Chapter Eighty-Seven: Departure and Arrival

Kidd had not been present the night before.

But from the talk all around him, he had a fair idea of what had happened.

What concerned him more than Maud and Abe being cut down by a lone blade was the sniper who had provided Maud with cover.

"So the old man made a move..."

Kidd picked up a bottle of liquor and tipped his head back to drink.

Clear wine slid from the corners of his mouth, filling the air with its rich, mellow fragrance.

Killer sat nearby in silence, watching Kidd, whose mood was clearly off.

No one could see the expression beneath his mask.

Before long, Kidd had drained the bottle dry.

With a fling of his arm, the empty bottle flew aside, smashed into a neighboring table, and burst to pieces.

Shards of glass sprayed over the pirates seated there.

"You son of a bitch!"

Those pirates erupted at once, slamming the table as they rose, their fierce eyes fixed on the culprit.

Yet Kidd, the very culprit himself, looked back with murderous intent.

The pirates, who had been all bluster a moment before, instantly wilted, shrinking their necks and sitting back down, too afraid to meet Kidd's gaze again.

Seeing how sensible they were, Kidd coldly withdrew his eyes and stood.

The movement was so abrupt that his chair toppled backward with a dull thud.

The sudden sound made the pirates at the neighboring table flinch.

"Let's go."

Ignoring those clowns, Kidd strode toward the door.

Killer left a few bills on the table, rose, and followed after him.

The two walked out of the tavern one after the other, then continued side by side.

Kidd looked straight ahead. Everywhere his eyes fell were pirates drenched in liquor, pirates who lived only for pleasure.

"Killer, there's no need to stay in a place like this anymore."

Cold light filled Kidd's eyes.

He had indeed seen a few remarkable figures here.

But more than that, there were only heaps of trash not worth mentioning.

"But as for manpower..."

"There will be some."

Kidd's steps quickened.

"But not here. There are still many places we haven't been."

"Mm."

The two headed toward the harbor.

"Usopp, huh..."

As he walked, Kidd's mind flashed to that frail, scrawny figure.

Killing Usopp.

Since he had set sail, it was the first time he had felt something truly worth doing.

Only Sol's existence had driven that thought from his mind.

Kidd and Killer crossed through the drinking district and reached the harbor, which had been lively in the daytime.

They paused to look over the many ships anchored in the bay mouth.

After a few glances, they chose a pirate ship that looked fairly agreeable.

Then, shoulder to shoulder, they pushed through the crowd and made their way toward it.

Two figures brushed past them.

Those two were Sabo and Koala, returning to Mad Hatter Town.

After walking a short distance, Sabo suddenly glanced back at Kidd's retreating figure.

"What is it?" Koala asked in confusion.

"Nothing."

Sabo withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.

Koala gave him a puzzled look.

The two continued forward.

A hundred meters later, a great clamor suddenly erupted behind them.

Sabo and Koala turned back, and what met their eyes was a chaotic battle among pirates.

"Those two from just now?" Koala said, looking at Kidd and Killer as they stormed a pirate ship.

"Let's go."

Sabo did not look any longer and quickened his pace.

Koala nodded and hurried after him.

By the time Sabo and Koala had left the harbor, Kidd and Killer, having seized a ship by force, had set sail and were slowly steering out of the bay.

At Marine Headquarters in Marineford on the Grand Line, inside the Fleet Admiral's office, the current Fleet Admiral, Sengoku, sat in his chair, head lowered as he studied a wanted poster.

"What on earth is this 'D'..."

He murmured softly to himself.

Perched on the desk was a cute little white goat.

It was staring at the wanted poster in Sengoku's hand.

It knew that perhaps in a few minutes, or perhaps in a few dozen, Sengoku would stuff that poster into its mouth.

As always.

Knock, knock.

Someone rapped on the office door.

"Come in."

Sengoku raised his head toward the door.

A bearded officer pushed the door open and strode to the desk. After giving Sengoku a perfectly proper salute, he reported, "Fleet Admiral, just now Vice Admiral Garp's warship departed the inner harbor without notice."

"Understood."

Sengoku's expression remained unchanged.

After the subordinate left, Sengoku let out a faint sigh and rubbed his forehead helplessly.

Within all of Marine Headquarters, only Garp would do such a thing.

Though it was wildly against regulations, Sengoku had long since grown used to it.

Garp's style had always been to do as he pleased, but when it came to serious matters, he never delayed, and every time he completed the task well.

"What is Garp up to this time? Forget it..."

Sengoku muttered, then looked once more at the wanted poster in his hand.

After a long silence, he held the poster up to the little goat's mouth.

The goat happily took it in and began to chew.

Just then, Vice Admiral Tsuru arrived at the Fleet Admiral's office.

Her appearance interrupted Sengoku's thoughts.

"Tsuru, what brings you here?"

Sengoku rose from behind the desk and looked at the serene, placid-faced Vice Admiral Tsuru with mild surprise.

Vice Admiral Tsuru said softly, "I came on Garp's behalf to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"This voyage of Garp's is to the West Sea, where he's going to wipe out the Phantom Gun. Accounting for the journey there and back, he won't be returning any time soon."

"Hm?"

Sengoku's expression shifted, and when he heard the latter half of her words, he could not help rubbing at his temples.

So that was why Tsuru had been sent over.

This was no longer within the bounds of a mere vacation.

"Garp, that fellow..."

"Fleet Admiral, your focus."

Vice Admiral Tsuru gently reminded him at the right moment.

"Ah, you mean the Phantom Gun."

Sengoku looked at Tsuru and said calmly, "If Garp was able to find the Phantom Gun's whereabouts, you must have contributed a great deal as well, including the strategy, yes?"

Tsuru gave a slight nod.

"In that case, there is nothing to worry about. Besides, Garp knows how to deal with the Phantom Gun. If he were to bring too many men, it would only increase the casualties."

Sengoku lowered his eyelids, recalling what he knew of the Phantom Gun.

Though the Phantom Gun was not very conspicuous on that pirate ship, there was no doubt he was one of that man's strongest supports.

As a top-tier sniper, the Phantom Gun fulfilled his role perfectly, quietly clearing every obstacle in that man's path.

In countless clashes back then, it was also the Phantom Gun who had taken the lives of innumerable comrades.

And Garp, as the main force in the hunt for Roger's crew, had seen many of his men fall to the Phantom Gun's bullets.

That was why Garp was so relentless about the Phantom Gun.

But from the Navy's perspective, the high-intensity campaign to capture the remnants of Roger's pirate crew had already long since neared its end.

Even today, remnants such as the Phantom Gun, Rayleigh, and Jabba, who were difficult to capture and had remained low-profile for years, were no longer worth the Navy's continued investment of effort.

Garp understood this too, which was why he did not make things difficult for Sengoku.

Watching Sengoku sink into memory, Tsuru suddenly said, "Kuzan is on Garp's ship."

"Huh?"

Sengoku was startled.

Then he remembered that Aokiji was currently on leave.

Only...

Sengoku gave a helpless smile.

On the calm sea, a warship with a dog figurehead cut through the waves.

On the deck, Aokiji lay in a deck chair and said lazily, "By the way, where exactly are we going?"

"The West Sea."

Garp answered on reflex, then turned his head to look at the offbeat Aokiji.

"Kuzan, why are you here?!"

"??"

Aokiji tilted his head, utterly baffled.

The soldiers around them fell into silence.

Hadn't he been there all along?