158. Garp’s Surprise

Today, the people of Birka were filled with fear and worry.

They sensed punishment from... God!

The wings they took pride in now felt as if a sharp blade had scraped them, causing blood to splatter all around!

The people of Birka were so scared that they ignored the intense pain in their backs. They kneeled and prayed for forgiveness toward the temple, pleading with the gods to pardon them.

On the flip side, Enel stared at Atlas with a calm expression, finding it hard to believe. The echoes of previous screams still echoed in his ears. What he witnessed convinced him that it wasn't a mere illusion. The person before him had indeed fulfilled his earlier promise with just a snap of his fingers, implying that he held the power to end the lives of everyone on the island whenever he pleased!

"Well, your desire has come true. Welcome to the Marines."

Atlas paid no mind to Enel's surprise. It was quite straightforward for him to accomplish this. By manipulating the air and compressing it into a blade using his mind, anything within his haki range could be sliced, akin to the one formed by the Rankyaku.

Certainly, it's sufficient to take care of ordinary soldiers, but its effectiveness will significantly diminish against those who have honed both Armament and Observation Haki to a certain level.

...

The warships anchored in the White Sea finally resumed their voyage.

This time, there's only one additional person on the ship, and that's Enel. Being the Vice Admiral of the headquarters, Atlas has the authority to enlist Marines under his command. There's no need to seek instructions from Sengoku; he can simply report it to him when the time comes.

Regarding Shandora, the golden city on Sky Island, Atlas currently has no interest whatsoever. It seems too troublesome, and he isn't the type of person to do things just on a whim.

'Besides, isn't the Gol-Gol fruit a valuable Devil Fruit? When the opportunity arises, I'll certainly assist Tesoro in acquiring it from Doflamingo.'

"Hey! Who are you, earlobes?"

On the other side, Luffy was trailing Enel, who had just stepped onto the boat. Luffy stared at him with wide eyes, eager to greet Enel in a very friendly manner.

"What did you just call me? Kid!"

The 'tic' mark on Enel's forehead pulsated. Even though he didn't sense any hostility from Luffy, he still couldn't tolerate being referred to as 'earlobes'.

"Ouch, that hurts! Why'd you hit me, earlobes!"

Luffy held his throbbing head, a big bump forming, and let out a cry of pain.

Enel refrained from using his Rumble-Rumble Fruit. While he didn't fully grasp the nature of the Marine organization, he believed they wouldn't permit harm between comrades, considering themselves as champions of justice. Using his Rumble-Rumble Fruit on a child could result in severe consequences—either death or injury.

But Enel clearly overlooked the cheat of Luffy's body.

Atlas naturally observed the interactions between Enel and Luffy, even entertaining the mischievous thought that it would be quite amusing to discover the Rubber-Rubber Fruit and feed it to Luffy.

"But..."

Atlas stroked his slightly stubbly chin, delving into his memory to recall information about the Rubber-Rubber Fruit.

The current Rubber-Rubber Fruit should be in the possession of the Marines. According to the original records from 1509, the following year, Who's-Who, who was part of CP9 at the time, was tasked with escorting the Rubber-Rubber Fruit to Marie Joie. However, he encountered the Red Hair Pirates on the peninsula, and the outcome is well-known. Therefore, it's highly likely that the Rubber-Rubber Fruit is stored in the Marine's collection.

Atlas resolved to inquire with Sengoku upon his return to the headquarters. Typically, the Marines categorize the Devil Fruits they acquire based on the Devil Fruit illustrated book. Hence, if willing, one can swiftly locate the corresponding Devil Fruit.

...

Marineford, Sengoku Office.

"Pfft! Why'd you bring my grandson here, you little rascal!?"

Garp's eyes widened as he gazed at the three troublemakers standing behind Atlas, his jaw nearly dropping in astonishment.

"I noticed they were lingering in Windmill Village, and it didn't seem safe, so I brought them back to headquarters without getting permission..."

Before Atlas could complete his explanation, Luffy poked half of his head out from behind him and declared loudly and firmly, "I want to become the Marine Fleet Admiral!"

"....."

Sengoku, who was still observing the scene, glanced at Garp with a speechless expression.

He hasn't even become the Marine Fleet Admiral yet, and your grandson is already aiming about his position.

"Bwahahaha! What did you just say?"

Garp seemed to believe he misheard, so he raised his left hand and dug into his ear. Using his free right hand, he scooped up Luffy's small figure, placed it on his palm with a serious expression, and asked loudly once more.

"I want to become the Marine Fleet Admiral!"

Luffy's tone remained resolute.

Boom!

"Bwahahaha! Luffy, you've finally figured it out. I must train you to become a powerful Marine!"

Even though he was delighted, Garp didn't forget to give Luffy a playful punch of love.

"Ah! That hurts so much..."

Luffy yelped but became even more determined to become the Marine Fleet Admiral.

"Sengoku, Admiral, I brought these three troublemakers here mainly because I want you to arrange for them to receive education at Marine School. Vice Admiral Garp should share the same sentiment, isn't that right?"

Atlas simply smiled as he observed the situation, solidifying his plans for the three youngsters.

"But..."

Garp cast a wary glance at the silent Ace, feeling a bit uncertain. Atlas didn't know Ace's true identity, did he?

"Oh, by the way, let me introduce them to you, Admiral Sengoku!"

"This is Luffy and Ace. They're the grandsons of Vice Admiral Garp. The one with yellow hair is Sabo. He's a remarkably talented boy, so I brought them to headquarters specifically for the best education."

Atlas didn't mention Ace's last name, but he noticed a peculiar expression in Sengoku's eyes when he introduced Ace.

After taking a brief pause to compose himself, he continued, "I personally believe that justice knows no age or status. I assume Admiral Sengoku shares the same belief, doesn't he?"

Atlas emphasized the word 'justice'.

Sengoku remained silent but fixed his gaze directly on Luffy and the others. Eventually, he nodded in agreement and stated, "You are correct. Let the three of them enter Marine School for training."

Seemingly having reached an important decision, Sengoku let out a sigh of relief.

Garp, standing on the side, felt equally relieved when he witnessed this, and a smile reappeared on his face.

"Now, let's discuss your matters."

Without waiting for further questions from the trio, Sengoku turned his attention to Atlas.

"Concerning my affairs?"

Atlas was puzzled. He hadn't stirred up any trouble recently, had he? What could possibly be going on?

"Since you took down Shiki the Golden Lion, we've decided to designate you as a candidate for Admiral! I'll provide you with a few names later, and you can select one as your code name."

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