Chapter 15 - Shockwaves Across the World
"And what else?" Garp furrowed his brows.
At that moment, Domino, as the Chief Warden, gave her report.
"Douglas Bullet escaped… with that prisoner named Nathan."
"What? Douglas Bullet escaped?!"
Garp's voice exploded like a thunderclap. His palm slammed down onto the desk with a deafening bang.
The sheer force of his fury sent a wave of nervous tension rippling through the room.
Hannyabal, known for being terrified even of his own shadow, trembled uncontrollably, fearing that he would be held responsible.
"That guy... is he really that strong?"
At this moment, Aokiji, standing nearby, asked curiously. It was his first time seeing Garp this worked up.
"Heh… He was unbeatable on the seas since the age of fifteen. After surviving hundreds of battles undefeated, he finally lost to Roger. From that day on, he followed Roger, sailing the world at his side. After Roger's execution, he left the crew and started operating solo—causing absolute chaos across the seas.
"At the time, the Navy had no way to deal with him. It wasn't until he turned twenty-two, when we received secret intel about his location, that the Navy mobilized nearly all its forces. Sengoku and I led the charge against him in a battle that shook the world. Eventually, due to exhaustion and the overwhelming strength of our forces, we managed to defeat him and lock him away. Even though many years have passed and our Navy has grown stronger—training new Admirals like you—we must not take him lightly."
Garp's voice grew heavy with reminiscence.
Even now, the image of that legendary battle against Douglas Bullet was etched in his memory. Bullet was one of the few pirates who had forced him to fight with all his might.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Many of those present were too young to have witnessed Bullet's prime. Back when he was making a name for himself, they were still in diapers. Naturally, they had no deep impression of him.
But hearing Garp—the Marine Hero himself—speak with such seriousness made everyone realize how dangerous Bullet truly was.
And the fact that he had escaped alongside a mysterious man like Nathan only added to the looming threat.
"Sigh... I'll report this matter personally to higher command. You all stay here and recover. I'll also deploy several heavily armed warships to guard this place in case anything else happens."
"Understood!" Magellan nodded solemnly.
Not long after, the news of Nathan's prison break rocked the entire world!
At Marine Headquarters, a top-level emergency meeting was convened. All officers at the rank of Vice Admiral and above gathered, presided over by Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself.
"Can someone tell me who this Nathan really is? How did a prisoner locked up in the First Level of the Crimson Hell manage to turn Impel Down upside down?"
Sengoku opened with a sharp question.
But his words were met with silence. No one knew anything about Nathan's background—where he came from, or who he really was.
"No matter who he is, any pirate that poses a threat to the world deserves to die. I'm willing to personally lead a Marine unit to capture him."
The one who spoke was a man covered in tattoos. His right arm was a blade, and his left chest to elbow bore roses and sakura blossoms. He wore a dark red suit, a Marine cap, black leather gloves, and a cigar in his mouth. Draped over his shoulders was the Marine Admiral's coat.
This was none other than "Akainu" Sakazuki.
"Careful now, Sakazuki. That kid is seriously strong. Even Magellan and Shiryu of the Rain couldn't handle him."
A slow, drawling voice responded from across the table. The speaker had short, wavy black hair, wore sunglasses, had a rough beard, and sported a yellow-and-white striped suit with a purple tie and dark green shirt.
This was "Kizaru" Borsalino, another of the Navy's top three Admirals.
"This isn't just about some unknown upstart. He escaped with Douglas Bullet. Even after twenty years of imprisonment, Bullet can't be underestimated."
Another voice chimed in—calm and steady.
The speaker was an elderly woman with silver hair tied back in a low ponytail, green jade earrings on her ears, and two golden bangles on her right wrist. Draped in the coat of a Marine Vice Admiral, she was none other than Tsuru—one of the legends of the old era, alongside Garp and Sengoku.
She had once fought Bullet personally and understood his terrifying strength better than anyone here.
"Hmph, Vice Admiral Tsuru, times have changed. The Navy is stronger than ever. Even those monsters in the New World can't scare us anymore."
Akainu snorted dismissively, unconvinced by her caution.
"Enough, Sakazuki. Since you're so confident, I'm assigning you to lead a Marine unit to the East Blue and track them down immediately. This serves two purposes: one, to suppress their momentum; and two, to show the world where the Navy stands. Even though the prison break wasn't directly our fault, the World Government isn't happy. Especially since our support fleet let two high-priority criminals escape. The top brass wants this matter resolved quickly to restore public confidence."
Sengoku finished, casting a cold glance toward Garp.
Meanwhile, Garp sat casually picking his nose like nothing was wrong.
Clearly, Sengoku was fuming at Garp. It was his decision to let Nathan go rather than pursue him, which had led to the current mess and left everyone scrambling to clean it up.
But there was nothing he could do. Garp had always been like this—and as much as Sengoku wanted to yell at him, he could only stew in silent frustration.