In Naval Headquarters
When the warship that carried out the Buster Call returned to the port of Naval Headquarters, and several injured figures were seen being carried off the ship, Naval Headquarters fell into chaos.
In the Medical Room
"Boom!" The door swung open with urgency.
"Fleet Admiral," Momousagi and Tea Dolphin, sitting on their hospital beds with numerous bandages, lowered their heads when they saw who had entered.
Standing next to Momousagi, the great staff officer Tsuru sighed deeply. In the adjacent bed, Flying Squirrel and Huo Shaoshan, wrapped like mummies, struggled to sit up but couldn't. Nearby lay Ghost Spider, covered with a white cloth.
"What on earth happened?!" Sengoku roared, veins bulging on his forehead, as he took in the sight of the severely injured Momousagi, Tea Dolphin, Flying Squirrel, Huo Shaoshan, and the lifeless Ghost Spider.
Sengoku had been caught off guard when he learned that Enies Lobby had launched a Buster Call. Buster Call, authorized by the World Government, is an "extraordinary summons" used to completely annihilate threats to the world government's rule through indiscriminate and devastating attacks on the designated area. Once activated, even Sengoku, as Marine Marshal, could only wait until it was over before making adjustments.
But who could have predicted that five Vice Admirals and Ghost Spider, who participated in this Buster Call, would be killed in action, leaving Flying Squirrel and Huo Shaoshan gravely injured, and two Admiral candidates, Momousagi and Tea Dolphin, also seriously wounded? Such a catastrophe had never occurred since the inception of Buster Call.
"What happened in Enies Lobby?" Sengoku growled, his gaze dark and intense as he looked at Momousagi and Tea Dolphin.
"Calm down, Sengoku. Momousagi and the others are seriously injured," Tsuru interjected solemnly.
"Hoo! Hoo!" Sengoku exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down as he sat down on a chair.
"Tell me, what happened in Enies Lobby. Why would one of the five of you die and four be injured?" Sengoku demanded.
Sengoku understood why Momousagi and the others hadn't reported through the Den Den Mushi. Communications via Den Den Mushi aren't entirely secure and could be intercepted. Momousagi, having worked with Tsuru for many years, knew this well.
"It's the Flame Emperor, Portgas D. Ace! The Entei Pirates invaded the island!" Momousagi raised her head, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"What?!!!" Sengoku's pupils contracted in shock.
Momousagi then recounted everything that had transpired in Enies Lobby. She explained that, for Garp's sake, Portgas D. Ace hadn't annihilated them all but had let them endure a single powerful attack, resulting in four severe injuries and one death. She also revealed that Portgas D. Ace could use their Prayers and Surrender under his Conqueror's Haki to immediately strengthen his own Haki. Furthermore, she speculated that it was Portgas D. Ace who had initiated the Buster Call.
"Boom!" Sengoku's fist slammed into the wall, causing cracks to appear. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his teeth were clenched in fury.
"Portgas D. Ace!" Sengoku growled through gritted teeth.
"Is this your way of displaying your majesty, your kingly wrath, to the World Government and Naval Headquarters?" Sengoku's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
Compared to Momousagi and the others, Sengoku grasped the gravity of the situation more fully.
First, there was a collision between Aokiji and Portgas D. Ace. Then, in the Capital of Seven Waters, CP9 agents, who were covertly operating, provoked Nico Robin, the historian aboard Ace's ship. Blueno paid the ultimate price for his transgressions, killed on the spot.
To the world, if Portgas D. Ace is considered the fifth emperor of the sea, then CP9's actions were undeniably a grave provocation. Ace issued a public warning to the World Government, which many believed would mark the end of the conflict. However, the complete annihilation of Enies Lobby and the severe damage inflicted during the Buster Call were Ace's way of demonstrating his imperial wrath and unyielding majesty.
The message was clear: the majesty of the emperor cannot be challenged. Those who dare to offend will face obliteration. Portgas D. Ace intended to show the World Government and Naval Headquarters that he is indeed the fifth emperor of the sea.
Sengoku was not only enraged by the devastation but also deeply alarmed by Ace's rapid growth in strength. Remarkably, just by clashing with Aokiji, Ace's power had escalated to such a degree that he could, using only Conqueror's Haki-entanglement and physical strength, deliver a blow that killed one Vice Admiral and severely injured four others, including two Admiral candidates.
This level of power was previously thought to be exclusive to the peak of the Four Emperors, such as Kaido of the Beasts and Red-Haired Shanks. The realization that Portgas D. Ace had reached this level of combat prowess was staggering.
Tsuru, standing beside Sengoku, spoke gravely, "This growth rate is extraordinary, Sengoku. He can directly use the submission and unwillingness of the strong as nourishment to enhance his Conqueror's Haki. Even Shanks can't do that. Do you understand what this means?"
Sengoku nodded, gritting his teeth. "It means that if Portgas D. Ace is given time, his strength could surpass that of Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard at their peaks. Such power will disrupt the balance of the sea."
"But the most frightening part," Tsuru continued, "is that even with a Super Buster Call, we might fail. The Entei Pirates have matured into a formidable force. According to Momousagi, the Entei Pirates boast Thunder Fruit users and Bird Fruit - Phantasmal Beast Species - Suzaku form ability users, both with Admiral-candidate-level strength. Adding in the Sand-Sand Fruit user and other troublesome Devil Fruit abilities, they already possess the combat power of a nearly complete Four Emperors pirate group. The most troubling is that CP9's Door-Door Fruit was taken. With it, Portgas D. Ace can maneuver with unparalleled ease."
Sengoku's face grew darker. The Super Buster Call, comprised of one Headquarters Admiral, ten Vice Admirals, one hundred battleships, and ten thousand elite marines, was a force ten times the size of a normal Buster Call. Yet, even this might not be sufficient to deal with Portgas D. Ace.
The implications were dire. Sengoku understood that the balance of power on the seas had shifted dramatically, and the rise of Portgas D. Ace represented an unprecedented threat to the World Government and the Naval Headquarters.
In addition to the overwhelming strength of Portgas D. Ace, perhaps the most critical factor is that CP9's Door-Door Fruit fell into his hands. This rare Devil Fruit grants spatial manipulation abilities, allowing Ace to evade even a Super Buster Call by using the Gate Fruit to retreat after damaging part of the battleships. The Entei Pirates, akin to the elite Red Hair Pirates, may not be numerous in core members, but the Gate Fruit enables their entire crew to escape through its portals.
Facing a Super Buster Call against the Entei Pirates armed with Thunder Fruit, Mera-Mera Fruit, and Sand-Sand Fruit, three major Logia Devil Fruits, would result in staggering losses. "The ability to capture Devil Fruits, damn it!" exclaimed the astute General Sengoku, understanding the Gate Fruit's pivotal role. With this Devil Fruit in Ace's possession, he holds an unbeatable advantage.
"Fortunately, Portgas D. Ace isn't as reckless as Rocks once was. Out of respect for Garp, he restrained himself to just one move, sparing Momousagi and the others. That was already mercy from Portgas D. Ace," Sengoku acknowledged solemnly.
Dealing with an emperor and an almost complete Four Emperors pirate group, a conventional Buster Call would be akin to throwing an egg against a stone. Despite the irony of a pirate showing mercy to the Marines, it was the reality. Without Garp's goodwill, Momousagi and her comrades would have perished in Enies Lobby. Portgas D. Ace, a man who had no qualms about unleashing Destruction, had erased Enies Lobby from the map and slain Vice Admiral Ghost Spider and Crocodile a former Shichibukai.
"Let Garp continue negotiating with Portgas D. Ace, perhaps he can be convinced to become a Shichibukai. If not, at least stabilize the situation," Sengoku declared, his tone resolute despite the challenges ahead.
"Marshal! But Portgas D. Ace killed Ghost Spider and destroyed Enies Lobby. Are you really considering him as a potential Shichibukai?" Huo Shaoshan interjected suddenly, his gaze fixed on the ceiling from his hospital bed.
"Justice must not be undermined by personal whim! Portgas D. Ace, possessing the Door-Door Fruit, is currently beyond Marine's reach," Sengoku replied firmly, his eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation. Even with his Conqueror's Haki, leading two Admirals and ten elite Vice Admirals, capturing Ace before he uses the Gate Fruit is a daunting task.
"However, I must report to the Five Elders. Take care of your injuries," Sengoku concluded, acknowledging the limitations of Marine's current capabilities against Portgas D. Ace and the Entei Pirates.
"Boom!"
Before Sengoku could finish his sentence, the infirmary door crashed open with force, filling the room with a terrifying aura.
"Ghost Spider!"
The visitor's eyes blazed with anger as they saw the figure draped in a white shroud.
It was none other than Akainu, draped in an Admiral's cloak over a red shirt, a flower pinned to his chest — the wielder of the Lava-Lava Fruit, Naval Headquarters' pinnacle combatant.
"Who dares to kill Ghost Spider?!"
Akainu's voice roared through the room, his arms transforming into boiling magma that raised the ambient temperature sharply.
"Sakazuki!"
Sengoku's gaze narrowed as he confronted Akainu, his tone authoritative.
"Why did Ghost Spider perish during the execution of the Buster Call? Who is responsible for this injustice?"
Akainu's eyes burned with fury, his commitment to absolute justice evident in his demeanor. Ghost Spider, a loyal follower of his own strict sense of justice, had fallen during what should have been a routine operation of absolute Marine authority — the Buster Call. This failure and loss were intolerable to Akainu, whose pursuit of "Absolute justice" knew no compromise.
"Stay calm, Sakazuki! Await my orders regarding this matter!"
Sengoku's voice thundered with authority, attempting to quell Akainu's raging emotions.
Among the three Admirals, Akainu wielded the strongest might, but his methods were seen as excessively harsh by Sengoku, who had always favored Aokiji as the more balanced successor.
"Hmph!"
Akainu snorted coldly, displeased with Sengoku's response. He turned on his heel and strode out, intent on seeking answers from the Five Elders. If Sengoku wouldn't inform him, he would find out himself. The one who had defied justice would face Akainu's magma-fueled wrath.
"Sakazuki, you bastard!"
Sengoku, understanding Akainu's intentions, hurriedly followed after him.
With the incident at Enies Lobby, both Naval Headquarters and the Holy Land of Mariejois were thrown into turmoil, shaken by the repercussions of these dramatic events.
Unlike the turmoil at Naval Headquarters, a grand banquet was underway in the Capital of Water 7.
"Ouch! This is the epitome of perversion, super~ handsome dance moves!"
Franky stood on the table, bellowing with eccentric enthusiasm under the glare of stage lights, while the Square Head sisters energetically danced around him.
Ace chuckled, enjoying the feast as he indulged in the food and wine served by Laki.
Unusually, it wasn't Kaya or Vivi by his side, but Robin, who continually poured wine for Ace and exchanged glasses with him.
"Hahaha, Robin, you've got quite the drinking capacity," Ace remarked with a smile, watching Robin's slightly flushed face.
"It's still early," Robin replied, meeting Ace's gaze with a teasing smile as she refilled his glass.
Ace laughed, savoring the wine in his glass.
"It seems that after Enies Lobby, Robin has finally let go," Kaya observed with a smile, noting Robin's shift to taking charge of serving Ace.
The girls were well aware of Robin's past, and Vivi nodded in agreement, having worked closely with Robin before and noticing the change in her demeanor.
"Cheers to our happiness tonight!" Ace raised his glass, and all the girls echoed his toast in unison.
Later that evening, the flushed faces of the girls returned to IceBurg's reception room to rest.
Ace retired to his room, using his abilities to swiftly metabolize the alcohol he had consumed.
"Click."
The soft sound of the door lock being gently opened caught Ace's attention.
"Hmm?"
Ace's senses immediately recognized who was entering.
In the next moment, under the moonlight, a figure approached him with a captivating grace, placing hands gently on Ace's chest.
Driven by both alcohol and emotion, Robin's eyes, as serene as water waves, met Ace's with a smile.
"Robin."
Ace gazed at Robin, who wore only a light layer of gauze, feeling a surge of warmth in his eyes.
Robin truly was the boldest and most mature among them.
No wonder Robin kept drinking wine from him and the other girls today. It turned out to be..."Ace, you said that I will never be alone again, right?"
Robin held Ace's heart and looked at Ace, her red lips slightly raised.
"I don't want to be alone tonight either.""!!!" Ace felt the warm warmth on his lips, and his face got Red.
Turning over, even more warmth spread throughout Ace's body.
What an Awesome Day.