaster for Marineford. Though he didn't fully believe the World Government's justifications for capturing Ross, he recognized the need for intervention. Zephyr understood that the truth of what transpired on that island was known only to Ross, Garp, and Bogard, and that others had attributed it to Ross going on a rampage.

Despite their internal conflicts, they knew they had to fulfill their duty, even if it meant confronting one of their own.

"Garp, listen to me. Let's hand over Ross first. We may still have a way to negotiate with the World Government and get the kid back safely," Sengoku urged, his voice firm as he grappled with Garp's relentless onslaught. Despite Garp's ferocity, there was a restraint in his actions, a testament to his respect for his former comrades.

On the sidelines, Sengoku's words were punctuated by the sound of Bogard's fierce roars as he battled against his opponents. Despite his formidable strength, the overwhelming numbers kept him in check. Kong's orders were clear: restrain Garp and his officers without causing unnecessary harm. However, if words failed to persuade, Kong had authorized the use of more forceful means.

Kong understood the gravity of the situation. He knew that the World Government perceived Ross as a threat, and they were moving swiftly to eliminate him before he could fully mature and pose a challenge to their authority. Despite his reservations about the orders, Kong knew that he had to act in accordance with his duties as Fleet Admiral. However, he harbored a flicker of hope that a peaceful resolution could still be achieved, albeit against the odds.

On the other side, near the bay, Kuzan had already frozen a portion of the sea, using it as a foothold to combat his two opponents, Borsalino and Sakazuki. Despite being outnumbered, he held his own against the two famed Logia users, showcasing the full extent of his powers in a large-scale battle.

After deflecting the flying blood slash, I finally laid my eyes on my opponent. Garp's ship had already been surrounded by more than half a dozen battleships, and standing at the helm of one was a tall woman with a red katana. Everything about her screamed red - her eyes, hair, and attire were all crimson, like blood.

"Heh, not bad, kid. You sure have quite the talent. No wonder Elder- Sama asked me not to underestimate you. Even a regular Vice Admiral would have been cleaved in two by that last attack, but it seems like you didn't even get a scratch," Admiral Agana commented, sheathing her blade once more.

I was tempted to jump into the sea to escape, but my observation Haki picked up that the entire surrounding area had turned blood red. Even if I were to jump, I would come into contact with what I now detect as blood.

She was a Blood Fruit user; I hadn't confirmed the exact type of fruit yet, but her next action made me realize she was a Blood Logia user. She elementalized her body and quickly reemerged on the ship where I stood. I could still follow her movements with my observationHaki, but the problem was that I wasn't strong enough to face an Admiral-level fighter. From the pressure she emanated, she was beyond the average admiral level, perhaps even approaching the ranks of top powerhouses like Garp.

"Donquixote Rosinante, for the crime of killing a ruling monarch affiliated with the World Government, you are hereby stripped of your Marine rank and placed under arrest. It would be better for you to surrender peacefully," Admiral Agana declared, advancing toward me with each step as if I posed no threat.

"Ptui, ruling monarch, that bastard! Haha, he was just your lackey to do your dirty deeds, wasn't he?" I spat in defiance. I knew I needed a miracle to escape today, but then my mind raced. If they were openly targeting me, it meant they must have taken all countermeasures to silence us from sharing their secrets.

Even shouting it out now would be considered the ramblings of an idiot. But then my thoughts strayed to my brother. If I was being brazenly attacked under Garp's eyes, what about Doffy? He was in danger. I had been naive, thinking that the deterrence of the marine hero would be enough to keep them in check. But I forgot - they were individuals who had played such games for centuries and had come out on top every single time.