You must be the Fleet Admiral of the Marines—Steel Bone Kong, right? I've long heard of your name. It's truly an honor to meet you!
Fang Yi approached with an enthusiastic smile, extending his hand for a handshake.
Steel Bone Kong looked slightly puzzled by this unexpected warmth.
However, Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru both frowned.
From the moment they had first met Fang Yi, the boy had found one excuse or another to make physical contact with each of them. Sengoku was already suspecting Fang Yi might have some sort of Devil Fruit ability that required touching people to activate. After all, the seas were full of strange powers—even they hadn't seen them all.
"All right, kid—just state your purpose," Kong said bluntly, not overthinking it.
Noting the system prompt and the three lottery tickets that had appeared in his inventory, Fang Yi smiled faintly.
"I can give the Marines the exact whereabouts of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
"What?!"
Sengoku and the others stared in disbelief.
"And I mean the kind of intel where you'll meet our captain… But you'll have to agree to one condition first," Fang Yi continued, ignoring their shock.
"Name your condition," Kong said after a moment's thought.
"Douglas Barrett. A year ago, he and I infiltrated Mary Geoise, and you captured him. He's my comrade. Let me take him away, and I'll tell you where to find Captain Roger."
Kong looked at Sengoku—he remembered Sengoku had been in charge of that incident.
"The Barrett you mentioned was also a member of the Roger Pirates, correct? He's currently imprisoned in Impel Down," Sengoku confirmed after a moment's thought.
Sengoku remembered it clearly because Barrett was from Roger's crew, and his sudden invasion of Mary Geoise had made an impression. That event had even prompted Mary Geoise to station additional guards on the cliffs.
However, Mary Geoise had never shared the full intel with him, so he had no idea who else had joined Barrett in that infiltration.
"That's right. So… Fleet Admiral, can you agree to my terms?" Fang Yi asked calmly.
"Tell me—why would you betray your captain?" Kong narrowed his eyes.
"Betray?" Fang Yi chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not betraying our captain. This is something Captain Roger himself sent me to do."
"Hm?" This only deepened Sengoku and Tsuru's confusion. Roger himself was revealing his location? Was this a surrender? Or… was he so confident he could break through a Marine encirclement?
Both Sengoku and Tsuru began to suspect it was a ploy—Roger trading his whereabouts for the safety of a crew member.
"Wahahaha! Roger… you've got guts! You're not even afraid we'll capture you?" Garp laughed, his fighting spirit flaring. To him, this was Roger throwing down a challenge.
"Brat, tell me where Roger is! I'll go catch him right now!" Garp said eagerly.
Fang Yi shrugged and looked at Kong. "As long as you agree to my terms—let my two companions leave with Barrett—I'll take you straight to Captain Roger."
"And how do we know you'll keep your word?" Tsuru asked suddenly.
Fang Yi pouted. "I'm staying right here, aren't I? I won't leave until you meet Roger. There's no way I'd trade my freedom just for Barrett's."
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged a glance, then both looked at Kong. This was a decision only the Fleet Admiral could make.
If it were up to Sengoku alone, he'd never agree.
"Agree to it," Garp cut in before Kong could respond. "If Roger's behind this, it's not a scam. Whether we catch him will depend on our ability."
"Garp! It's not that simple. They wouldn't dare come to us without a foolproof plan," Sengoku argued.
"All right, all of you, stop guessing. Our captain's already the Pirate King—he feels like his life has no goal anymore and is a bit bored. He just wants to have some fun with his old rival, Garp. If Garp catches him, I think Roger would be happy about it," Fang Yi said.
Of course, what he wanted to say was that Roger intended to surrender. But if he said that outright, they'd lose all control and be forced into a passive position—so he disguised it as a challenge instead.
If he didn't allay their suspicion, the Marines might believe Sengoku's theory—that they had some scheme to both save Barrett and prevent Roger from being captured.
Even so, Fang Yi's explanation didn't convince anyone except Garp.
Fang Yi didn't try to explain further—after all, the more you say, the more holes appear.
"Sengoku, you and Garp will handle this together. Notify Impel Down to release this… Barrett," Kong decided after a moment's thought.
Hearing Steel Bone Kong's agreement, Fang Yi exhaled in relief. Shanks and Buggy, standing nearby, broke into smiles.
Once they had left, Kong quietly told Tsuru, "After they depart, follow with a separate force. This time, we must bring Roger back."
Tsuru simply nodded, unsurprised. "Don't worry—I know what to do."
Not long after, a Marine warship set sail toward the Gates of Justice.
"Hey, hey… this is my first time riding a Marine warship! Never thought I'd see the day," Buggy said, looking around curiously.
"Enough, Buggy—don't cause trouble. Once we get Barrett, you and Shanks leave first. I'll take them to meet the captain," Fang Yi whispered, glancing at the nearby Garp and Sengoku.
"Got it… But seriously, you guys are something else. You walk into Marine HQ without batting an eye," Buggy muttered.
The first time he'd stepped foot in Marineford, his legs had been trembling. Even now, his heart was still pounding.
"What feeling are you talking about?" Shanks asked, puzzled.
"Oi, oi… as pirates, you don't feel any fear of the Marines?" Buggy retorted.
The two were natural-born rivals—they argued whenever they were together. Fang Yi had long since grown used to it.
After passing the Gates of Justice, they soon arrived at Impel Down.
"Sengoku, Garp—prisoner Douglas Barrett is ready," announced a towering figure: Magellan, the future warden known as "the strongest man in the prison." For now, he was still only the deputy warden.
"Thanks for your work, Deputy Warden Magellan," Sengoku said with a nod.
Fang Yi's heart quickened when he saw Barrett. He had spent a whole year thinking about how to free himself.
"Fang Yi?" Barrett, shackled, looked surprised to see him.
"Admiral Sengoku, we can head back to Marineford now. Once my companions have left, I'll take you to the meeting place," Fang Yi said at once.
Barrett had countless questions, but now wasn't the time. Fang Yi simply gave him a calm "wait" look.
"Good, let's go!" Garp urged impatiently before Sengoku could answer.
They passed back through the Gates of Justice and returned to Marineford.
"Shanks, take them and go to the place we agreed on," Fang Yi told him at the port.
"Got it, Yi-ge. Be careful," Shanks replied, taking the newly freed Barrett and an eager-to-leave Buggy aboard their small boat. They left immediately.
"All right, brat, now that they're gone, can we set out?" Garp asked, practically bouncing with anticipation.
"Hehe… no need to be so hasty, Garp-san. Let's go—I'll take you there," Fang Yi said, boarding the warship.
"Can you tell me the location now?" Sengoku asked, narrowing his eyes.
"First, to the Sabaody Archipelago. Once we're there, I'll tell you the next step," Fang Yi replied.
"What? You're still playing games at this point?" Sengoku's frown deepened, and even Garp's brow furrowed.
"Sorry, but if I told you now, you might send another warship ahead, and then I'd be useless to you," Fang Yi explained.
If the Marines found Roger without him, he'd lose his bargaining chip—and likely end up in chains beside his captain.
"Hmph! My only target is Roger—what use do I have for a brat like you?" Garp grumbled.
If this deal were just between you and me, Garp-san, I'd have no worries. But the one in charge this time… is the Marines, Fang Yi shrugged.
Surprisingly, Garp didn't argue. He simply went to a deck chair, sat down, and closed his eyes without another word.