“Defeating numerous big pirates, huh? It seems the East Blue has produced an extraordinary figure…”
A middle-aged man, cloaked in black, stood atop a high tower, the gentle breeze rustling the newspaper in his hand. His presence blended seamlessly with the surroundings, making him almost undetectable.
If any World Government or Navy higher-ups were present, they would undoubtedly be sweating bullets.
For this man, with a sandal-shaped tattoo on his face, was none other than the leader of the Revolutionary Army, the world’s most notorious criminal, and the son of the Navy hero Garp — Monkey D. Dragon!
“As the Reverie begins and the Celestial Dragons visit the Goa Kingdom, I came to the East Blue, never expecting to witness such a scene.”
Dragon pulled the hood back over his head, a confident smile spreading across his face.
Beyond being impressed by Icey’s display of power against the Arlong Pirates, he admired the courage and sense of justice in facing a Warlord of the Sea without backing down.
Such a newcomer would undoubtedly stir the seas in the future!
Huh?
Aqua, holding the bird egg, suddenly looked up at the tower where Dragon had stood. But it was empty, the only movement being the slowly turning windmill at the top. There wasn’t even a shadow of a bird.
“Was it just my imagination? It felt like someone was there…”
Aqua mumbled to herself, thinking for a few seconds before giving up on the mental strain.
In the center of the square, the dispersing smoke rapidly converged into a white Justice cloak.
The moment the Sword of the Cliff exploded, Smoker had sensed something amiss and turned himself into smoke, successfully avoiding the deadly blast.
“That bastard, so that’s what he meant by it being dangerous around Arlong!”
Smoker’s face twisted as he watched Icey’s retreating figure.
Things had escalated to the worst possible situation.
Maybe he should try to save the Fishmen?
Glancing at the charred remains, Smoker covered his face with his hand, abandoning the idea immediately.
At least the townsfolk hadn’t seen Icey kill Arlong with his own hands, so there was still room to maneuver.
With this in mind, Smoker turned and shouted orders to the gathering Marines: “There was an extremely rare volcanic eruption in Loguetown, causing dozens of Fishmen casualties.”
“Everyone! Immediately evacuate the residents from the square, seal all exits, and only reopen once it’s safe!”
Though unclear on the specifics, the Marines followed their commander’s orders without question, turning to disperse the onlookers.
In fact, the ordinary residents, having heard from Smoker about the volcanic eruption, were already fleeing in terror.
As the residents scattered, news of the volcanic eruption at the execution square quickly spread throughout Loguetown.
While Smoker was giving orders, Icey had reached Aqua.
“Icey, let’s get out of here quickly. The volcano could erupt at any moment and harm this child. That would be disastrous!”
Aqua clutched the giant bird egg tightly, looking panicked.
How could you believe Smoker’s words so easily when you watched the whole thing? Does that look like a normal volcano to you?!
Icey couldn’t help but mentally criticize Aqua’s simple mind.
“Don’t worry, Aqua. That was a power I wished for from Meowth.”
“Huh?”
Aqua was taken aback, thinking for a few seconds before realizing, “So the disturbance on the sea last night was your doing too?!”
“…”
Icey, used to Aqua’s reactions, turned his attention to the giant bird egg wrapped tightly in the goddess’s robes.
“I didn’t have time to ask earlier. Why are you holding such a strange egg?”
“I found this child at a street vendor’s stall!”
Aqua patted the egg, a maternal glow on her face.
“Found it? How much did it cost?” Icey asked curiously.
“Two million Berries, the exact amount you gave me. Did you forget already? Not very bright, are you, Icey?”
Aqua narrowed her eyes, giving her signature mocking sneer.
And then…
Thump!
She received a hard flick to the forehead.
“This broken egg is worth at most ten thousand Berries! You spent two million Berries! Whose brain isn’t working?!”
Icey ranted, spittle flying everywhere. He had underestimated the wasteful potential of the idiotic goddess.
“How could it be so cheap? The vendor showed two fingers!” Aqua argued, holding her head.
“…Could it be he meant twenty thousand Berries or two hundred thousand?” Icey revealed the truth.
“Huh? What?!”
Aqua’s eyes widened in realization.
“That damn old man! How dare that cheating merchant scam even me, the goddess!”
She rolled up her sleeves, ready to seek revenge on the egg seller.
With a sigh, Icey pulled her back: “He’s long gone by now. You won’t find him.”
“We bought it already; let’s just have steamed egg tonight.”
Aqua instantly became vigilant, clutching the giant egg tightly: “No! I want to hatch this child!”
Knowing the goddess’s stubborn nature, Icey laughed.
Of course, the steamed egg was just to scare her. He was also curious to see what might hatch from this two-million-berry egg.
As they spoke, King and Meowth approached.
“Icey, Miss Aqua, are you both alright?”
Despite his concern, King’s imposing face showed little emotion.
“Damn smoker left me behind! He drove off by himself!” Meowth grumbled, clenching his fists and glaring at Smoker with bared claws.
“No big deal, just dealing with some pesky seafood,” Icey waved casually.
Looking down, he noticed King holding a machine with a screen and controls.
Did he actually found a gaming console in the pirate world?
“What’s that?” Icey asked, pointing to the device.
“It’s a fighting game based on the famous North Blue comic, ‘Sora, Warrior of the Sea,’ found in a toy store,” King explained, holding up the console. “I tried it; although it’s pixelated, the gameplay is strong.”
“Figures it’s from North Blue, closest to the Grand Line. They even have things like this,” Icey remarked.
The information exchange between the four seas was limited.
For example, East Blue was still in its primitive development stages, while North Blue had already developed advanced technology, such as robots and powered ships.
The most notable of which was, of course, the tech wielded by Germa 66.
Speaking of which, the technology tree in the pirate world was highly erratic.
Some pirates used simple flintlock pistols, while others had access to laser-equipped robots.
Yet both types could engage in close battles, trading blows equally!
Of course, in the future, Meowth’s creations would need to be considered as well…
“A new game? Come on, King, let’s play right now!”
Hearing about the new game, Aqua’s confidence surged, challenging King eagerly, completely forgetting her vow never to play against him again.
“Aqua, I know you’re eager to lose, but can you at least consider the situation? Play it back on the ship,” Icey said.
“What do you mean, eager to lose? I’m a goddess! In a new domain, even against King, I can’t imagine losing. Let’s duel, King!”
“Perhaps steamed egg tonight is a better idea.”
“I apologize, Icey, for causing unnecessary trouble,” King said calmly.
…
After briefly greeting Smoker, Icey and his crew left the square.
Watching their carefree departure, Smoker’s face twitched, and he took several puffs of his cigar to calm himself.
His lieutenant’s questioning brought him back to reality, and with a heavy sigh, he started cleaning up the mess left by the battle with the Arlong Pirates.
There was no choice; Garp had asked him to look out for Icey, and he was, after all, a justice-driven hero of East Blue.
Thanks to the swift action of the Loguetown Marines, the disturbance caused by the square’s battle soon calmed down.
Residents resumed their daily lives, discussing the powerful “volcanic eruption.” Some believed it was the lingering resentment of the Pirate King Roger, while others thought it was just normal geological activity.
Of course, some speculated it was the work of King from the Infinite Dream.
Rumors spread, growing more absurd.
After replenishing the restaurant’s supplies, Icey and his crew returned to the Infinite Dream docked at the harbor.
With Smoker busy handling other matters, pirate ships with Jolly Rogers unfurled their sails, setting off for the Grand Line.
These aspiring rookie pirates, full of ambition, set sail for the Grand Line.
Icey couldn’t be bothered with these bounty-less pirates; once they entered the Grand Line, they would face true terror and despair!
Though the battle with the Arlong Pirates was one-sided, the continuous use of Haki, intense combat, and the final use of the Sword of the Cliff had drained most of his energy.
Feeling the fatigue, Icey took a quick bath, poured a glass of iced cola to recharge, and sat at the restaurant counter, reflecting on the battle.
On the nearby sofa, Meowth and King sat side by side, their controllers clicking as they engaged in an intense game.
Being a skilled Pokémon, Meowth could hold his own against King for ten seconds!
As for the loud-mouthed goddess who couldn’t imagine losing…
She was now huddled in a corner, hugging her knees, deep in her own emo world.
Even in a new game, she was thoroughly defeated by King.
“How can he be so
strong? Another round! This time, I’ll pick Invisible Black!” Meowth’s competitive spirit flared, looking at the defeat screen.
In this game, characters included the likes of Sora, the villain Red Spark, Poison Dust, and Invisible Black.
“Sure,” King said, selecting Poison Dust, with a calm demeanor.
Understanding Meowth’s skill level, King employed his ultimate taunting move!
A few minutes later, Meowth, looking defeated, joined Aqua in the emo corner.
Not even Meowth could beat him? Is King really that unbeatable?
Watching the god-cat duo, Icey, feeling rested, grew curious.
He had never played a game with King since he joined the crew.
Considering his now superior reflexes and Observation of Haki, which was a cheat in the gaming world, Icey put down his cola, stood confidently, and sat next to King.
“I’m interested in this game. Mind if I join, King?”
He was ready to see King’s reaction to being KO’d.
“Would you like to familiarize yourself with the controls first?”
“No need, I’ve watched you play enough.”
“Then let’s begin.”
Seeing Icey as his opponent, King focused, sitting upright in serious mode.
Even Aqua and Meowth lifted their heads, eyes full of anticipation for this “clash of titans.”
With characters selected, their first in-game battle commenced!
Half an hour later.
In the corner, the emo club gained a new member.
From a distance, the trio’s melancholy looked oddly harmonious.
Why? Why couldn’t I win even with maxed-out Observation Haki?!
Having experienced it firsthand, Icey now deeply understood Aqua and Meowth’s despair.
No wonder the Bald Demon King would get broken; King was unbeatable in arcade fighting games…
Recovering from their funk, they didn’t mention the new game again.
Icey returned to the counter, sipping tea and reading the paper; Aqua tended to the giant egg in its birdcage;
Meowth sat, disassembling the flintlock given by Ipponmatsu and studying its internal workings.
The lone King, putting away the game console, began his 25 kg weight training daily.
The restaurant returned to its usual peaceful state.
Time passed swiftly in this leisurely atmosphere.
By afternoon, Smoker arrived with the bounty for the Krieg Pirates.
Besides the hefty bounty, he brought good news.
“Icey! After interrogating the surviving Fishmen, we’ve confirmed that the Arlong Pirates had already separated from Jinbei’s Fishman Pirates!”
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