"Waaah! Grandpa Garp! What is that place? Are there really gates this huge in the world? Are they all for giants?"
"Hahaha, this is the Gate of Justice that connects Marine Headquarters and Judicial Island!"
"I see… but I never saw it on any sea chart."
"Then Nami should draw it onto the chart herself, right?"
"Yes! Someday I'll definitely draw the most detailed map in the world!"
"Then you must study navigation properly! And you have to become a Marine if you want to go to seas you don't yet know!"
"Yes! Grandpa Garp, I'll work hard!"
In front of the Gate of Justice, Garp had both Nojiko and Nami — the two little girls who accompanied him — slung over his shoulders.
But in his mind he kept muttering…
That Dragon — such an irresponsible fellow!
Ever since Luffy was born he hasn't kept in touch!
And why didn't he have ten or eight more granddaughters!?
The guards standing watch by the Gate of Justice exchanged glances…
Who exactly were these two girls that a Marine hero was personally looking after them!?
Of course they couldn't imagine that this job had been personally taken on by the Marine hero Garp.
Ever since the number of grandsons in his house grew from one to three, he'd grown increasingly irritated with the wretched little boys.
Whenever he thought of his grandsons tearing the place apart every day, then glanced at the two obedient little girls on his shoulders…
His resentment toward Monkey D. Dragon increased another notch.
He had already decided the posture he'd use to beat that unfilial son the next time he saw him.
Just then, a sound came from outside the Gate of Justice — the great gate standing above the sea began to slowly open.
In an instant, the divided waters merged.
Following that came one government vessel after another, and the exclusive flagship of the Five Elders.
Garp frowned.
Although Michael had already told him this trial would be a key factor in changing the relationship between the Marines and the World Government, he still found himself frowning at the arrival of the Five Elders.
And most importantly, there was a smell aboard that flagship he liked least of all…
"Are you… Monkey D. Garp? That Marine hero?"
Someone leapt down from the flagship and stood before Garp.
"Your tone sounds like you've never seen me before… Garling."
The newcomer was the Supreme Commander of the Knights of God, Figarland Garling.
The two were old acquaintances, but they hadn't met since the days of the God's Valley. Though the years had passed and both were now old men, they could still recognize one another at a glance.
"You all really made a big show… even the Knights of God are mobilized."
"There's no choice — after all, they're… the Five Elders." Figarland Garling shrugged. "Even among Celestial Dragons there are differences in rank and prestige."
"Hmph."
Garp didn't continue. He turned and walked toward the open-air court.
"Grandpa Garp… who are those people?" Nojiko asked, curious. "Their gazes are so strange… it's like they don't see us as people, but as some other kind of 'creature.'"
"Nojiko, you must remember… these people are the most self-righteously noble in the world, and they hide the most filth."
...
"To be honest, getting into this company wasn't actually that hard."
"If you ask me, we should find a chance to arrest all the employees, kill half of them, and then interrogate the rest one by one. How about that?"
"Is that all you ever think about — blood and guts? Have you considered why we went undercover here in the first place?"
"For something this important, the ordinary staff wouldn't be aware… so we need to focus on the higher-ups."
"But they've already gone to Judicial Island…"
"People may leave, but their homes can't. The design for the Pluton is too important to carry about casually, right?"
CP9, led by Rob Lucci, were loudly scheming inside the lodgings assigned to them.
As for whether their loud voices might be overheard…
First, Tom's Shipyard's new employee dormitories were quite remote.
Second… worst case, you just silence whoever overhears you.
Besides, who would imagine a place like this would be hiding a group of World Government elite spies?
At that moment a group of shipwrights from Tom's Shipbuilding happened to walk by outside.
"The World Government has no sense left! They actually accused Tom-san of being an accomplice of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger… what were they thinking?"
"Everyone in Water 7 knows that Tom-san built the Pirate King's ship, but that was a business transaction. Tom-san just built ships for pay — Roger didn't become Pirate King because of that ship!"
"But still, the World Government must have some eyesight… we did take on a number of government ship commissions."
"Calm down — hinting like that is only shooting yourself in the foot!"
Rob Lucci, one of the World Government's most loyal hounds, naturally couldn't tolerate such talk.
If he didn't have a mission on his hands, he would have burst out and slaughtered those disrespectful commoners without hesitation.
To him, such people were nothing more than slaughterers.
Kaku noticed the look in Rob Lucci's eyes.
He reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, Lucci, don't start a massacre here… we're undercover, remember."
"You don't need to remind me, Kaku." Rob Lucci glanced at Kaku's hand and then raised his eyes.
"Also, I don't like your tone."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Kaku immediately let go.
He had always felt a certain fear toward Rob Lucci.
After all, Lucci was acknowledged as a monster — both in strength and cruelty.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
The sound of a white cane tapping the ground came from outside.
CP9 fell silent instantly.
They all knew that for this operation there would be a contact.
It was the current Marine Vice Admiral, Fujitora Issho, on whom the World Government pinned high hopes.
"Is this… Issho?" Kaku asked through the door.
No one outside answered.
But Rob Lucci and Kaku noticed the furniture around them entering a state of weightlessness.
That was an answer clearer than words.
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