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At Marine Headquarters, Marineford, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat in his office, his hair nearly completely white with worry.
The Heavenly Tribute, the offering from the World Government's member nations to the Celestial Dragons, had been stolen.
And lurking behind the incident was the shadow of the Revolutionary Army, which deepened Sengoku's concern.
The Revolutionary Army, the only organization in the world openly opposing the World Government, was a thorn in the side of both the Marines and the Government. Its leader, Monkey D. Dragon, was considered the most dangerous individual to the Government.
The Government feared him not solely for his strength, nor for the strength of the Revolutionary Army itself. The true danger lay in the ideology Dragon spread.
No matter how powerful an individual or organization was, the World Government, as the ruling power, had ways to deal with them. This was why the Revolutionary Army could only operate in the shadows, employing guerilla tactics.
However, no one could stop the infectious spread of the Revolutionary Army's ideology. This was the truly terrifying aspect.
To minimize the Revolutionary Army's influence, Sengoku believed it was best to pin the blame for the incident on pirates.
Devil Noir and Fire Fist Ace would have their bounties increased publicly, while the Marines would secretly intensify their pursuit of the Revolutionary Army.
Sengoku looked at the reports flooding his desk, each one detailing fruitless searches. He covered his eyes with his hand, his worry deepening. He was at a loss for what to do.
Since Doflamingo's interception of the Heavenly Tribute, the Marines had strengthened its defenses. Yet, it hadn't been enough.
Noir's Copy-Copy Fruit was proving to be a major problem.
Sengoku, known as the "Strategist," had made some calculations based on Noir's travels and the people he'd encountered. He concluded that Noir must have copied the powers of the Clone-Clone Fruit.
This made the situation even more complicated. With the ability to copy and mimic, Noir could become practically anyone…
Snore… Snore…
The sound of snoring echoed through the office. Sengoku's gaze shifted to Garp, who was sprawled on the office sofa, fast asleep and snoring loudly.
A sudden chill caused Garp's snot bubble to burst. He yawned, his eyes fluttering open.
Garp, jolted back to reality, saw Sengoku's livid face and greeted him with a carefree grin. "Yo!"
"Yo, my ass! You're supposed to be working, not slacking off in my office!" Sengoku roared, pointing at Garp's nose.
Garp chuckled but remained silent. He was unfazed by Sengoku's threats and scolding, like a mountain weathering a storm.
Sengoku, exasperated by Garp's thick skin, was about to explode when a knock came at the door. "Enter!" he bellowed.
A Marine soldier nervously entered, saluting. "Report!"
"Devil Noir and his crew have infiltrated Mary Geoise! They are freeing slaves and setting fires! The Holy Land is requesting reinforcements!"
"What?!" Sengoku's eyes widened. Hadn't Noir just stolen the Heavenly Tribute?
How had he gotten to Mary Geoise? How did they even get in?!
Garp burst into laughter. "That kid's got guts! He's trying to pull off what Fisher Tiger did!"
Sengoku glared at Garp, his head pounding.
"He managed to infiltrate the Holy Land undetected. If he sets Mary Geoise ablaze again, Noir will be as dangerous as Fisher Tiger!"
As Sengoku pondered the situation, the soldier awkwardly interrupted his thoughts. "Devil Noir might be even more dangerous than Tiger. The Holy Land reports that he has kidnapped dozens of Celestial Dragons."
Sengoku, in disbelief, clutched his head and snapped at the soldier, "Why didn't you say that sooner?!"
"Damn it! Garp, you take a unit and go provide support immediately!" Sengoku ordered his old friend.
To his surprise, Garp shook his head firmly. "No!"
Sengoku frowned. "What? You're a Marine Vice Admiral!"
Garp snorted. "Noir might be an enemy, but right now, he's a beacon of hope for those slaves. I don't want to interfere at this time."
Sengoku was speechless. It was no secret within the Marines that Garp despised the Celestial Dragons.
The Celestial Dragons often ordered the Marines to do their dirty work. Many of the slaves Fisher Tiger had freed were eventually recaptured.
And it was the Marines, under duress from the Celestial Dragons, who carried out the recapture.
This incident had led to widespread questioning of the Marines' sense of justice.
Were they merely the Celestial Dragons' cleanup crew, upholding their evil deeds?
It had taken Sengoku a long time to quell the resentment among the officers after that incident, and it had come at a great cost, with the loss of valuable personnel and resources.
Garp's attitude and actions, combined with his relatively independent position as a Vice Admiral, earned him the tacit support of many officers who shared his sentiments.
Unable to sway his old friend, but with the situation escalating, Sengoku had no choice but to summon the two slacker Admirals.
Moments later, two tall figures stood before Sengoku's desk.
Aokiji had one eye closed, snoring softly. He seemed to have fallen asleep standing up.
Kizaru was examining a black Den Den Mushi in his hand, seemingly puzzled by its purpose.
Sengoku's eye twitched. He slammed his fist on the desk and roared, "There's trouble in the Holy Land! You two are to depart immediately, rescue the Celestial Dragons, quell the slave rebellion, and capture Noir!"
Kizaru drawled, "So many tasks..."
Aokiji opened his eyes, Noir's face flashing through his mind.
They had met briefly in the Calm Belt. Even then, Aokiji had sensed that Noir could become a formidable enemy of the Marines.
He hadn't expected that premonition to come true so quickly.
Despite his usual laid-back demeanor, Aokiji's voice was heavy. "Capture slaves and help the Celestial Dragons again?"
Sengoku looked at Aokiji, his chosen successor for the position of Fleet Admiral. "This isn't about helping the Celestial Dragons. This is our duty as Marines. Even if many of the slaves are innocent, they have still started a rebellion."
But without rebellion, how can they see a brighter future?
Aokiji's sense of justice seemed to clash with the situation.
He kept those words to himself. He knew his duty. With a sigh, he said, "Yes, sir."
Sengoku nodded, addressing the two Admirals. "Sakazuki's abilities would cause too much damage to Mary Geoise. You two will go together."
This was partly due to Sengoku's personal feelings. If Akainu went, regardless of whether Noir escaped or was captured, the slaves would undoubtedly be massacred.
But with Aokiji, the slaves might have a chance.
"Kuzan, use your powers to extinguish the fires in Mary Geoise. Borsalino, find a way to retrieve the Celestial Dragons and capture Noir and his crew."
Sengoku's expression was grim as he issued his orders. "Remember, do not let Noir copy your abilities under any circumstances. That would be a devastating loss for the Marines!"
"Yes, sir."
In Mary Geoise, Noir was oblivious to the two Admiral-level threats heading his way.
He stared at the two towering figures before him, marveling, "I didn't expect to find giants imprisoned in the Holy Land."
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