Inside the office, Robin explained the full sequence of events to Sean.
By now, Sean finally understood why Robin's expression had been so strange.
"So, let me get this straight. That idiot Sanji expressed his love for the new CP9 captain's girlfriend right to the man's face in Water 7, got beaten to a pulp by the captain and his agents, and was then dragged back to Enies Lobby?"
"Yes, that's essentially what happened. After that, Luffy and the others stormed CP9 and turned the place upside down!"
"Alright, I get the gist of it. Who is the current captain of CP9?"
"A man named Nero. He was previously a reserve member of CP9."
'Nero...'
So it was that guy. In the original story, he was defeated by Franky on the Sea Train, and then Lucci threw him into the ocean because he thought he was too weak.
Well, since Sean had already taken down the original CP9 members, only these reserve members were left.
It made sense why Luffy and his crew were able to cause such a massive ruckus at Enies Lobby. After all, the current CP9 consisted of former reserves who hadn't even fully mastered Rokushiki. Luffy's command of Rokushiki might actually be more proficient than theirs at this point.
Combined with Gear Second and Gear Third, it wasn't surprising that he could steamroll a bunch of rookie CP9 members.
"Then, how was the Buster Call triggered?" Sean asked the most puzzling question.
After all, compared to the true powerhouses, the Straw Hat crew's strength was manageable. Headquarters could have simply dispatched a single elite Vice Admiral to take them down. Was it really necessary for Aokiji to trigger a Buster Call?
No matter how he looked at it, something felt off.
"That hasn't been confirmed yet, but it's certain that Fleet Admiral Aokiji didn't trigger it."
"However, the intelligence department received an unverified report. Apparently, when Nero tried to use a Den Den Mushi to call Headquarters for reinforcements, he panicked and grabbed a Den Den Mushi from a drawer belonging to the former commander—Spandam."
"The Golden Den Den Mushi that Aokiji gave to Spandam for the Buster Call!"
"Exactly. Though, the news is still unconfirmed!"
'What is there to confirm?' Sean thought. 'That's almost certainly the truth.'
Otherwise, it would be insane for Aokiji to trigger a Buster Call and wipe out the entirety of Enies Lobby just to deal with Luffy.
Then again, when Sean had killed Spandam earlier, the resulting collapse hadn't damaged the office desk? Even more absurdly, after Spandam died, Aokiji hadn't bothered to retrieve the Buster Call Den Den Mushi?
One absurdity after another.
"Alright. I'll give old man Garp a call to give him a heads-up. I'll consider that as having done my part," Sean sighed and took out his Den Den Mushi.
'Purupurupurupuru...'
"This is Garp!"
"Old man Garp, it's Sean."
"Sean, you brat! I just heard from Sengoku that you've caused another huge incident! But I have to say, well done! Bwahahahaha!"
"We'll talk about my business later. As for you, old man, you're still laughing? Do you remember the agreement we made?" Sean replied irritably at Garp's signature laughter.
At those words, Garp's heart skipped a beat.
To be honest, regarding Luffy's escape, Garp wasn't worried about anything except Sean. After all, Sean had previously suggested throwing Luffy into Impel Down for two or three years. He had proposed that once Garp ended the Great Pirate Era, he could release him; if Luffy still wanted to adventure, he could do so as a pure explorer.
However, Garp couldn't bear to throw his grandson into Impel Down for several years. He thought that keeping Luffy at Headquarters under Zephyr's watch would be enough.
Who would have thought the brat would use the chaos of the Paramount War to escape!
That was one thing, but look at what he had done since escaping! In less than three months, he had practically erased Enies Lobby—one of the three major organizations of the World Government.
"Sean, listen to my excuses... I mean, my explanation..."
"Old man Garp, I've let your grandson off the hook twice. There won't be a third time. However, since the New World Marines and Headquarters Marines are not allowed to exercise cross-jurisdictional authority, you'd better find a way to catch him before Luffy enters the New World!"
"This..."
"Don't tell me you can't catch him. If you put in your full effort, this is effortless. If you continue to let him run wild, you'll not only harm him but yourself as well. Do you understand?"
"Alright, I get it! I'll request leave from Aokiji immediately and camp out at the Sabaody Archipelago to block that brat!"
Could Garp ask Sean for mercy again? Even with his thick skin, Garp couldn't bring himself to say it.
He knew very well that while Sean said the New World Marines and Headquarters couldn't overlap jurisdictions, if Sean actually came to Paradise to catch Luffy, the Five Elders wouldn't interfere even if Aokiji complained. They might even snap back, "You're the useless ones who couldn't catch him, and Sean did it for you. You have the nerve to impeach him?"
Therefore, the only solution was to completely block Luffy in the first half of the Grand Line.
Most importantly, Sean was right: if Garp truly set his mind to it, Luffy stood no chance of escaping.
However, even if Garp was determined now, Sean suspected there was a ninety percent chance that once Garp actually caught him, he would soften his heart and let him go again.
Regardless, Sean felt he had done everything he could. If Luffy actually managed to enter the New World one day...
Then next year would be the date of his death.
'''
In the Calm Belt.
A colossal ship was sailing through the waters.
This wasn't a warship, but a vessel Sean had specifically commissioned Barry and Franky to build before he moved to the New World. While it lacked weapons, it was massive and had an incredible storage capacity.
More importantly, the ship featured a complete meat jerky processing assembly line, capable of efficiently turning Sea Kings into jerky at a rapid pace.
Currently, the ship was under the command of Blueno. Unless there was an urgent mission, his short-term assignment was to patrol the Calm Belt.
Of course, this patrol wasn't targeting pirates, but rather...
Sea Kings.
Sean's orders were clear: the moment a Sea King exceeding 500 meters was spotted, Blueno was to contact him immediately and open a spatial portal to bring him to the scene.
Essentially, Blueno was merely responsible for the search; the actual combat had to be handled by Sean.
After all, if he didn't strike the blow himself, it wouldn't count as his own acquisition, meaning he wouldn't be able to apply his daily doubling effect to its quality.
Since Sean could not afford to leave the New World Headquarters for extended periods, this was the only practical arrangement for Blueno.
"Rear Admiral Blueno!"
"A Sea King has been spotted ahead! It's heading our way, and judging by its size, it should be in the 800-meter class."
"Understood. I'll bring Fleet Admiral Sean over. Keep it at bay and make sure it doesn't damage the ship. But remember—only stop it from getting closer. Do not injure it, and absolutely do not kill it!"
"Yes, Rear Admiral Blueno!"
The Captain snapped a salute and signaled to the men behind him.
A moment later, over twenty officers quickly assembled on the deck. One by one, they launched into the air using Moonwalk, gliding toward the Sea King.
Including the Captain, there were twenty-four men in total—a full squad. Every member was a veteran of the 16th Branch, each possessing a Doriki value of at least one thousand.
Stopping a Sea King from approaching was a simple task for them.
Meanwhile, Blueno produced a Den Den Mushi and dialed Sean.
'Purupurupuru...'
"This is Sean!"
"Fleet Admiral, this is Blueno. I've located an 800-meter class Sea King!"
"Well done. Lock the portal to my office immediately."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"