Garp and Ace.

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•———•———•———•———•———•

"One Piece" Events:

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"Damn, Jimbe…!!!" When Sengoku heard that Jimbe still refused to comply with their request to participate in the war, he couldn't help but curse.

"Reporting, Fleet Admiral!! Regarding the Sabaody Archipelago incident, Admiral Kizaru captured 500 pirates." "Currently, we are unable to complete the paperwork to send them to Impel Down…" Before the soldier could finish his report, Sengoku shouted: "That's just busy work!! If it doesn't have anything to do with Whitebeard, I don't want to hear it!"

"Furthermore, the World Noble Saint Rosward…" The soldier tried again, but was interrupted once more. "Leave that to the Admirals. What happened to Garp!!?"

"Vice Admiral Garp… was heading to Impel Down," the soldier answered. 

"What does he intend to do in this situation? He's too damn free-spirited…!!" shouted Sengoku.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!! I have urgent news!! Whitebeard is on the move!! Haa… Haa…" At that moment, another soldier entered, speaking eagerly.

"Here he comes…" Sengoku quickly forgot about Garp. "Are there any reports from the patrol boats!? Connect them here, I want to ask them myself."

"No, all of the ships monitoring Whitebeard's flagship, the Moby Dick… 23 ships in all… We suddenly lost contact with all of them a short while ago…!!!" the soldier said, sweating.

"WHAT…!!?" exclaimed Sengoku.

"It appears that the other pirate crews in the new world have been taking suspicious actions as well. But we have no idea of the scope of their plans."

"We have no information at all! We've completely lost sight of them!! New patrol ships are preparing to depart-"

"… THEY GOT US…!!" Sengoku slammed the table in anger. "They already made their move!!!" 

"We don't even know where they'll attack while Ace is being held there." "Alert Impel Down that they might be a target as well!!" Sengoku ordered.

"Yes, sir!!!"

•———•———•———•———•———•

In the depths of the sea, Fish-Man Island:

In the eyes of Fisher Tiger and the rest of the Fishman race, including their king, King Neptune, the dark image of Jimbe, whom Sengoku cursed angrily, was reflected. Who had been sent to Impel Down to soften his stance regarding their request for him to participate in the war?

"This... Jimbe?" Fisher Tiger's pupils widened when this familiar name appeared.

"He's my counterpart for sure..." The current Jimbe has no difficulty recognizing his manga counterpart, even if he hasn't appeared officially yet.

"So, Jimbe, you'll become a Shichibukai too? That's astonishing... a Shichibukai from our Fish-Man Island!" King Neptune couldn't suppress the rising excitement within him.

Even the most optimistic hadn't expected their race to have a representative in one of the three major forces in the sea!

"I'm curious to know the reason behind your refusal to participate in the war to the extent that they allowed you to be arrested, Jimbe," Suzan spoke at this moment.

Jimbe looked at his dark reflection in the manga for some time before sighing. "I also want to know the reason." 

… 

Back on the Moby Dick, the loud laughter of the Whitebeard resounded at this moment.

"Gurarararara! Sengoku... oh, Sengoku... if I didn't want you to track my location, do you think that's possible?" Whitebeard was delighted to see the gloomy expression on Sengoku's face after learning that they had completely lost their traces.

"The moment of entering the war will be extremely amazing on our part, I'm sure of that. Oyaji always loves surprising the opponent in such conditions!" Marco mocked the Marines; he was extremely excited to see the upcoming war events.

After all, his crew in the manga had already made their move... this means nothing is coming except war!

A widespread war against the Marines!

The Whitebeard fleet, led by the Whitebeard Pirates, against the Marines with all their might!

Just imagining it made them feel shivers running down their spines. Of course, for the Whitebeard Pirates and the rest of the scattered fleet in the New World, it was pure excitement! Not a hint of fear or tension!

The same goes for the rest of the readers worldwide; everyone became fully aware of the upcoming war.

The current events were paving the way for what is called the Summit War!

...

•———•———•———•———•———•

[Great Prison Impel Down.]

"This is it, Vice Admiral Garp... Be careful." 

"Yeah." Garp responded indifferently as he approached the cell that confined someone.

"Man, you look terrible..." Garp said after a bloody and shackled figure came into view.

In reality, he wasn't just shackled but also bound by massive Kairouseki chains.

Garp's eyes darkened upon seeing this scene. "You still breathing? Ace...?"

"Haa... Haa..." Ace opened his eyes and struggled to lift his head after hearing the familiar voice. "Gramps..."

•———•———•———•———•———•

Foosha Town:

"Ace..." Garp felt conflicting emotions when he saw how Ace looked inside the cell.

This was the first time the current state of Ace had been revealed since his losing battle against Blackbeard.

It could be said that his condition boded ill, to say the least.

"What a pitiful state," Crocodile whispered.

"..." Kuma didn't say anything.

"Flame-boy..." Ivankov held back tears.

"These wounds must have been left by Teach..." Dragon said.

"He really called me 'Gramps'... If he considers me his grandfather, that means I consider him my grandson too. Even if he's the son of my enemy, I can't allow the death of my grandson. Family is more important than anything to me. Just... I don't know how this happened..." Garp's frustration was mounting.

Little did he know that worse was yet to come. 

… 

Back on Er-Baz Island, the pirate king's territory, the Oro Jackson still stood quietly.

"My child..." The tears that Rouge had held back for years started to fall uncontrollably.

Ace, who hadn't appeared since his battle with Blackbeard, finally showed up... and in a miserable state.

"Ace is strong, don't cry, my dear... Look into his eyes, they are full of life."

Roger embraced his wife and comforted her with a gentle smile on his face.

Even if they were just events drawn on paper, Ace was their child whom they acknowledged deep in their hearts even before he came into this world.

His bright smile, the soft freckles on his face resemble those of his mother, the way he ate and slept during that time, his love for goodness, and his small mischievous acts like eating without paying and escaping! Also, his bright mood his great desire for freedom, and all the good qualities he showed in his first appearance in the Alabasta arc... all of this deeply shaped the image of the son they wanted!

Seeing this son, they wanted, in this condition made them deeply sad in the depths of their hearts.

They didn't want to see him suffer even if it was only in the manga.

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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):

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Chapter 602: Nami's Destination: Weatheria!

Chapter 603: Franky's Destination: Karakuri Island.

Chapter 604: Sanji's Destination: Momoiro Island. (The Hell Island)

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