But—but… you—no, we—our strength alone can't possibly…"
The herald's face twisted in disbelief, as if he'd just been hit by a cannonball.
Had he heard right?
Did this useless officer take the wrong medicine this morning?
Normally, when pirates showed up, this so-called "Captain" was the first to hide behind the mast, barking orders from cover while shaking like a leaf.
With those pitifully half-mastered Rokushiki techniques, he couldn't even defeat a basic Cipher Pol trainee.
Now he wanted to confront Jack the Drought—a right-hand commander of Kaido, one of the Four Emperors?
Isn't that straight-up suicide?!
"And what's with that tone?" Jasper shot back, brow furrowed. "Am I not your captain?"
With that, he smacked the herald lightly on the head, an annoyed expression on his face.
[Ding! Sailor internally cursed you as a 'gentleman.' System Points +99!]
The herald rubbed his head and cursed in his heart.
We're done for. Dead for sure. Following this hollow-headed, overconfident paper tiger—must've been cursed eight lifetimes over.
But Jasper didn't notice the sailor's despairing stare.
Without another word, he turned and strode toward the stern to personally observe the approaching ship.
As soon as he left, the remaining sailors huddled together.
They all knew: even if their "Captain" wanted to court death, they didn't have to go with him.
Even if it violated protocol, reporting directly to the higher-ups was the only option left.
After all, Jasper wasn't just anyone—he was the son of Sengoku the Buddha, the former Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
They sprinted toward the communications room and grabbed the nearest Den Den Mushi, urgently dialing Marineford.
Marine Headquarters — Marineford
Sengoku stood in his office, hunched over a navigational chart.
Something in his gut twisted.
This ominous feeling… it hadn't hit him like this since decades ago—
Back when Garp and Roger had temporarily joined forces to defeat Rocks D. Xebec.
Could something big be about to erupt today too…?
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on his desk rang sharply.
Sengoku frowned and snatched it up. "Marine Headquarters, Sengoku speaking."
"Marshal Sengoku, this is Tax Ship No. 4396, reporting emergency status!"
Sengoku froze. That's Jasper 's ship…
Did something happen?
"We've been intercepted! A vessel under the Beasts Pirates—flying Jack the Drought's colors—is approaching fast. The Captain… he's preparing to engage!"
"…What did you say?!"
Sengoku shot to his feet, face pale with shock.
Jack the Drought—one of Kaido's three All-Stars. A man with a bounty over 1 billion berries.
And Jasper , with his mediocre command of Rokushiki and poor combat record, wanted to fight him?
"Why didn't you stop him?!"
The sailor on the line sounded desperate. "You know how the Captain is, sir… stubborn, unpredictable… he doesn't listen to anyone, not even to you, let alone us grunts!"
Sengoku's face contorted in fury.
Of course, he knew Jasper 's temperament—prideful, rash, and allergic to common sense.
"I understand. I'll send backup immediately. Do whatever it takes to keep him from engaging! Delay him!"
Sengoku slammed the receiver down, jaw clenched tight.
"THAT—STUPID—BOY!!"
Always stirring up trouble with no strength to back it up! This time he's going to get himself killed!
When—if—he got Jasper back, he was going straight into isolation. Maybe even shipyard duty for three years.
But despite the anger twisting his features, Sengoku's eyes softened for a moment.
No matter how incompetent… Jasper was still his son.
He reached for another line.
G-11 Marine Base – Near New World Route 313
Admiral Kizaru, a.k.a. Borsalino, was lounging on a couch, leg crossed and Den Den Mushi in hand.
"Yo~ this is Borsalino."
"Polsalino, it's Sengoku. You're still near Route 313, right? I need you to move immediately."
"Oh~ what's going on, Marshal Sengoku?"
"My idiot son is trying to fight Jack the Drought. He's on a tax ship with no backup. Go retrieve him—now!"
Sengoku's voice erupted like a cannon shot across the line.
Kizaru winced and held the Den Den Mushi away from his ear. "Ara~ra… it's been a while since I heard the old man shout like that."
He sighed dramatically, his face folding into exaggerated wrinkles.
"Looks like Jasper 's stirred up something again. Well~ can't let the brat die, I suppose."
Despite the mockery in his voice, Kizaru's body was already shimmering with golden light—preparing to move at the speed of light.
After all, even he couldn't ignore a direct order from the former Fleet Admiral.
And Jasper , annoying as he was… was still Sengoku's son.
Sengoku had given Jasper more chances than most officers ever dreamed of.
Despite pulling strings and smoothing over blunders, the kid still couldn't rise past the rank of Commander, let alone Brigadier General.
All he ever did was stir up trouble, bouncing between minor patrol assignments and disciplinary reports.
And now? Sengoku had to dispatch an Admiral just to rescue him.
Still, an order from Sengoku—even if he was no longer Fleet Admiral—was not to be ignored.
Kizaru turned slowly, hands in his coat pockets, and gave the order to his ensign.
"Full speed ahead. Set course for Route 313."
Back at Marineford, Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi. His expression was thunderous.
Though Kizaru wasn't too far from Jasper 's position, he wasn't close either.
Even moving at top naval cruising speed, it would take at least an hour to arrive.
Sengoku clenched his fists, staring at the horizon through the wide office window.
Would that troublesome brat survive long enough for Kizaru to reach him?
Meanwhile, on the deck of Tax Ship No. 4396, Jasper 's face twitched slightly. Two system notifications had just appeared before his eyes.
[Ding! Marshal Sengoku internally scolded you for being a gentleman. System Points +18,999!]
[Ding! Admiral Kizaru internally scolded you for being a gentleman. System Points +12,999!]
So… the crew must've reported him to the old man. No surprise there.
But Jasper shrugged it off. So what if they knew? He had no intention of backing down now.
He stood at the stern, gripping a pair of binoculars, watching the dark silhouette of the enemy ship in the distance.
It was smaller, sleeker, but it flew a flag that made even seasoned sailors sweat: the Beasts Pirates.
A subordinate vessel under the command of Drought Jack, one of Kaido's All-Stars.
Through the lenses, Jasper could make out pirates shouting and brandishing weapons on the other deck.
They looked loud. Overconfident. Typical.
"Captain! Think this through again!" one sailor begged from behind.
"That's Jack the Drought's ship! We need to retreat while we still can!"
"You're the son of Marshal Sengoku! If anything happens to you, we'll all be court-martialed!"
"We should use the cannons to drive them off and escape while there's time!"
A chorus of anxious voices rose around him.
Of course, it wasn't concern for him personally.
To the sailors, Jasper was annoying, arrogant, and utterly unqualified.
But if the son of Sengoku died under their watch? Their careers would go up in flames.
Each man cursed inwardly.
This guy is a real problem. No strength, no sense, and still drags us into certain death?
[Ding! Sailor internally scolded you as a gentleman. System Points +99!]
[Ding! Sailor internally scolded you as a gentleman. System Points +99!]
[Ding! Sailor internally scolded you as a gentleman. System Points +99!]
And the system chimed again and again.
Jasper exhaled through his nose, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.
"You all call yourselves Marines," he said, voice cold. "Yet the son of the great Sengoku is supposed to turn tail and run from a pirate?"
He slapped the iron railing beside him hard, leaving a deep dent.
"Enough! I'm the captain. This is my decision. If you're too scared, stay here!"
His voice was sharp and final.
Then, without warning—before anyone could stop him—Jasper launched himself overboard.
"C-Captain?! He really jumped!!"
"He's swimming toward them?! Is he insane?!"
The crew rushed to the edge of the ship, eyes wide. Sure enough, Jasper 's figure was cutting through the waves at a shocking speed, aimed straight at the enemy vessel.
Every man on board stared in disbelief, frustration thick in the air.
Why are we stuck following this lunatic?
But orders were orders.
With visible reluctance, the helmsman turned the wheel to follow their reckless commanding officer.
Just then, one of the sailors—still staring at the rail Jasper had struck—gasped.
"Wait… look at this…"
The spot where Jasper had slapped the edge was crushed inward.
That section of railing was wrapped in reinforced marine steel—strong enough to take a cannon blast.
The sailors exchanged looks.
"…Could it be that this 'straw bag' captain… was hiding his strength all along?"