In the Water 7, a few days passed in the blink of an eye.
With the combined efforts of Franky, Mr. Iceburg, and the three foremen of the Galley-La Company, a sailboat capable of crossing any sea was rapidly built and was almost ready to set sail.
Roman quietly knocked on Marine Vice Admiral Garp's door.
"Hahaha, it's little Roman!"
The cheerful, tall old man patted the table in front of him and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Come, sit! Keep this old man company for a while—Luffy, that brat, doesn't even have the patience to listen to me for a minute!"
"Mr. Garp, I have something to discuss with you." Roman didn't sit down, but stood in the room, his serious expression making Garp also become serious.
"Ace has been captured."
?
"What Ace..."
"Portgas D. Ace, Luffy's older brother." Roman looked at the motionless Garp Vice Admiral and sighed.
"Or should I say—Gol D. Ace?"
!!!
In an instant, a pressure as heavy as a mountain and as vast as the ocean enveloped Roman! Even with Roman's current strength, he couldn't breathe for a moment, as if he had been thrown into the deep sea, unable to move.
Crack, crack, crack!!
The entire room echoed with creaking sounds, as if all the objects were groaning and begging for mercy!
"Do you know what you're saying, little Roman?"
In the calmest voice of Vice Admiral Garp, the teacup in his hand first turned into fine sand and flowed down, then disintegrated into ashes along with the tea in mid-air! Immediately after, the chair he was sitting on silently collapsed, as did the table and floor in front of him...In the blink of an eye, the room was left with only a tall, old Marine seemingly 'sitting' in mid-air, his soul-piercing eyes firmly locked onto Roman! Forget about 'elementalization,' even raising his hand to use his abilities was incredibly difficult. However—Roman had no intention of fighting this Marine hero.
"I received news,"
Facing the terrifying Haki that seemed capable of crushing him to pieces in the next second, Roman's expression remained unchanged.
"A few days ago, there was a battle on Banaro Island."
"The combatants were Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and Blackbeard Teach, a traitor from Whitebeard's crew."
Blackbeard Teach?!
In an instant, Garp recalled the man who had barged into the recent Warlord meeting:'I recommend my captain for the position of Warlord,'
The man with a cane and a top hat, named Lafitte, had grinned at the three Warlords, the Marine Vice Admiral, and the Marine Fleet Admiral present.
'His name is Marshall D. Teach!'It's him?
The aura retracted, and the room returned to calm once more! If not for the vanished furniture, it would seem as if nothing had happened.
"Continue!"
Facing Garp's stern words, Roman remained unfazed.
—If something happened to the Straw Hat crew, his tone would be much worse.
"The result of the battle was that Ace was captured alive, and Blackbeard has likely already delivered Ace to Marine Headquarters. To secure the position of Warlord, he needs a significant 'gift.'"
The second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, with a bounty of 550 million Berries, 'Fire Fist' Ace is more than enough!
Garp took another deep look at the young man before him. Whether it was Ace's true identity, the battle on another island, or Blackbeard's ambition for the Warlord position...
These were not pieces of information that ordinary people—or even most strong individuals—could access!
"I know what you're thinking, Mr. Garp,"
Roman spread his hands. As a transmigrator, he knew many confidential pieces of information, but explaining their sources was a troublesome matter in itself. Fortunately, now was not the time to dwell on such 'trivialities.'
"But the urgent task now is to prevent Ace's identity from being exposed."
If it were only the identity of the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, there might still be a chance to 'rescue' him. But if Ace's identity as the Pirate King's son were exposed, then...
"Blackbeard Teach was once Ace's subordinate, and with Ace's temperament—"
Many in the Whitebeard Pirates knew he was the son of the former Pirate King.
"So, Mr. Garp, you must hurry back. Whether it's altering reports or silencing those involved, first cover up Ace's identity, then find a way to get him out..."
Being part of the 'system,' even someone as upright as Garp would not be unfamiliar with these 'methods' after decades. With his status and authority, it was not impossible to suppress this matter.
—Impartial and incorruptible? Absolutely just?
Then he wouldn't be human.
"Kid... you..."
"I advised Ace a long time ago, but you know—"
Facing Garp's hesitation, Roman spread his hands, showing a 'there's nothing I can do' expression.
"He wouldn't listen to me. In fact, he doesn't even listen to Whitebeard. Whitebeard didn't approve of him chasing Blackbeard alone. I don't know how a hero like Roger could have such a stubborn son."
"Anyway, I hope you, as his grandfather, can persuade him,"
"Honestly—what's so good about being a pirate? If he's willing to surrender, the Marines can immediately turn him into a model of 'a prodigal son returning home,' and the position of Admiral would be within reach..."
"Hearing that from a 'pirate' like you is really strange."
As Garp slowly stood up, Roman rolled his eyes.
"I was dragged into being a 'pirate' by your grandson. If you want to blame someone, blame Luffy."
Well, although Roman, who had eaten the Paper-Paper Fruit, was also planning to find a small country to play a 'steal the country' game, recruit soldiers, and build up strength..."Thanks, Roman."
Recovering from the shock of the news, Garp nodded to Roman. The fact that he came to say this at this time showed that he... no, he saw Luffy as a true comrade, a family member!
Otherwise, with the shrewdness and caution that this boy named Roman had shown, he would have stayed far away from this mess.
"I'll set sail for headquarters immediately!"
"But before that—"
Crack, crack,Facing Garp, who was cracking his knuckles and slowly approaching, a row of question marks appeared above Roman's head.
?????
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"Hehehe, I heard our ship is almost finished!"
Wearing a white T-shirt, Luffy happily walked towards the sea with a big bag of meat on his back. Roman had just told them to go to the shore to check the ship and prepare for departure.
"Hmph, what's there to be happy about?"
Wearing a set of black T-shirts that looked like 'couple outfits' with Luffy—actually cheap discounted T-shirts—Zoro pouted, but his face also showed a rare look of interest. After all, for a pirate crew, a good ship was like a famous sword to a swordsman.
Thinking of swords, Zoro instinctively touched the three swords at his waist.
Besides Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu, the other sword was just bought in Water 7. Although the Straw Hat crew was 'not short of money' now, it was just a 'good sword.'
It couldn't match Zoro's strength and was only a temporary measure—Boom!!
A figure flew and crashed in front of the group, making them stop. Then:"Cough, cough,"
A battered Roman stood up from the big pit on the ground.
"Luffy? Why I can see you guys in the heaven~~"
"Roman, are you okay?"
For Luffy, who was usually so carefree, to ask such a question, it was obvious that Roman's current appearance was:His suit was torn and tattered, revealing the paper underneath; his muscles were bruised and battered; his face...
"Seimei Kikan!"
With a rub of Roman's hands, his swollen face quickly recovered.
"I'm fine,"
Having just escaped disfigurement, Roman calmly patted himself down, and his suit began to reassemble with a rustling sound.
"—But you all are in trouble."
????
Thud!
A tall figure suddenly landed behind Luffy and the others, and as they turned around with cold sweat on their faces, they saw Vice Admiral Garp with his massive fists.
"You brats!"
Boom!
With a loud shout, the 'fist of love' came crashing down, instantly smashing Luffy's head into the floor! Vice Admiral Garp looked angrily at the others: Zoro and Sanji.
"You just got a little bit of strength and you think you're invincible?"
"You think you're so strong, huh?"
"Garp, I—"
Boom!
"Garp—"
Boom!
In an instant, the three main fighters of the Straw Hat crew simultaneously performed a head-smashing-into-stone act, making Roman, who was adjusting his tie, nod in approval.
That's more like it, comrades should share both good and bad times, how could I be the only one getting beaten?
"Grandpa, what's gotten into you!"
"Hey! Luffy—" x2Facing the enraged trio, Garp rubbed his fists with a look of disdain.
"What? You want to fight this old man—"
"Let's go,"
Roman, who had been sent flying by Garp, turned around without hesitation, signaling the stunned Nami, Robin, and the terrified Chopper to follow.
"Ro... Roman... What about Luffy and the others?"
Facing Chopper's stammering question, Roman waved his hand casually.
"Don't worry,"
"They'll catch up soon."
Yes, with swollen heads...
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