In a small hall next to the Marshal's office, Sengoku and Garp sat together, drinking wine and enjoying some light snacks.
"Garp, this is the situation our Marine is facing," Sengoku said, voice heavy with concern. "We've managed to gain some control over the pirates in the Grand Line, but in the New World, our position is far too passive."
Marine's strategy in the New World was precarious at best. If a base was under-equipped, pirates or the revolutionary army would attack it. But if too many forces were stationed at a base, the pirates and revolutionaries would simply avoid it, leaving their resources wasted. It was a delicate balance that Marine was struggling to maintain.
"This is why our bases in the New World are small," Sengoku continued. "Any base too large just becomes a target."
After a few rounds of drinks, Sengoku gripped Garp's hand with an earnest look. "Garp, bringing Finn to Naval Headquarters was a great move. With Finn's warship as the centerpiece, we could form a super-fleet with ten regular warships. It'd be like a mobile Marine base—far more effective than the static ones we've been relying on."
Garp nodded in agreement. He despised pirates and knew that shifting Marine from a passive to an active force in the New World would be a major win. Though he wouldn't force Finn to join the cause, he was more than willing to persuade him.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a Marine soldier rushed in, breathless.
"Marshal! Vice Admiral! Something serious has happened!"
Sengoku's expression darkened instantly. "A**hole!" he snapped, furious at being interrupted during such an important discussion. "How dare you barge in here without permission! You've got no discipline! Get him out of here and give him fifty lashes!"
The soldier, panic-stricken, shouted in desperation, "It's about Master Finn!"
Sengoku's fury halted. "What?!"
Garp shot to his feet. His grandson... What trouble could Finn have caused now? Memories of Finn's "heroics" along the way made Garp's scalp tingle with unease.
What did that boy do to warrant such urgency?
For a brief moment, Garp recalled Finn's earlier words at Naval Headquarters, where the young man had cheekily requested his grandfather's protection. At the time, Garp had confidently assured him that nothing would go wrong under his watch. But now, Garp had a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Had his grandson fooled him?
"Finn caused trouble?" Sengoku asked, putting his wine glass down, looking genuinely perplexed. This was Naval Headquarters, after all—what could possibly go wrong here?
When Sengoku glanced at Garp and saw his resigned expression, he felt an uneasy shift.
"Tell me what happened," Sengoku demanded, voice tense.
The soldier fumbled for words, struggling to explain the situation. "Master Finn... he... uh..."
"Out with it already!" Sengoku barked. "And what's that in your hand?" he added, noticing the video phone bug.
The soldier blinked. "Right! The video phone bug!" He hastily handed it over. "Everything's recorded inside, sir. You should see it for yourself."
Sengoku, clearly irritated, activated the device. A beam of light projected onto the wall, displaying the recorded footage. It started innocuously enough, showing the tea dolphin proposing to Momousagi—again.
"This old fool," Sengoku muttered. "He never stops, does he? How many times has she rejected him now?"
But then Finn appeared on screen.
As the young man in the video started making a peculiar hand gesture, the Marine soldier standing beside Sengoku subtly turned his head and shielded his eyes, as if he couldn't bear to witness the scene again.
Moments later...
"Pfft!" Sengoku spewed his drink across the room in shock.
"Nani!!" he shouted, standing abruptly, eyes wide as saucers. "This... this... this…!"
Beside him, Garp clicked his tongue, his face darkening. My grandson, you've really outdone yourself this time, he thought.
Garp, unable to face the situation, plopped his head down onto the table, pretending to snore.
"Garp!" Sengoku roared, slamming his fist down.
"Huh? Oh, I must've dozed off," Garp said with a feigned yawn. "What's going on, old man? What's gotten you so worked up?"
"Don't play dumb! Look at what your grandson just did!" Sengoku shouted, pointing at the projection.
Garp chuckled awkwardly, glancing at the screen. Just then, the infamous moment played out—complete with the tea dolphin's humiliating collapse.
Sengoku's jaw dropped. "What!?!"
The scene was chaotic. The tea dolphin, a once-proud Admiral candidate, was utterly disgraced. If news of this spread, his career would be in ruins. Sengoku, already red-faced from anger, felt his blood pressure surge.
"This... this will ruin him!" Sengoku stammered. "If an Admiral candidate loses face over something like this, we're finished!"
"Garp!" Sengoku bellowed again, as Garp, still laughing nervously, patted him on the back.
"Come on, calm down, old buddy. He's just a kid~," Garp said, using his thick skin to defuse the situation.
Sengoku's furious glare, however, showed that he was far from convinced.