"Report!"
At that moment, the doors of the meeting room suddenly burst open. A captain staff officer rushed in and hurriedly handed over a freshly compiled report to Admiral Sengoku.
Sengoku gave it a quick glance—
And immediately shoved back his chair and stood up in shock, eyes glued to the report, his expression deeply shaken.
"What is it, Admiral?"
Seeing his reaction, Rear Admiral Dalmatian couldn't help but feel a jolt of unease.
It had been a long time since he'd seen Sengoku this shaken. Could it be that over on Rhodes Island, Nao was defeated and then…
He didn't dare think any further.
"A great victory!"
Before Sengoku could answer, the captain who delivered the report couldn't hold it in any longer. With barely restrained excitement, he blurted out:
"It's a decisive victory, Rear Admiral Dalmatian! Mr. Nao not only defeated Dugalio the Drought in single combat before Vice Admiral Borsalino arrived, but he also captured him alive and seized a large haul of spoils!"
"...Eh?"
Dalmatian and the other officers in the room were all stunned. They looked around at each other, disbelief clearly written on their faces.
Did they hear that right?
Nao… actually took down that Drought in a one-on-one fight?
That's the Drought with a bounty of 500 million berries!
"There were six Devil Fruits among the spoils. Three of them are Zoan-types, and one of them is an exceptionally rare Ancient Zoan…"
Sengoku finally put down the report, unable to stop himself from murmuring in disbelief, "This brat… suddenly dropped such a huge surprise on Marine Headquarters… My heart can barely take it."
The emotional whiplash was just too much.
Moments ago, he'd still been deeply worried about Nao's safety—afraid that this promising star, who was destined to become a pillar of the Marines, might be lost in the West Blue.
Then in the next moment, all the danger was gone, and wave after wave of good news came crashing in.
—One of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates was actually captured alive by a mere Rear Admiral from the West Blue!
There was no question about it.
Once this news spread, it would ignite morale throughout the entire Marine force. Even the public's perception of Marine Headquarters would rise to new heights.
Nao had made a tremendous contribution…
Sengoku couldn't help but marvel inwardly. This kid wasn't even twenty yet, and he already had achievements of this scale.
Even the current top Vice Admirals—like Borsalino, Sakazuki, and Kuzan—couldn't compare to this at his age.
"Of course we'll celebrate this achievement properly," Sengoku said, calming himself and casting a solemn gaze around the table at the officers. "But the Headquarters must also be prepared—we need to plan for the worst."
"Kaido of the Beasts is a warmonger to the core. Now that one of his most powerful subordinates has been captured alive, there's no way he'll take this lying down…"
At those words, everyone around the meeting table nodded slightly, their expressions growing more serious.
Precautions had to be taken. They couldn't afford to let down their guard against Kaido's retaliation.
Of course, a full-scale confrontation with Marine Headquarters…
At present, the Beasts Pirates didn't yet have the strength for that.
But it was currently the time of the Reverie, and Marines around the world were scrambling to escort royal families. Everyone was stretched thin.
If Kaido decided to exploit this chaos to strike at the Marines and throw them into disarray, there was a good chance he could pull it off…
"Send the order," Sengoku said after a brief pause, his voice deep and commanding.
"Tell all Marine divisions along the Grand Line to stay alert—especially in the New World. Sakazuki must keep close tabs on the movements of the Beasts Pirates!"
"Also, instruct Kuzan to temporarily drop his current mission and head for the New World. After G7 Branch was destroyed, we only have G1 and G5 left in that region. Those two fortress bases absolutely cannot afford any mishaps!"
"Even if the chances are slim, the entire Marine force must be ready for all-out war!"
At once, the room fell into a solemn silence. The officers shot to their feet in unison and saluted crisply:
"Yes, Admiral!"
...
"Headquarters is already preparing for war?"
At the West Blue First Branch, Nao had just returned to base and was sitting down to dinner. Upon hearing the news, he looked up from the table in surprise, turning to Gion.
"The Beasts Pirates have the guts for that?"
Their success in attacking G7 Branch last time was only because that base was deep in the New World, where Marine control was weakest. Plus, they'd allied with the Big Mom Pirates to pull it off.
But that was then. Now, after their brief honeymoon phase, the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates had turned hostile again—fighting for territory and locked in fierce competition.
For the Beasts Pirates to openly wage war against Marine Headquarters now? If Big Mom didn't stab them in the back, that'd already be merciful. Expecting her to join the fight again?
Pure fantasy.
"We're talking about Kaido here. That lunatic's capable of anything."
Gion—still wearing her apron—uncapped a bottle of sparkling sake and pushed it toward Nao with a furrowed brow. "Besides, Dugalio hasn't been sent to Impel Down yet. If Kaido plans to act, the transport route is the perfect chance to strike…"
"Then why transport him at all? If it were up to me, I'd have finished him off already. Save us the trouble and a whole lot of food."
Nao clicked his tongue. "You know how much they feed prisoners in Impel Down? Especially one like him? Probably eats a hundred times more than your average inmate. Waste of rations."
That guy was truly tough; it was quite unexpected that he hadn't died in the sea.
"You can't say that. Vice Admiral Cass of the G7 Branch is still in Kaido's hands."
Gion shook her head lightly. "Keeping Dugalio alive gives us far more leverage than a corpse. With him, Headquarters can negotiate with Kaido—or at least buy time."
Fair point.
Nao didn't argue further and instead asked, "So who's Headquarters sending to escort Dugalio? That's a dangerous mission. What if they get intercepted—"
"Garp."
Gion's reply was short and simple.
Oh. Well, that settles that.
Nao instantly stopped worrying and instead started feeling sorry for whoever got sent to try and rescue Dugalio.
He didn't think about it any longer and focused on eating instead—the whole table of dishes had been prepared personally by Gion, who'd spent the entire afternoon cooking just to reward him for his hard-fought battles over the past few days.
There was plenty of variety, and the food was genuinely delicious. Nao ate with relish, his mood completely relaxed and content.
After all, as the saying goes:
Food is only food when it's shared by two. Eating alone? That's just feeding.
However…
Everything has its price. When he remembered how Gion had lifted him up after he was sent flying on Rhodes Island—crying and laughing at the same time once she knew he was okay—Nao understood one thing clearly.
Sigh…
After this lovely dinner… he wasn't getting any rest tonight.
...
While Nao and Gion enjoyed their warm, happy reunion—
Over the past two days, the news had begun to spread.
Nao's solo victory over Dugalio the Drought—and the fact that he captured him alive—was rapidly circulating across the world thanks to the major newspapers.
Compared to the time Wiliam the Warlord of the Sea made headlines, the significance of defeating Dugalio the Drought was on a whole other level.
If that earlier article introduced Nao to the world as a rising star in the Marines—
Then this latest feat announced to all corners of the sea:
Natsuya Nao is now a top-tier force in the Marines—one that can no longer be ignored!
And just like that—
The entire Grand Line was in an uproar!