"The four of us?! Are you serious?"
Garp's eyes immediately lit up. He had wanted an excuse to stir up trouble for a long time.
He shot to his feet and laughed loudly. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's move already!"
"Will we make it in time?"
Zephyr rubbed the mechanical prosthetic attached to his severed arm and voiced the concern on everyone's mind.
"Normally, a battle between Emperor-level forces lasts at least ten days to half a month. Some even drag on for a year or longer before a victor is decided. Even if the Dawn is surrounded by three Yonko crews, or possibly four this time, as long as they focus entirely on defense, lasting ten days should not be difficult."
Sengoku adjusted his glasses before continuing.
"We'll use the Motorized Boats developed by the Marine Science Unit and cross through the Calm Belt. That route lets us avoid the chaotic weather of the New World and cuts down travel time considerably. If nothing unexpected happens, we should reach the waters near Beehive Island in about three days."
"Also, Sakazuki is leading the Marine fleet this time. He may not openly disobey the Gorosei's orders, but once the fighting starts, whether he accidentally injures the crews of the other Yonko is another matter entirely."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Sengoku's mouth.
Ironically, Sakazuki's infamous temper, which usually gave him headaches, might end up buying them precious time.
"Then it's settled. I'll retrieve my prosthetic arm and meet you at the docks."
Zephyr left first without hesitation.
After watching him go, Sengoku pushed up his glasses again, his expression turning serious.
"Once we interfere in this war against the Gorosei's orders, punishment afterward is inevitable, no matter the outcome. At best, we'll lose our positions, just like Zephyr."
"At worst, we lose our uniforms. So what?"
Garp snorted dismissively.
Sengoku stroked his braided beard and grinned.
"That means we need to make this count. Besides protecting the kid, our goal is to wipe out at least one Yonko crew!"
"Wahahaha! It's been years since we fought side by side. Let this old man see whether you've gotten rusty sitting behind that desk all day!"
Garp burst into laughter and strode out of the office.
Vice Admiral Tsuru watched him leave before turning toward Sengoku, who had not shown this kind of fighting spirit in years.
She shook her head with a smile.
"Discussing rebellion against the World Government and planning to destroy a Yonko crew, all inside Marineford no less. Isn't this just open conspiracy?"
"Hahaha! We've already prepared for the worst outcome, so why bother worrying about the details?"
Sengoku's gaze sharpened.
"Back then, there was nothing we could do. But now, that little brat has shown me hope. His era lies in the future, and if there's even the slightest possibility, I refuse to let him fall before he reaches his peak."
With that, Sengoku laughed loudly and walked out of the office, leaving Tsuru alone inside.
She slowly finished the last sip of black tea in her cup and stood up.
Her eyes drifted toward the plaque behind Sengoku's desk that read:
"Justice Rules the World."
Then she glanced sideways at the much larger plaque mounted on the adjacent wall.
"Absolute Justice."
"So it's because of Koby's report about that overwhelming Conqueror's Haki…"
Tsuru murmured softly to herself.
"What exactly did that little guy show you?"
...
Beehive Island.
"They encountered the Giant Warrior Pirates? And they're also heading toward Beehive Island?"
Ash frowned slightly while listening to the report from the New Beast Pirates during afternoon tea.
"What exactly do you mean? You're already close to Beehive Island and ran into the Giant Warrior Pirates?"
"That's right, Boss! Didn't you tell us to put on a show? We couldn't exactly keep sitting around in Wano forever! We're currently not far from Beehive Island, and the Giant Warrior Pirates are about a hundred nautical miles ahead of us. Please give us your orders!"
Ash raised an eyebrow.
These idiots were clearly trying to take advantage of the situation.
He had only told them to create pressure, not march directly to Beehive Island.
If they didn't want to stay on Onigashima anymore, they could have just said so.
As for the Giant Warrior Pirates, there was no need to think too deeply about it.
With Dorry and Brogy leading them, and considering their grudge over Scopper Gaban and Shanks, those giants were definitely coming for him.
"About the Giant Warrior Pirates..."
Ash hesitated for a moment.
Should he order the New Beast Pirates to sink them immediately?
Part of him briefly considered Saul's presence on Elbaf and Robin eventually meeting him in the future. Killing too many giants now might create unnecessary complications.
But the thought vanished instantly.
They came here intending to kill him. There was no reason to show mercy.
Before Ash could give the order, another urgent report came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Wait, Boss!"
"Hm?"
Ash heard confused voices shouting from the other side.
"Did you confirm it properly?"
"You're sure you saw it clearly?!"
A few seconds later, the voice returned.
"Boss, we just spotted a large Marine fleet about a hundred nautical miles away on our flank!"
Ash frowned immediately.
Why would the Marines openly approach Beehive Island at a time like this?
Unable to figure it out, he decided to ask directly.
He instructed the New Beast Pirates to maintain contact, avoid acting recklessly, and simply confront the Marine fleet while waiting for further orders.
Then he handed the Den Den Mushi to Kirk and pulled out another one from his storage ring.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's private Den Den Mushi.
The call connected instantly.
The snail immediately mimicked Tsuru's shocked expression.
"You little rascal, you're calling at a time like this?! What's happening on Beehive Island? According to Marine intelligence, the Big Mom Pirates should have arrived already! Are you alright?!"
Ash was momentarily stunned by the sudden concern.
After quickly organizing his thoughts, he replied:
"I'm fine. Wang Zhi got careless and underestimated the enemy, so he was heavily injured before the Big Mom Pirates even arrived. He won't be much of a threat anymore. With only one Yonko crew here for now, the pressure isn't too bad."
Tsuru ignored the obvious attempt to downplay the situation.
"That's good."
Her tone immediately turned serious.
"But we just received new intelligence. The Giant Warrior Pirates are heading toward Beehive Island as well. They're most likely coming after you because of what happened to their captains years ago, so be prepared."
"And there's something even worse."
"The World Government bypassed Sengoku entirely and directly ordered the Three Admirals to head to Beehive Island. Based on our assessment, there's a very high chance they intend to target you directly under the excuse of your repeated disobedience and your war against the Yonko."
Ash fell silent.
Tsuru continued without pause.
"No matter what happens, you must survive. We'll arrive at Beehive Island within four days at most. Hold on until then."
Ash originally intended to ask about the Marine fleet encountered by the New Beast Pirates, but Tsuru had already revealed everything clearly.
Including the fact that reinforcements were already on the way.
And the most important detail was the word "we."
"Grandma Tsuru... when you say 'we,' who exactly do you mean?"
Ash suddenly felt his throat grow dry, likely from the fruit wine he had been drinking earlier.
"Hehe, me, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr."
Tsuru chuckled softly.
"This is a special operation from the old generation."
Ash was stunned.
"You're really willing to defy the World Government just to save a Pirate Hunter like me?"
"Hehe, Sengoku said he saw hope in you."
"I don't fully understand what kind of hope he meant."
Tsuru's voice softened slightly.
"But from my perspective, your era belongs to the future, while ours is already fading away."
"So we old people have decided to place our hopes on the next generation."