The reason Taro stayed on the ship was because he was worried he would get another beating from Garp if he went ashore.
The Fist of Love—when he shows his "affection," it really hurts!
"Vice Admiral Garp is not at headquarters; we haven't seen him for several days either!"
Hearing Koby's reply, Taro raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Something wasn't right. Garp should value these two boys quite a bit, yet he didn't take them with him when he went to sea this time.
Taro rubbed his chin, his eyes flickering inexplicably as he muttered, "I see!"
Koby and the other were confused by Taro's reaction, but they didn't dare ask.
After a while, Taro snapped out of it and noticed Koby and Helmeppo were still standing there, so he waved them off.
"Koby, Helmeppo, train hard at headquarters. I believe you can do it."
"Keep it up!"
Then, while the two were still dazed, he asked them off the ship.
"Mike, Mike, give the word! We're setting sail!"
...Off the coast of Alabasta.
"Rear Admiral, is it really okay for you not to attend the Award Ceremony like this?"
Mike stood beside Taro and asked cautiously.
"You know it's not good, and you're only reminding me now?" Taro glanced at Mike. "Cut the crap. What are you really trying to say?"
"Hehe," Mike gave a sheepish grin.
"I just find it strange. We've been staying in this sea area all morning. Who are we waiting for?"
Taro simply hummed in response.
"Should I go contact them?" The fire of gossip burned in Mike's eyes.
"Contact? Contact who?"
Taro turned his head and looked at Mike in confusion.
"Colonel Hina! This sea area is under Colonel Hina's jurisdiction. Aren't you and Colonel Hina..."
Mike hesitated, his expression somewhat playful.
Holy crap! Who told you I was here to find Hina?
Taro glared at Mike. "Mind your own business. I'm waiting for someone else here!"
Mike immediately straightened up. "Yes, sir!"
Another half hour passed before a shout came from the watchtower.
"To the northeast, three ships are approaching..."
The Marine Soldiers reacted quickly, returning to their respective battle stations.
"It's the Marines. This is... the insignia of the 'Pirate Guerrilla Force'!"
Hearing this, Taro walked to the ship's rail and looked into the distance.
Zephyr stood at the bow, with Ain and Binz standing behind him. They also saw the Marine warship ahead.
"Teacher Zephyr..." Ain was still a little worried. This was the Grand Line, where the strength of pirates far exceeded that of the West Blue.
Zephyr looked back at his fleet before looking at his two beloved disciples.
"I know your concerns, so don't worry. Let's meet Taro first."
Then he turned back, standing proudly against the wind.
Taro transformed into a Falcon, streaked across the sea, and landed on Zephyr's flagship.
Looking at the hale and hearty Zephyr, he said delightedly, "Teacher Zephyr, you're here!"
He then greeted Ain and Binz. "Was the journey safe?"
"We're very well. After Crocodile's defeat, this sea area has been very safe. We rested for a few days on a Winter Island and rushed over as soon as we received your message."
"We didn't make you wait too long, did we?"
Zephyr looked at Taro and also showed a gratified smile.
"No, not at all." Taro waved his hand. "Teacher Zephyr, then we can begin the second step of the plan."
The royal capital, Alabasta.
"Your Majesty the King, Taro requests an audience!"
Chaka bowed to King Cobra.
"Invite him in. Oh, and have Vivi come over as well!" Cobra said in a deep voice from the throne.
Taro stepped into the hall and was startled for a moment when he saw Princess Vivi. However, he quickly regained his composure and bowed to Cobra, then greeted Princess Vivi and the three court officials present: Igaram, Chaka, and Pell.
"Your Majesty the King, Taro's purpose for coming..."
Unexpectedly, as soon as Taro spoke, Cobra waved his hand and interrupted him.
"We can talk about that later!"
Taro raised an eyebrow. Was he trying to renege on the deal?
Just as he was about to say something, he heard Cobra suddenly ask:
"How old are you this year?"
"Huh?" Taro's prepared speech was all stifled back, and his head felt a bit dazed.
The serious expressions of the three court officials also twitched a few times as they looked at their king in surprise.
Cobra ignored them and just stared at Taro. Only then did Taro confirm that the king was not joking.
"20."
This was Taro's age when he transmigrated. Since coming to this world, Cobra was the first person to ask his age; it seemed everyone didn't care much about age.
"Oh?" Hearing Taro's answer, Cobra's interest grew. "Are you married?"
Uncle, something's wrong with you!
Taro looked at Cobra in disbelief. "Your Majesty the King, this seems to have nothing to do with our..."
By now, the others present had also realized what was happening, especially Princess Vivi, who smacked Cobra in annoyance. "Father, what are you talking about?"
"Oh, oh, just asking, just asking!"
Cobra laughed heartily and said casually, his gaze toward Taro becoming even more intriguing.
Taro also realized something. He silently calculated in his mind; Princess Vivi seemed to be only 16 years old now.
Holy crap! She's a minor! This is too wicked!
Thinking this, his eyes unconsciously glanced toward Princess Vivi.
Well, her long blue hair flowing past her waist really did make her even more beautiful.
As a woman, Princess Vivi's perception of such looks was naturally not weak, and she glared fiercely at Taro.
Taro quickly blinked hard to expel the messy thoughts from his mind.
"Your Majesty, let's talk about official business!"
Cobra laughed for a while longer before nodding. "I will naturally abide by the agreement we reached before. Elmar will be handed over to you for management!"
Hearing him say this, Taro breathed a sigh of relief, but then he heard Cobra continue:
"As for the specific handover matters, you can discuss the details with Vivi. By the way, Vivi is the Overseer I've stationed in Elmar!"
Taro's mouth hung open as he looked blankly at Cobra, then at Igaram and the other two. He was a bit surprised; why wasn't it one of the three of them?
Igaram and the others obviously knew this result long ago. Not only were they not surprised, but they even gave Taro a smile.
"You won't have any objections, will you?"
Seeing that Taro hadn't spoken for a long time, Cobra asked. Vivi also looked over.
Fine, it's the same no matter who it is. Anyway, I don't plan on doing anything shady.
"No, none." Taro nodded. "Then, I hope it can be as soon as possible. My people are already on standby in Nanohana."
"Of course."
Cobra waved to Vivi. "Vivi, you two can go discuss the relevant details!"
Vivi glared at Cobra before saying softly to Taro:
"Follow me!"
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.