While Smoker cursed Headquarters in his head, Headquarters was grappling with Sora.
Half a day was enough for Admiral Borsalino and the Vice and Rear Admirals accompanying him to Shiki's floating island to determine whether Golden Lion Shiki was dead or had escaped.
At the center of the island's battle-scarred crater, where Sora and Shiki clashed:
A flash of golden light shimmered, and Kizaru's form coalesced at the crater's base.
"This must be where Silver-Hair and Shiki had their final showdown," Kizaru drawled, hands in pockets, glancing around lazily. "Pretty terrifying, huh?"
His eyes flared red, Observation Haki sweeping the crater.
"Hm."
Nothing. He extended his scan across the island—only feral beasts, no other presence.
No trace of Shiki, yet his gut told him Shiki was here, just hidden.
His Haki probed the crater's base, pausing at a fissure.
The crack wasn't filled, clearly man-made. His Haki traced the soil's gaps downward.
"Hm…"
Below, two sources radiated sharp, boundless edge—definitely not ordinary blades.
Rubbing his chin, it clicked. "The famed blades 'Sakura Ten' and 'Kogarashi.' Shiki's twin swords."
Shiki was truly dead, then.
As Sora had suspected, Kizaru left Shiki undisturbed, despite the legendary blades below.
The man was gone, after all.
At Navy Headquarters, in the grand conference room for major deliberations:
Every available Vice and Rear Admiral not tied to critical duties gathered.
Even "Navy Hero" Vice Admiral Garp, stationed in the New World, had returned.
When news broke that Shiki, missing for 18 years, had resurfaced, Garp was urgently recalled.
Shiki had a history of attacking Headquarters.
Back then, it took Sengoku and Garp together to capture him, locking him in Impel Down.
Who'd have guessed Shiki would sever his legs, becoming the first to escape that fortress?
Vanishing for 18 years, his reappearance surely meant a grand scheme.
Most officers here had lived through Shiki's invasion 18 years ago.
They knew his terrifying power.
Thus, this meeting about Shiki was steeped in gravity, from top to bottom.
The room sat in silence, officers cross-legged along both sides, awaiting Marshal Sengoku at the head, eyes on the Den Den Mushi before him.
They'd heard from Kizaru that Sora had left safely. Now, they awaited Shiki's fate.
Amid the solemn air, an out-of-place *crunch, crunch* echoed from the right side's head seat.
When they saw the source, everyone ignored it.
Only Sengoku's brow twitched.
Crunch!
Crunch!
Crunch…
As Garp's munching grew louder, like a rat raiding grain, Sengoku snapped.
"Garp, mind the occasion!" he barked.
Garp looked up, puzzled. "What's that?"
He smacked his fist into his palm, as if struck by revelation. "Sengoku, want some? Just ask! I'll share."
Reluctantly, he pulled a senbei from his bag, offering it. "One's all you get, no more."
He tucked the bag into his chest, like a hamster hoarding food, wary of thieves.
Sengoku, staring at the senbei, exploded, veins bulging. "Garp, if you won't take this seriously, get out!"
His roar shook the building.
Marines inside and out, hearing Sengoku's bellow, remained unfazed.
Only Garp could rile Marshal Sengoku like this.
It happened once or twice a month.
They were used to it.
Garp, facing Sengoku's fury, dug his pinky in his ear, grinning. "Hahaha!"
He snatched back the senbei, popping it in his mouth, then slapped Sengoku's shoulder. "Don't be so stingy, Sengoku! It's just senbei. I'll pay you back."
"Hm…"
Sengoku paused, then roared, "You stole my senbei again!"
He lunged, snatching the bag from Garp's chest.
Tipping it back, he poured the remaining senbei into his mouth.
"My senbei! Give them back!" Garp wailed, grabbing the empty bag, stunned.
He pouted at Sengoku. "So petty!"
"Enough! How long will you two bicker?" Chief of Staff Tsuru, seated across from Garp, intervened.
Watching Sengoku and Garp squabble like kids in such a critical meeting, she halted them.
Sengoku shot Garp a smug glance. "My senbei, and you call them yours? Next time, I'm taking your donuts too."
Straightening his uniform, he scanned the room, noting the officers' serious faces, nodding with satisfaction, reclaiming his marshal's dignity.
Bru-bru!
Bru-bru!
The Den Den Mushi rang.
Sengoku's expression hardened. He grabbed the receiver. "This is Navy Headquarters, Sengoku. Who's this? Respond."
As he spoke, the Den Den Mushi morphed to mimic Kizaru's sleazy face.
"Yo, Marshal! It's Borsalino," the snail drawled.
The room tensed at Kizaru's voice.
Whether Shiki was dead or alive, either spelled trouble.
Dead, and Silver-Haired Sora's strength rivaled the world's elite.
Alive, and Shiki could wreak havoc on the Navy.
(End of Chapter)