"Ex… Explosive Rock?"
Hibari looked at the glass containers on the ground of the Scrapyard Island, shimmering with a pinkish glow. They appeared beautiful, yet her face instantly turned pale.
In the distance, a large group of shipwrights from the Galley-La Company, along with naval soldiers including Pain, were about to approach, but Rorschach swiftly stepped in and stopped them.
"Everyone, listen up. From this moment on, no one is allowed to step even half a foot onto Scrapyard Island. There are explosives here that could instantly blow all of Water 7 sky-high."
Rorschach's words made Iceburg and the others' faces change dramatically.
No one doubted the truth in what he said.
The loud explosion from earlier, like a thunderclap, had already echoed throughout Water 7.
With a grave expression, Iceburg immediately ordered everyone to retreat and strictly instructed the shipwrights of Galley-La to guard the borders of the lower city, preventing any residents from accidentally stepping onto Scrapyard Island.
Kaku and Lucci also looked grim.
As CP9 agents privy to many secrets, they too understood the dangers of Explosive Rock.
Looking at the seven glass containers on the ground, both of them felt a chill run down their spines.
"Seven… including the one that already exploded, that makes eight Explosive Rocks. If their power were to stack together, they really could destroy most of Water 7. Good thing that guy is here; otherwise, this damn place would be facing another catastrophe."
Kaku, still shaken, looked at Rorschach with a hint of relief in his eyes.
"Whew!"
On Scrapyard Island, the wind howled violently. At the perimeter, the air compressed into an invisible barrier, forming an extra layer of protection. Only then did Rorschach breathe a sigh of relief and walk over to the glass containers holding the Explosive Rocks, taking the Den Den Mushi that Hibari handed him.
"Actually, we could just throw these Explosive Rocks into the sea and detonate them there," suggested Law, who was standing nearby.
"No rush. Let me check in with Old Man Sengoku first and see if he has any intel on this."
Rorschach waved his hand and directly dialed Sengoku's Den Den Mushi.
"Brrrr… Brrrr…"
"Brrrr… Brrrr…"
This time, the call rang a few times before it was finally answered.
On the other end, Sengoku's wrinkled face, wearing round-framed glasses, appeared.
At the same time, faint noises of a commotion could be heard from his side.
Just from the voices alone, Rorschach could tell that Garp, Granny Tsuru, and Zephyr were all present.
"Rorschach, what is it this time?" Sengoku licked his lips, sounding a bit tense.
Hearing the cautious tone in Sengoku's voice, Law's expression turned strange.
Something feels off.
Why does it seem like Rorschach is the actual Fleet Admiral here?
The supposedly authoritative Sengoku sounded way too nervous.
Rorschach, however, didn't notice this minor oddity. His entire focus was on the matter of the Explosive Rocks.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Old man, I've run into an unusual situation here. No, not what you're thinking. Listen to me— I said there's no Celestial Dragons. Where would Water 7 even get any World Nobles? Stop interrupting! You're messing up my train of thought!"
After some back-and-forth with Sengoku, Rorschach quickly recounted everything that had just happened in full detail.
At This Moment
In the large courtyard of Granny Tsuru's home in Marineford…
A group of elderly veterans sat around a big round table, eating and discussing the recent changes in the balance of power among the Four Emperors of the New World.
"The young ones have all gone out. Marineford has become much quieter," Garp said casually, sitting beside Granny Tsuru. He was tearing into a massive steak, juices dripping down his chin, as he spoke with a sigh.
"There's no helping it. Young people who want to shoulder the burden of justice must go through trials and hardships," Granny Tsuru said with her usual gentle smile.
"Sengoku, what's with that tone of yours? You don't sound like a Fleet Admiral at all. It's embarrassing," a burly man with a rooster comb-like hairstyle said while gnawing on a massive bone-in meat cut. His words, reprimanding the Fleet Admiral, made Zephyr, Garp, and Granny Tsuru laugh.
"You say that so easily, Supreme Commander. But unless you've personally dealt with this kid, you have no idea what kind of 'shock' he'll give you next," Sengoku muttered, pursing his lips while holding the Den Den Mushi, which was currently mimicking Rorschach's face.
Zephyr took a sip of his drink and chuckled. "Or it could be a pleasant surprise."
"Hmph. I'd rather he just stay out of trouble. My fragile heart can't handle these constant ups and downs," Sengoku said, placing the Den Den Mushi on the table so everyone could hear Rorschach's voice.
"Speaking of which, Supreme Commander, how do you even have time to be here? Those five old geezers actually let you out?" Garp asked curiously.
The burly old man with the rooster comb sitting at the head of the table was none other than Steel Bone Kong, the Supreme Commander of the World Government's armed forces.
As the highest-ranking officer overseeing the Army, Navy, and the Holy Guard, Kong rarely had the opportunity to leave his post.
Most of the time, he was stationed at Mary Geoise, safeguarding the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
Coming to Marineford today was a rare occasion, only made possible after informing the Five Elders in advance.
"Hmph, those old bastards on the Gorosei didn't even want to give me a single day off. I'm already over eighty! If I don't get out and take one last look at the place I've spent my whole life fighting for, I might never get the chance before I die," Kong grumbled.
He took the bottle of liquor Zephyr handed him and downed half of it in one go, then let out a long sigh.
Before he was promoted to Supreme Commander, he had spent most of his life as the Fleet Admiral in Marineford.
The people sitting at the table—Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru—had all grown under his watchful eye.
In a way, they were practically his students.
"You call eighty old? That old hag from Drum Kingdom is already over 120, and I heard she's still lively, jumping around like a kid. Hahaha! Maybe life's been too good in Mary Geoise, and you've been drained by wine and women—Ouch!"
Garp suddenly clutched his forehead and let out a yelp of pain.
Kong withdrew his massive, terrifyingly strong hand with a dark expression. "Don't think just because you're a Navy hero, I won't smack you, Garp."
"Hit a nerve, did I?"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Just eating."
Sengoku could only shake his head at the scene.
Garp, this bastard… Seventy years old and still acting like a child, even daring to joke around with the Supreme Commander.
Then again, Kong might be the only one in the world who could hit him without expecting a counterattack.
Suddenly, Sengoku's expression darkened. His brows furrowed as he focused on the Den Den Mushi on the table.
"What did you just say? You found a large amount of Explosive Rock on a bounty hunter?"
"Explosive Rock?"
The old veterans who had been casually chatting immediately fell silent, turning their attention to the Den Den Mushi.
"Yes. A strange, chubby samurai was carrying eight containers filled with Explosive Rock and appeared in Water 7. I've already secured them. One has been detonated, leaving seven remaining. I need to know—how should we handle these dangerous things?"
Rorschach's voice came through from the other end.
(End of Chapter)
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