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"The Seven Warlords of the Sea…"
The restaurant staff turned pale and trembled upon hearing this title, knowing that anyone granted such a status by the World Government was a world-renowned pirate with the legal right to plunder.
For pirates like these, it wasn't just about skipping out on a bill; even if they were killed, they wouldn't face justice.
After all, they were just ordinary townspeople, not privileged Celestial Dragons!
Smoker's brows furrowed deeply as he glared at the arrogantly strutting fishman pirates, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
As a Navy colonel sworn to eradicate all pirates from Loguetown, he wished he could take action immediately and lock up these disorderly fishman pirates.
But since they were under the jurisdiction of a Warlord, any attempt to arrest them would only end in their release.
Such an action wouldn't deter them at all but would likely embolden their arrogance further.
When Smoker first heard about the Warlord system, he couldn't understand the World Government's approach to endorsing piratical acts until he was faced with this situation.
He realized that the sense of powerlessness stemming from within was much deeper than he had imagined…
Garp, eating a doughnut, showed little emotion on his face.
His rank was much higher than Smoker's, and he had faced darker, crueler scenes.
This was the world under the rule of the Celestial Dragons, the very reason he had refused promotions to admiral multiple times.
Because an admiral of the Navy headquarters had the direct duty to protect and serve the Celestial Dragons!
"Hahaha! Since you aren't making a move, then we'll just be on our way."
Seeing that the Navy led by Garp remained silent, Arlong sheathed his sawtooth greatsword and strutted past Garp and Smoker with an overbearing gait.
With Garp present, he didn't dare cause too much trouble and contemplated leaving Loguetown for a more remote and safer island in the East Blue at a later time.
His fishman followers also wore smug expressions, following their captain's lead, provocatively eyeing the clenched-fist Marines.
As Arlong brushed past him, Zyhark's eyes flickered with consideration.
After weighing the pros and cons, he ultimately decided against capturing the Arlong Pirate Crew here.
According to the storyline, the Arlong Pirate Crew's next destination was Cocoyasi Village on Conomi Islands.
Bell-mère would be killed for protecting two children, and Nami would suffer a decade of grief.
Regardless, the threat of the Arlong Pirate Crew had to be addressed!
However, although he knew that Arlong had broken off from the Fishman Pirate Crew, they were still nominally under Jinbei, one of the Seven Warlords.
Taking action in front of so many people could lead to problematic consequences.
The most prudent approach now was to first obtain the Devil Fruit encyclopedia and assess the abilities of the fruit obtained from Fuschia Village.
Whether eating a god-tier Devil Fruit to gain overwhelming power or using a worthless fruit for a wish, any of these options would boost his strength significantly.
At that time, dealing with the Arlong Pirate Crew secretly would be much easier!
"Mr. Garp, what exactly is the purpose of the Seven Warlords system?"
After the Arlong Pirate Crew had left, Smoker asked Garp solemnly.
"Legal pirates," just hearing those words seemed utterly ridiculous and absurd!
"As the name suggests, it's to counterbalance the ever-growing power of the Four Emperors and maintain balance across the seas," Garp replied, digging in his ear, "Though I doubt those ambitious great pirates will obediently follow orders, but it's a decision by the World Government."
Even as a hero revered by many, there were times when Garp felt powerless.
Especially under the cloak of justice!
Garp's words caused Smoker to take a deep draw on his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
He stood silently, watching as the restaurant staff dejectedly walked back.
"Just keep your sense of justice from being clouded by darkness. Think about the rest when you're strong enough."
In a rare serious moment, Garp patted Smoker on the shoulder and took the lead.
Smoker followed thoughtfully, the setting sun stretching their cloaked figures long across the ground.
...
After successfully obtaining the Devil Fruit encyclopedia from Smoker, Zyhark was not in a rush. He, Aqua, and King stayed at the Navy base for a simple dinner.
Due to various duties at headquarters, Garp, followed by his aide Bogart, left Loguetown on his dog-head warship heading towards the Grand Line.
His purpose in staying in Loguetown was initially to meet Zyhark, convey the headquarters' recruitment intentions, and also to check on the water-type ability user.
After bidding farewell to Garp, when Zyhark and the others returned to the Endless Dream docked at the port, the night had fully fallen, and a bright full moon hung in the sky.
The bustling town finally returned to tranquility, with only the sound of the sea washing against the shore remaining.
"So it's this fruit, then it's no wonder it appeared in the East Blue…"
Zyhark sat at the restaurant's front desk, examining the peach-shaped Devil Fruit that Aqua had bitten into.
After repeated comparisons with the encyclopedia, he finally confirmed the true nature of the Devil Fruit:
A Paramecia-type Slip-Slip Fruit that made one's skin smooth and supple— the same fruit that turned Alvida from a heavyweight contender into a stunning beauty!
This fruit's market value wasn't very high.
If developed to its awakened stage, its zero-friction ability could potentially be quite effective in combat.
But the time and effort required were immense, unlikely to succeed without years of dedication!
The possibility of reselling it was even lower.
Who would buy a Devil Fruit that had been bitten into?
Considering he had the Wishing Well, a more straightforward and brutal cheat, Zyhark decided to use the somewhat lackluster fruit to make a wish.
"The Slip-Slip Fruit? Wouldn't that just turn me into something like a slug?"
Aqua, picturing a giant slug in her mind, shuddered at the thought.
Had she not purified the juice in time, turning into that slippery state and returning to the divine realm would definitely have made her the laughingstock among her junior goddesses like Eris.
"Eating it grants superpowers, kinda like monster cells, huh…"
King, looking at the Slip-Slip Fruit on the table, couldn't help but remark.
Monster cells were the products of Monster King Orochi; consuming them turned one into a bizarre, ugly monster with terrifyingly enhanced powers!
As the two mused, Zyhark stood up and moved to a more spacious area of the restaurant.
Hum!
With a slight thought, the long-unseen Wishing Well appeared on the floor, swirling with a deep and intricate glow.
The bounty from defeating the Krieg pirate crew was substantial and required reporting to headquarters before the funds could be disbursed.
According to Smoker's estimate, they wouldn't receive the money until tomorrow afternoon.
Fortunately, Zyhark's current assets were enough to meet the 30 million Berries required for a wish.
After throwing all his treasure and Berries into the Wishing Well, it was time for the Devil Fruit.
Whether the fruit, bitten by Aqua, could still be used was something Zyhark was uncertain about.
He could only try and see.
If it didn't work, he would use the bounty from the Krieg pirate crew to buy another one!
With that thought, he grabbed the Slip-Slip Fruit and threw it into the Wishing Well.
Plop!
The fruit dipped into the surface of the Wishing Well but was immediately ejected and fell onto the floor nearby.
Zyhark: "…"
(End of Chapter)