Watching Finn's fist approach, Smoker felt a chill run down his spine.
"I admit defeat!" he yelled hastily.
Though it pained him to admit it, refusing to surrender meant more of the same—getting pummeled. One punch had already pushed him to his limit. Another might be more than he could handle.
"Have you conceded? Does that mean Ms. Tashigi can be transferred?" Finn's fist stopped just inches from Smoker's nose, cloaked in a dense, ominous Armament Haki. The thick blackness radiating from Finn's hand made Smoker's hair stand on end.
When Finn had punched him earlier, Smoker hadn't fully grasped the intensity of Finn's Haki. But now, seeing it up close, he realized just how terrifyingly powerful Finn's Armament Haki was.
"Y-Yes..." Smoker gritted his teeth and nodded.
Noticing this, Bogart discreetly nudged Garp. Garp quickly caught on, his expression softening as he turned to Tashigi.
"Marine soldier Tashigi, as of now, you are transferred to my warship. Upon our return to Naval Headquarters, you will join Finn at the Marine Academy for further training!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral!" Tashigi snapped to attention and saluted Garp, her excitement barely contained.
The Marine Academy! This was a significant step forward on her path to achieving her dreams.
Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have received the reward: Yanhui Swordsmanship!
With the transfer complete, a system notification echoed in Finn's mind. Instantly, a wealth of swordsmanship techniques and movements flooded his consciousness, accompanied by the muscle memory needed to execute them flawlessly.
"Tsk tsk, with my mastery of Yanhui Swordsmanship, I'm now at least a fairly formidable swordsman," Finn silently assessed, feeling the surge of sword intent coursing through him.
Soon after, Garp instructed Finn and Tashigi to head to the warship while he remained to discuss East Blue's security situation with Smoker. But Finn wasn't one to follow orders so easily.
With a few hours to spare before the warship departed, he decided to visit a famous landmark. He turned to Tashigi and said, "Tashigi, I want to see the square where Roger was executed. Lead the way."
"Master Finn, Vice Admiral Garp ordered us to go to the warship. We should follow his instructions," Tashigi responded, pushing her glasses up and clearly not thrilled with Finn's suggestion. She had finally earned the opportunity to study at the Marine Academy and didn't want to risk losing it by disobeying orders.
Finn waved her concerns away. "It's fine. Vice Admiral Garp is my grandfather, and he listens to me. Now, lead the way!"
Tashigi chuckled softly, her cheeks tinged with a slight blush as she looked at him skeptically. "Don't lie! Vice Admiral Garp is a Marine hero, and your grandfather—how could he possibly listen to you?"
"Hey! How can you say that? Of course, he listens to me! I asked him to transfer you as my assistant, and that's exactly what he did, didn't he?"
"Huh? Was that your idea?" Tashigi looked confused.
She quickly added, "No, no, it was obviously Vice Admiral Garp's decision after he saw that my handwriting was neat."
Finn shook his head. "That was just an excuse. The truth is, I asked him to transfer you, so he did."
"That's not true! I believe Vice Admiral Garp wouldn't abuse his power like that!" Tashigi protested, her serious expression making her look quite endearing. Her small mouth pouted slightly, and her pink cheeks puffed up.
When she looked up, she realized Finn had already walked some distance away.
"Hey, Master Finn, the warship is this way!"
"I know, but if you won't lead me, I'll just find it myself~" Finn called over his shoulder, walking away without looking back.
As he left, he added, "Oh, by the way, you're my assistant now. If you lose me, that would be dereliction of duty~"
"Hey, where are you going..." Tashigi's face flushed with anxiety.
Seeing Finn's carefree attitude, she stomped her foot in frustration. "Wait for me!"
Before long, the two arrived at the central square of Logue Town. The execution platform where Gol D. Roger was executed still stood tall, marking the place where he had ignited the Great Pirate Era and sent countless adventurers in search of Raftel~
What secrets does Raftel hold?
When Finn crossed into this world, One Piece was still far from its conclusion. The secrets of Raftel were still a mystery.
To be honest, as a time traveler, Finn was keen to uncover the truth about Raftel and the void century of history 800 years ago.
Now, the only person who could possibly unravel these mysteries, aside from the World Government, was Nico Robin.
"Master Finn, you've seen the execution platform. Can we go back now?" Tashigi tugged at Finn's sleeve, reminding him.
"Mm!" Finn nodded.
At that moment, a loud explosion shattered the air.
Rumble!
At the edge of the square, a bar's storefront suddenly exploded, sending smoke and debris billowing into the air!
A figure was sent flying and crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud!