"Bwahahaha!" Garp burst into laughter when he saw Sengoku's empty hook.
Sengoku, feeling embarrassed, retorted, "What are you laughing at? Didn't you catch anything?"
Garp was about to respond when a voice suddenly came from behind them.
"You two. You really just do the leasury thing here."
Sengoku and Garp turned to find Kong standing behind them. Sengoku grinned and said, "Oh, Kong-san, what brings you here? Are you retired too? Join us for fishing—it's more lively with more people."
Kong suddenly snorted and said, "What are you talking about? How could I retire now? Don't you see the threats facing the Marine Headquarter?!"
"This is the first time the Marine Headquarters Has faced such a major failure. It's not just a threat to the Marines—it's a threat to the World Government itself."
Sengoku and Garp were silent for a moment. Having been Marines all their lives, they regretted seeing the Marine Headquarters fail so dramatically, but there was little they could do about it now.
Sengoku immediately waved his hand and said, "Kong, I'm already retired. Just tell me what I need to do. Right now, I want to enjoy a simpler daily life."
"And you, Garp, are you retired too?" Kong asked sternly.
"I am an old man now, I didn't want to take part in all these events after the Summit War. I just want to do simple things now. It's nearly time for me to retire," Garp replied.
"Have you all forgotten the glory of the Marine?" Kong shouted angrily.
"That's in the past," Garp replied, shaking his head.
Kong felt a bit helpless. He hadn't expected the two of them to have changed so much and seemed to completely ignore Marine affairs.
"Since you're about to retire, let's make this ending perfect. Join me for this last mission before you step away," Kong said.
"What's going on?" Sengoku asked.
"The World Government has decided to negotiate with Whitebeard. We need to welcome him to the Holy Land Mariejois and also retrieve the Marines he has detained. This task is extremely important," Kong explained.
"Bwahaha! It seems the Marine Headquarters has no decent people left now. You even need to find us yourself," Garp said.
"Whether you're coming or not, just give me a straight answer!" Kong shouted impatiently.
Sengoku and Garp exchanged glances and quickly agreed.
The negotiations between the World Government and Whitebeard could great impact the future. It was an epic moment, and being involved would be a fitting end to their Marine careers.
"Well, I'll go with you," Sengoku said.
In Wanokuni, during the national celebration, Whitebeard used Marine warships to take control of all areas of the country after his victory.
Kaido and Big Mom had nothing to hide, and they were shocked to hear that Whitebeard was still alive and completely dominant.
Filled with fear and destroyed fighting spirit, he quickly decided to surrender to Whitebeard.
In the main hall, Whitebeard sat at the top, with his crew, commanders, Kaido, Big Mom, and Quinn standing on either side, waiting for him to settle.
After hearing this, Whitebeard felt conflicted. Although the two men had betrayed him repeatedly, it was still a pity to kill them. They were once a crewmate and had fought alongside him.
"You two are truly disappointing, but since you surrendered willingly, I won't kill you. However, don't expect any mercy. I will punish you severely," Whitebeard said calmly.
"Yes, we will accept whatever punishment you choose," Kaido responded immediately.
"Very well. I plan to make you work as laborers for life. You'll handle seastone and use your strength to contribute to Wanokuni. Now, take them away," Whitebeard said.
After dealing with Kaido and the others, Whitebeard reorganized Wanokuni.
Since Momonosuke was just a child and lacked ruling experience, Whitebeard took charge of the planning.
Under Whitebeard's leadership, Wanokuni quickly revived. Wealth was no longer controlled by a few families, and the people's livelihoods improved significantly. At this point, Whitebeard had become the true symbol of Wanokuni.
Not only Whitebeard but also the Whitebeard Pirates held a high status in Wanokuni.
On the day agreed upon with the Five Elders, Whitebeard prepared to say goodbye to Wanokuni.
Kong, along with Garp and Sengoku, entered Wanokuni with a large fleet. However, the scale of this fleet was much smaller compared to when Akainu arrived.
After Kong and the others arrived in Wanokuni, they traveled to the Flower Capital to meet Whitebeard.
Along the way, they heard the people's admiration and gratitude for Whitebeard, which moved them. They were amazed by how a pirate could hold such high esteem.
People on the street were surprised to see the World Government army.
They were even more astonished to learn that the army was there to greet Whitebeard, as it showed the World Government's recognition of him.
It was a huge surprise to see the World Government recognize a pirate and greet him with such high honor. It seemed like a joke, but it was actually happening.
The entire Flower Capital was blocked by the arrival of Kong and his group. When people saw the World Government representatives bowing to greet Whitebeard, they were astonished and excited.
"Whitebeard, please come with us. We will escort you all the way to the Holy Land Mariejois," Kong said respectfully.
"Yes, that sounds good," Whitebeard replied, nodding.
"Whitebeard, we meet again. I didn't expect it to be like this," Garp said.
"Guurararara! I knew the World Government would eventually compromise," Whitebeard replied with a smile.
"Whitebeard, please return our personnel to us," Sengoku requested.
"Don't worry. My crew will escort them and return them to you later. However, I will keep the Marine battleships," Whitebeard said.
"That's fine. Just do as you've said," Kong replied.
In this way, Whitebeard left Wanokuni with Kong and his group escorting him.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard's pirate crew escorted all the Marines out of Wanokuni.
"Grandpa Whitebeard, I hope we see you again soon," Momonosuke, Tama, and others waved goodbye.
After some time at sea, Whitebeard finally arrived at the Holy Land Mariejois.
.
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TO BE CONTINUED