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Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, the atmosphere was thick with a gravity that even the warm afternoon sunlight couldn't dispel. Sengoku returned to his high-backed chair, his expression unreadable as he tossed a thick folder across the desk toward Garp.
"See for yourself. These are the investigation results," Sengoku said flatly.
Garp, still absentmindedly pressing down on a newly formed bump on his head from a recent mishap, picked up the document. His usual boisterous demeanor vanished, replaced by a rare, focused seriousness as he began to scan the pages. Two seconds later, he tossed the file back onto the mahogany surface, his brow furrowed in frustration.
"Nothing?" Garp grunted.
"That's right, nothing," Sengoku replied, taking a slow sip from his teacup while keeping a profound, steady gaze fixed on his old comrade. "At first, we only visited the nearby islands, but we didn't get any useful information. Later, we expanded the search area to cover the entire sea, but we still found no suspicious individuals".
Garp's brows were already knitted into a tight knot. On the day he first met the boy and promised to find his family, he had instructed the local Marine units to scour the surrounding islands. However, at that time, it was a standard procedure; the soldiers hadn't searched every hidden corner or questioned every hermit. Once Sengoku officially issued the order from Marineford, the investigation had become meticulously thorough. Every island within a day's journey of where Satori first appeared was combed.
The results were baffling: no old man carrying a turtle shell was found, and not a single person had seen a bald child. Local residents, when questioned, were unanimous in their statements that no such people lived among them.
This presented a massive logical problem. Satori claimed he had simply woken up on that unfamiliar beach. Even if his family had drugged him and transported him to another island, such a feat could only be accomplished within a single night. The search area covered a full day's journey—far exceeding that range—yet no trace of Satori's previous life existed.
Sengoku had entertained the possibility of more exotic methods of transport, such as flight or even spatial movement. This was why he had pushed the search to the farthest reaches of the sea. Yet, the two people Satori described seemed as though they didn't exist in this world at all.
Garp caught the flicker of suspicion in Sengoku's eyes. He knew his friend was wondering if the boy had fabricated the story from the start. Without hesitation, Garp shook his head. "I know what you're thinking, but I can guarantee that Satori is not the kind of child who would lie".
Tsuru, who had been listening quietly from the side, nodded in agreement. "On this point, I think Garp is right. That little guy is very pure-minded, like a blank sheet of paper. He couldn't possibly lie about something like this".
With the Marine's most brilliant tactical mind giving her assurance, Sengoku finally dispelled his doubts. "Since you both say so, then I was being overly suspicious. Looking at the current situation, Satori must have been thrown here from another sea. In my experience, I can only think of one person with such an ability".
Garp's eyes narrowed. "Are you talking about Bartholomew Kuma?"
"Yes," Sengoku nodded, but quickly added a caveat. "But it wasn't him. I asked Vegapunk, and Kuma has been in Egghead recently undergoing modifications".
Garp's frown deepened again. The mystery of how Satori arrived on that island remained unsolved, leaving the three legends of the Navy lost in their own thoughts. They had no leads on Satori's identity, his origin, or the location of the family he so desperately missed.
Finally, Tsuru broke the silence. "There will always be abilities on the sea that we don't know about. We don't fully understand the powers of Devil Fruit, so it's very difficult for us to discern the truth right now. We just need to know that the little guy has been accepted by the Marines, and we have a way to train him into an excellent soldier". She argued that as Satori grew up under their care, he would eventually be able to handle whatever truths his past held.
Garp let out a hearty laugh, slapping his thigh in relief. "Hahahaha! You're absolutely right! Since his family went to such lengths to abandon him, we won't bother with them. We should thank them for sending such a prospect to the Marines!". He was convinced that after years of Marine training, Satori would never side with those who had left him behind.
As Garp prepared to leave, he paused and turned back to Tsuru. "So, Tsuru, what should I tell him? He asks me every day if we've found them".
Tsuru took a thoughtful sip of tea and smiled. "The boy mentioned a 'World Martial Arts Tournament.' This is likely a fictional title, as we would have heard of any competition daring to claim such a name. However, we can use this". She suggested telling Satori that while they hadn't found his family, they heard the tournament wouldn't be held for another five years.
Her plan was for Satori to spend those five years maturing within the Marines. She believed that by then, he would either realize he had been abandoned or have developed such a deep affection for the Navy that he would feel he belonged there.
But Crane had miscalculated one vital factor: the sheer depth of Satori's bond with Master Roshi and Krillin. Half a month into his stay at Marineford, upon learning that his family still hadn't been found, Satori looked at Garp with a resolve that no training could break.
"Grandpa Garp, I want to leave here," Satori said without hesitation. "I want to find them myself!".