The Warlords of the Sea…
Hearing this title, the restaurant staff turned pale, trembling with fear. Pirates bestowed with this title by the World Government were notorious worldwide and had the legal right to plunder!
For such pirates, not paying for a meal was the least of their offenses; they could kill with impunity and face no justice. After all, they were just ordinary townsfolk, not the esteemed Celestial Dragons!
Smoker’s brow furrowed as he glared at the arrogant Fishman pirates before him, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. As a captain who despised evil and swore to eradicate all pirates in Loguetown, he wanted nothing more than to lock up these disorderly Fishman pirates immediately.
But they were under the banner of the Warlord of the Sea, standing on the same side as the Navy. Attempting to arrest them would only result in their release, further emboldening their arrogance.
When Smoker first heard about the Warlord system, he couldn’t understand why the World Government would support pirates’ misdeeds. Facing this situation now, he felt a deep, unprecedented sense of helplessness.
Garp continued munching on his donuts, his face showing little emotion. He had seen far darker and more brutal scenes, far beyond what Smoker could imagine. This was the rule of the world under the Celestial Dragons, and why Garp repeatedly declined promotions to Admiral—because Admirals had direct obligations to protect and serve the Celestial Dragons!
“Sha ha ha! Since you have no intention of acting, we’ll be on our way.”
Seeing no reaction from Garp and the Navy, Arlong sheathed his sawtooth blade and began to stride past them arrogantly. Despite his brashness, he knew better than to provoke Garp too much, planning to leave Loguetown soon and head to a more secluded and safer island in the East Blue.
The Fishmen pirates, wearing smug and arrogant expressions, followed their captain, glaring provocatively at the clenched-fist sailors.
As Arlong passed by, Icey’s eyes flashed with a hint of contemplation. Weighing the pros and cons, he decided against confronting the Arlong Pirates here.
According to the story, the Arlong Pirates’ next destination was Cocoyasi Village on Conomi Island. There, Bell-mère would be killed protecting her children, and Nami would endure ten years of sorrow and hardship.
No matter what, the Arlong Pirates had to be dealt with! However, despite knowing that Arlong had left the Fishman Pirates, they were still nominally under Warlord Jinbe. Acting openly now could lead to troublesome consequences.
The safest course of action was to obtain the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and determine the abilities of the fruit from Fuschia Town. Consuming a god-tier fruit with extraordinary abilities or using a worthless one to make a wish would enhance their strength significantly.
Afterward, quietly dealing with the Arlong Pirates would be much easier.
“Mr. Garp, what is the purpose of the Warlord of the Sea system?” Smoker asked, his voice heavy.
Legal pirates—just the term itself sounded absurd!
“As the name implies, it’s to balance the growing power of the Four Emperors and maintain peace on the seas,” Garp replied, scratching his ear. “Though I doubt those ambitious pirates will ever truly listen, it’s the World Government’s decision.”
Even as a revered hero of the Navy, there were many things Garp couldn’t do, especially while wearing the cloak of justice.
Garp’s words made Smoker take a long drag on his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke. He stood there in silence, watching the dejected restaurant staff walk away.
“Don’t let the darkness cloud your sense of justice. Save other thoughts for when you’re strong enough,” Garp said, uncharacteristically serious, patting Smoker on the shoulder before leading the way.
Smoker followed, deep in thought. The evening sun cast long shadows of their justice-cloaked figures.
…
After successfully obtaining the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia from Smoker, Icey wasn’t in a hurry. Instead, he stayed with Aqua and King at the Navy base for a simple dinner.
Due to pressing matters at the headquarters, Garp, followed by his aide Bogart, boarded the Doghead warship and departed for the Grand Line. His main purpose in staying at Loguetown had been to meet Icey, convey the Navy’s recruitment offer, and assess the water-based ability user.
After bidding farewell to Garp, Icey, Aqua, and King returned to the Infinite Dreams docked at the port. By then, night had fallen, and a bright full moon hung in the sky.
The bustling town had finally quieted down, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the shore.
“So, it’s this fruit. No wonder it ended up in the East Blue…” Icey said, sitting at the restaurant counter with the peach-shaped Devil Fruit, already bitten by Aqua.
After comparing it repeatedly with the encyclopedia, he finally confirmed its identity:
The Paramecia-type Sube Sube no Mi (Smooth-Smooth Fruit), which makes the consumer’s skin smooth and slippery.
It was the fruit that turned Alvida from a heavy-set woman into a beauty. The fruit wasn’t highly valued, and while its abilities could be developed to an impressive degree, it would require years of effort. Selling it wasn’t an option either—who would buy a bitten Devil Fruit?
Given his wishing pool, which offered more straightforward enhancements, Icey decided to use this somewhat redundant fruit for a wish!
“A slippery fruit? Wouldn’t that make me like a slug?” Aqua shuddered at the thought.
If she hadn’t purified the juice in time and ended up all slippery, returning to the divine realm would have made her a laughingstock among the younger goddesses like Eris!
“Fruit that grants superpowers when eaten—it’s like the Monster Cells…” King commented, looking at the Smooth-Smooth Fruit.
Monster Cells, created by the Monster King Orochi, could turn one into a hideous monster with tremendous strength!
While they marveled, Icey moved to the restaurant’s spacious area.
With a slight thought, the long-unseen wishing pool materialized on the floor, emitting a deep, mysterious glow.
The large bounty from defeating Krieg’s pirate fleet needed to be tallied and reported before the headquarters released the funds, which would take until the next afternoon according to Smoker.
Fortunately, Icey’s current assets met the wishing requirement of 30 million Beli.
After throwing the treasure and Beli into the wishing pool, it was time for the Devil Fruit.
Not sure if a bitten fruit would work, Icey decided to give it a try. If it failed, he’d use the bounty to buy another!
He picked up the Smooth-Smooth Fruit and tossed it into the pool.
With a splash, the fruit was swallowed by the pool’s surface, only to be spat back out, landing on the floor beside it.
Icey: “…”
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