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"Wow!"
Tables and chairs screeched as they were shoved aside, their legs dragging noisily across the floor.
Sengoku shot up from his chair, feeling a chill run down his spine. His expression was tense as he locked eyes with the intelligence officer standing before him.
This wasn't just any officer—it was a colonel tasked with reporting news directly to Marine HQ's senior officials. Sengoku silently prayed the man was mistaken or simply playing a bad joke.
"Who did it?" Sengoku's stern voice carried through the room, though he managed to calm himself just enough to keep his composure.
The colonel, standing rigidly, swallowed nervously. "It seems... it was Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates," he replied hesitantly.
"It seems?" Sengoku's irritation flared, and his sharp gaze bore into the colonel.
The man quickly corrected himself. "Uh, I mean, it was the Straw Hat Pirates' cook, Black Leg Sanji, along with the so-called Sea Knight, Duval."
Sengoku's eye twitched, his frustration mounting. He turned his attention to Garp, who was dozing lazily on a nearby sofa.
"That damn Garp! It's your family causing trouble again!" Sengoku bellowed.
Garp stirred slightly, his eyebrows twitching, but he gave no response, sinking deeper into sleep with a loud snore.
"Has an Admiral been dispatched?" Sengoku asked, his voice now steadier.
"Yes, sir! Admiral Kizaru was already near the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, when the incident occurred. He's en route to handle the situation," the colonel responded promptly.
Sengoku nodded, sitting back down with a heavy sigh. "I see. You're dismissed."
The colonel saluted and left the room without another word. Sengoku leaned back, his thoughts swirling.
Celestial Dragons being attacked was bad enough, but the news of thirteen rookies—each with bounties exceeding 100 million berries—gathering in one place was even more concerning.
It wasn't just any group of rookies, either. Among them was Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate carrying the infamous Will of D, and Nico Robin, the archaeologist capable of reading Poneglyphs.
Sengoku's gaze fell on Luffy's bounty poster lying on his desk. That familiar straw hat brought back memories of another man—a man who once shook the seas.
To respond to the threat, Sengoku had mobilized five powerful Vice Admirals to Sabaody Archipelago. Even though Kizaru was already handling the matter, Sengoku felt compelled to demonstrate Marine HQ's seriousness.
This force was no less dangerous than a Buster Call. However, because of the Archipelago's proximity to Mary Geoise and its importance, launching a Buster Call there was out of the question without direct approval from the World Government. Instead, the Vice Admirals' mission was to eliminate the rookies and weaken the New World's future threats.
Garp, still slumped on the sofa with his arms crossed, continued to snore. But the slight furrow of his brows betrayed him—he had heard every word.
"An Admiral is coming?"
Basil Hawkins furrowed his brow and stopped in his tracks.
"Yes, Captain," replied one of his crew members nervously. "Straw Hat Luffy and his crew attacked a Celestial Dragon, so an Admiral has been dispatched. We don't know if the Marines will send anyone else."
The mention of an Admiral sent a chill through the crew. An encounter with such a powerhouse wasn't a matter to take lightly—there was a real chance none of them would make it out alive.
Hawkins consulted his cards, his expression remaining stoic. "There's a 30% chance we'll be captured, a 10% chance of being killed, another 10% chance of serious injury, and a 50% chance of escaping safely," he muttered.
Those odds were just good enough for him to proceed. After all, he was a pirate. Risks came with the territory. Besides, he was curious to witness firsthand the strength of one of the Marine Admirals, some of the most powerful forces in the world.
Elsewhere on Sabaody Archipelago, other supernovas had also caught wind of the situation. This year's group of rookies—all infamous and dangerous—was gathered on the island.
Unlike Luffy and his carefree crew, they were well aware of the consequences of attacking a Celestial Dragon. Their expressions turned grim as the news spread. Even the most arrogant among them knew how dire the situation was.
In Grove 37, chaos reigned. Luffy and his crew were surrounded, Marines flying through the air as Sanji kicked several of them out of the way.
"Hey, Luffy! Why are you hanging out with this moss-head?" Sanji asked between attacks, glancing at Zoro.
Luffy quickly explained the events that had unfolded and then asked, "Wait, Sanji, you hit a Celestial Dragon?"
"Yeah," Sanji admitted, exhaling a puff of smoke. "That fancy-dressed scumbag attacked a lady. I couldn't stand by and do nothing, so I took him out."
"Really!" Luffy frowned, nodding in agreement. "That guy's awful. He shot at me and Zoro for no reason! If it weren't for that... ummm..." Luffy scratched his head, struggling to recall a name. "That one woman... Joelie Pawnee or something!"
"If she hadn't stopped us, Zoro and I would've taken him down!" Luffy said confidently as he swept through a group of Marines with a powerful kick.
"Ah, right!" Luffy suddenly remembered something and laughed. "We should run! That woman said if you attack a Celestial Dragon, an Admiral shows up! Hehehehe~" He grinned, his sense of adventure completely outweighing the danger.
"What?!" Locke, a pirate with a bounty rivaling Sanji and Zoro's, widened his eyes in shock. "That guy was a Celestial Dragon? This is bad."
Sanji, more familiar with the consequences, turned serious. "Luffy, Zoro, Locke—we need to leave now! If an Admiral gets here, we're done for. We can't handle someone like that yet!"
As a former prince of the Germa Kingdom, Sanji kept up with current events even after living in the East Blue. He knew just how disastrous an encounter with an Admiral could be.
The rest of the crew, initially unconcerned, began to grow serious. The situation was far worse than they'd realized.
Luffy, however, didn't seem fazed. "Alright! Let's run again! Eh heh heh heh~" he laughed, completely unfazed by the impending danger.
"When~"
"You idiot! How can you laugh at a time like this?!" Sanji rolled his eyes and smacked Luffy on the head. "I don't even know what's happened to Miss Robin and the others!"
"Don't worry, Sanji. I'm sure they started heading back as soon as they heard the news," Locke chimed in, puffing his cigarette. His close friendship with Sanji was evident in their shared habits.
"Ah!" Sanji nodded, exhaling smoke as he unleashed a chain kick.
"One Hundred Eight-Pound Phoenix!" Zoro roared, sending a tornado flying into the sky and knocking back a swarm of Marines.
As Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Locke finally broke through the Marine encirclement and prepared to escape, a dazzling golden light shot toward them from the distance.
Luffy's instincts kicked in. His eyes widened as he envisioned a beam piercing his chest. Reacting just in time, he leaped aside.
BOOM!
The spot where Luffy had been standing moments ago exploded into a massive, steaming crater.
"This is..."
The crew's eyes narrowed, their faces growing grim.
"Oh~ Straw Hat Luffy? And three other rookies with bounties over 100 million berries? You've got quite the impressive pirate crew," came a lazy, mocking voice. "Attacking a Celestial Dragon... how bold of you. You rookies really are something else. Terrifying, just terrifying~"
The voice belonged to none other than Admiral Kizaru.
The Marines cheered in relief and excitement.
"Ah! Look, it's Admiral Kizaru!"
"Kizaru Admiral has arrived! None of these supernovas will escape now!"
"Hey, it's Kizaru Admiral!"
Luffy turned around, his gaze locking onto the source of the voice.
In the distance, a tall, lanky man wearing a yellow-striped suit and a Marine Justice coat strolled toward them casually. His yellow sunglasses reflected the light, and his expression was a mix of apathy and amusement.
"I can't let you escape," Kizaru said, his voice as nonchalant as ever. "Attacking a Celestial Dragon is a serious crime. You're destined to spend the rest of your days in Impel Down~"
With his hands in his pockets and a faint smirk on his face, Kizaru didn't even bother to take Luffy and the others seriously.
To Kizaru, rookie pirates like them were nothing more than small fry. Without the ability to use Haki, they couldn't even touch him, let alone pose a threat.
"Really? Admiral Kizaru?"
A young voice rang out from behind.
Kizaru's eyes widened in surprise, his pupils shrinking as he turned toward the source of the voice.
Luffy, equally shocked, looked in the same direction.
But where Kizaru's face showed disbelief, Luffy's lit up with joy.