After seeing Luffy home, Chiga looked at Ace and continued their conversation from earlier.
"You still had something to say, didn't you?"
"Yeah, as long as Sabo is still alive, I want to get stronger before I see him again—as a Marine!"
"That's a good idea. Alright, I agree to you joining the Marines."
Hearing this, Ace's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Chiga to agree so readily. The sudden surprise left him momentarily stunned.
Looking at the dazed Ace, Chiga smiled and said,
"What, regretting it?"
"No, I want to join the Marines! Arigato! Big Brother Chiga!"
"Alright, anything else you need to prepare?"
Ace thought for a moment, then looked at Makino and said,
"Sister Makino, please tell Dadan for me that I'm joining the Marines, and thank her for taking care of me all these years!"
He wanted to tell Dadan himself, but considering her identity as a bandit, he was afraid that Big Brother Chiga might arrest her if he saw her.
Makino smiled and nodded. She knew Ace well. Although he was more mature than Luffy, he still had a bit of a stubborn streak. Now that he was going to join the Marines, he was finally expressing his true feelings.
Thinking that Ace had finally found his path in life, Makino felt genuinely happy for him. At the same time, she knew all of this was thanks to Chiga. He truly was an incredible man.
Ace relayed his message for Dadan to Makino, then resolutely walked into the Door-Door Space that Chiga had opened.
With everything settled, Chiga bid Makino farewell once more, then his figure flickered and disappeared from her sight.
Makino stared at the spot where Chiga vanished. After a moment, she shook her head with a tinge of loss and murmured,
"Can I join the Marines too…?"
---
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Sengoku paced back and forth in his office, looking excited. He had just received news from the World Government: Chiga had directly defeated Kaido and King on Onigashima.
This intelligence came from a spy embedded within the Beast Pirates. It had to be said—the World Government's operatives were efficient.
The reason Sengoku was so worked up was because the implications of Chiga's actions were monumental.
He wasn't sure why Chiga hadn't killed Kaido, but remembering Kaido's monstrous durability, it was understandable.
After all, the Marines had captured Kaido before and still failed to do anything to him.
What mattered now was that Chiga had single-handedly defeated Kaido—and even taken down King in the process!
Once the news broke, Sengoku had no doubt the world would be thrown into chaos. Compared to the long-dormant Golden Lion, Kaido—one of the current Yonko—was far more significant.
Just as Sengoku's excitement hit its peak, Garp burst into the office without knocking—his usual entrance.
"Sengoku! Got any senbei?"
Garp picked his nose absentmindedly, fully expecting Sengoku's furious response as he prepared to steal from the snack drawer again.
But this time, Sengoku rushed to the drawer himself, grabbed a big bag of senbei, and shoved them all into Garp's hands, shouting,
"Here, here! Take it! These are all yours!"
Garp froze, accidentally jamming his finger deep into his nostril. Blood spurted from his nose like a fountain.
He clutched it with one hand, staring in shock at Sengoku. For the first time, the fearless Garp looked genuinely alarmed.
His brain scrambled for answers. Why was Sengoku acting like this? After a moment of reflection, Garp concluded—it must've been his own fault.
Had his years of barging in and stealing snacks driven Sengoku mad?
With that thought, Garp grew solemn. He took Sengoku's hand and began dragging him away.
"Garp, what are you doing?" Sengoku asked, brow furrowed.
"Taking you to the hospital."
"What?! Why the hell would you take me to a hospital?!"
Garp didn't answer. His face was heavy with concern as he dragged the bewildered Sengoku out.
Furious now, Sengoku decided enough was enough. Garp had gone too far, and it was time to teach him a lesson.
A blinding golden light burst behind Garp. He turned, startled—just in time to catch a massive golden fist slamming into him.
Bang!
Garp flew like a cannonball, crashing through the railing and out of the Headquarters building.
A few moments later, Tsuru and a group of Vice Admirals rushed over after hearing the crash. What greeted them was a bizarre scene.
Sengoku stood there, shirt half-torn, smiling proudly at his glowing golden fist. The railing before him was utterly destroyed.
The Vice Admirals behind Tsuru all fell silent. Even Tsuru, usually unflappable, hesitated before asking,
"Sengoku… what just happened? Did you get into a fight?"
Hearing her voice, Sengoku quickly retracted his fist and assumed his usual dignified posture. In a deep voice, he replied,
"It's nothing. Garp and I were just sparring. I may have gone a bit overboard."
"…"
The Vice Admirals exchanged glances. They all wanted to say, Did you use your Devil Fruit on him? Were you trying to send him to the moon?
Facing their skeptical expressions, Sengoku coughed twice—his go-to tactic to defuse awkwardness.
"Ahem. Since you're all here, head to the conference room. I have an important announcement to make. Garp can take the day off."
---
Outside Marine Headquarters…
Garp lay motionless on the ground, eyes staring at the sky, his expression filled with existential dread. Marines surrounded him, whispering in concern.
Several tried to help him up, but he waved them off, choosing instead to stare at the heavens.
Coincidentally, Aokiji was returning from a stroll, hands in his pockets, having just scared a child for fun. As he passed by, the Marines all called out,
"Admiral Aokiji!"
Aokiji turned lazily and noticed Garp on the ground.
"Ararara… isn't that Vice Admiral Garp? What are you doing lying there?"
Garp turned his head slowly, eyes full of sorrow.
"Aokiji… Sengoku… he's changed!"
---