Dear Readers,
I'm thrilled to share some exciting news with you all! After a long hiatus, the Pokémon fanfiction will finally resume with regular updates from now on. I apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.
I want to reassure you that this resumption will not disrupt the release schedule of the other two fanfictions that I am currently working on. You can expect updates for all three stories to continue as planned.
Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for my writing. I can't wait to dive back into the world of Pokémon with you all and continue the adventures together!
Warm regards,
[Silent_stiele]
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After a flurry of suggestions and discussions, a decision was reached swiftly due to the urgency of the situation.
"Zephyr, you will remain stationed in G1. In case of emergency, proximity to the Red Line should ensure a swift response," Kong instructed, turning to the other Admiral with a decisive tone.
"Sengoku, I want you to lead a mission towards the Edd Sea. See if you can catch either of the two parties off guard. Tsuru will provide you with support," Kong declared, assigning roles with precision.
With a brisk nod, the office emptied, leaving only Tsuru and a couple more Vice Admirals behind to finalize the finer details of the mission and the new bounties. Tsuru would depart once Sengoku had mustered the forces for the mission, ready to lend her expertise in support of their strategic objectives.
As I waited outside Kong's office, I sensed hurried footsteps approaching. With a quick scan using my observation Haki, I recognized Garp rushing towards me. His raised brow conveyed his eagerness to learn the situation, skipping formalities in his urgency.
"Roger and Shiki have made contact in the Edd Sea area of the New World. It seems it's going to be a full-blown war." I relayed the core of the matter to Garp as he whisked past me, his mind already processing the gravity of the situation.
Moments later, a loud commotion erupted from within the Fleet Admiral's office. Vice Admiral Tsuru and the other vice admirals emerged, leaving only Kong and Garp inside.
Tsuru's gaze fell upon me, her expression complex. Despite her discomfort in my presence, I responded with a wide grin before diverting my attention to the surroundings, utilizing my observation Haki to eavesdrop on the unfolding events within the office.
The sounds of cups shattering and tables being smashed echoed through the walls. It was as if two bears were locked in a fierce brawl within the confines of the office, their heated exchange reverberating through the corridors of the Marine base.
"Garp, you bastard! I've given you too much leeway," Kong barked, frustration evident as saliva sprayed from his mouth. "Do you know how long I've been holding this Admiral position for you? Eight years! Eight damn years, it's been vacant because you're too stubborn to take on the mantle of Admiral!"
Garp, seemingly unfazed, casually dug his ears as if the matter held no relevance to him. "I've told you multiple times, Kong-san, I don't want to become an Admiral and be a lackey to those bastards," he countered with nonchalance. "There are plenty of capable people. Why don't you pick someone? You don't have to keep the position vacant for my sake."
Kong's frustration boiled over. "You... do you even hear what you're saying?" he seethed. "Is the Admiral position something you can simply decline? You bastard, listen here. I'm going to confine you here in HQ until you agree to the promotion!"
Garp diverted the conversation, knowing where it would lead. "Ah, Kong-san, you can't do that. I heard Shiki and Roger are facing off. I need to get there. Maybe this time around, I might be able to catch Roger," he deflected, avoiding addressing Kong's ultimatum.
"We haven't finished discussing this," Kong retorted, throwing a file at Garp, who was now nonchalantly digging his nose and flicking away boogers.
Garp continued unfazed. "We can talk about it when I get back, Kong-san. I'm sure Sengoku is ready to depart, and I better not miss the ride now that my ships are confined to HQ," he commented, turning to leave.
"Garp, did you hear a thing I said?" Kong leaped up, attempting to grab Garp by the collar, but Garp effortlessly dodged the attempt. "Yeah, I heard what you said," he replied casually as he made his exit.
"Wait, Garp! We're not done talking!" Kong's voice reverberated down the corridor as Garp walked away.
I couldn't help but smile at the Marine Hero's nonchalant attitude, knowing that beneath his carefree demeanor lay a fierce determination and a sense of duty unmatched by many.
"You might not be done, but I am," Garp stated firmly as he shut the door behind him, blocking out Kong's frustrated screams from within the office.
I quickly followed Garp as he walked forward, and we were soon joined by Bogard and Kuzan.
"Garp-san, did you turn down your promotion again?" Kuzan couldn't help but ask with a sheepish smile on his face, already knowing the answer from the foolish grin Garp wore.
"That's so cool of you," Kuzan commented, admiring Garp's defiance towards the Fleet Admiral.
"I can already do as I like, so I don't need a higher rank," Garp replied casually as we made our way towards the bay where Sengoku was preparing for his departure.
Garp's nonchalant attitude garnered a mixture of admiration and amusement from his fellow Marines, who respected his independence and determination to stay true to himself, regardless of rank or title.
Just as Garp was contemplating how to sneak onto Sengoku's ship, he spotted Vice Admiral Tsuru leading Saul onto her own vessel. Without hesitation, Garp dashed forward to meet his friend, hoping to secure permission to hitchhike on her ship, knowing it would be much easier than gaining access to Sengoku's.
"Tsuru-chan, let me come along if you're sailing out there," Garp shamelessly requested, eager to include himself in the mission, unfazed by the potential disapproval of others.
"Did anyone invite you to join?" Vice Admiral Tsuru shook her head in frustration at Garp's antics, but a memory flashed through her mind of previous occasions when she had reluctantly allowed Garp aboard her ship. She sighed, resigned to his persistence.
"You'll just break my ship as soon as you board, so I don't want you with me. Why don't you go ahead and bother Sengoku about boarding his ship?" Tsuru sighed, realizing that Garp was sticking to her like a tick despite her attempts to dissuade him.
"Oh, don't say that, Tsuru-chan. You should know by now that I should be the one taking down that damn Roger," Garp insisted earnestly, disregarding any semblance of maintaining face in front of his friends. "Kong-san is too angry to let me deal with this matter, so I'll be a mere spectator, I promise. I won't cause you any trouble."
Tsuru, resigned to Garp's determination, simply shook her head and continued boarding her ship. She couldn't help but feel that she had bad luck today, having to deal with Garp just as she was about to embark on a mission.
As they made their way towards the dock, the warships stood ready and set to depart. I couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency of the admiral. Despite being assigned the mission just half an hour prior, he had already made complete preparations to set off. It was no wonder he was known as the resourceful general.
Glancing around, I observed a half dozen giant battleships preparing to depart for the New World. However, I knew that by the time we reached our destination, the situation would likely have resolved itself.
As I was about to board Tsuru's ship I caught her gazing at me with disappointment in her eyes,I still had yet to understand why the Marine chief of Staff Tsuru held so much hatred towards my brother all my tries to probe for information has been unsuccessful but I knew something significant must have happened for Tsuru to target my brother despite her being in such an exalted position, for the time being I put the matter into the back of my mind and followed Garp.
Despite the perplexed gazes of the marine officers around him, Garp confidently boarded Tsuru's battleship as if he were the commanding officer. Meanwhile, Sengoku, who was making final preparations on his own ship, caught sight of his friend—or perhaps nemesis—Garp, nonchalantly roaming on Tsuru's vessel.
"Garp, you bastard! I was entrusted with this mission. What the hell are you doing here?" Sengoku's voice boomed from atop his ship, drawing the attention of all the marine soldiers and, most notably, Garp.
"Oh, Sengoku, I didn't see you there. Don't mind me, I'm simply sightseeing." Garp waved vigorously from the top of the warship, his casual demeanor further infuriating Sengoku, who now seemed as if he wanted to jump over and strangle his friend.
"Garp, you better stay out of this! This is my mission. Shiki and Roger are mine," Sengoku voiced out his frustration, fully aware of Garp's stubborn nature and the potential for trouble.
"Hahaha, Sengoku, you don't have to worry. Even if I catch both those bastards, I'll let you take all the credit," Garp said casually while picking his ears, then waving dismissively.
Veins bulged around Sengoku's temple, a clear sign of his rising anger. If there was one man who could successfully rile the Admiral, it was Monkey D. Garp. He had a knack for getting on everyone's nerves.
"You bastard! You very well know that's not what I meant. I'm sure you'll end up sabotaging my mission. Even the last time against Whitebeard, if you had followed my instructions to the letter, we could have cornered Whitebeard. But what did you do? You threw all the plans that I had painstakingly come up with and jumped onto the enemy ship, clashing with him head-on," Sengoku fumed, his frustration boiling over.
"Hahaha, isn't that how it should be, Sengoku? If even those damn pirates don't fear for their lives, why should we fear for ours?" Garp retorted loudly, laughing as if he had shared some profound truth.
Sengoku's frustration with Garp was palpable, leading him to vent his anger by barking orders at his subordinates.
"Wow, Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp are both going!" one of the rear admirals on a nearby ship exclaimed in delight, realizing that the Marine Hero would be accompanying them on the mission.
"Well, the mission involves Roger and Shiki after all. Two of the overlords of the New World. Of course, this much firepower would be needed in case of a head-on confrontation," Vice Admiral Momonga commented from the same ship as the Rear Admiral.
"And also, Garp-san has made it his life's ambition to capture Roger, so how could he let go of such an opportunity?" Momonga added, understanding Garp's determination.
"Momonga-san, look, is that the kid? The one following Garp-san?" The rear Admiral questioned, gesturing toward me as I strolled behind Garp seemingly aimlessly.
The mention of my name caught my attention, and I narrowed my gaze, trying to pinpoint who was discussing me. I spotted Vice Admiral Momonga and a Rear Admiral under his command and waved enthusiastically in their direction.
"Such sharp senses! How did he detect us? We're two warships away from him. How did he know we were talking about him?" The rear Admiral was flustered by my seemingly keen awareness.
"Yes, that's him. The infamous Sword Demon of the Marines. Garp-san sure knows how to pick apprentices. First, a youth with the potential of an Admiral, and right after that, an unprecedented monster who has been thriving in the seas of the New World, fighting against the likes of Roger's crew. The kid sure is a monster among monsters. If he continues to grow at such a rate, I'm afraid no one in the future can stand up against him. Can you believe that kid is only 12 years old this year and he already can kill pirates who have bounties worth hundreds of millions?" Momonga remarked, his gaze fixed on me. My name was akin to a legend within Marineford, and the moniker I earned was written in the blood of countless pirates over the past three years.
"I don't understand what's so special about that kid, Momonga-san. He just looks like any regular lad. I don't know why there's all that fuss. The pirates in the New World even went as far as to name a 12-year-old child the Sword Demon," the Rear Admiral questioned in confusion, not privy to the exact details of the event where I was bestowed my title by the pirates of the New World.
"The kid is like a sheathed blade right now; however, beneath that sheath is a cunning, bloodthirsty monster ready to be unleashed at any time. Even I am not confident that I can best that little monster. Have you heard about the Pine Town massacre in the New World?" Momonga questioned his subordinate, whose face paled at the mention of the incident.