Five warships, far larger than the common vessels of these waters, were swiftly sailing through the waves in a one-two-two formation.
Not far from them, a seemingly ordinary, tranquil island lay on the sea.
On the deck of the lead warship, four men of towering stature, each roughly three meters tall, stood at the bow.
Each of them exuded a unique aura.
The man standing at the forefront, with a spherical explosion hairstyle, was the most imposing.
His voluminous white coat fluttered incessantly in the sea breeze.
"I never would have thought that man would be hiding in such a small place, especially since he just became a world-renowned figure," the man on the right of the trio asked excitedly as he gazed at the island.
He wore a purple headpiece with a seagull emblem and small round-lens glasses, had black curly hair, and was clad in a white Justice coat over a purple suit.
"And why did they insist we wear formal attire?" he added with a hint of displeasure.
"Enough, Kuzan. We might be heading into a major battle soon. You better get your mind in order," the man with the explosion hairstyle said sternly without turning around.
"Understood, Admiral Sengoku!" Kuzan replied, a mix of excitement and nervousness in his voice.
"Pirate King Roger, huh? Sounds troublesome. Good thing we're not the main force," Borsalino, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other two, muttered with a smirk.
He was currently wearing a black gentleman's hat over a white suit.
At the same time, he was quite puzzled.
Why had they specifically called him, still a rear admiral, for this mission?
He really didn't want to get involved in such a hassle.
Sakazuki, standing in the middle of the trio, was dressed in a red suit.
He remained silent, but his cold gaze was fixed on the island called Baterilla.
"You should return to your respective ships. Remember, if a fight breaks out, your roles are to assist and encircle. Don't push yourselves too hard!" Sengoku adjusted his collar and instructed.
"Yes!"
"Understood."
Soon, the three most promising rookies of the Marine Headquarters returned to their positions.
Then, the four warships spread out to both sides, grandly surrounding the island from several directions.
The warship carrying Sengoku continued straight ahead.
Standing alone at the bow, Sengoku pondered over the somewhat peculiar mission as he watched the approaching island.
"How did the World Government know Roger was here? And is it true that Roger is terminally ill, which is why he disbanded his crew?"
"Even more, they said Roger has a wife named Rouge on this island, and she's pregnant!"
These were the top-secret intelligence reports that had been passed to him through Fleet Admiral Kong from the World Government just days ago.
Such unbelievable information made him increasingly wary of the capabilities of Cipher Pol.
To think they could uncover something like this—it was truly chilling!
"Ah~ Finally here, huh? That bastard Roger really hid himself well."
Garp yawned, rubbing his eyes as he strode out from the cabin door.
Seeing his utterly nonchalant demeanor, Sengoku's veins bulged on his forehead as he roared in anger:
"Look at the state you're in! We're about to launch an operation, and you look like you just woke up, you fool!"
Garp waved his hand dismissively, "Relax, relax. Didn't you say Roger's got a terminal illness? And now he's all alone, so he's much less of a threat than before."
"You're such a bastard!"
Sengoku glared at him furiously, then turned his gaze toward the island, ignoring him.
Garp, however, walked over to him, stroking his chin with a puzzled expression.
"But for this mission, they specifically asked us to prioritize civilian safety, evacuate the island's residents first, and minimize damage to the island's buildings and environment."
"Honestly, I still can't believe my ears. Did the Five Elders eat something bad last night?"
"Watch your mouth, Garp!" Sengoku snapped coldly.
Though deep down, he too was incredibly surprised. Something about the World Government felt... off.
But regardless, the order aligned perfectly with their own wishes, so they accepted it gladly.
On Baterilla Island.
The residents near the harbor were already panicking as they saw five enormous warships closing in.
They had no idea why the Navy would come to such a remote place in the South Blue.
Roger, who was having lunch with Rouge, who was newly pregnant, furrowed his brows, his expression gradually turning serious.
"What's wrong, Roger?" Rouge put down her knife and looked at him curiously.
"I need to step out for a bit. You go ahead and eat."
Roger stood up, gently running his hand through her golden hair, and walked out of the restaurant with a faint smile.
But the moment he opened the door, his eyes sharpened, completely shedding the gentle demeanor of an ordinary islander.
He slowly closed the door behind him.
Scanning the empty streets around him, he let out a sigh.
"So, they found me after all."
Roger walked slowly in one direction.
Soon, after turning a corner, he saw familiar figures—and a group of Navy soldiers aiming their guns at him.
The atmosphere instantly froze.
"Yo, Roger, long time no see~"
Garp grinned and greeted him.
It was as if he were meeting an old friend, completely devoid of the usual hostility the Navy had toward pirates.
"Mind telling me how you found this place, Garp? Sengoku?"
Roger ignored the countless gun barrels aimed at him, his tone eerily calm.
"You underestimate the World Government's intelligence capabilities, Roger."
Sengoku replied gravely, though he couldn't help but think to himself, "And so do we, the Navy."
"CIPHER POL, huh? Truly a terrifying organization."
Roger fell into thought.
He was trying to figure out if there was any oversight on his part that CP had exploited.
But no matter how he thought about it, it didn't add up.
He had never mentioned this island's existence to anyone, not even his crewmates.
"Roger, I don't think we need to explain why we're here. So, what's your choice?"
Sengoku, as the Navy Admiral, posed the question.
At this, Garp's body tensed up.
After all, the man standing before him had been his rival for half his life.
"Can you spare Rouge?" Roger asked.
To be honest, he didn't really hold much expectation for this.
But just in case, he still asked.
Little did he know, Sengoku's response would leave him utterly shocked.
"Yes, according to the orders of the Five Elders, as long as you do not resist, your wife Rouge and your unborn child will be allowed to live on Marineford. However, they cannot leave the island without permission."
Sengoku spoke words that even he found hard to believe.
"You even know that Rouge is pregnant!"
Roger stared at Sengoku in disbelief.
After all, it had only been a month since she became pregnant.
Even if there were CP agents lurking on the island, how could they have known about this so quickly?
Faced with this question, Sengoku could only remain silent.
Because he didn't know the details either.
Regardless, this answer did bring Roger some peace of mind.
But he still turned to Garp and asked, "Is this true, Garp?"
After a moment of thought, Garp nodded and said, "The order I received is the same."
"Is that so? Then I'll leave Rouge and the child in your care, Garp."
Roger grinned, revealing his rows of gleaming white teeth.
As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly extended his hands.
A stern Marine colonel stepped forward and handcuffed him without hesitation.
And just like that, Gol D. Roger, who had shaken the seas and become the Pirate King less than a year ago, was officially arrested by the Marines!