The vast azure sea stretched endlessly ahead as a marine warship sliced through the gentle waves. Hundreds of navy soldiers stood on the deck, silent and somber expressions etched on their faces. At the forefront, Vice Admiral Zephyr sat on a chair, his injuries being carefully tended to by a ship doctor.
The mission to capture Bob had ended in failure. Both Zephyr and everyone involved bore some responsibility, but the primary concern now was to report the details clearly to the Navy Headquarters—especially regarding Bob's current strength.
Cough, cough.
Zephyr, his body wrapped in bandages and his spirit visibly drained, coughed twice, his chest rising and falling sharply with each breath. He motioned to someone nearby, his voice low and hoarse.
"The Den Den Mushi...!"
"Bring me the Den Den Mushi assigned to Fleet Admiral Kong!"
At the Navy Headquarters in Marineford, a massive round table dominated the room. Steel Bone Kong, Tsuru, Sengoku, and other high-ranking navy officials were seated around it, their expressions gravely serious.
The news of Zephyr retreat had already reached them. While it was diplomatically spun as a peaceful withdrawal, in the navy eyes, failing to capture a pirate was nothing less than defeat.
"Bring Garp back."
"There's no point in him proceeding further. Bob is surely no longer on the island!"
Steel Bone Kong, resting his forehead against his hand, maintained a solemn yet commanding tone. Upon receiving Zephyr initial reports, Steel Bone Kong had promptly dispatched reinforcements to assist. Given the involvement of commanders from the Rocks Pirates, it was no question that a formidable navy officers were necessary. Garp had volunteered enthusiastically, so he was sent to the island where the casino was located with a contingent of naval soldiers.
However, with the mission now having failed—Zephyr retreating and Bob escaping—the reinforcements were no longer needed. One of the high-ranking officers quickly relayed Steel Bone Kong's instructions to Garp via the Den Den Mushi.
Steel Bone Kong then turned back to the group and continued, "Zephyr is en route to headquarters now. His injuries are stable; a few days of rest, and he'll recover."
Hearing this, Sengoku, Tsuru, and the rest of the officers visibly relaxed. News of Zephyr injuries being manageable was a relief to them all.
"Now then, based on Zephyr report of his battle with Bob, we can piece together a general assessment of his abilities."
Bob: Commander of the Rocks Pirates. Possesses mastery of all three types of Haki.
Conqueror's Haki: Dense and oppressive.
Observation Haki: High-level, excellent sensory perception though not yet capable of future prediction.
Armament Haki: Advanced mastery. Proficient in techniques such as Ryuo and internal destruction, making this his most honed Haki.
Signature Techniques: "Serious Series – Serious Table Flip" and "Serious Series – Serious Water Gun."
Physical Strength: Monster-level endurance. During his battle with Zephyr, he showed no signs of exhaustion and became increasingly stronger as the fight carried on. In terms of pure physicality—speed, power, and explosive force—he surpasses Zephyr by a significant margin.
Every word from Steel Bone Kong resonated heavily in the room. The more he elaborated, the more the officers' surprise turned into profound shock.
"A master of all three types of Haki, with advanced proficiency in each, and physical abilities surpassing Zephyr... This Bob has become an exceedingly dangerous individual!"
Sengoku frowned deeply, his round spectacles unable to mask the wary glint in his eyes. None of them were more familiar with Zephyr strength more than Sengoku. As contemporaries and comrades, he knew that even someone like Garp had to exercise caution when facing Zephyr in close quarters.
"In this battle, as per Zephyr account, skill-wise he employed Life Return, the Six Powers' Ultimate Technique, and Armament Haki —but even that could not turn the tide. Bob, on the other hand, relied on only two techniques."
Steel Bone Kong paused before continuing.
"Two techniques?"
"Serious Table Flip and Serious Water Gun, right? These don't sound particularly impressive," Tsuru commented, her sharp gaze narrowing as she tried to grasp the significance of these techniques.
"Yes, they sound juvenile... like child's play. But the power they hold is astonishing!"
"Serious Table Flip: Bob plunges his hands into the ground and, using sheer brute strength, rips up an enormous chunk of the surface, hurling it as a projectile. During the battle, he countered Zephyr Six Powers: Six King Gun using this."
"Serious Water Gun: As its name suggests, it's a high-pressure blast of water with great force. Bob used it to deflect Zephyr Light Beam technique."
Steel Bone Kong shook his head subtly as he described these scenes, finding it hard to believe himself. If Zephyr hadn't relayed it personally, even Steel Bone Kong might have dismissed it as delusion.
"That's... remarkably straightforward and brutally effective!"
"Someone without a Devil Fruit achieving such feats... What kind of monster is this man?"
"If Bob were to master refined combat techniques as well, his power would undoubtedly rise another level," Tsuru remarked after a long pause, still processing the simplicity and terror of these techniques.
"Exactly. His potential, combined with the notoriety he's gained for killing a Celestial Dragon, means his standing within the Rocks Pirates is nearly unparalleled. Aside from Rocks himself, there's likely no one else who can rival him within their ranks."
Steel Bone Kong frustration was evident in his tone. Having a menace like Rocks was already a nightmare for the World Government and the navy, but now there was Bob—a rising catastrophe of equal magnitude.
The other officers, hearing Steel Bone Kong evaluation, collectively let out anxious breaths. To have Steel Bone Kong openly compare someone to Rocks underscored a threat of unprecedented scale. Still, when they thought it through, they could understand. For someone of Bob's age to demonstrate such decisiveness and strength, the comparison wasn't undeserved.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi, sitting dormant on the round table, began to ring with its characteristic tone.
"Purururu... Purururu..."
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