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The main structure of the 153rd Naval Branch was a tall tower adorned with green stripes. Beneath it lay an open training ground where, at its center, a cross-shaped platform held a wild, green-haired swordsman bound by both hands. Under the merciless sun, he hung his head low, exhausted from hunger and thirst.
As Mu Li and his group followed Morgan across the training grounds, their eyes were naturally drawn to the man.
Sensing the attention, Zoro, the bound swordsman, glanced up with sharp, beast-like eyes that immediately locked onto Mu Li.
"There's a man tied up there..." Nami pointed out.
"That is a serious criminal," Morgan replied sternly. "Stay clear; you wouldn't want to get hurt."
A serious criminal?
Mu Li mused. Knowing Morgan, anything that challenged his authority would count as a grievous crime. For now, though, Mu Li chose to let Zoro bake in the sun a little longer.
Soon, they entered the tower.
In the reception room, Morgan ordered tea to be served as he lit a cigar, sitting opposite Mu Li.
"Lord Luffy, your grandfather, Vice Admiral Garp, is a hero of the East Blue. I grew up listening to stories about him and have always wanted to meet him."
Was that an attempt to verify his identity?
Mu Li played along. "It's been a while since I've seen my grandfather. You have the main base's contact line here, right? Mind if I use your Den Den Mushi?"
"Of course!" Morgan promptly summoned a soldier to dial the Marine HQ.
Naturally, Morgan wasn't authorized to directly contact Garp; the rank gap was far too vast. A branch captain saluted a main-base captain with automatic deference, not to mention a vice admiral. The difference in hierarchy was staggering.
Therefore, Morgan connected to the headquarters' Intelligence Division first, reported the situation, then ended the call.
Turning back, he said to Mu Li, "The Vice Admiral will return your call shortly."
No sooner had he spoken than the Den Den Mushi began to ring.
Pururururu~
Picking up the receiver, Mu Li hadn't yet spoken when a loud, boisterous laugh came through.
"Gahahaha! Luffy! To think you'd contact me first—I'm so proud!"
"Oh, hi, Grandpa."
"Why are you at the 153rd branch instead of Windmill Village?"
"I set sail. Ran into a pirate named Alvida, so I caught her and brought her here to claim the bounty."
"You brat, you became a pirate?!"
Garp immediately realized what "set sail" implied, knowing his grandson all too well.
What followed was a thunderous roar.
"You idiot grandson! You're supposed to become a marine and follow in my footsteps, aiming for the rank of admiral! And you're joining pirates?! That damned Red-Haired fool!"
Garp's voice was so loud that even the Den Den Mushi mimicked his fury perfectly. Mu Li had to hold the receiver away from his ear, looking like the embodiment of a "Confused Grandpa Yelling" meme.
On the side, Nami listened, both amused and envious. She couldn't help but think of her own mother.
Simultaneously, her heart eased completely. He wasn't lying! Cocoyashi Village might really be saved!
And now that she thought about it, this guy, from a certain angle, looked... unexpectedly handsome.
Suddenly, a soldier entered the room and whispered something into Morgan's ear.
"Captain Morgan, the pirate delivered by Lord Luffy has woken up and is causing havoc in the cells. We're unable to suppress her."
Morgan frowned.
A 5-million-beris bounty pirate was significant, considering East Blue's average bounty was around 3 million. He couldn't afford to lose such an achievement.
Rising, he excused himself politely, "Pardon me. Please excuse me briefly."
Mu Li nodded while continuing to converse with Garp.
Shortly after Morgan left, the door to the reception room burst open. A young man with an exaggerated cleft chin stormed in.
"Father, I heard there's some—"
He stopped short upon seeing Mu Li.
Mu Li glanced at him, then told Garp, "Grandpa, something came up. Talk later."
With a quick click, Mu Li hung up, cutting Garp off mid-sentence.
He walked toward the new arrival.
The cleft-chinned man took a cautious step back, cowed by Mu Li's aura. "I— I'm Helmeppo, Captain Morgan's son. And you are?"
"My grandfather is a Vice Admiral from headquarters."
Instant KO.
Helmeppo gaped, his jaw practically unhinged.
Mu Li threw an arm around Helmeppo's shoulders and steered him toward the window. Gesturing outside to the training field, he asked, "The man tied up there—the swordsman Roronoa Zoro. Where are his swords?"
"In... in my room..."
Helmeppo's voice was barely above a whisper. His mind raced. This brat's grandpa outranked his father tenfold. Befriending him could open unimaginable doors.
What next? How to establish rapport? No, how to—
"Take me there."
Turning to Nami, Mu Li added, "I'll step out for a bit."
"Yes, sir~" Nami replied sweetly, like an obedient girlfriend.
However, as soon as Mu Li and Helmeppo were gone, Nami sprang to her feet.
"Miss Nami, where are you going?" Koby asked softly.
"Restroom," she replied briskly.
Once out of the reception room, Nami moved with practiced efficiency.
"A sea chart... Rumor has it there's a Grand Line chart hidden somewhere in this base."
"Where would they keep something so valuable?"
"Treasure vault? Or the captain's office?"
As a seasoned thief, Nami quickly located Morgan's office. Inside, embedded in the wall, she found a small vault. Opening it, she saw exactly what she was looking for:
"A map! Found it~!"