In the East Blue, inside the Marine Branch 16 base.
Wrapped in bandages from head to toe, with one leg suspended in mid-air, Colonel Nezumi finally managed to sit up with great effort.
With a grim expression, he opened his gap-toothed mouth and asked the subordinate by his bedside through gritted teeth:
"Did you find out who that kid is?!"
The subordinate nodded hurriedly. "We did. His name is Son Goku, a bounty hunter who recently emerged in the East Blue."
"The woman with him named Nami is currently his partner."
He didn't dare tell Colonel Nezumi that they actually didn't need to look him up; they already had information on the boy sent over by other branches.
The reason Nezumi and the rest of the Marines at this branch were largely unaware of Goku's existence was because, following protocol, the officer who received the files had brought them to Nezumi for review first.
The result was predictable.
Negligent and lazy, Nezumi—who thought only of plundering treasures and indulging in pleasures—hadn't bothered with the documents at all.
Consequently, the file was still gathering dust in some corner of his desk.
Most likely, it would eventually be tossed aside as trash by the Colonel.
"Son Goku, Son Goku, Son Goku!"
Colonel Nezumi's eyes were filled with malice as he ground his teeth, repeating the name over and over.
To him, Son Goku was now a sworn enemy, a loathsome brat he wished he could tear limb from limb.
Not only had the boy cut off his source of income, but he had also severely injured him, leaving him bedridden for two days and unable to take care of his basic needs!
Argh! This is an absolute humiliation!!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He immediately shouted to his subordinate, "Bring me a Den Den Mushi! I need to report this to Headquarters immediately!"
The Marines at this branch certainly couldn't handle him, but that didn't matter. He could accuse the boy of attacking Marines and have Headquarters issue a bounty.
Once that happened, the boy would be a wanted criminal of the World Government! There would be plenty of Marines stronger than Nezumi to deal with him!
Before long, he took the Den Den Mushi from his subordinate and called Headquarters, criticizing Goku's 'evil deeds' with exaggerated indignation.
He claimed the boy had easily defeated the Arlong Pirates and was a powerful individual, urging Headquarters to set a high bounty on him!
...
At that moment, far away at the Marine Headquarters in Marineford...
In a noisy office, a Marine Ensign was receiving a call from a branch. He nodded along while jotting down notes in his notebook.
"I understand. You're saying that after he defeated the Arlong Pirates, he severely injured you all to seize their ill-gotten gains, correct?"
"Mhm. The suspect acted with extreme ruthlessness, completely ignoring your warnings and showing utter contempt for the authority of the Marines, wounding you over a minor disagreement."
"Give me the subject's name, then fax over his photo."
"Right, Son Goku, was it?"
After noting the name, the Ensign suddenly paused.
That name... why did it feel like he had heard it somewhere before?
But he was a bounty hunter from the East Blue; how could he have heard of him?
After frowning and thinking for a few seconds, he realized he still couldn't place it. He prepared to stand up and head to the fax machine to retrieve the incoming photo.
Just then, a pale, slender hand suddenly reached out from the side and took the notebook from his desk.
"Who is it?!"
He turned around in annoyance, wanting to see which idiot was touching his things. Didn't they know this notebook contained intelligence not meant for unauthorized eyes?
But when he saw the person's face, his anger vanished instantly, replaced by shock and terror.
"V-Vice Admiral Gion? What brings you here?"
Before him stood Gion, holding his notebook and scanning the contents.
She didn't respond to his question at all.
Cold sweat began to pour down the Ensign's face.
I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead! Did I just snap at a Vice Admiral?!
Even if it was just a few words, it was still a direct shout!
Gion spoke without looking up. "Wasn't a photo sent? Bring it to me."
Feeling as if he had been granted a reprieve, the Ensign hurried to fetch the photo and then scurried back, respectfully handing it to Gion.
Gion took the photo. Seeing the cute little guy she had missed lately, she couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
But immediately after, her expression turned cold. She reached out to pick up the still-active Den Den Mushi and spoke into it icily:
"I'm telling you now, those who willfully distort facts and attempt to deceive Headquarters will face severe consequences."
On the other end of the line, after two seconds of stunned silence, Nezumi's annoyed voice came through: "Who are you?! What right do you have to say I'm distorting the facts?"
"I am Gion."
"Who the hell is Gion? Gi—"
The voice on the other end cut off instantly.
After a long while, Nezumi's trembling, terrified voice sounded: "V-V-Vice Admiral Gion! I... I recently f-f-fell and hit my head. My brain was a bit muddled just now. Please... p-p-please don't take it to heart."
Gion ignored his apology and said flatly, "Think very carefully about what the actual truth is. I will have Vice Admiral Garp visit your branch later to uncover the facts."
With that, she hung up with a click.
Then, she tore out the page regarding Goku, took it along with the photo, and told the Ensign, "You don't need to worry about this matter anymore."
She left without looking back.
The Ensign stood there watching her go.
After a long time, he wiped his face, only to find it drenched in sweat.
'Sigh... Vice Admiral Gion seemed really angry. But why did she react so strongly and claim Branch 16 was distorting the facts?'
He knit his brows and pondered, yet he couldn't figure out a reason.
It was mostly because he had been too afraid to even glance at the photo before hurriedly handing it to Gion.
Otherwise, upon seeing the person in the photo, he would have surely remembered—wasn't Son Goku the kid who caused quite a stir at the Headquarters training grounds recently?
...
The East Blue.
Aboard a warship with a giant dog-head prow, Garp held a Den Den Mushi, quietly listening to the voice on the other end.
"That's the situation, Garp. You and I both know what kind of person Little Goku is. If he really did injure those from Branch 16, then there must be something wrong with the Marines there."
The person on the other end was none other than Gion.
After she finished, Garp replied:
"Yeah, I've got it. I'll make a trip down there."
He paused as something occurred to him and continued, "If I remember correctly, Branch 16 isn't far from the entrance to the Grand Line, is it?"
"Correct. Aside from Branch 17 where Smoker is stationed, Branch 16 is the closest base to the entrance."
"I know what you're thinking. I looked into where Little Goku was last seen, and his trajectory is headed straight for the entrance to the Grand Line."
"So there's a high probability he's planning to enter the Grand Line."
Gion gave her analysis, then huffed coldly. "Humph! In the end, it's all because you didn't keep a proper eye on him. Otherwise, why would he need to go to the Grand Line this way?"
Garp rubbed his head and laughed loudly. "Hahaha! This is a form of training for him too. Keeping him by my side would only stifle his growth."
"Humph! Anyway, you better remember this: if anything happens to Little Goku, I won't let you off!"
After saying that, Gion hung up with a click.
Garp stroked his chin, lost in thought.
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