Chapter 56

"Blu-Bru~"

"Blu-Bru~"

Inside a room aboard a Marine warship, within the port.

The persistent ring of the Den Den Mushi echoed throughout the empty space.

But there was no one present to answer the call in this vacant room.

Only the incessant ringing of the Den Den Mushi filled the air.

Simultaneously.

Marineford, Navy Headquarters.

"Blu-Bru~"

"Blu-Bru~"

The sound of the Den Den Mushi call could be heard.

Garp sat in Sengoku's office, while Sengoku himself was absent from the room.

As Garp enjoyed his rice crackers, the Den Den Mushi's call caught his attention, causing him to glance at the device before resuming his snacking.

"Crunch, crunch~"

The crispy sound of the rice crackers blended with the persistent ring of the Den Den Mushi.

However, this time, the call seemed unusually insistent.

Garp couldn't help but take another look at the Den Den Mushi.

This was Sengoku's office, and the ringing Den Den Mushi undoubtedly meant someone was seeking Sengoku. Garp didn't feel inclined to answer...

"Hello! I'm Garp, Sengoku isn't here!" Garp picked up the phone, preemptively revealing his identity without waiting for the other person to speak.

Yet, instead of a response on the other end of the line, Garp heard sobbing and whimpering.

This sudden turn of events momentarily stunned the usually cheerful Garp.

Just as he was about to inquire about the situation, the Den Den Mushi emitted a sound.

It was the hoarse, mournful cry of a woman.

"Vice Admiral Garp, Tsuru... Tsuru, she's dead, Vice Admiral...'

Upon hearing the news, Garp was struck by a metaphorical lightning bolt, leaving his mind blank for a moment.

"Plop~"

The rice crackers slipped from his hand, falling to the ground.

Garp's movements faltered slightly, and then he forced a smile, saying, "What... What are you saying? Don't play such a cruel joke on this old man!"

This time, Garp heard no echo of words.

All that met his ears was heart-wrenching wailing.

In that moment, the female officer on the other end of the line remained speechless.

Forcing her to repeat the news of Tsuru's death would only inflict more pain upon her.

It was in that very instant, listening to the mournful cries through the Den Den Mushi, that Garp realized.

His dear old friend, Tsuru, was truly gone!

"H-How... How could this be..."

At that moment, Sengoku entered the room, holding a cup of tea.

Hearing the commotion, Garp instinctively raised his head.

Sengoku, observing Garp's extremely distraught expression, questioned with confusion, "What's the matter? Why do you look so pale?"

Noticing the Den Den Mushi in Garp's hand, Sengoku inquired further.

"What happened?"

Garp's face darkened, and after a brief silence, Sengoku heard Garp's voice, somewhat hoarse, slowly uttering the words.

"Tsuru... She is dead."

Sengoku, upon hearing Garp's words, was instantly frozen in shock.

His eyes involuntarily narrowed in that moment.

Astonishment etched across Sengoku's face like never before.

After a while, he finally snapped out of his daze.

Wearing a gloomy expression, Sengoku lowered his head and, through clenched teeth, asked.

"Who? Who did this?"

"Carnes... A man named Carnes... Vice Admiral Tsuru seemed to know him!" A choked voice once again came through the Den Den Mushi.

Upon hearing the name Carnes.

Both Sengoku and Garp's foreheads pulsated with visible veins.

Garp's hand gripping the Den Den Mushi displayed bulging veins.

In the next second, Garp's boundless anger towards Carnes overwhelmed him, and he slammed his fist onto the table with all his might.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Garp's furious punch caused the solid wooden table to shatter instantly!

"Carnes!!!"

Garp bellowed angrily, releasing his pent-up frustration.

Soon after, Garp stormed out of the office, clutching the Den Den Mushi.

"Where are you going?!" Sengoku, standing at the door, asked in a deep voice.

Without hesitation, Garp responded directly.

"To kill that guy!"

"It's my fault! It's all my fault! I failed to eliminate him back then, and now he has killed Tsuru!"

Perhaps unable to contain his anger, Garp's voice resonated louder than ever before.

Witnessing Garp accepting all the blame and responsibility at once.

Sengoku couldn't help but raise his own voice as well.

"It's not your fault!"

"Don't try to stop me. This time, I will personally end that man's life!" Garp turned his head to look at Sengoku, his voice colder than ever.

After that, he didn't wait for Sengoku's response.

Garp strode past Sengoku.

And Sengoku didn't stop him!

Because at that moment, not only Garp, but Sengoku himself was consumed by boundless anger!

If I were not the Fleet Admiral, I would join you!

With his back turned to Garp, listening to the fading sound of Garp's footsteps, Sengoku suddenly spoke with a solemn tone.

"This time... he won't escape!"

After a brief pause, Garp's voice resounded calmly.

"I won't repeat the same mistakes I made before!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, aboard the Eternal Gale.

Carnes and his crew had returned to the ship.

They had no intention of lingering on the island any longer. Killing Tsuru did not yield as many influence points as Carnes had anticipated.

Only a mere two hundred or so points.

None of them reached the threshold for the next round of recruitment.

Since recruiting new crew members was currently impossible, there was no need to stay any longer.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Carnes gazed at the boundless sea before him, speaking leisurely and in high spirits.

"Set sail!"

"To the Sabaody Archipelago!"

"Where another one of my enemies awaits his impending doom!"

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