In the residential area of Marineford, within the courtyard of a small standalone villa.
Sengoku and Zephyr sat under a sun umbrella, each with a cup of tea in front of them.
Judging by the untouched tea, neither had taken a sip.
"Zephyr, there's sothing I've always been curious about" Sengoku broke the silence after a long pause, his expression serious.
"I don't believe you supported Orion so wholeheartedly just because you were convinced he would capture the pirate who attacked the training ship. There must be more to it."
"As expected of you, Sengoku" Zephyr nodded, taking a sip of his tea before calmly replying.
"Three years ago, while I was recovering from my injuries at ho, Orion would visit every few days to chat. He noticed my deep disappointnt with the Marines at the ti and told he had glimpsed part of the future. He said that one day, the perpetrator of the training ship attack would beco one of the new Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
"And that I would lose all hope in the Marines, leaving with Ain and Binz to form a new marine force."
Hearing this, Sengoku expression shifted slightly, and he tentatively asked.
"You believed him?"
"Of course, I didn't!" Zephyr shook his head, then continued.
"He knew I wouldn't believe him, so he told sothing else. He said that three years later, Shanks, the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates, would rise to prominence in the New World, becoming one of the Four Emperors alongside Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido. He told to wait and see! He also said that before becoming an Emperor, Shanks would co to Elbaf and suppress Loki, the prince of the Giant Kingdom."
At this, Sengoku abruptly stood up, staring at Zephyr in disbelief.
"He told you all this three years ago?"
Zephyr nodded, "Not just these two things, but everything he saw of the future back then has now co true. Shanks has risen to beco one of the Four Emperors, and Prince Loki of the Giant Kingdom is imprisoned in the Elbaf Underworld."
Turning to face Sengoku, Zephyr spoke gravely.
"If it were you, would you continue to doubt Orion? Or would you believe that he truly can see parts of the future?"
"I chose the latter, which is why I no longer hold any illusions about the Marines!"
"The fact that you couldn't capture the perpetrator of the training ship attack doesn't an you didn't try, and I understand that. But to allow the pirate who killed so many young officers to beco one of the new Seven Warlords for the sake of so-called balance? What kind of justice does that represent!"
Sengoku opened his mouth to speak but found himself unable to refute.
Although this event had not yet occurred, the fact that Orion had foreseen Shanks' rise as one of the Four Emperors and the fate of Prince Loki three years ago was enough to prove that Orion was not exaggerating.
It was entirely possible that the pirate who attacked the training ship could indeed beco one of the new Seven Warlords in the future.
Of course, discussing this now wasn't particularly important.
What's most important is that Orion could actually see so far into the future!?
He couldn't fathom how Orion had managed it. He knew that mastering Observation Haki to its peak allowed one to glimpse parts of the future, but there were always temporal limitations. Until now, no one had ever been able to see so far ahead.
Yet, Orion had not only foreseen events three years in advance but had also glimpsed even more distant futures.
Most crucially, the ergence of a new Warlord of the Sea indicated that a forr mber had either t with misfortune or betrayed the organization.
"Boom—"
Suddenly, an ear-splitting explosion erupted without warning from the direction of the headquarters building. A terrifying shockwave rippled through the air, causing the ground to tremble even at their distant location. Before the two could react, a swirling mass of red and black flas, carrying an apocalyptic force, shot skyward from the direction of the headquarters' main entrance.
It instantly tore through the clouds above, forming a massive vortex that seed to pierce the heavens. The sight was so shocking that Sengoku and Zephyr reflexively stood up, exclaiming in unison.
"A clash of Conqueror's Haki!"
"Damn it, Garp's back!"
....
At the Sa Ti, In Front of the Headquarters Building.
Orion, who had decisively released his Conqueror's Haki to counter Garp sudden attack, took a firm step forward. With a resounding thud, an even more overwhelming shockwave erupted from beneath his feet, suppressing Garp Conqueror's Haki with unstoppable force.
"How is this possible!"
Stunned that his Conqueror's Haki had been instantly suppressed, Garp looked up at Orion in disbelief.
"It seems you've been hiding your true strength all these years! Even I was fooled!"
As he spoke, Garp, unwilling to back down, also took a step forward, unleashing his Conqueror's Haki without restraint.
As their Conqueror's Haki clashed once more, the ground beneath their feet imdiately cracked into a dense web of fissures, resembling a massive spider's web.
The imnse, invisible pressure crushed the ground, causing the cracked earth to explode and rapidly collapse downward.
Even soone as strong as Gion was forced to retreat uncontrollably under the collision of their Conqueror's Haki. The chaotic shockwaves whipped her cloak into a frenzy, leaving her looking utterly disheveled.
However, she had no ti to worry about her appearance. If Garp continued to fight Orion, the headquarters building—and perhaps even all of Marineford—could be destroyed.
"Mr. Garp, Lord Orion, please stop! You'll destroy Marineford!"
.....
anwhile, at Orion Ho.
Sakazuki, who had been staying by his mother side out of guilt for neglecting her over the years, suddenly turned his head.
His face paled as he stared at the towering column of flas rising from the direction of the headquarters. He shouted to Borsalino, who was seated beside him, perpetually looking half-asleep.
"Garp's back!"
"A clash of Conqueror's Haki, how terrifying~" Borsalino glanced at the terrifying pillar of flas outside, then leisurely stood up.
"You stay here with Mother. I'll go take a look!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, he had already transford into a beam of light and vanished. When he arrived at the rooftop of the headquarters building, Kuzan also appeared beside him in a flash.
Borsalino didn't look at Kuzan.
Instead, he shed his previously lazy deanor and stared in disbelief at the two figures standing opposite each other on the ground. He exclaid.
"Marshal Orion is actually suppressing Mr. Garp Conqueror's Haki?"
Kuzan, equally serious, spoke up.
"He's deceived us all."
...
Holy Land Mary Geoise, the Garden of Flowers.
In the serene garden where butterflies fluttered, a figure suddenly materialized. Raising his head, he revealed a pair of dark red, ripple-like eyes, gazing in the direction of Marineford.
When those ripple-like eyes caught sight of the fiery clouds rising above Marineford, an incredulous voice echoed through the Garden of Flowers.
"No, this can't be!"
A maid, hearing the commotion, hurried into the garden and knelt on one knee before the figure, trembling as she said.
"Lord Imu."
"Go!"
"Notify the leader of the God Knights. Tell him to head to Marineford imdiately at the fastest speed. I want to know who unleashed that Conqueror Haki!"
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