"Hahahaha, Marshal Kong, I just got back and haven't even had the chance to go home yet, and you've already called me here. What's the matter?"
At Marine Headquarters, Marineford, in the Marshal's office, before the door even opened or anyone was seen, Garp's hearty laughter echoed through the room.
With a loud bang, the office door was forcefully pushed open, and Garp walked in, clutching a bag of rice crackers, and plopped down on the sofa.
"Yo, Sengoku, what are you doing here?" Garp laughed as he looked at his old friend sitting across from him. "Shouldn't you be busy in your office at this time?"
But he noticed that Sengoku's expression was off—serious—and he also saw Marshal Kong sitting behind the desk, staring at him with a blank face.
Garp paused his hand, which was about to grab a rice cracker, and asked in surprise, "What's going on? I just dealt with that brat Bullet and sent him straight to Impel Down!"
"Garp, your son, Monkey D. Dragon, is planning to betray the Marines. He's truly audacious!"
Marshal Kong slammed a report on the table in anger and shouted, "Take a look for yourself. This is the message CP0 sent just ten minutes ago!"
"What?!"
Garp was stunned, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. He shot up from his seat as if his butt was on fire and, at a speed invisible to the naked eye, snatched the report and began reading it word by word.
The report briefly stated that CP0 had intercepted Rear Admiral Dragon, who had just discarded his Justice Coat and was preparing to leave the G-3 branch, and was now bringing him to Marineford.
"This... this..."
Garp opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to say. Despite the severity of the situation, his thick-skinned nature left him feeling overwhelmed, with too many points to even begin to criticize.
First, why did Dragon suddenly decide to leave the Marines?
Second, how did the World Government know about it in advance and even send a prepared interception team, and of all people, CP0!
He knew exactly what CP0 was.
They were the headquarters of the entire Cipher Pol, known as the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons. Only the Five Elders had the authority to command them.
Was such a powerful department really necessary to target his own son?
And the most astonishing thing was that they were actually preparing—no, in the process of—bringing Dragon to Marine Headquarters. What was going on? Shouldn't they have directly taken him to Enies Lobby for trial and then thrown him into Impel Down? He didn't think the CP0 would care about his status as a Marine hero, so it must have been the Five Elders who ordered this!
"Could it be that the person I saved back then is helping?"
Garp pondered silently, thinking it was indeed possible, especially since that person was now one of the Five Elders.
Regardless, the fact that CP0 was willing to bring Dragon here was a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune. At Marineford, his status and seniority still carried weight.
"Let's wait. Even if they come directly through Mary Geoise, it'll take a few hours to get here from the New World. I'll ask that kid what he was thinking when he arrives!"
Sengoku appeared visibly angry. Dragon, whom he had watched grow up, had initially shown great promise after joining the Marines, often declaring that he would surpass his father and become a Marine hero.
However, in recent years, he had become increasingly withdrawn and silent. The fiery passion in his eyes had long since extinguished, and the enthusiastic smile on his face had vanished.
He had also adopted a passive attitude toward various missions, which had kept his rank stagnant at Rear Admiral. However, since he was Garp's son, no one in the Marines dared to criticize him openly.
In Sengoku's view, given Dragon's abilities, he could easily become the head of a G-series branch base in the future, even if he didn't make it to Marine Admiral. The reason he might not become an Admiral was that the Marines currently had three top-tier Logia-type Devil Fruit users as Admiral candidates, leaving no room for a fourth.
About five hours later, Marshal Kong received a report from the warship stationed near the headquarters' port. After listening, he placed the receiver back on the Navy Den Den Mushi's shell and noticed Garp staring at him.
As for Sengoku, he had already returned to his office earlier, as he was indeed quite busy and couldn't afford to sit idly on the sofa.
"The CP0 ship has arrived, but they requested that we not go out to greet them to avoid drawing too much attention. They will handle bringing the person here themselves," Marshal Kong said.
After speaking, Marshal Kong ignored Garp and picked up the receiver again to call Sengoku, asking him to come over for a meeting.
Not long after, Sengoku re-entered the office, as his office was also on the same floor.
Knock knock knock
Sengoku had barely sat down for two minutes when the door was gently knocked.
"Come in!" Marshal Kong called out.
The door slowly opened, and Dragon, dressed in a green suit and draped in a Justice Coat, walked in expressionlessly with his hands clasped behind his back.
Following him was a tall figure wearing a white mask, a white suit, a white coat, and white leather boots.
With a soft click, the door was closed by the latter.
"You brat!" Garp immediately lashed out at his son upon seeing him. "What on earth are you thinking?"
However, Dragon kept his head down and remained silent, showing no interest in engaging with his father, despite having idolized him just a few years prior.
This year, he was thirty-four, the same age as Kizaru Borsalino.
"Garp, calm down first," Sengoku said sternly as he stood up. But then he noticed something strange—Dragon's hands, clasped behind his back, seemed to be wearing handcuffs?
What was going on? Ordinary handcuffs would be useless against Dragon, given the martial arts skills he had honed since childhood.
At that moment, the CP0 agent spoke. His voice was hoarse, somewhat grating, and devoid of any emotion.
"Rear Admiral Dragon has already become a Devil Fruit user. Based on the abilities he displayed during combat, it appears to be the Logia-type Hurricane Fruit. Therefore, we had no choice but to restrain him with Sea Stone Handcuffs."
"A Devil Fruit user?!" The three top figures in the office—the Marine Marshal, the Marine Admiral, and the Marine Hero—were all shocked once again. Their eyes immediately focused on Dragon, especially the first two, who looked at him as if he were a rare treasure.
Since Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan joined the Navy, they had flipped through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia several times, mainly focusing on the Logia types.
The Hurricane Fruit—what a powerhouse! It was another top-tier Logia Devil Fruit, no less formidable than the Magma, Glint-Glint, and Ice-Ice Fruits! "No wonder CP0 was dispatched. With his level of physical combat and Haki, combined with the abilities of the Hurricane Fruit, even CP9 wouldn't be able to stop him," Marshal Kong suddenly realized.
Yet, the same question lingered in the minds of both Kong and Sengoku: How did the World Government know about it? In fact, this was the very question Dragon was most eager to figure out, as he was completely in the dark.
He had left the G-3 base without any prior plan or informing anyone, and the matter of the Hurricane Fruit was even more secretive.
But just as he had shed his Justice Coat and transformed into a gust of wind, barely two kilometers from the base, he was surrounded by three CP0 agents wearing white masks.
He had tried to escape, but even though he was significantly stronger than an average Vice Admiral, he was no match for three CP0 agents, especially since he had only recently consumed the Hurricane Fruit.
"Dragon, what exactly were you thinking? Why did you leave the Navy?"