As Sengoku and the others continued their discussion about how to handle the increasingly troublesome situation surrounding Monkey D. Luffy, the atmosphere inside the Fleet Admiral's office remained tense and restless.
The sunlight pouring into Marineford did little to ease the growing headache forming among the gathered veterans.
Each of them understood one simple truth.
If Luffy continued unchecked in Wano, the consequences would not remain limited to a single country, as the ripples of it would also spread across the entire sea.
Sengoku leaned back in his chair, fingers pressed together as he tried to think of a way to control the damage that was undoubtedly already unfolding.
Before he could speak again, the sudden ringing of a Den Den Mushi echoed sharply through the office.
Purururururu… Purururururu…
Everyone froze in their spots and paused their conversations as the sound cut through the tension like a blade.
Sengoku's eyes immediately snapped toward the receiver resting on his desk.
Without hesitation, he reached forward and picked it up.
"This is Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" His voice was firm, authoritative, and carried the weight of command.
There was a brief pause for a second on the other side.
"Sengoku-san, it's me."
A lazy, familiar voice came from the other side, instantly causing Sengoku's expression to darken.
It was Kuzan.
"You bastard Kuzan!" Sengoku exploded without holding back. "You finally remembered to report back to me, huh?!"
His grip tightened around the receiver.
"I sent you to chase that little bastard Luffy and bring him back… but what did you do?!" His voice rose with every word. "Don't let me catch you lazing around somewhere, or you'll be getting punished!"
The roar echoed across the room.
From the side, Sakazuki snorted coldly.
"Such an irresponsible fellow…" He muttered under his breath, clearly unimpressed.
Meanwhile, Monkey D. Garp burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the sight of Sengoku scolding his former subordinate.
"Bwahahaha...! Serves him right!"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, a soft sigh could be heard.
"Hah... You cannot blame me, Sengoku-san," Kuzan replied calmly. "By the time I caught up with Luffy… things had already gone out of hand."
"Ehh?" Sengoku's anger paused for a split second, and his brows furrowed.
"You found Luffy?"
He leaned forward slightly. "What did that bastard do this time?"
The entire room fell silent as everyone focused on the call.
Kuzan's voice came again, carrying a faint hint of helplessness. "Not just found him… I also learned what kind of mess he has made."
Aokiji paused briefly before continuing. "He came to Wano to fight Kaido. Luckily, Kaido is not here."
Sengoku let out a small breath of relief, but that relief lasted less than a second.
"But even then," Kuzan continued, "he made a fuss in the capital of Wano and got involved in the country's politics."
Sengoku's eye twitched as Kuzan finished the report.
"By the time I arrived… he had already killed the previous king of the country… and made someone else the king."
The temperature in the room dropped, and silence descended over the office.
"He did what now?!" Sengoku's roar shook the office. His eyes widened so much that they looked like they might pop out of his head, and the Den Den Mushi in his hand squeaked slightly under the pressure of his grip.
Even Garp stopped laughing in a moment of rare seriousness.
Tsuru's expression turned stiff, and beside him, Zephyr blinked his eyes in surprise, as if unable to believe what he had just heard was real.
Even Sakazuki's usually rigid face showed a visible twitch.
For a moment, nobody knew what to say.
On the other side, Kuzan continued as if delivering a normal report.
"Yeah. Not only that…"
He sounded almost resigned to his fate.
"He also went alone to Kaido's lair and caused a mess there, killing quite a few pirates too."
That was the final blow.
Sengoku's expression froze on his face, unable to decide whether to get angry or just cry.
His eyes rolled back slightly, and for a brief second, it looked like his soul had left his body.
Thud!
The Fleet Admiral collapsed back into his chair, nearly fainting on the spot.
At that moment, a single thought echoed in his mind.
'I underestimated that little bastard of the Garp family…'
Even Sengoku, with all his experience, would not casually walk into a Yonko's territory and start causing chaos, especially in their own base.
And yet Luffy had done exactly that.
Garp suddenly burst into loud laughter again. "Bwahahaha! As expected of my lovely grandson!"
Zephyr crossed his arms, a proud grin forming on his face.
Tsuru, however, looked far less amused.
Sakazuki's expression darkened further, smoke rising slowly from his cigar.
After a few seconds, Sengoku slowly regained his composure.
He took a deep breath and then another.
Finally, he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"And where is that little bastard now…?" His voice was low and dangerous, on the brink of exploding, and turned into the Golden Buddha on the spot.
"Give the receiver to him. Let him speak to me directly."
There was a pause on the other side.
Sengoku's grip tightened again, and he spoke through gritted teeth. "I'll give him a piece of my mind."
The room grew quiet once more as everyone waited for Kuzan's response.
On the other side, Kuzan hesitated, and a brief silence followed.
"…Uh."
That hesitation alone made Sengoku's eye twitch again.
"What is it?" Sengoku asked slowly.
"About that…" Kuzan scratched his head on the other end. He paused for a few seconds before continuing. "…he is not with me."
"…What?" Sengoku's expression turned blank.
"Actually…" Kuzan's voice remained as calm as ever. "He is still in Wano."
For a moment, no one in the office spoke.
Then Sengoku's hand tightened around the receiver once more.
And this time, everyone could clearly feel that the next outburst was going to be far worse than the last.
Garp suddenly stood up from the sofa, his large frame casting a shadow across the desk as he strode forward with surprising speed for someone his age. Before Sengoku could react, the old Marine hero reached out and snatched the Den Den Mushi receiver straight out of his hand.
"Oi!"
Sengoku snapped in irritation, but Garp completely ignored him.
Leaning slightly over the desk, Garp brought the receiver close to his mouth, his expression no longer carefree. His brows were furrowed, and there was a rare sharpness in his eyes.
"Then why are you not with him?" He demanded.
His voice carried a protective edge that only appeared when it came to his family.
"How dare you leave my grandson alone in such a dangerous place…?"
The office fell silent again as everyone turned their attention toward the call.
On the other side, Kuzan hesitated.
"…Umm…"
A faint awkwardness slipped into his usually lazy tone.
"Garp-san… are you sure that Wano is a dangerous place for your grandson… and not the other way around?"
The question hung in the air.
For a second, Garp blinked his eyes, and then his expression darkened slightly.
"What do you mean, you little brat?" He snorted, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.
From across the desk, Sengoku leaned forward again, his earlier frustration momentarily replaced by curiosity.
On the other end, Kuzan let out a soft sigh.
"Garp-san…" His voice carried a strange mix of helplessness and disbelief.
"Your grandson is much sharper and more annoying than you."
Garp's eyebrow twitched at his words.
"Do you even know…" Kuzan continued slowly. "…that he has also consumed a Logia Devil Fruit?"
The moment those words were spoken, Sengoku's voice exploded through the office before Garp could even react.
"What?! Logia Devil Fruit?!"
The shock was immediate and overwhelming.
Not only Sengoku, but even Tsuru's calm expression was shattered, and Zephyr's eyes widened in shock.
Even Sakazuki's stern face showed visible surprise as the cigar in his mouth paused mid-breath.
As for Garp, the old Marine hero stood there, frozen in his spot.
For once, even he did not know how to react.
A Logia Devil Fruit!
That single word carried immense weight in the world.
Only the strongest and most terrifying powers belonged to that category.
"Sengoku-san, even you don't know?" Kuzan's voice came again, sounding slightly surprised now.
A faint crackle echoed through the Den Den Mushi.
"Luffy has actually consumed the Logia fruit… Goro Goro no Mi."
The name fell like thunder in the room.
Sengoku slowly leaned back in his chair, his mind racing.
"That fruit…" He muttered under his breath.
Tsuru's eyes narrowed deeply, calculations already forming in her mind.
"Hahaha…" Zephyr's lips slowly curled into a wide grin. "So that's it…"
Sakazuki's gaze darkened slightly, though a faint glint of intensity appeared in his eyes.
Lightning was a power that rivaled even magma in sheer destructive capability.
Garp finally regained his composure, and his lips slowly stretched into a grin.
"Bwahahaha! As expected of my grandson!"
He said proudly, gripping the receiver tighter.
However, Kuzan was not finished.
"…His strength is no less than Sakazuki," He added calmly. "…if not greater, in my understanding."
This time, even the air seemed to freeze.
All eyes slowly turned toward Sakazuki.
The Admiral stood still, his expression unreadable as smoke slowly curled upward from his cigar.
The comparison was not a light one.
To be placed on the same level as him, or possibly above, was not something said casually.
Sengoku's fingers tightened slightly against the armrest of his chair.
Garp, however, only laughed louder.
"Bwahahaha! Of course he is! That's my grandson!"
Meanwhile, Sengoku closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
At this point, he no longer knew whether to feel relieved or even more worried.