"The same as last time?"
Many of the Marine officers present looked confused.
They clearly had no idea what Garp was referring to.
Only some of the older officers, along with Tsuru and a few others, immediately looked uncomfortable.
It was obvious they knew exactly which incident he meant.
Sengoku’s face darkened.
After tightening and loosening his grip on the Den Den Mushi several times, he finally snorted.
"Hmph."
"Garp, stop talking nonsense."
"You’ve all seen the recording."
"This whole incident was started by CP0."
"Lucas had nothing to do with it."
"He never deliberately attacked the Celestial Dragon."
"It was simply because CP0 was too incompetent to protect him."
"If anyone’s to blame..."
"It’s because CP0 was simply too average."
The Marine officers exchanged glances.
The change in Sengoku’s attitude was astonishing.
Did this really mean...
The Celestial Dragon had just been beaten up for nothing?
"Hahaha!"
"I knew you’d handle it like this, Sengoku."
Garp laughed as he patted Sengoku on the shoulder.
"So what if those Celestial Dragon trash got beaten up?"
"It’s no big deal."
"I’ll go tell Lucas the good news."
"The good news?"
Sengoku slapped Garp’s hand away.
"I seriously suspect Lucas only became this unreliable after meeting you!"
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"I’ll deal with the Celestial Dragon incident."
"For the time being, have Lucas stay away from the Red Line."
"Once things settle down, he can come back."
He pulled out another document.
"There’s another mission that needs an Admiral."
"Send that brat instead."
"As for escorting Crocodile to Impel Down..."
"You’ll take over."
"Garp."
"I’m warning you."
"This isn’t the time to let me down."
"Get moving!"
Garp blinked.
"You’re sending Lucas on that mission?"
He naturally knew what Sengoku was referring to.
It was the most serious situation to arise in the New World since Red-Haired Shanks became one of the Four Emperors six years earlier.
Even the Admiral Candidate assigned to investigate had been unable to handle it.
Only then had the request been escalated to Marine Headquarters, asking for an Admiral to personally oversee the situation and determine what was happening.
Garp simply hadn’t expected such a troublesome assignment to fall into Lucas’s hands.
"What?"
Sengoku glared at him.
"Do you think I’m still not being generous enough?"
"Why are you still standing there?"
"Go!"
Garp coughed awkwardly.
"I don’t have any objections."
"But..."
"You know what Lucas is like."
"This mission is dangerous."
"If there isn’t some Performance Bonus involved..."
"I doubt I’ll be able to convince him."
"Performance Bonus?"
The veins on Sengoku’s forehead bulged.
He crushed the armrest of his chair with one hand and roared,
"That brat beat up a Celestial Dragon..."
"And he still wants a Performance Bonus?!"
"Get out of my sight!"
One day later...
News of what had happened at the Gate of Justice spread across the world.
The Red Line...
And the seas beyond...
Were thrown into an uproar.
Everyone knew about the privileges enjoyed by the Celestial Dragons.
The unconditional protection of an Admiral and CP0 made them the last people anyone dared provoke.
Yet now...
A Celestial Dragon had been thoroughly beaten at the Red Line.
The one responsible...
Was none other than the newly appointed Marine Admiral—
Admiral Glutton Lucas.
Had the newspapers not printed a front-page photograph of Saint Charlos’ miserable appearance...
Almost no one would have believed it.
"Sister!"
Marigold slammed her massive naginata against the deck.
"Aren’t we going to protest to Marine Headquarters?"
"That Marine Admiral, Admiral Glutton Lucas, openly attacked one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
"That’s a blatant violation of the agreement between the World Government and the Seven Warlords!"
"I refuse to let this go!"
Sandersonia remained silent.
After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"...I think..."
"...We may have misunderstood him."
"Misunderstood?"
Marigold stared at her.
"How could there be any misunderstanding?"
"He attacked us."
"If Sister hadn’t been strong enough..."
"We really would’ve ended up accompanying those filthy Celestial Dragons for drinks."
"Have you forgotten everything we went through back then?"
Sandersonia fell silent.
She still remembered everything that had happened yesterday.
Yet...
Looking at the newspaper in her hands...
Something simply didn’t add up.
"You idiot."
An elderly voice suddenly interrupted.
"You’ve stayed with Elder Nyon for so many years, and you still can’t figure something this obvious out?"
A wooden cane smacked Marigold squarely on the head.
Elder Nyon landed on the deck.
Rubbing the back of her head, Marigold protested,
"Elder Nyon!"
"What are you talking about?"
"That Marine Admiral attacked us for no reason."
"Of course we can’t just swallow our anger."
"Look at Sister."
"She hasn’t said a single word all day."
"Enough!"
Elder Nyon leaped up again and smacked Marigold once more.
"Are you trying to destroy the peace our Kuja Kingdom has finally regained?"
"Have you forgotten?"
"If that brat hadn’t intervened yesterday..."
"The ones appearing in today’s newspaper for attacking a Celestial Dragon..."
"Would’ve been you."
"And by then..."
"Forget being one of the Seven Warlords."
"The Marines would’ve surrounded Amazon Lily itself."
She paused before continuing.
"If we’re being honest..."
"That brat is the savior of the Kuja Pirates."
"He even sent a Celestial Dragon flying."
"Tell me..."
"Which of you would’ve dared to do that?"
She sighed.
"Back in my day..."
"We would’ve repaid a debt like that by marrying him."
"..."
The entire ship fell silent.
Marigold stood there in complete shock.
No...
Not just her.
Even Sandersonia...
The Kuja warriors...
And Hancock herself...
Were stunned.
Thinking back to everything that had happened yesterday...
Everything suddenly made sense.
Especially after looking at the newspaper’s enormous front-page headline.
Who in the world would actually dare attack a Celestial Dragon?
And not just attack one...
But beat him into a swollen pig’s head?
There was probably only one person capable of doing something so outrageous.
At last...
They finally understood why Elder Nyon had abandoned her throne as ruler of Amazon Lily years ago and secretly ventured out to sea.
She had probably experienced something similar herself.
"...Actually..."
Sandersonia finally spoke.
"I don’t think he would’ve treated a Celestial Dragon that way..."
"If he hadn’t been trying to help us."
"I still don’t understand why he did it..."
"But..."
"The fact that he dared strike a Celestial Dragon..."
"I’ll never forget that kindness."
She turned toward Hancock.
"Elder Nyon is right."
"Sister..."
"We shouldn’t file a complaint against him."
"The Celestial Dragon incident has already become front-page news in the World Economy News Paper."
"The World Nobles are definitely going to pressure the Marines relentlessly."
"If we also add our voices..."
"Wouldn’t that just be repaying kindness with betrayal?"