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In the East Blue, at the Marine 16th Branch Base, Colonel Nezumi was suffering the consequences of his greed. Covered in bandages from head to toe with one leg suspended in the air, he gritted his teeth—his mouth now gap-toothed from Satori's kick—and demanded the identity of the brat who had humiliated him.
"His name is Sun Wukong," a subordinate replied, "a Pirate Hunter who recently emerged in the East Blue. The woman with him, Nami, is now his partner". The subordinate kept quiet about the fact that intelligence on Wukong had been sitting on Nezumi's desk for weeks; the lazy Colonel had simply ignored the documents while focusing on plundering treasures.
Consumed by venomous resentment, Nezumi decided to strike back through bureaucracy. He ordered a Den Den Mushi to report the "evil deeds" of Sun Wukong to Marineford. He planned to accuse the boy of attacking Marines to ensure the World Government issued a high bounty, turning the powerful child into a wanted criminal pursued by far stronger officers than himself.
A Call to Marineford
Far away at Marineford on the Grand Line, an Ensign was diligently transcribing Nezumi's exaggerated denunciation. Nezumi claimed Wukong had viciously attacked him to seize the illicit gains of the Arlong Pirates while despising Marine authority. The name "Sun Wukong" struck a chord with the Ensign, but he couldn't quite place why he recognized the name of an East Blue Pirate Hunter.
Before he could retrieve the faxed photo, a fair hand snatched his notebook. He turned in anger, only to freeze in dread. Standing before him was Vice Admiral Gion.
Gion reviewed the notes and demanded the photo. When she saw the face of the adorable little fellow she had been missing, a faint smile touched her lips before her expression turned icy cold. She picked up the Den Den Mushi and spoke directly to the still-ranting Nezumi.
"I'm telling you, those who arbitrarily distort facts and attempt to deceive Marineford will be severely punished," she said indifferently.
When the confused Nezumi snapped back, asking who she was, Gion simply replied: "I am Gion". The silence on the other end was absolute until Nezumi began to stammer in terror, claiming he had recently "hit his head" and was confused. Gion ignored the apology, informing him that she would have Vice Admiral Garp investigate the branch personally before hanging up.
The Ensign, drenched in cold sweat, watched her leave with Wukong's file. Had he looked at the photo, he would have realized the "brat" was the same one who had caused a massive stir in the Marineford training grounds not long ago.
The Hero's Move
On a Marine warship with a giant dog-head figurehead, Garp listened as Gion explained the situation. "If he really injured the people of the 16th Branch, then there must be something wrong with the Marines there," she noted.
Garp laughed heartily, agreeing to investigate. Gion pointed out that the 16th Branch was near the entrance to the Grand Line, and her analysis suggested Wukong was heading there next. She scolded Garp for not keeping a closer eye on the boy, but Garp remained unfazed.
"Hahahaha! This is also a kind of training for him," Garp replied, stroking his chin as he considered the boy's growth. "Staying by my side would actually stifle his growth".