At Foosha Village, Vice Admiral Garp cracked his knuckles and drove both fists down, sending Ace and Luffy rolling across the ground in pain. Only then did he glance at the Den Den Mushi.
"Vice Admiral Garp, the man has returned!"
Bogard's voice came through the snail's mouth.
"Wahahahaha! That brat's back at Base 16? Hold him there—I'll be right over!"
With a hearty laugh, Garp stood, looking down at the two boys groaning on the ground, their heads full of lumps.
"If I hear you punks talking about going out to sea as pirates again, you'll be tasting the Fist of Love!"
He flexed his fist, glaring with wide eyes at Ace and Luffy.
The two brats clutched their heads, instinctively scrambling backward at his words.
Without another word, Garp turned and strode off.
"Old man! I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"
Luffy bellowed after his retreating back, only to have Ace clamp a hand over his mouth.
Garp heard him, but didn't turn around. He still had business to attend to.
Smack!
Luffy yelped as the back of his head was swatted. Standing there was the burly mountain bandit Dadan, cigarette dangling from her lips, glaring daggers at him.
"Dadan?!"
The two boys shrieked in unison before bolting.
"You little brats! Get back here!"
Dadan didn't expect them to run the moment they saw her. Grabbing her club, she tore after them.
"One old geezer, two little punks!"
…
At Base 16's town, the delivery of captured pirates had finally concluded.
Yet the townsfolk were still buzzing with excitement.
Good heavens, had they ever seen a spectacle like this? It was as if every pirate in the East Blue had been rounded up in one sweep!
No one had the heart to return to their own business. Instead, they gathered in clusters, animatedly recounting the day's events.
The tavern too was packed wall to wall.
Behind the counter, Old Komodo couldn't stop glancing at the two hefty sacks beside Don, swallowing hard.
"Having too much money is its own kind of trouble, isn't it?"
Don finished his juice, setting the empty glass down with a weary sigh at the sight of the bags of beli.
Old Komodo rolled his eyes.
That kind of trouble, give it to me any day!
"Why don't you hold onto it for me?"
Don hefted one of the bulging sacks and tossed it across the counter to him.
"I'll come for it when I'm ready to leave."
Komodo's arms nearly buckled under the weight. By the time he looked up, Don had already risen and walked out.
"What'd the kid hand you just now, old man?"
Patrons who'd witnessed the exchange called out curiously.
"N-Nothing at all!"
Komodo stammered, hastily shoving the bag beneath the counter.
But his heart pounded wildly.
So much money—more than he'd ever seen in his life. With a fortune like this, he could pack up, vanish, and live in luxury till the end of his days.
Yet when he thought of how Don had singlehandedly hauled in a horde of pirates, the notion withered.
At the docks, Don found Marines cleaning the captured pirate vessel.
"Looks like the ship's still in good shape."
He narrowed his eyes at the large vessel—quite a fine prize, worth millions at least.
"It's yours."
Bogard's voice came as he approached, having overheard Don.
"Vice Admiral Garp is on his way back from Foosha Village."
He watched Don's face carefully.
But Don's expression barely shifted.
"Forget it. You can't force me to be a Marine, can you?"
He smiled faintly, glancing back at Bogard.
"That's not for me to say. It's Vice Admiral Garp's call. Still—joining the Navy comes with many hidden benefits. If you want to hunt pirates, the Navy has far more intelligence and resources."
Bogard's tone was measured, but his thoughts were racing.
Don looked young, his face still boyish despite his strong build. To wield such power at this age… it reminded Bogard of another man who once followed Garp—another monster in uniform.
The man who had since risen to Admiral: Kuzan, known as Aokiji.
Even he had still been in training at Don's age.
[Top-Grade Swordsman]
The words shimmered in blue above Bogard's head. Don gave it a glance, then looked away.
"Hunting pirates is for money, not for fun."
He waved dismissively, then crouched beside the Marines cleaning the ship, murmuring quietly with them.
Watching him go, Bogard felt a twinge of dread. He knew Don was preparing to set sail again.
But Garp was returning soon. Couldn't the kid rest a few days?
He frowned, calculating how to keep Don in town. At least for a little while.
But then he thought—Don didn't even have a crew, much less a ship. There was no way he could sail alone in a vessel that size.
Just as that comforting thought crossed his mind, he noticed the Marines Don had spoken to. Their faces were lit with excitement.
A chill prickled down Bogard's spine.
Moments later, those same Marines returned, steering a small boat into the harbor.
Don waved to Bogard, leapt aboard, and slipped out to sea without hesitation.
…
Out on the calm waters, Don sat at the stern. His arm ignited in flames, the blazing tailfire thrusting the small boat forward like a rocket.
It was a technique he had been testing—an inspiration drawn from the battle between Luffy's Fourth Gear and Doflamingo.
Where Luffy used compressed air for propulsion, Don used fire.
It drained stamina quickly, but with his current endurance, it was manageable. Besides, it was good training for mastering the Mera Mera no Mi.
The speed was far greater than rowing with oars or his sword.
By late afternoon, before the sun had even set, he arrived at Cocoyasi Village.
Bell-mère stared in shock as Don stood before her.
"Packed up?"
Don nodded.
"Same as before?"
He nodded again.
"Alright."
This time she didn't refuse. With a glance at the pile of beli Don handed her, she called for Ajian to help load crates of oranges.
Don intended to linger around the local seas. After all, that was why he'd come. With word of Arlong's movements, it wouldn't be long before the fish-man appeared.
Meanwhile, atop Reverse Mountain
A massive ship bearing the Sun Pirates' flag crested the summit and plunged down the waterway into East Blue.
Nearby Marine patrols immediately spotted the vessel and closed in.
But when their eyes fell on the flag, their faces turned ashen.
That symbol!
The commanding officer's expression hardened in recognition.
It was the mark of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, granted license to plunder by the World Government.
The Knight of the Sea himself—Jinbe.
Why had he come to East Blue?
End of chapter...