Marineford.
Office of the Marshal.
"Hahaha, Sengoku, you're really something. You let that kid, Luo Ye, kill Doflamingo without even realizing it!" Garp laughed out loud, leaning back in his chair inside the Marshal's office. He had just received the news. Garp had initially expected Sengoku to be furious about Luo Ye's actions, especially since it meant going against the orders of the Five Elders. He had already prepared a strategy to calm Sengoku down, but what shocked him was that Sengoku was surprisingly calm. Not only that, but it turned out that it had been Sengoku's own decision to let Luo Ye act.
"Sengoku, didn't the Five Elders tell you to spare Doflamingo?" Garp asked suspiciously, eyeing his old friend. He knew that when Luo Ye had killed Crocodile, the Five Elders had called Sengoku and scolded him for it. So why was this incident so quiet?
Sengoku's lips curled into a slight smile at Garp's question. "Of course they did, but I didn't listen to them."
Garp blinked in surprise. "Wait, you… you didn't listen to the Five Elders?!" He shook his head in disbelief. "Sengoku, now I get why you've been acting so strange lately. This is the reason you've stopped following orders, huh?"
Sengoku chuckled. "Garp, I finally understand why you've always defied orders. When the orders are unreasonable, there's no point in following them." He leaned back in his chair, a glint of defiance in his eyes. "The old man has decided. Even if the Five Elders give me orders, if they're wrong, I won't follow them."
"Eh?" Garp's senbei fell to the ground in shock. He had fought alongside Sengoku for decades, and he knew the man's temperament well. Sengoku had always been the obedient one, never defying orders. Yet here he was, making such a bold declaration.
"You… are you really Sengoku?" Garp asked, his voice full of disbelief.
Sengoku slapped the table with force. "Garp, don't you dare question who I am! In the past, I always followed orders, and you disobeyed them. But now, Luo Ye doesn't take orders seriously, and look at me—this is what I've become because of you two!"
Garp burst into laughter, relieved to hear Sengoku's usual complaints. It was the Sengoku he knew, and as for the changes, he figured they were all because of Luo Ye and himself. Garp didn't take it to heart.
But after his rant, Sengoku's face grew serious, and a worried expression crossed his features. "Garp, according to the intel from Luo Ye, Doflamingo had a business relationship with Kaido." He sighed, clearly troubled. "This time, Luo Ye killed Doflamingo and even went to Punk Hazard to destroy the artificial Devil Fruit factory. Kaido won't just sit back and let this go. If Kaido finds out, we could be in serious trouble."
While Sengoku was pleased that Doflamingo was out of the picture, he couldn't ignore the looming threat that Kaido represented. Kaido, the Beast King, wasn't someone who took betrayal lightly. If he learned that his ally had been killed and his factory destroyed, it would undoubtedly spark a massive conflict.
But Garp, unfazed by the situation, waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. If Kaido wants to retaliate against the Marines, let him come for Luo Ye. He can handle it."
Sengoku shot Garp a look of disdain. In the past, Garp would have been the first to jump into action when it came to dealing with Kaido or any threat to Marine forces. But ever since Luo Ye became an Admiral, Garp had grown increasingly lazy, always passing the heavy tasks onto Luo Ye. He claimed it was because of his age, but Sengoku couldn't help but remember that Garp had never made excuses when it came to hunting down Roger.
Kaido's Domain, One of the Four Emperors.
Kaido, the self-proclaimed "strongest creature in the world," was seething with rage. He had just received the report via a phone call from one of his subordinates, and after hearing it, he violently slammed the phone to the ground.
"Marine! Those damn Marines killed my clown of a partner!" Kaido bellowed, his massive form trembling with fury. Doflamingo had been a useful ally, especially with the artificial Zoan Devil Fruits he'd obtained. The fruits had allowed Kaido to create a new army of powerful warriors, which was a crucial part of his plan to expand his power. But now, without his knowledge, Marine had taken Doflamingo out, and on top of that, destroyed his factory on Punk Hazard.
"Luo Ye… that new Marine Admiral… dare to kill my partner? Does he want to die?!" Kaido roared, his eyes blazing with fury.
One of his subordinates, clearly nervous, spoke up. "Boss Kaido, why don't we just kill that guy?!"