Seeing Law and the others join Elior's crew, Kid scoffed with disdain. As the supernova with the highest bounty among the Worst Generation, he had never suffered defeat since setting out to sea. This made him arrogantly confident. Once he entered the New World, he was certain he would defeat all the Yonko and become the next Pirate King.
But while his dream was grand, the reality was far from it. Kid had no idea just how terrifying the gap was between himself and the monsters that roamed the New World.
Meanwhile, two hours later, Elior's newly-formed crew, the Elior Pirates, left the Sabaody Archipelago aboard a coated ship, heading toward the New World.
The war at Marineford was drawing near, and Elior knew he wasn't strong enough—yet.
Back at Marine HQ, Akainu had returned, and Kizaru had been assigned to escort Luffy to Impel Down.
When Garp found out Luffy had been captured, it hit him like a thunderbolt.
"W-WHAT?!"
He slammed his fists down on Sengoku's desk. Sengoku remained silent, his face unreadable. Akainu, also present in the office, was equally expressionless. Only Tsuru showed a hint of concern.
Both of Garp's grandsons were now locked up in Impel Down. No one could fully understand his pain—but they knew it must be immense.
Garp opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. From where he stood, there was nothing he could do. His grandsons… they were pirates.
And not just any pirates.
One was the son of Gol D. Roger and commander under Whitebeard. The other—Monkey D. Luffy—was part of the Worst Generation, a direct threat to the World Government, and a rising storm who'd shaken the Grand Line.
"Garp, I need you to remember who you are and where you stand" Sengoku said, his voice low and heavy.
To his oldest friend, who had stood by his side for more than fifty years, Sengoku could only feel helpless.
"I'm going to Impel Down" Garp muttered, turning away.
"Garp, don't you dare!"
"If you do something reckless, I'll have no choice but to put you down myself!"
Sengoku's rage barely stayed in check. What worried him now wasn't just Whitebeard's retaliation—but the unpredictable storm that Garp might unleash.
"Sakazuki… damn it all…"
Sengoku sighed heavily. Why now, of all times, did Garp's grandson have to be captured?
Akainu folded his arms. "He ran in on his own. I only brought him in. If Vice Admiral Garp keeps his head, this won't be a problem."
Akainu winced. He was still wounded, yet he remained in the office. His discipline was unmatched.
"I don't think Garp will act out" Tsuru said calmly.
"That old fool…"
Garp's son was the most wanted criminal in the world, and now his grandson was rising to that level.
Sengoku straightened up. His expression grew serious.
"Just now, Rear Admiral Drake contacted me. He said that Elior somehow knew his identity within the Marine."
"What?!"
Everyone in the room froze.
Drake's true identity as a Marine undercover agent was one of the Marine's deepest secrets—known only to a handful of top officials.
But Elior knew?
Aokiji frowned. "Does Elior have someone connected to that organization?"
"Possibly," Sengoku replied. "I've ordered a full investigation into everyone connected to him."
Tsuru crossed her arms. "His power is terrifying. He can freeze time and space. What sort of Devil Fruit ability is that?"
Akainu added grimly, "When he activated it… I admit, I was terrified. My consciousness remained, but I couldn't move. It was like everything—air, light, even time—had frozen. I couldn't even use my powers."
"Is there any record of this in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?" Tsuru asked.
Sengoku shook his head. "I contacted the Five Elders. Aside from the Ice-Ice Fruit and the Snow-Snow Fruit, there's nothing similar. It may be a completely unknown Devil Fruit—perhaps even stronger than the Ice-Ice Fruit."
Aokiji's brows drew together. "So if I were caught in it, I wouldn't even be able to fight back?"
Akainu nodded. "Exactly. And that's not all—he can't turn into an element. He's not a Logia. That means it's a Paramecia-type. But his physical strength is monstrous. The last hit he landed on me was a physical blow, likely a variant of the Rokushiki' Shigan… it was terrifying."
"In short," Akainu concluded, "he's a monster."
"There should be a bounty placed on him immediately"
"And the New World is already unstable…"
Sengoku hadn't slept in two days. At that moment, his den den mushi rang.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," came Drake's voice. "One more thing I forgot to mention…"
"Go ahead," Sengoku said warily, dreading the next piece of news.
Drake continued, "Among the Supernovas, Trafalgar Law, the Mad Monk Urouge, and Basil Hawkins have all joined the Elior Pirates. His crew just got a lot stronger."
"…What?!"
The room exploded in chaos.
And across the world, as the news spread of the events in the Sabaody Archipelago, shockwaves rippled through the seas. The world had been thrown into disarray once again.