What else could I say?
Say I ran away?
Aokiji's gaze fell on Kizaru.
"Borsalino, you fought him too. You should know. I was actually being serious that time."
He paused, deciding not to reveal Don's condition—nor anything about Robin.
"That can't be brushed off as 'just being serious.'"
Sengoku's voice sank.
"I knew this young man was gifted, but talent usually needs time to mature. From what we've seen… that doesn't seem to be the case."
His eyes shifted toward Garp, who sat with his usual air of nonchalance.
"Garp, you must know something. What exactly have you been hiding?"
By now Sengoku was almost certain Garp was withholding something.
If Aokiji had crossed blades with Don, there was no way Garp wouldn't have heard about it.
"Don't you people have enough on your plates? Why get so worked up over one kid? Don's just freshly set out to sea."
Garp remained as carefree as ever.
"Don calls himself a pirate hunter, and his targets so far have been mostly pirates. That overlaps with the Navy's duty. The difference is—he either refuses to be bound by our system, or has some other reason for staying independent.
Since you won't speak, Garp, I'll hazard a guess."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, silent until now, fixed her sharp eyes on him.
"Ah, Tsuru…"
Garp faltered, then let out a weary sigh.
"It's not like I could keep it secret for long anyway. That kid isn't the type to stay quiet."
Tsuru gave a small shake of her head.
"So it really is because of the Celestial Dragons?"
Her words froze the entire Fleet Admiral's office.
Everyone kept to their tasks, but the room fell utterly silent.
"To be honest, I don't know for certain. But yes—he mentioned the Celestial Dragons himself."
Garp grimaced at Tsuru.
Did she really have to bring that up here, in front of everyone?
Sengoku stared at him, silent for a long time before finally letting out a long breath.
"Forget it. If the World Government presses, I'll handle them. For now, we'll drop it."
Everyone here had joined the Navy for their own reasons—but none had done so out of devotion to the Celestial Dragons.
And all of them knew how the Dragons behaved.
Whenever someone angered a Dragon, it was the Navy that was forced to act.
If Don had already shown disdain toward them, Sengoku understood—recruiting him would have been courting disaster.
Ordinary sailors might never even see a Celestial Dragon in their lives, but high-ranking officers saw them far too often.
"He won't linger in the Four Seas. With his strength, once he enters the Grand Line, he's bound to make waves."
Tsuru's tone was calm but firm.
Don had already passed through three seas; only the South remained untouched. Clearly, he wasn't the type to stay rooted anywhere for long.
"Perfect, then."
Akainu, silent until now, spoke at last.
"The World Economy News Paper has already labeled him a pirate hunter. With that reputation spreading across every sea, his identity is sealed."
His expression hardened.
"And hunters of pirates will themselves be hunted by pirates."
The weight of his words left the room thoughtful.
"Keep track of his whereabouts. If he shows up in the Sabaody Archipelago, monitor him closely."
Sengoku finally ordered.
"Mm. That would be wise. Pirates pass through Sabaody often," Tsuru agreed.
"Then maybe those Celestial Dragons should just stay home and not run around like fools!"
Garp suddenly blurted.
The rest of the room fell into speechless silence.
If only it were that easy.
The Dragons' brains didn't work that way.
Sengoku waved the meeting to an end, waiting now for contact from the World Government.
Outside, Tsuru walked alongside Garp, with Gion and Aokiji following.
"Tsuru?"
Garp turned toward her.
"I want details. I have a hunch—once that young man sets foot on the Grand Line, he'll trigger something huge."
Her intent was plain.
"Ahh, so that's it. Fine—but I don't know all that much."
Garp didn't refuse, leading the group into his office.
Moments later
"So, that's what he said?"
After hearing Garp recount his first meeting with Don, Tsuru fell silent in thought.
"Which means… he already knew you'd be there."
She spoke decisively.
"Hah?"
Garp blinked.
"He may have realized, after capturing pirates, that he'd drawn the Navy's attention. Or perhaps your movements were exposed. Or—someone warned him."
Tsuru calmly analyzed the situation.
"As for his mention of the Celestial Dragons—he might have just used that to brush you off at the time."
Her eyes narrowed in quiet thought.
"Hah?!"
Garp's eyes went wide.
"From your account, it seems he said it on the spur of the moment—simply a way to refuse you."
Tsuru shook her head slightly.
"That brat…"
Garp muttered, suddenly finding his senbei tasteless.
"So I was played with?"
"Isn't that normal, Garp-sensei?"
Aokiji quipped without warning.
"Ha ha ha! True enough!"
Garp burst out laughing, scratching his short hair with one hand.
"As for you, Kuzan…"
Tsuru suddenly turned her gaze to Aokiji.
"What business did you have in the West Blue?"
She struck directly at the heart of the matter.
"Nothing. Just patrolling. The patrol happened to take me through the West Blue."
Under her piercing stare, Aokiji returned it with his usual lazy eyes and answered calmly.
"I see. Quite the coincidence, then."
Tsuru nodded slowly, not pressing further.
Whether she believed him was another matter. In truth, she could already guess the real reason.
"Right now, he's clashed with both Doflamingo and Jinbei. If he encounters them again on the Grand Line, there's no way it'll end quietly."
"They still dare to stir trouble? The deterrence of Kuzan and Borsalino should still hold, shouldn't it?"
Garp asked in surprise.
"The problem is—Fishman Island and Dressrosa aren't going anywhere. Unless Don avoids both, he'll have to pass either Fishman Island or Mariejois—or brave the Calm Belt. There's no escaping it."
"True enough."
Garp nodded, then waved a hand dismissively.
"Whatever. If he really does topple the Shichibukai, I'd love to see it. I just wonder where he's headed now."
He glanced toward Tsuru.
"Could be the South, or the East, maybe straight to the Grand Line. Or he might linger in the North for a while. But as of now, Jerma has stepped in where Don left off against Doflamingo's factories."
"That's the same as saying nothing at all!"
Garp groaned.
"Exactly. That's my point. With only two of them, he could be anywhere. Until he makes another move, we won't know. The sea is vast, after all."
Tsuru's words carried the weight of inevitability.
END OF CHAPTER
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