Chapter 19

"Crack." The sound of the bone fromsea king meat snapping in Garp's hand briefly caught my attention, but I quickly returned my focus to the meal. Every word I spoke rang true, resonating with the realities of both my old world and the new.

"Brat, you better shut up, or I'm going to string you upside down from the mast again. By the way, we've received an update from Marineford. Kong-san wants us back at HQ. It seems like they are expecting some kind of big clash. Zephyr, myself, Sengoku, and Tsuru are being dispatched," Garp announced, steering the conversation away from the topic of justice towards our imminent mission. The Marines were preparing for a significant operation.

"So, who are the targets? Our last intel gave us the approximate location of the Flying Pirates," Dragon inquired, his curiosity piqued. The lineup of Marines being deployed hinted at a formidable adversary, with only a select few warranting such attention. Shiki and his entire crew came to mind.

"No, it seems that the remnants of the Rocks Pirates, other than those who formed their own crews, have been spotted. Particularly, two high-profile targets who remained loyal to the Rocks until the end. It appears they're convening for a special meeting, prompting the Marines to capture them all in one fell swoop," Garp explained, his tone serious. Memories of the incident at God Valley lingered, shaping his understanding of the situation. While I possessed some knowledge about God Valley from the canon, much remained shrouded in mystery.

"Say, Garp-sensei, may I know the source of this intel? The Rocks Pirates, especially those who've remained hidden for years, suddenly being discovered and the Marines mobilizing such a significant force—it's suspicious, don't you think?" I probed, sensing there was more to the situation than met the eye. The deployment of three Admiral-level combatants raised red flags, indicating the gravity of the situation.

"The intelligence didn't originate from within the Marines. It was passed down by Cipher Pol, and the higher-ups merely relayed the orders," Garp revealed, his unease evident. Despite his doubts about the World Government's actions, he couldn't pinpoint the source of his apprehension.

Meanwhile, at Mariejois, the Five Elders had gathered to finalize the plan they had formulated during the previous meeting regarding the future of the Marines. After the incident at God Valley, the Marines had been steadily gaining influence. Even with one Admiral position currently vacant, the prestige of the Marines had been growing, and the World Government could not allow that. They sought to maintain a delicate balance.

It wasn't that the World Government couldn't control the New World with the forces at their disposal; rather, they chose not to. Pirates served as a necessary tool to keep allied countries and other forces in check. If all the pirates were eradicated, the allied countries might entertain unsavory ideas of rebellion.

Therefore, the World Government always strived to maintain equilibrium between Marine influence and pirate power. When one faction threatened to overwhelm the other, they intervened, as they had with the Rocks Pirates. Ultimately, the authority of the World Nobles needed to remain supreme and unchallenged.

"The preparations are all done. Soon enough, Zephyr will be broken. But how sure are you that he will remain in the Marines after such a blow?" Elder Nusjuro questioned, expressing concern about the aftermath of their plan.

"Heh, Zephyr is someone who embraces the concept of Justice, forgetting that he serves us. He is gaining influence within the Marines at a rapid rate. If this continues, he will soon have enough capital to ascend to the post of Fleet Admiral. Although we shouldn't be seen directly involved with Marine affairs, we cannot allow the post of Fleet Admiral to fall into the hands of people like Zephyr," Elder Saturn shared his thoughts on the matter.

"What about Garp? He could be a bigger problem than Zephyr. However, you are right. Currently, there are only a few strong pirates in the New World—the remnants of the original Rocks crew and Roger. As long as they stay in their lane, let them play their pirate game," Elder Ju Peter expressed concern about potential opposition from the Marine hero.

"Forget about Garp. Since God Valley, he has lost his edge. He isn't even ready to accept his Admiral position because he hates us. And just in case, we have his son in the Marines too, so he will know how to act restrained," Elder Mars explained, downplaying the threat posed by Garp.

"Well, just make sure that none of this points back to the World Government. Have the Cipher Pol try to find some like-minded Marines to help execute the mission if the Pirates fail. We cannot afford for this mission to fail because it would raise suspicion if it did," Elder Warcury commented, emphasizing the need for secrecy.

"And we don't have to worry. Even if Zephyr leaves, it won't make much of a difference, as the current pirates' power is low. We need to give some time for their growth," Elder Saturn added, expressing confidence in their plan.

"That's right. The new recruits from the elite training camp have been growing at an exceptional rate. They have adapted to the new devil fruits well and will soon graduate. Zephyr sure has done an exceptional job raising them. If possible, we should have Kong talk to him and convince him to stay as a trainer after this incident," Elder Ju Peter suggested, considering future actions to maintain control.

"Oh, and we need to make sure the agents of CP0 take care of all the pirates involved in Zephyr's matter. By the way, has there been any update on the matter regarding that MADS scientist who published those papers on lineage factor?" Elder Saturn questioned, as the matter of MADS discovery was of paramount importance as they had already disbanded MADS and integrated the top scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, to study about it from under World Governments control.

"What about the rest?" Elder Mars inquired, wanting to know the fate of the other scientists.

"Ceasar has been negotiating, wanting to seek asylum under us. As for Judge, he has gone back to his ruin of a country, and Queen has gone into hiding within the New World," Elder Saturn shared the complete fate of the MADS members.

Elder Nusjuro suddenly recalled something he had come across. "Do you guys remember those brats who tried to blackmail us and ran away from Mary Geoise?"

"You mean those little ones from the Donquixote family who created a fiasco here?" Elder Warcury couldn't help but exclaim as he thought about those spawns of the Donquixote family. He still got a headache whenever he thought of how those little brats got access to such sensitive secrets.

"Yes, them. It seems like after falling from grace, the elder one who bargained with us has taken to piracy and the underworld. Surprisingly, their little group seems to have grown significantly within the past year and gained enough influence to stand on their own within North Blue. I have asked the Marines to set up a special bounty for the kid," Elder Nusjuro shared. Since the day he met those kids, they had left a strong impression on Nusjuro, so he had been keeping an eye on the Donquixote duo.

"Tch, it's just the North Blue. What's so great about that? If the blood of a Celestial Dragon couldn't achieve this much, then it would really be a shame." Elder Warcury didn't share as much concern as Nusjuro. To him, they were just little brats.

"What about the other brat, the little one, the one who carries the slave mark on his back?" Elder Saturn questioned. Originally, the Donquixote family wanted to appeal to retrieve the kid because he was branded, but then an order from the Elders put a stop to such requests.

"That's the interesting part. The little one has joined the Marines directly, being tutored under Garp despite him knowing that the kid was a former celestial dragon. Alongside the other Marine who has consumed the Ice Logia fruit, from the intel gathered by CP, it seems like the kid is showing exceptional growth while training under Garp. But it seems like Garp has kept the kid as a choreboy despite his prowess," Elder Nusjuro shared the details he had gained from CP.

"Well, maybe it's just Garp being petty. You know, he might be taking pleasure while ordering around an ex-celestial dragon, and maybe that is also the reason for the kid still being a chore boy. Or maybe it's just the kid's age. But it's a good thing, right? In the future, we can just pit the two kids against each other," shared Elder Warcury.

"In that case, let's send an order to promote the kid directly to a commissioned officer. Despite his current status, he was a former Celestial Dragon, so we can't have Garp insulting one of our own. And also, maybe we can have the Cipher Pol approach the kid and offer him a spot. Maybe we can nurture him to be our loyal dog if he shows enough talent," Elder Nusjuro declared, trying to make the best use of the available talents despite throwing them away earlier.

A large Marine warship was in transit at the Redport, crossing the Redline near Mary Geoise from the New World side towards the Paradise side of the Grand Line, where the Marine headquarters, Marineford, lay. It had been a week since Garp and his Marine warship departed in the direction of Marineford.

"Hahahahahaha, kid, you said you wouldn't accept any form of promotion, right? Look, look here, the order came all the way from the top. It seems like you will be a lieutenant from today on. No wonder you told me that you didn't need any promotion. From the lowest rungs of infantry all the way to a commissioned officer in a year. This sure has to be some sort of record." Garp laughed heartily as I was handed my new uniform.

My expression soured at this news because my promotion felt forced upon me, with no regard for whether I agreed or not. I had no accompanying duties along with my title, like other commissioned officers. I could simply enjoy my privilege without doing any work. I felt a bit bitter because those elders had bestowed upon me a position that I did not want. This was them simply overreaching, but I knew the current me had no way to refute it. I had to stay under Garp's protection until I was strong enough. Blatantly insulting the elders' orders might draw their attention to Doflamingo, which I could not afford. So, I grudgingly accepted my new custom-made lieutenant uniform from Bogard.

The journey from Redport to Marineford was short, as Marineford sat right next to Mary Geoise and Sabaody.

As the Marine warship docked onto the designated area in Marineford, I spotted a few figures waiting to welcome Garp. From my memory, it had been a year since Garp came back to Marineford. It was around the time I had joined the Marines, and after that, Garp had been busy actively hunting Roger and other high-value pirates all year round.

Most of them were figures that I had met previously. The only one that I had yet to meet was Zephyr. In his early forties, he was a man who became an Admiral at the age of 38, joining the Marines at a tender age of 14. However, what caught my attention more was the young teen standing next to Zephyr. It was none other than Vergo, my dear friend and one of my brother's most loyal subordinates. Although we both recognized each other, we kept up the facade as if we were strangers.

"Ah, Zephyr, what a pleasant surprise! How have you found the time to come and welcome me?" Garp's voice boomed as he jumped down from the warship, landing next to Zephyr and Sengoku. I followed closely behind Garp, along with Dragon and the other officers who were aboard the ship. Bogard took on the duties of Garp, handling the docking procedures and other formalities.