It was a simple truth: Garp was still in his prime. As someone who had repeatedly pushed the Pirate King, Roger, to the brink, there was no doubt that he was currently the strongest in Marine Headquarters.
Although Gion was a bit younger than them, her strength was undoubtedly among the top in the entire Marine Headquarters.
For both of them to be deployed together, and with three large battleships and so many Marines, it could only mean they were planning to take action against some of the big pirates in the New World.
"It's just Aokiji, huh? It's not a big deal. Gion and I are just planning to head over to Enies Lobby.
Apparently, some bigwig in the World Government got messed up by one of our Marine defectors, and now they want us to go clean up the mess..."
Cough, cough, cough. "Vice Admiral Garp, this mission was specially assigned by Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and all our movements are supposed to be confidential.
I'm not doubting Vice Admiral Aokiji, but if Aokiji wants to know anything, he can ask Fleet Admiral Sengoku directly. We need to depart as soon as possible."
Garp and Aokiji had a good relationship, so when Aokiji asked, Garp was ready to chat a bit. But Gion, who wasn't pleased, quickly interrupted him.
It wasn't that Gion had any issue with Aokiji, but she believed that the fewer people who knew about Wood, the better, for his safety and to keep the mission secret.
Though Garp wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal that Wood was a Marine undercover, it wasn't ideal for a promising Marine admiral candidate to take too much interest in Wood.
"This girl, Gion, is as meticulous as Tsuru. Well, Aokiji, we'll be on our way."
Garp and Gion left, but Garp's words had piqued Aokiji's curiosity.
If he remembered correctly, Enies Lobby was just in the first half of the Grand Line. What kind of pirate there would warrant Garp and Gion's personal attention?
Speaking of Marine defectors, in the vast Marine ranks, there naturally wasn't just one or two who had turned traitor over the years. But the one who had made the biggest waves recently would be none other than the former Marine Major, Wood.
Water 7, Tom's Workers' Dock.
Because Wood had helped immensely when the sea train malfunctioned, Tom's Workers decided to repay him by offering to modify the Dark Maru for free.
Since they saved a large amount of money, Robin, who held the crew's purse strings, uncharacteristically suggested throwing a party to thank Tom's Workers.
Now, walking down the streets of Water 7, Wood and Robin were together, with Robin haggling with a tavern owner like Nami, while Wood, laden with large bags, followed behind.
As Robin skillfully negotiated, citing various far-fetched reasons to drive down the prices of food and shipbuilding materials, Wood couldn't help but feel as if he had somehow led Robin astray.
Since joining their pirate crew, Robin had become much more cheerful. Though still as cunning and sharp-tongued as ever, she had become more open.
However, because the crew was mostly made up of carefree individuals, the young Robin had taken on most of the crew's responsibilities.
Nowadays, the crew had grown accustomed to Robin running the show.
Unless it was something that required the captain's decision, the others, including Ruth, would often bypass Wood and leave the decision-making to Robin.
Poor Wood, despite being the official captain, had little actual power beyond the title.
Anyone who didn't know the situation might even mistake Robin for the true leader of their crew.
Because she held so much authority and the rest of the crew were unreliable, Robin had gradually become more like Nami.
After loading the goods onto the rented Bull, Wood, who had been all smiles earlier, suddenly grew serious as if sensing something. He turned to Robin and said, "You take these things back to Tom's Workers.
If I don't return by tonight, have Ruth sail the ship to the southwest of Water 7. We'll regroup and leave from there."
Seeing the serious expression on Wood's face and hearing his words, the sharp-witted Robin immediately realized something was wrong. Without hesitation, she climbed onto the Bull and quickly left via the waterways.
It wasn't that Robin was heartless for leaving so promptly; she knew that staying would only hinder Wood and distract him.
As Robin rode away on the Bull, she kept glancing back at the spot where Wood stood. Unfortunately, the enemy didn't show themselves, and the Bull moved so fast that she soon lost sight of him.
"You've been following us for quite a while now. Isn't it about time you showed yourself? Or do I have to drag you out myself?"
The person lurking in the shadows was highly skilled, something Wood could confirm. If it hadn't been for a sudden fluctuation in the person's aura just now, Wood might not have even noticed their presence.
This was Water 7, and because of the "Pluton" blueprints, many intelligence agents from Enies Lobby were hiding out on this island.
Wood's recent display of power on the sea train wouldn't have gone unnoticed by the CP organization. However, Wood couldn't be sure if the person watching them was there for him or for Robin.
Regardless of the reason, Wood knew this wasn't good.
Although he wasn't afraid of the people from Enies Lobby, they were backed by the World Government. He had only recently started his pirate career, and provoking such a powerful entity wouldn't be good for his future.
After all, he wasn't the Straw Hat kid, who had connections, backing, and the protagonist's luck, allowing him to survive any reckless stunt and even grow stronger from it.
With Tom and his team working around the clock, the modifications to the Dark Maru should be completed soon. In any case, staying on this island was no longer safe.
He had already reported the "Pluton" intel to Sengoku, and Wood himself wasn't particularly interested in it. Escaping this brewing storm as soon as possible was the wisest move.
"It seems that our Major Wood has really let himself go since leaving the Marines.
And I've noticed you seem to have a particular fondness for young pirate girls.
First, there was that Amazonian girl, and now there's the criminal wanted by the World Government, the Demon Child Nico Robin.
Zephyr-sensei had high hopes for you, but who would've thought you were secretly a pervert?"
The familiar voice, laced with sarcasm, instantly put Wood at ease. He quickly spotted a tall figure emerging from the shadows.