70 Time Flies, The Birth of Luffy
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During this period, the seas were unusually peaceful. This was likely because Brontes had put a stop to the Big Mom Pirates' territorial expansion, prompting the New World pirates to tread more carefully.
The Beasts Pirates, however, remained active. Their planned assault on Wano Country was fast approaching.
A year before Luffy was born, they launched their attack on Wano, resulting in the tragic death of Oden Kozuki and the subsequent occupation of the country by the Beasts Pirates.
As days turned into weeks, about a month later, Brontes removed his mask, revealing a sight that made onlookers second-guess their vision.
Adorning Brontes's face was a new tattoo, a pattern of simple dragon scales that extended down his neck and arms, leaving many marines in awe.
They speculated whether Brontes had acquired the tattoos recently and pondered the significance of such extensive body art on an Admiral.
However, tattoos were not unheard of among high-ranking officers; Admiral Sakazuki himself sported a bold flower tattoo on his chest. It seemed that such eccentricities were not uncommon among the powerful.
.....
A year after their initial attack, the Beasts Pirates had completely seized control of Wano Country.
Around the same time, the Red Hair Pirates made their entrance into the New World.
Shortly after their arrival, they found themselves in a major conflict with the Beasts Pirates.
The battle that ensued was intense. To the surprise of many, the Red Hair Pirates, despite being newcomers, held their ground against the formidable Beasts Pirates, of course due to Kaido's absence in that battle.
They became the first rookie pirate crew to successfully stand up to an Overlord of the Great Pirate Age.
While they didn't defeat the Beasts Pirates outright, they certainly left a mark on the New World, impressing everyone with their strength.
The Marines were quick to react, updating their records and increasing the bounty on the Red Hair Pirates to hundreds of millions of Berries.
The revelation that their captain was a former member of Roger's crew was also made public.
With this information, the world began to understand the Red Hair Pirates' capabilities and the reasons behind their clash with the Beasts Pirates.
Wano Country had fallen, and Oden Kozuki, who had once sailed with Roger, had been killed.
So as a former crew member of Roger Pirates, it was clear that the Red Hair captain was driven by a desire for vengeance, leading to the inevitable showdown with the Beasts Pirates.
The rise of the Red Hair Pirates threw the New World into further turmoil, with notorious figures like Doflamingo, Moria, Crocodile, and Mihawk, who was challenging swordsmen globally, making their presence known.
Each of these pirates was incredibly powerful in their own right.
Amidst this upheaval, Brontes found himself sidelined, confined to overseeing the G-1 Base in the New World.
This restriction was a direct order from the Five Elders, who had decided to leave the handling of other New World affairs to Borsalino and Sakazuki.
This strategy was a subtle move to bolster the political standing of the two, potentially paving their way to fill the remaining Admiral positions in the future.
Borsalino, however, was not pleased with this arrangement. Known for his laid-back attitude, he preferred to earn his pay with minimal effort.
The prospect of additional missions, especially in Brontes's absence, prompted him to frequently visit the G-1 Base to voice his complaints.
Brontes, faced with Borsalino's grumbling, could only offer a sympathetic shrug and wish him good luck.
As time went on, Brontes began to see his time at the base as a sort of vacation, albeit one cluttered with endless paperwork.
Meanwhile, Garp, ever the restless spirit, had slipped away once more.
A covert tip about Dragon's location in the East Blue had reached him, and he couldn't resist the urge to investigate.
In Windmill Village, Garp's hometown, he discovered a baby boy left by Dragon, along with a simple note: "This is my son, your grandson. I'm busy with tasks and other things so you take of him."
Garp was torn between frustration at Dragon's absence and joy at having another grandson, this one a direct descendant.
Garp decided to take a break himself. Observing Garp's frequent time off throughout the year, Brontes couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
Although his days at the base were relatively stress-free, the mountain of paperwork was both physically and mentally draining.
Despite Brontes's repeated requests for a vacation, Sengoku flatly refused each one.
"I've served in the Marine for over thirty years and haven't taken a single day off!" Sengoku shouted over the Den Den Mushi: "If anyone deserves a vacation, it's me, not you!"
...
Another year had slipped by, and Brontes watched as Garp strolled back from his year-long hiatus.
The sight stirred a mix of frustration and resignation within him; Garp's influence in the Marine was simply too formidable to question.
"I heard there's been quite the stir with CP9 recently." Garp commented nonchalantly, idly picking his nose.
Brontes nodded: "Yeah, a guy named Rob Lucci went overboard during a critical mission—wiped out all the hostages and the pirates. It's sparked protests from several countries. Looks like next year's World Conference is going to be pretty heated."
Garp snorted and said with a sneer: "The World Government's enforcers are always causing a scene. But what about that red-haired kid? Are they really planning to ignore what he's up to?"
"Seems like it. And speaking of action, I'm finally getting a taste of it myself. They've lifted my restrictions. I haven't seen real action in years; I'm practically going to rust." Brontes replied, a hint of relief in his voice.
"They're letting you off the leash?" Garp asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
"Yeah, I guess they figured keeping me cooped up here would only make me run off eventually." Brontes said, with a smile crossing his face.
...
However, when Brontes finally set sail, he realized that his newfound freedom came with strings attached—he was being watched.
The World Government's distrust of Brontes lingered, a shadow cast long since his confrontation with the Big Mom Pirates.
His tattoo, with its dragon scale-like design, only fueled their suspicions, drawing an uncomfortable parallel to Dragon, the legendary creature from the myths.
The other thing that attracted their attention was the actions of the Revolutionary Army.
The World Government had limited intelligence on Dragon, but his leadership of the Revolutionary Army was enough to cause them unease.
They were particularly cautious of anyone carrying the D. surname, especially someone as closely related to Garp, the Naval Hero, as Dragon was.
Garp, along with Brontes, were figures the World Government dared not to touch.
Any conflict with them could potentially incite unrest within the ranks of the Marine, undermining the World Government's most formidable military force.
Brontes had no interest in being caught up in these political games.
His return to the sea was supposed to be a respite, a break from the constant tension, not a mission to hunt some pirates.
An invitation from a country in the West Blue provided the perfect alibi to leave the base.
As an Admiral, his duties weren't confined to the New World; the Four Seas required his attention too, and the West Blue had once been his territory.
The World Government, for their part, was content with his departure to the West Blue, as it reduced the risk of him disrupting their delicate strategies in the New World by defeating powerful pirates they preferred to keep in play.
The World Government's strategy was opaque, but their objective seemed clear: to weaken the pirates just enough without wiping them out entirely.
They understood that a certain level of pirate activity was necessary to maintain the balance of power they desired.
If Brontes, with his propensity for decisive action, were to engage with the pirates of the New World, he might very well decimate them, leaving the World Government in a bad position.
They needed pirates to exist, just not too powerfully or too weakly, and Brontes's unbridled approach was a variable they could not afford to unleash.
