"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Terrible news! The King of Goa Kingdom has been killed by the criminal Sora!"
Pffft!
Sengoku, who had just taken a sip of tea, spat it out in shock, staring at Brannew in disbelief.
"You're saying Sora killed another king?!"
Brannew took a deep breath and explained:
"The royal palace of Goa Kingdom was secretly infiltrated. The guards and servants were all knocked unconscious, and the newly crowned king was found dead. Before this incident, the village chief of Foosha Village reported seeing Sora in their village, claiming he kidnapped the local barmaid."
"With these clues, we conclude that Sora must be responsible for the king's murder."
He paused, adding meaningfully, "Foosha Village, which Vice Admiral Garp personally protects, is quite close to the Goa Kingdom's capital city."
Sengoku's face turned grim at the news.
Another king murdered by this bastard—was he deliberately trying to provoke the World Government?
As Garp's longtime friend, Sengoku knew Foosha Village well. He couldn't believe that just after Garp decided to return there yesterday, Sora had already arrived, kidnapped Makino, and killed a king.
Another death among the World Government's affiliated kings meant that any moment now, the Five Elders would be calling him again.
Turning sharply, Sengoku asked Brannew, "Has that bastard Garp departed yet?"
"Vice Admiral Garp just left," Brannew replied quickly.
"Inform him immediately!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Brannew saluted sharply and hurried from the room.
Purururu... Purururu…
No sooner had Brannew left than the Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk began ringing.
Sengoku's face twitched. Reluctantly, he picked up the receiver, knowing exactly who it was.
"Hello, Sengoku! What are you marines doing? That bastard just killed another king in the East Blue..."
As soon as he picked up the call, the furious voice of one of the Five Elders thundered from the other end.
Not only had the Marines failed to find any trace of Sora, but he had also slipped into the East Blue and assassinated yet another king right under their noses. This string of incidents had already sparked dissatisfaction among other kings, greatly enraging the Five Elders.
After enduring the tirade, Sengoku finally managed to reply:
"Garp is on his way to the East Blue now. As soon as he finds that bastard, he'll be captured."
The mention of Garp quieted the Five Elders briefly, before they responded more calmly:
"I'll instruct CP0 operatives in the East Blue to coordinate closely with Garp. Capture that criminal swiftly."
Without another word, the Five Elders hung up.
They trusted Garp's strength implicitly; capturing Sora was now a matter of locating him first.
Sighing, Sengoku stepped to the window, muttering to himself:
"Garp, you better hurry up and apprehend Sora and your troublesome grandson. I won't be able to keep Luffy's involvement under wraps forever."
Garp's decision to personally head to the East Blue wasn't just out of concern for Foosha Village; it was also to repay Sengoku for keeping Luffy's pirate activities quiet.
Although Garp was heartbroken and furious at both Ace and Luffy for becoming pirates, familial bonds of over a decade weren't easily severed.
Meanwhile, aboard Garp's dog-headed ship…
"What did you say?! Foosha Village was attacked? Makino was kidnapped?!"
Garp roared furiously into the Den Den Mushi. Ever since yesterday, when he heard Sora was in the East Blue, he'd felt deeply uneasy and intended to return immediately.
He never imagined that Sora would act so swiftly, already abducting Makino.
Ironically, the death of the Goa Kingdom's king didn't bother Garp at all—those corrupt royals were better off dead in his opinion.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp. We just received the news," Brannew confirmed solemnly.
Click!
Garp slammed down the receiver and bellowed orders:
"Turn around immediately! Cross the Calm Belt! We're heading straight for the East Blue!"
"I'll personally capture that bastard Sora first!"
Initially planning to capture Luffy in Alabasta, Garp changed course instantly upon hearing about the attack on Foosha Village. Now he would use the Navy's latest technology to traverse the Calm Belt swiftly.
"Yes, sir!" his aide replied promptly, relaying the orders at once.
East Blue, aboard the Divine Slave.
Reiju glared at Nojiko, who was casually drinking wine in the ship's dining area.
"You started the fire, yet you made us put it out for you."
After teasing Sora, Nojiko had immediately jumped into the sea, leaving Reiju and Makino to handle the aftermath—forcing them to bathe all over again.
"That's right, Nojiko, you weren't fair at all," Makino complained as she hurriedly prepared lunch.
Since being kidnapped by Sora had caused her to miss the usual mealtime preparations, she was now working extra hard to catch up. After she joined the crew, Anna and Shalria had stopped cooking altogether, choosing instead to stay close to Sora as personal maids.
"Oh, don't act like you didn't enjoy it."
Nojiko playfully pinched Reiju's blushing face, grinning mischievously.
Reiju's face turned even redder; embarrassingly, she had no retort.
Sora was indeed… impressive.
"Makino, how did you convince Sora to give you a Devil Fruit?"
Finished with her wine, Nojiko cozied up to Makino and asked sweetly.
Makino's gentle and maternal presence reminded her of Bellemere, making her feel a deep affection for the older woman. Even Reiju often enjoyed spending time with Makino whenever she was free.
Carrying a freshly cooked dish to the table, Makino pursed her lips shyly. "Isn't it just the same as it was for you?"
"I don't believe that! Tell me exactly how it happened between you two," Nojiko pressed, clearly skeptical.
Nojiko assumed Sora hadn't yet given her a fruit because she hadn't fully pleased him, prompting her to seek advice from Makino, who had received her fruit immediately.
"B-but it's true!" Makino protested, her face turning bright red.
"If it's really true, then you won't mind telling us," teased Reiju, noticing Makino's embarrassment and deciding to encourage her further. "After all, we've all been through similar experiences."
"Fine, fine! I'll tell you both…" Makino surrendered, her cheeks still flushed as she leaned in close to whisper her secret.
"Ohhh, so that's how it's done!"
Nojiko's eyes sparkled eagerly, and she rushed toward where Sora was resting, intent on trying out Makino's advice immediately.
Half an hour later, Nojiko returned, rubbing her sore cheeks miserably.
"It didn't work!"
_____Important_____
I've spent all week translating and editing up to Chapter 150 because I love this book. Now let's play a game: if you think it deserves to reach the top of the Power Stone leaderboard within 24 hours, Give Power Stones—500 for one chapter per hour; 400 for one chapter every two hours; 300 for one chapter every three hours; 200 for one chapter every four hours; or 100 for one chapter every five hours. Do you think that's a fair deal?