So scary -_-

Marine Headquarters, Admiral's Office.

Garp sat on the sofa in the reception area, his arms crossed, his expression serious. If you ignored the slowly growing snoring and the gradually increasing nasal bubbles, there was no doubt he exuded a commanding presence.

Because of Garp's demeanor, even Kuzan standing behind him felt somewhat awkward.

On the other side of the sofa sat Tsuru, holding a cup of tea.

Standing behind Tsuru was Issho, who had already earned his code name in the Marines.

Similarly, standing behind Sengoku were Sakazuki and Borsalino, both of whom were pillars of the future Marines.

"This attack on Mary Geoise and the kidnapping of Celestial Dragons have prompted the World Government to demand an explanation from us Marines. What do you think, Sengoku?"

Tsuru glanced at the sleeping Garp on the sofa and then turned his gaze to Sengoku.

"Explanation? What explanation!?"

Sengoku sat on the sofa, his tone sharp.

"This whole thing was entirely the Celestial Dragons' doing. They took action without consulting us Marines, captured people, and then dumped them directly into Impel Down without any communication with us Marines. Where does that leave us!?

Now that something has happened, they want an explanation from us Marines? Are they out of their minds!?"

It could be said that Sengoku's mood was quite bad. For the Marines, every pirate on the open sea was a subject of close monitoring, as these individuals were essentially walking disasters, capable of causing massive destruction with just one slip-up.

Originally, Nicolas didn't pose much of a threat to the Marines, considering that he hadn't expanded his territory significantly over the years. Compared to the aggressively expanding Big Mom Pirates in the Totoland Sea and Kaido's crew causing trouble everywhere with their tough and resilient members, the danger posed by Nicolas in the open sea was not on the same level.

Yet, despite being such a "peaceful" individual, he was driven to act by the Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise.

"Sengoku, control your emotions."

Tsuru placed her tea cup on the table calmly and spoke softly. It seemed that even Sengoku, who was known for his Buddha-like wisdom and composure, was being driven to frustration by his teammates.

"You know as well, that guy Nicolas won't just stay quiet. This incident simply gave him a reason. Now, we need to think about how to deal with this situation. Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, and Issho, do any of you have any good suggestions?"

Tsuru looked at the four of them, clearly indicating that they were being groomed as the future leaders of the Marines.

Sakazuki's gaze was as cold as the wind, as he said in a low voice, "We will not tolerate acts of evil..."

"Alright, I understand your point."

Before Sakazuki could finish, Sengoku waved his hand to indicate that he understood. He was actually quite satisfied with Sakazuki; he was a qualified soldier. However, he couldn't quite understand his somewhat eccentric personality, even though he claimed to have muscles in his brain.

Sakazuki's implication was clear: what was there to discuss with pirates? Just take action and be done with it.

But the problem was, aside from ensuring the safety of the Celestial Dragons, was Nicolas really that easy to deal with? Although the Marines were currently stronger than ever, pirates were not to be trifled with, especially with the current whereabouts of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, unknown.

He was a huge potential threat, and if the Marines were to engage in a conflict with Nicolas, what if Roger suddenly appeared and rallied the pirates against them? That would be interesting indeed.

Meanwhile, Garp, who was trimming his nails with a nail clipper, suddenly felt a gaze upon him. He stopped what he was doing and spoke up, "I think what Tsuru-san said makes sense..."

With Garp's words, the atmosphere in the room instantly cooled.

Sengoku's forehead even bulged with veins. Garp, did you even listen to anything?

"Grrk."

Just then, the office door was pushed open, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

...

Sengoku sat behind the desk, his hands clasped under his chin, looking solemnly at the three CP0 members in front of him.

"Nicholas. That sunnova-"

Sengoku tapped the documents on the table with his fingers, his eyes showing a hint of anger as he said, "So this is the World Government's command?"

"...Yes."

If their faces weren't covered by masks, Sengoku would surely see the extremely unpleasant expressions on the faces of the three CP0 members.

They didn't like dealing with the Marines in the first place, and now this task had fallen to them.

"This is an order from the Five Elders. The safety of Samofeld must be ensured," said the lead CP0 member.

Although they knew the Marines wouldn't harm them, the oppressive atmosphere in this small office made them feel as if they were facing the Five Elders themselves.

Those proud and arrogant CP0 members, for a moment, seemed to show a hint of humility.

After all, facing almost a room full of the top powerhouses on the open sea, it wasn't embarrassing to lower one's head.

Rarely did they see CP0 being put in their place, and Sengoku couldn't help but feel unhappy. From the moment Nicolas kidnapped the Celestial Dragons, the initiative had firmly been in his hands.

Upon hearing this, Sengoku sighed and picked up the Den Den Mushi that had been delivered from Impel Down.

Without hesitation, he dialed the number on the Den Den Mushi.

After a moment, the call connected.

"Where is Bedeck?"

The Den Den Mushi, resembling a miniature version of Nicholas, relayed Nicholas's voice.

As soon as Nicholas spoke, Sengoku immediately interrupted, his voice low, "Do you think I called to hear you say that?"

Although the three CP0 members were flustered, Sengoku's reprimand was making them fear that Samofeld might be in real danger.

With a stern expression, Sengoku looked down at the Den Den Mushi and said, "What you've done undoubtedly amounts to declaring war against the World Government. Do you really think you can stand up to the World Government?"

 After a moment of silence, Nicolas' voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

"I see. How terrifying."

"Do you think that by threatening me a little, I'll be scared? Honestly, if you scare me, I might do something irrational."

With a voice that bore a resemblance to Nicolas, the Den Den Mushi spoke up again.