# Chapter 41: I Regret It, You Should Just Wait Quietly
"Yes."
The messenger Marine left the Marshal's office, and the office fell silent.
Crunch, crunch...
The crisp sound of chewing came. Hearing this, Sengoku's forehead bulged with veins.
"You bastard, you still have the appetite to eat at a time like this. If it weren't for your precious grandson, this would have been the perfect opportunity to wipe out the Don Quixote Family."
Sengoku roared, and the chewing sound abruptly stopped.
On the sofa not far from the Marshal's desk, a strong old man with gray-white short hair held a piece of senbei cracker. The strong old man smiled, somewhat forced, his face seeming even more aged.
"But the Don Quixote Family is also difficult to deal with. After all, they're a malignant tumor."
Seeing his old friend's expression, Sengoku knew his words had been a bit harsh.
The only one who could sit in the Marshal's office eating senbei was, of course, the Marine Hero Garp. Garp put the senbei back in the bag and rubbed his rough hands on his pant legs.
"Sengoku, I want to go to Impel Down to visit..."
"Don't even think about it."
Sengoku interrupted Garp's words. Garp's mouth opened and closed a few times, but in the end, he couldn't say what came next.
"After this matter is made public... then go visit. At that time, I'll issue a temporary commission to inspect the sixth level of Impel Down. That way, the Five Elders won't have anything to say."
Sengoku let out a long sigh.
"Thank you."
"Just cause me fewer problems; that's more sincere than a thank you."
Sengoku was furious just looking at Garp right now, but seeing the wrinkles on the other's face, there were some things he still couldn't bring himself to say.
Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace, had been captured. If Ace were just a member of Whitebeard's crew, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But unfortunately, Ace was also the grandson of Marine Hero Garp, and even more damnably, Ace was the biological son of the Pirate King Roger.
This tangled web of relationships gave Sengoku a throbbing headache. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder, if he traced the lineage, wouldn't Garp be of the same generation as Roger and Whitebeard's father? Though it didn't quite make sense, if you forced the logic, that's really how it was.
Sengoku wanted to say to Garp: 'You're really something, aren't you? Your son's generation includes the Pirate King and an Emperor, and you have a biological son who's the leader of the Revolutionary Army, the greatest enemy of the World Government and the Marines. Your grandson is also pretty impressive, having recently caused a huge ruckus at Enies Lobby.'
For this reason, Sengoku wanted to pin Garp to the ground and give him a good beating, asking him how he raised his descendants.
"That dangerous guy has taken refuge in the Don Quixote Family. The Don Quixote Family has been suffering so much lately; I feel it's all thanks to him."
Garp spoke, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone.
"It's not impossible. That guy isn't particularly strong, but what he controls is too dangerous. He's had the Pluton blueprints for so long; there's no way he doesn't have backups. And the technology he possesses leaves even Vegapunk scratching his head. Those blueprints... are they really bomb designs? I feel they're more like a messy painting."
When Sengoku mentioned a certain person, his brain began to buzz.
"Eh, I also felt that thing didn't look like bomb blueprints, but I never had the nerve to ask. Though I couldn't understand it, the drawing was quite neat."
Garp laughed loudly, seemingly temporarily forgetting the matter that troubled him.
"Speaking of which, the Don Quixote Family and the Big Mom Pirates must be preparing to reconcile. The negotiation location is the Hysteria Sea Area. Why did Red Hair appear? And they set the negotiation spot near Whitebeard's territory. What are these pirates thinking?"
When Sengoku brought up official matters, his expression turned serious.
"The Hysteria Sea Area, sss~"
Garp sucked in a breath. Seeing Garp's expression, Sengoku's heart tightened.
"What?"
"I seem to have heard of this sea area~"
Garp slapped his palm, resolving his own confusion.
"#!"
Sengoku's eyes bulged, his expression clearly saying: 'Did a donkey kick your brain?'
Sengoku calmed his fluctuating mood. He had fought alongside Garp his entire life and knew he couldn't continue discussing this matter with Garp, or his intelligence would decrease. It was truly hard work for Sengoku.
"Kaido is also involved in this matter. Whether they're negotiating or whatever, under these circumstances, it's almost like all Four Emperors are gathered. Though it's unlikely, if they were to unite, the result would be unimaginable."
"Exactly."
Garp's expression turned serious.
"Charlotte Linlin and Kaido served on the same ship when they were young. Even if they have a special private relationship, I wouldn't be surprised.
Moreover, Whitebeard will soon gather all his subordinates. As for Red Hair, no one knows what he wants."
When Garp got serious, he was absolutely not as foolish as he appeared.
"You should head to the New World now."
Sengoku stared at Garp.
"Alright."
Garp answered decisively, stood up, and walked toward the door.
"Wait, there's one more thing..."
Sengoku and Garp spoke in low voices for a few minutes. Garp left the Marshal's office, leaving only Sengoku inside.
"Whitebeard, as long as you fall, the New World will no longer be a place where pirates run rampant."
Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi beside him, unsure who he intended to contact.
...
New World, Hysteria Sea Area.
On the calm sea surface, a dragon-headed ship was anchored. This was the ship of the Four Emperors, Red Hair.
"Boss, aren't we bringing too few people?"
A simple voice came from the deck. The speaker was a fat man holding an animal leg, eating meat with big bites.
"We're here as witnesses, not to display military force."
A slightly hoarse voice came. The speaker had a cigarette in his mouth and a long flintlock pistol tucked into his waist. He wasn't the fat man's boss but the vice captain, Ben Beckman.
"Beckman is right. The New World absolutely cannot fall into chaos right now. Something big is about to happen, something big enough to overturn this era."
This time, the speaker was a one-armed man sitting under the mast. He had a scar over his eye and a rapier tucked into his waist.
The man who spoke had deep red hair. The only feeling he gave others was overflowing domineering presence.
Of course, that was just how outsiders felt. At this moment, Red Hair was like a sick cat, sitting weakly under the ship's mast.
"Boss, you need to pull yourself together. Your current state..."
The fat man, Lucky Roux, had a pained expression.
"Ugh~"
Red Hair dry-heaved, his face turning even more pale.
"When it comes to drinking, Hawk-Eye really is superior."
Ben Beckman smiled. Last night, Red Hair had drunk too much. Normally, if Red Hair had to be a witness the next day, he wouldn't drink so much. But his friend Hawk-Eye had come to visit; they hadn't seen each other for nearly a year. When old friends meet, how could Red Hair's personality not drink to his heart's content?
"We're almost at the agreed location. Red Hair, pull yourself together."
Ben Beckman exhaled a puff of smoke. Hearing Ben Beckman's words, Red Hair took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in his body. Soon, his complexion returned to normal.
About half an hour later, four large ships all entered the Hysteria Sea Area.
Boom! A cannon fired from Doflamingo's ship. The cannonball crashed into the sea, sending water splashing everywhere.
A few seconds later, another cannon sounded. This time, it was from Charlotte Linlin's ship.
The cannonball flew over Doflamingo's ship before finally falling into the sea.
Big Mom sat on a chair on the deck, letting out an unpleasant loud laugh.
Doflamingo watched the cannonball fly over his head, his expression not good. Not far away, on the Red Force, Red Hair also frowned. Big Mom was unexpectedly domineering.
Beside Red Hair, Ben Beckman directly drew his flintlock pistol and fired into the sky.
After the gunshot, Charlotte Linlin, half a nautical mile away, stood up from her seat, her gaze fixed on the Red Force.
"Damn Red Hair."
Big Mom stomped on the deck, making the entire ship tremble.
After the initial unpleasantness, the four ships closed the distance. The Red Force stopped first, and the other three large ships began to converge on it. The negotiation location was on Red Hair's ship.
Soon, the ships finished anchoring. Big Mom leaped, directly jumping onto the Red Force.
On the deck of the Red Force, Red Hair sat on a chair beneath the mast. After Big Mom boarded, Red Hair's subordinates brought out a huge chair. Big Mom sat down without ceremony and remained silent.
On the Don Quixote Family's ship, Doflamingo looked toward the Red Force.
"White Night, prepare to board."
"Hm?"
Su Xiao was slightly puzzled. Why would Doflamingo want him to come forward for a negotiation between pirates? But he quickly understood—the other party wanted him to help save face.
"Then I'll board. I happen to have business with Charlotte Linlin anyway."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Doflamingo's cheek twitched.
"Never mind. You should just wait quietly on the ship."
Doflamingo suddenly changed his mind.
"You invited me so enthusiastically before. How could I refuse?"
Su Xiao stepped onto the ship's railing and leaped onto the Red Force.
Watching Su Xiao's back, Doflamingo felt a very ominous premonition in his heart.