It had been nearly three hours since Arthur left Cocoyasi Village. By now, he was flying over the East Blue, spotting a few drifting clouds in the sky using his powerful Observation Haki.
Arthur had already used one of his modifications to secure Bell-mère's grave and placed the rest of his setup beneath the large orange orchard.
That wasn't enough yet, but the island's weight had been reduced by 60% with these clouds. The remaining 40% was no problem for Arthur to handle.
He continued flying, searching for more clouds to support the floating island. Soon enough, the orange orchard would remain stable without Arthur's help.
Arthur was using part of his power to manage the remaining weight while also moving the temporary island forward.
He and Nojiko stood at the island's edge, gazing at the endless ocean below.
Meanwhile, Arthur wasn't aware that not long after they left, Garp, the legendary Marine, had arrived in Cocoyasi Village.
"These clouds are so strange! I didn't expect you could actually touch them! Are all clouds like this?" Nojiko asked, squeezing a piece of the cloud with curiosity.
"No, only special clouds can do this," Arthur replied, shaking his head. He then explained the formation of Sky Islands, along with the White Sea and White-White Sea.
With two beautiful women by his side, Arthur enjoyed his flight through the skies in comfort.
Back in Cocoyasi Village…
"Vice Admiral Garp! We've arrived at the destination. Please give your orders!" A Marine with a telescope around his neck reported, saluting Garp.
All that could be heard, though, was calm and steady breathing.
"Uh… Vice Admiral Garp?" The Marine called out cautiously, confused.
"Huh? What? My donuts!" Garp suddenly woke up, having dozed off earlier.
"Did you say something?" he asked, stuffing another donut into his mouth.
The Marine, sweating nervously, repeated his report.
"Oh, we're here already? Then let's go ashore!" Garp said, looking at the island in the distance and waving his hand casually.
At that moment, some fishermen were returning from a day of fishing in the village port. When they saw the huge warship approaching—larger than any they'd seen before—they panicked and fled, leaving their catch behind.
When Garp and the other Marines landed, many villagers had already gathered around.
"Oh! Am I really that popular? Look at all these people welcoming me! Bahahaha!" Garp laughed boastfully upon seeing the crowd.
The Marines standing beside him could only think the same thing:
'That's not it…'
An hour after arriving on the island, Garp's expression grew serious.
He had learned quite a bit. Before coming here, he had stopped by the D-37 Marine base and discovered the corrupt actions of Colonel Nezumi from some of the honest soldiers there.
Once he arrived in Cocoyasi Village, he listened to the villagers' tearful stories about the suffering caused by Arlong and the Marines' failure to act.
Garp remained silent, and the surrounding Marines hung their heads in shame.
Some of the Marines were from the D-37 branch, and they were righteous at heart.
But no matter how much higher-ups suppress them, their shame was undeniable.
Garp, knowing the truth about what had happened, didn't say much. He wasn't sure what to tell the villagers. Should he explain that it wasn't all the Marines who were at fault, but just a corrupt officer and a pirate in disguise?
Luckily, the villagers didn't know the full details. The only thing they cared about was that Arlong, the one who caused them so much pain, was dead.
Earlier, in Arlong Park, Garp had noticed piles of black and gray ashes. With his years of battle experience, he immediately recognized that these were from something being incinerated.
From all the clues he'd gathered, Garp was convinced that the person responsible was the one with the power of the Goro Goro no Mi, the Thunder Fruit. He had seen this individual once before on Sky Island—the one who ruled the skies.
"What's his plan? Why did he come to East Blue again? Is there some hidden agenda?" Garp's face darkened as he thought about it, but he couldn't figure out a clear answer.
Before leaving, Garp did something good: he handed over the bounty money from the Arlong Pirates to the villagers of Cocoyasi. Then, he boarded his ship.
"Set course for Foosha Village!" Garp ordered, eager to visit his beloved grandson, Luffy.
Once the ship was en route, Garp retreated to his quarters. He needed to inform Sengoku and Tsuru about Arthur.
Thinking wasn't his strong suit, so he decided it was better to consult the two strategists who had sharper minds.
"Blubru~Blubru~"
At Marine Headquarters, in the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku was busy with paperwork when his transponder snail rang. He opened the drawer and saw that it was Garp calling.
"Garp, what's going on?" Sengoku answered.
"I've figured out the situation with that corrupt colonel. It's that kid from Sky Island who ate the Thunder Fruit. That beam of light we saw? That was him."
"It's complicated," Garp said, and he shared all the information he had gathered, expressing his concerns.
Sengoku, after hearing everything, hung up and sat back in his chair, deep in thought. "Four thousand kilometers in under seven minutes... That's terrifying! Is this truly the power of the Thunder Fruit?"
As for Colonel Nezumi's misdeeds, Sengoku didn't concern himself too much. Nezumi was already dead, so he'd just assign a new branch commander.
After some consideration, Sengoku called in a nearby colonel and asked him to summon Vice Admiral Tsuru. She had just returned from a mission, temporarily replacing Admiral Aokiji as Akainu's guard.
Shortly after, a dignified older woman entered the room, with Aokiji walking a step behind her. This sight didn't surprise anyone at Marine Headquarters.
The woman was Vice Admiral Tsuru, one of the most respected figures in the Marines. Even Doflamingo, a notorious pirate, held a mixture of fear and respect for her.
"What's the matter, Sengoku?" Tsuru asked as soon as she entered. Sengoku repeated what Garp had told him.
After listening carefully, Tsuru frowned. "This kid is really unusual. According to the intelligence, he first appeared in Alabasta over four years ago, where Crocodile was injured."
"Then he disappeared, only to show up again in East Blue. Two years later, he resurfaced on the Grand Line. He went through Sabaody Archipelago, attended the auction, but didn't buy anything. Then he entered the New World, fought in Dressrosa, and it's unclear if he made any deals with Doflamingo."
"After that, he crossed paths with Kaido's crew, defeated one of the Calamities, Jack the Drought, and sent him to the bottom of the sea. He even fought Red-Haired Shanks and lost by a small margin."
"Later, he appeared on Fish-Man Island, where it's reported that he was involved in the recent changes there. Now, it seems that he was part of those events."
"All his previous actions had a certain pattern. But this time, with such a bold move, killing every member of the Arlong Pirates and taking two girls with him, he's making a statement."
Tsuru picked up two files from the desk, one with pictures of Nami and Nojiko, and another that mentioned Jessica in the intelligence.
"I'm afraid this boy is about to reveal himself to the world. If he didn't plan to make his presence known, he wouldn't have kept his whereabouts hidden for so long, only to suddenly make a loud entrance now."
"A young man this powerful, not weaker than an Admiral, likely has some deep secret. In my opinion, we should send someone to Sky Island and investigate this boy further."
"With strength like his, we can't just sit back and hope for the best. Even if we can't figure out his intentions right away, we need to confirm where he stands!" Tsuru's words hung heavy in the air.
Sengoku nodded thoughtfully. He understood everything she had said, but he was still hesitating on how to approach the situation. Contacting this individual seemed like the most logical step, especially since, based on what they knew, the person in question was the King of Sky Island. It didn't seem likely that he would move against the Marines.
However, the location of Sky Island—floating above the middle of the first half of the Grand Line and near the Calm Belt bordering the East Blue—was concerning. If something were to happen, it could create major problems for the first half of the Grand Line.
Considering he might be as strong as a Yonko, this couldn't be taken lightly. And the fact that he was so young only made it more unpredictable.
"Alright, Tsuru, I'm counting on you to handle this. Take Aokiji with you. I'd rather not send you alone—his strength is still an unknown factor, and we don't know what condition Sky Island is in."
Lieutenant General Tsuru nodded in agreement.
Aokiji, standing nearby, yawned a bit lazily before muttering, "So I just got back and now I'm heading out again? I was hoping to finally get some sleep."
Sengoku's brow furrowed, and he snapped at him sternly. "Kuzan! This is no small matter! The opponent is extremely powerful, and if anything happens to Vice Admiral Tsuru, it would be a tremendous loss for the Navy! Your job is to protect her and to serve as a deterrent."
"Yes, yes, I understand!" Aokiji replied, a cold sweat forming on his forehead. He muttered under his breath, "Should've kept quiet…"
Sengoku handed Aokiji an old, well-worn permanent Log Pose. "This is the Log Pose for Sky Island. Your safest route is from Mary Geoise, as it's closer to the White Sea. Be careful—Sky Island doesn't have many of these Log Poses, so don't forget to bring it back!"
Meanwhile, Arthur was completely unaware that the Marines were discussing a visit to Sky Island. He continued his relaxed chat with his sister, flying high above the clouds.
But Arthur's recent display of flying thousands of kilometers across the sky was deliberate. He had begun preparing for the next phase of his plan.
The time had come—
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