"Old man Garp, it's been a while!"
Luo Lan had been expecting this call for some time.
After all…
The scene of Dragon's defeat and capture had been broadcasted live across the entire world. Everyone had seen it.
Naturally, Garp was no exception.
To others, it was the fall of the Revolutionary Army's leader.
But to Garp… it was something far more personal.
"Luo Lan, back when we were both at Marine HQ, we had a pretty decent relationship, right?"
"Yeah, we really did," Luo Lan nodded sincerely.
"Puhahaha! Good, good. Then… I have a favor to ask you."
"Old man Garp, just because we were close doesn't mean I'm going to discuss anything about Dragon. He went too far!"
"I know, I know…"
"No, you don't know," Luo Lan cut in sharply.
"If it wasn't for my intervention with Jun Lin, do you know what would've happened to the hundreds of thousands of civilians Dragon abandoned in the Kingdom of Arkado?"
His voice rose in anger.
"And this wasn't the first time. He's done it three times before. Arkado is the fourth."
"According to incomplete statistics, over 500,000 civilians were massacred directly due to the Revolutionary Army's actions in the past, and over a million more died from torture, neglect, or exhaustion in the aftermath."
"In total, Dragon's decisions have cost 1.5 million lives!"
"The so-called 'Revolutionary Army'? That's a joke!"
"Tell me, Garp… Your son's life matters, sure. But don't the lives of those 1.5 million people matter too?"
---
Garp fell silent.
He knew.
He knew everything.
But… Dragon was his son.
"Luo Lan…"
"Don't say I'm heartless," Luo Lan interrupted.
"I'll spare Dragon's life—but our friendship isn't worth enough to absolve him of his crimes."
"If you want more… tell me. Whatever it is, I'll agree."
Garp's eyes lit up. There was still a chance.
"It's simple," Luo Lan said coldly.
"Leave the Marines. Join Jun Lin."
"In exchange, I won't kill Dragon. But I'm not letting him go, either."
"His Devil Fruit will be stripped, and he'll be imprisoned in Jun Lin's facility for life. Of course, you can visit him whenever you like."
"That's the best I can offer. Don't even think about asking for more—it's not happening."
For a man like Dragon, driven by boundless ambition…
Death wasn't punishment.
Living, imprisoned, was.
And besides—trading Dragon's life… for Garp?
Anyone would take that deal.
Even though Jun Lin had amassed significant high-level power, if the Marines and World Government united all their elites and crossed the Red Line individually to reach East Blue, it would still be a major threat.
Recruiting more powerful Marines was a critical step moving forward.
And as for Garp?
With Dragon in custody, Luo Lan had him in check.
And if that wasn't enough… there was also Garp's grandson.
Currently residing in East Blue.
And as of today, East Blue was Dominion territory. If Garp wanted to visit his grandson, he'd need Luo Lan's permission.
"Let me think about it," Garp finally said.
"You've got 24 hours," Luo Lan replied calmly.
"Any longer, and I'll take it as a 'no.'"
He ended the call.
---
Thirty minutes later.
Jun Lin's Second Fleet closed in on the Revolutionary Army's sailing fleet.
A major battle was about to begin.
Over a thousand Jun Lin soldiers launched from their warships, stepping on Geppo (Moonwalk) to storm the enemy ships directly.
The entire world watched in shock.
Especially the Marines.
When did Geppo become so commonplace?
How could Jun Lin's regular soldiers use it so proficiently?
What followed was even more outrageous.
Despite the Revolutionary Army's commanders being wounded, groups of just ten Jun Lin soldiers were able to take them down.
One commander… subdued by ten foot soldiers?
That was insane.
This was the first time the world had seen Jun Lin's ground forces in action—
And it terrified them.
Even though the World Government still had more top-tier combatants than Jun Lin…
At the grassroots level, Jun Lin completely dominated.
And this wasn't even their main force—just a small fleet.
In under fifteen minutes, the entire Revolutionary Army fleet was defeated.
Over twenty top commanders, three hundred lower officers, and 9,000 surviving soldiers—all captured.
---
Meanwhile, outside the Calm Belt, on the Grand Line…
Onboard a first-generation steel battleship—purchased from Jun Lin and now repurposed as the Marines' flagship—several Marine generals, three CP0 captains, and other Cipher Pol officers gathered for a strategy meeting.
They were watching a live feed of the battle.
"This is insane…" Kizaru muttered, his voice as mocking as ever.
"These Jun Lin soldiers… they're on par with our base officers!"
For once, Sengoku didn't tell him to shut up.
Because it was true.
With grassroots forces like these, a head-on confrontation would be disastrous. Before elite units could even clash, the Marines' low-level troops would be annihilated.
So why not just send the elites?
The problem: crossing the Calm Belt.
A few could fly, like Kizaru… but they'd be picked off mid-air.
Moonwalk across 200–300 nautical miles? That was suicide.
Even if they had the stamina, how would they dodge Jun Lin's intercept weapons—
The same ones that had wounded Kaido from hundreds of miles away?
Moonwalk might let you fly, but it wasn't fast or agile enough for a prolonged assault.
Trying to cross that way would get half their people shot out of the sky before they even made it.
---
Knock knock knock…
Sengoku's headache was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in."
"Fleet Admiral, urgent report!"
"What is it?"
"Over thirty Marine outposts—including Branch 16, 153, and others across East Blue—were attacked by Jun Lin at the exact same time!"
"What?!"
Sengoku's eyes widened.
So Luo Lan had deployed a fleet to block their joint forces in the Calm Belt…
And sent another to intercept the Revolutionary Army…
And now they find out he still had another force attacking the Marine branches in East Blue?
How many troops did this man even have?!
"How many people did he send?"
"According to the reports—only three per location. All of them wore the standard Jun Lin uniform and appeared to be ordinary soldiers."
---
The room fell silent.
And in that silence… fear settled in.