Fifteen kilometers.
Fifteen thousand meters!
Observation Haki awakened!
Ultra-wide-range detection!
If Sheen now used his Observation Haki at full power, he could completely cover a radius of thirty thousand meters. However, that thirty-thousand-meter range required him to focus all of his Observation Haki in a single direction. It was similar to Fujitora's Observation Haki.
Under ordinary conditions, with himself as the center, everything within fifteen thousand meters around him could not escape his eyes.
Sheen crouched on the tree branch and narrowed his eyes as he looked into the distance.
Far away, he saw a tiny black dot constantly weaving through the treetops. Each time it leapt, it seemed to be flying. Its feet stepped on the air, and every stomp sent that black dot shooting forward by a thousand meters.
"That's…"
A name suddenly appeared in Sheen 's mind, and his heart began pounding wildly.
Tiger also climbed up the tree and stood beside him, an unconscious smile appearing on his face.
Who else in the Kingdom of Giants possessed such an ability?
The answer was obvious!
"It's Mr. Roldy!"
"Big Bro!"
Sheen was so excited that he stomped down and snapped the enormous branch beneath his feet, throwing himself toward Roldy in the distance.
Tiger did not react in time and fell from the tree in a miserable heap. When he finally came back to his senses, he immediately started cursing without mercy.
Sheen subconsciously ignored him.
At this moment, only that figure who had once rescued him from suffering remained in his eyes.
"Yo, Sheen ! Long time no see! Looking at you now, your strength must have improved quite a bit, huh?"
Roldy responded to Sheen 's enthusiasm with a smile, rubbing his head forcefully.
"Where are the others?"
After looking around and seeing no sign of anyone else, Roldy could not help asking.
"Crocodile and Moria couldn't stand the boredom, so they left one after the other. We still had contact with them not long ago. That guy Moria is still on Sabaody Archipelago, but no one knows where Crocodile ran off to. According to Moria, he seems to be preparing some kind of surprise. As for that idiot Tiger… huh? Where is he?"
Sheen looked around in confusion but did not see Tiger anywhere.
A moment later, Tiger walked over from behind with a face full of resentment.
"Why are you so slow? I really have to criticize you for this! Big Bro Roldy just finished his training, yet you didn't come to welcome him immediately?"
Sheen grumbled away.
Tiger, who usually had a very good temper, now had veins bulging on his forehead. He walked forward in irritation and punched Sheen on the head.
"Bastard! If you hadn't made me fall, would I have been this slow?"
The newly swollen bump on Sheen 's head was still steaming.
Tiger, however, no longer paid any attention to him. He looked at Roldy with a respectful expression, then grinned.
"Welcome back, Boss Roldy!"
"Gahahaha! Today really is a good day! Looks like both of you have grown stronger. This trip to Elbaf has brought you quite a harvest, hasn't it?"
The three found a clean spot, sat down on the ground, and began chatting freely.
"Big Bro, isn't it about time we went back? It's already been seventeen years. Those guys out on the sea have probably forgotten we even exist!"
Sheen spoke, and Tiger also looked at Roldy.
"Of course. Let's go. King Sparta has prepared a banquet. After we say our farewells to them, we'll set sail back home!"
"Yeah! We're finally going home!"
...
The Holy Land.
Mary Geoise.
Inside the Room of Authority, the Five Elders either stood or sat while an agent knelt respectfully on the floor, reporting something to the five of them.
"My lords, it has already been confirmed! The son of former Marine Headquarters Admiral Zephyr has chosen to go out to sea. He boarded a merchant ship, and traces of him have now been discovered in the East Blue!"
The agent reported all the intelligence they had investigated.
Seventeen years had passed. That infant son of Zephyr had now grown into a young man.
Young people were always rebellious.
Zephyr's ideals had influenced countless rising stars of the Marines. This veteran officer had truly filled the world with his students. Now, more than sixty percent of the officers at Marine Headquarters had come from his military academy.
Zephyr's influence within Marine Headquarters was unshakable.
A new recruit might not become excited because of a summons from Fleet Admiral Sengoku, but he would certainly be thrilled if he was qualified to enter Zephyr's military academy and study there.
He had cultivated generation after generation of talent, yet he had not managed to guide his own son onto the proper path.
The rebellion of youth came with tremendous force.
Zephyr wanted his son to inherit his creed of not killing and become an outstanding officer of Marine Headquarters in the future. However, his son greatly yearned for freedom. In this Great Pirate Era, having such thoughts meant only one thing—going out to sea.
It was understandable in a way.
As the idle son of a high-ranking officer, An had always lived at Marine Headquarters, receiving the strictest instruction under his father's command.
The problem was that Zephyr's gentleness rarely showed on the outside. In his son's eyes, his image had always been stern. Although An's mother tried to mediate between them, after An turned sixteen, the relationship between father and son unknowingly became extremely rigid.
Zephyr's expectations were high.
But An's talent could not compare to those top-tier monsters.
Just as Zephyr back then could not compare with Garp and Sengoku, An could not compare with the Borsalino and Sakazuki of the past. As for Roldy, Zephyr's only direct disciple, whom he had personally raised and regarded as his own, An was even further behind.
An left Marine Headquarters.
He left a letter for his mother. Most of the letter was filled with words of comfort for her, as well as his own longing for freedom.
But to Zephyr, his father, he had only one sentence:
I will become the freest person on the sea. I will accomplish something incredible, and then I will come to see you again.
Naive brats would never understand just how much malice the outside world held toward the son of Black Arm Zephyr.
During Zephyr's Marine career, he had offended no small number of great pirates. Many vicious and wicked fellows had not felt the slightest gratitude toward him just because of his creed of not killing.
The World Government had also found Zephyr unpleasant for a very long time.
Zephyr's influence was too great. So great that they had no choice but to be wary. With Zephyr's current reputation, if he raised his arm and called out, no one knew how many Marines would follow behind him.
This was something the World Government could not tolerate!
What they wanted was an absolutely loyal Marine force, not one that could be shaken by a single person.
Of course, more importantly, the Emperor of the Sea, Roldy, had vanished from the ocean for a very long time.
A full seventeen years.
The fear Roldy had brought to the world back then had been constantly weakening with the passage of time. Sometimes, the Five Elders would even indulge in naive fantasies, wondering whether Roldy had perhaps met with some accident and died in Elbaf.
It was also possible that because many new geniuses had appeared within the World Government and its strength had developed extremely quickly, they now felt there was no longer any need to give Roldy face.
Therefore, the Five Elders issued an order.
They planned to complete what they had failed to accomplish twenty years ago.
Zephyr, this veteran officer, had already shone brightly enough. Brightly enough to allow the Marines to prosper for a long time.
So now, it was time for him to leave the stage.
And the best breakthrough point was Zephyr's rebellious son—
An!
Feeling the admiring gazes of the four colleagues beside him, Saint Warcury proudly raised his head slightly.
Clearly, this plan had been devised by him, and he was also the one who had proposed everything.
There were many ways to pursue freedom.
But why would it have to mean going out to sea?
Just as some Marines would betray their side, Marine Headquarters was not a single solid block. There were many high-ranking officers who were loyal to the World Government and obeyed the Five Elders' orders.
Saint Warcury had used a few methods and very easily arranged for a young Marine soldier to come into contact with An.
From the mouth of this experienced young Marine, An learned many beautiful things about the outside world.
Pirates might be villains, but there were good people among them too.
The Great Pirate Era created by Roger was magnificent and surging. To not go and see it would be like living in this world for nothing!
And so on.
All kinds of such words completely shook An's heart. Coupled with the World Government's deliberate assistance, An successfully escaped to the weakest sea.
Next, they only needed to pin a few fabricated crimes on An and place a bounty on him. Even if his bounty was only a few hundred thousand Berries , it would be enough to serve as a reason for the World Government to act.
"Go carry it out!"
Saint Warcury glanced at the agent and gave the order.
"Uh, my lord, this subordinate still has another piece of intelligence to submit. Perhaps after hearing this information, you may wish to make your decision again?"
The agent stammered but did not leave.
Saint Warcury was furious.
"Make my decision again? There is no need! Gods do not waver! I will make myself clear today—even if the sky collapses, this plan must continue!"
He spoke arrogantly.
If he changed his decision now, would that not make him a low-grade Five Elder?
"Six hundred nautical miles from Elbaf, the Melbis of Roldy's group has been discovered!"
"It has already been confirmed that there are a total of eighteen giants aboard. Also discovered were Roldy's senior officer, 'Blood Dragon' Sheen , and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, 'Sea Dragon' Fisher Tiger!"
"In addition…"
"What else? Say it all at once!"
An ominous premonition appeared in the hearts of the Five Elders.
Saint Warcury's heart tightened, and he barked sharply.
"The Emperor of the Sea who vanished seventeen years ago—Fate Roldy—has been discovered!"
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