"Hello, it's Garp."
Dante stared at the Den Den Mushi, its face now a perfect, wrinkly caricature of the old marine. After a moment of surprise, he composed himself. "Vice Admiral Garp. Is Mock with you?"
"He turned himself in! Bwahaha!" Garp's boisterous laugh crackled through the receiver. "So, how are you going to thank me, kid?"
"I'll make it worth your while," Dante promised.
"Bwahaha, good! We're on our way. Oh, and Hawkeye's with us, too."
*Click...*
The line went dead.
'Mihawk?' Dante thought, his mind racing. 'What's he doing here? Doesn't he care about being seen with a pirate crew?'
He stared at the sleeping Den Den Mushi, then ran a hand over his face with a weary sigh.
"Is everything resolved?" Robin asked from beside him, noticing the tension leave his shoulders. "Do you still need me to contact Kuma?"
"No, that won't be necessary," Dante said, shaking his head. "Something unexpected came up, but I think the situation is handled."
If Garp had "captured" him, then Mock was safe. As for Mihawk, he was probably just bored enough to tag along. Mock wasn't a swordsman, so the so-called "East Blue Overlord" would normally be of no interest to him. Then again, maybe Mock had been rowing his little boat with a sword when they crossed paths.
'Is there a curse on that title or something?' Dante mused. 'Krieg ran into Mihawk rowing on the edge of the Calm Belt, and now Mock did too.' His thoughts came to an abrupt halt. 'Right. Mihawk is coming here.'
He stroked his chin, muttering aloud, "Not that he'd ever agree to join, at least not yet." It might be a different story if the Shichibukai system were ever abolished, but for now, it was a long shot.
Not that Dante was particularly concerned. The only thing that mattered to Mihawk was the way of the sword. He couldn't care less about shady alliances or who ruled the East Blue. Even if he saw something suspicious, he wouldn't report it. In fact, he'd probably be happy to watch the World Government deal with another headache.
Robin seemed to remember something and looked up at him. "Do we need to hide anything at the house?"
"Hide them?" Dante paused, understanding her meaning immediately. Their home was no longer just a home, it was full of secrets that couldn't see the light of day. The biggest one being Vegapunk.
"Just have Vegapunk keep a low profile," he decided after a moment. "The rest of it doesn't matter. There's nothing to worry about." He adopted a self-righteous tone. "We're just honest businessmen making a living. We haven't broken any laws."
Besides, he knew that as their operations grew, their secrets were bound to be discovered. It was only a matter of time. All he could do was push Vegapunk to build what he needed, then create a big enough distraction to keep the World Government from looking too closely in his direction. If things got really bad, he could always unleash Luffy on the world. He was confident that a Nika fruit user would be a far bigger problem for them than some up-and-coming warlord.
Robin offered an smile, though her tone was tinged with helplessness. "I understand. If it really comes to that, it'll be just as Nami said. We'll all just have to go out to sea as pirates together." She tilted her head. "And what about Hawkeye Mihawk?"
"Don't worry about him," Dante said, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I'll handle it." He stroked his chin again, a faint smile playing on his lips. "We're businessmen, after all. We can't very well turn a guest away, can we?"
--**--**
Meanwhile, on a Marine warship.
"We're doomed," Buggy wailed, rattling his sea-stone cuffs. He glared at Mock, who was lounging in the temporary brig as if it were a resort. "Do you have any idea who just caught us? That is Garp the Hero!"
He jumped to his feet and began pacing frantically. "I told you to let me go! We might have stood a chance if we fought that Shichibukai together! But no, you had to turn yourself in the second you realized you couldn't win!"
'Is this how pirates are supposed to act?' Buggy thought in disgust. 'The Overlord of the East Blue? Even Captain Roger only surrendered when there was no other choice.'
"What do we do now? What are we going to do?"
"It's just a surrender. Relax," Mock said with a lazy yawn. He glanced at the frantic clown, then rubbed his growling stomach. "This is all your fault for running. I haven't eaten since noon."
"You're worried about food? We need to figure a way out of here! You're cursed, you know that?"
"Calm down, Buggy my boy."
"I told you not to call me that! I'm older than you!"
"How about 'Red-Nose,' then?"
"I'll kill you!" Buggy snarled, his eyes bulging. He finally slumped back against the wall in defeat. "Forget it. I'm done with you." He paused, then turned to Mock with a suspicious glint in his eye. "Wait, you said you had a boss, right? Who is he? Is he coming to save you?"
"Boss? What boss?"
"Huh? You didn't say that?"
"Nope," Mock declared proudly. "I'm the East Blue Overlord."
"..."
Buggy decided he was finished talking to the idiot. Since they'd been caught by that old monster Garp, it didn't matter who their boss was. No one could save them now. He buried his head in his hands, trying to think of an escape plan while praying Garp wouldn't discover his true identity.
*Creaak~*
The cell door swung open, and a marine in a crisp uniform entered, a sword at his hip.
Buggy instinctively shrank into the corner, trying to make himself invisible. Mock, however, simply walked up to the man, rubbing his stomach. "I'm hungry. Got anything to eat?"
The marine and Buggy both stared at him, speechless.
A vein throbbed on Buggy's temple. 'Doesn't this guy realize he's a prisoner? How dare he ask a marine for food?'
To his astonishment, the marine simply nodded. "Wait a moment."
A few minutes later, the marine returned with a tray piled high with a feast fit for a king.
Buggy's jaw dropped.
'Since when do Marines treat their prisoners this well?' he wondered. 'Not only do they feed you, but they give you this?'
As Mock tore into the food, Buggy couldn't help but swallow, his own stomach starting to rumble. After a moment's hesitation, he called out, "Hey, you! I'm a little hungry myself!"
The marine gave him a cool, dismissive glance before turning his back completely.
Buggy's face fell. He was being ignored. Did the Marines discriminate against their captives? Was he not getting the five-star treatment because he wasn't the East Blue Overlord?
While Buggy stewed, Mock finished his meal with a loud "Burp!" and wiped the tray clean.
The marine, who had been watching him the whole time, said in a deadpan voice, "Vice Admiral Garp wants to see you. Come with me."
"What does he want with me?"
"Hurry up."
"Okay, okay."
Mock scratched his bald head in confusion as the marine led him out of the cell.
Buggy watched them go, his expression shifting from anger to dawning horror. He looked from Mock's retreating back to the gleamingly empty tray and felt a cold dread wash over him.
'No wonder they gave him such a feast,' he muttered, his voice trembling. 'It couldn't be... his last meal, could it?!'
Was Garp planning to execute the Overlord of the East Blue right here on the ship?
The anger in Buggy's eyes faded, replaced by a complex mix of emotions. He sighed deeply. "Even though you're a really annoying guy... I guess it's your own fault for stirring up so much trouble. I'll remember you, East Blue Overlord... Mock."
--**--**
"Bwahaha! Mock, my boy!"
"Wahahaha! Boss Garp!"
Garp clapped Mock on the shoulder with enough force to make him stumble. "You made yourself the Overlord of the East Blue, and you're still getting chased around like this? Good thing I was passing by, or I might not have seen you again! Now, how are you going to thank me?"
"To thank you, Boss Garp?" Mock puffed out his chest, his expression deadly serious. "We'll hit Romance Dawn! Food, drinks, the works, we'll pull an all-nighter! My treat!"
"Bwahaha, now you sound like an overlord!"
Just outside the brig, a Marine hero and a notorious pirate were already making plans, their laughter echoing down the corridor as they argued about the fastest way to get to Romance Dawn.
===============
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