"Kid, this isn't the time to be stubborn—let's retreat!" Killer urgently grabbed Kid, who had just been repelled by Ryu.
"Damn it! Next time we meet, I won't let him off!" Kid growled, preparing to escape with his close crewmates on a small boat.
But Ryu had no intention of letting them go. Standing on the sinking pirate ship, he smirked and said, "First Form of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms—Ascending Dragon!"
Roar~~
A massive dragon head formed and lunged toward the small boat, shattering it and forcing Kid and his companions into the water.
"Hm? They survived?" Back on the Marine warship, Ryu frowned, waiting for the system's diamond reward notification that never came.
"Something wrong, sir?" Lena asked as she walked over.
"Ah, nothing—seems a few of them managed to slip away," Ryu shrugged.
"Shall we continue searching this area, sir?" Lena asked, slightly puzzled.
(TL: Dude violated them before Shanks.)
In the vast ocean, she doubted anyone could truly evade their search. Although she didn't know how Ryu confirmed they'd survived, for Kid, a Devil Fruit user, to still be alive in such a situation meant his luck must truly be extraordinary.
"Forget it; searching for Ace is more important," Ryu shook his head.
Meanwhile, back at Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had finally learned about Ryu's unsanctioned departure after his meeting.
"Garp, can't you help me out a bit? Can't you keep your own disciple in line?" Sengoku sighed, exasperated as he looked at Garp, who was busy snacking on rice crackers.
"Ahahaha, don't sweat it, Sengoku. The kid's power is growing fast these days—he probably just went out to find himself some opponents after a few days of downtime here," Garp said, unbothered.
"Fine, I won't argue with you, but if he causes me any more trouble, you'll be the one to clean up his mess!" Sengoku grumbled, though he noticed Garp had already dozed off. Whether he'd heard a word was anyone's guess.
"Garp! You old fool, falling asleep again!" Sengoku raised a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
Pop~!
The bubble on Garp's nose burst as Sengoku's voice snapped him awake. Garp blinked in confusion, then glanced at Sengoku, saying, "Ah, sorry, nodded off there. Getting old, you know?"
Sigh. Sengoku let out a deep breath, calming himself down. Seeking to change the subject, he asked, "How are the two kids you brought back from East Blue? I hear your vice-admiral is personally training them? When you brought Ryu back, you left him to fend for himself. Do you think those two have more potential than Ryu?"
"Eh? Oh, those two kids? Nowhere near Ryu's level. Even without my guidance, Ryu would've made a name for himself. But these two… they're promising, just not on the same scale," Garp replied with a chuckle.
When it came to young marines, especially those drawn to justice, Garp always had boundless patience and understanding.
"Did you tell Ryu he has two new juniors? As their senior, he'll need to look out for them on the seas!" Sengoku chuckled.
Garp's smile faltered—he'd completely forgotten to mention it to Ryu.
"Ahaha! I look forward to the day Ryu returns to Headquarters!" Sengoku laughed heartily, finally having gained the upper hand.
It wasn't that Ryu would oppose Garp taking on new disciples; it's just that Garp hadn't told him. Ryu might think Garp was hiding it to avoid jealousy, leading to a small misunderstanding. While it wouldn't cause real trouble, Ryu would likely make a fuss, give Garp an earful, and perhaps even get a little something out of it. Sengoku, like Garp, knew this all too well.
"So this is Jaya, huh? I'm already seeing some unsavory signs." When Ryu's warship reached Jaya, he transferred to a small boat with Lena, and they landed on the island.
"That's the mark of Donquixote Doflamingo's family, right? When did he start showing interest in the first half of the Grand Line?" Lena asked, eyeing the smiling circular symbol hanging in a nearby tavern.
"Forget it, he's not our target. Let's ignore him for now. Once I'm free, I'll pay Dressrosa a visit and cause him some trouble," Ryu muttered, unimpressed.
"Sir, we've already captured one of the Seven Warlords. If you go after Donquixote Doflamingo too, the Fleet Admiral will be furious," Lena said calmly.
Ryu scratched his head, sighing. "Ah, the downside of working within the system—always so restrictive!"
The two strolled around town, gathering information. They learned that Blackbeard's crew had indeed passed through recently, and that Luffy, the Straw Hat kid, was also here. Luffy had even discussed the fabled Golden City with Mont Blanc Cricket, a descendant of the "Liar" Mont Blanc Noland, who lived on the other side of the island. People treated it like a joke back then and didn't take him seriously. After Luffy defeated Bellamy, the Hyena—a pirate with a 55-million-berry bounty—no one knew where he went.
"Sir, should we go talk to Noland's descendant?" Lena asked, frowning.
She, like most, knew the story of the "Liar" and thought the Golden City was just a tall tale.
"Shall we pay him a visit? Sure. But, Lena, the Golden City is real," Ryu said, noting the dismissive look on Lena's face and smiling.
"Huh? Sir, what do you mean? The Golden City is real?" Lena asked in surprise.
"Curious? Let's go see this great adventurer Noland's descendant, and you'll find out," Ryu replied, grinning.
Though puzzled, Lena followed Ryu to the half-finished house on the other side of the island.
"So, this is the place? But why does the house look so strange?" Lena asked, eyeing the painted-on mansion-like door with curiosity.
"Excuse me, is Mont Blanc Cricket home?" Ryu called out softly at the door.
Creak~
The door opened, and a man with a chestnut-style haircut, bare-chested and wrapped in bandages, stepped out with a cigarette between his lips. "Who are you?"
"We're with the Marines, here to ask you a few questions," Lena announced, though Ryu noticed Cricket's expression change briefly.
"What do you want to know? Just so you know, I don't know anything," Cricket said, exhaling smoke and trying to sound nonchalant.