Shalria found herself unable to retort to Garp's quiet reply. Had Zephyr stood alone she might still have forced Hina into servitude, but with the Marine Hero backing him—even an appeal to the Five Elders would gain her no support. Better to wait until a guilty verdict, then claim the girl.
She snorted, glanced at the CP-0 agents, then at the pale-faced Hina, and stalked back toward her battleship. Rules—and Garp's stature—left her no choice, though the humiliation only deepened her ire.
"Very well, I shall await her conviction. When she's found guilty, hand her to me," Shalria ordered.
"Yes, Saint Shalria." The CP-0 officer exhaled in relief, bowed behind her, then faced Zephyr and Garp.
"Instructor Zephyr, Vice Admiral Garp—does this arrangement satisfy you? We'll take Hina for questioning. Because a World Noble is involved, we are within our authority."
The two veterans stayed silent; they knew CP had the legal right. At last Zephyr's weathered face tightened. "I will monitor this case closely."
"Of course," the agent nodded. "As her former admiral-class instructor you may observe. But if she's guilty, we cannot spare her simply because you're watching. After all, she walked away from Arton unharmed—hard to explain, wouldn't you say, Zephyr?"
Zephyr's eyes dimmed; he truly couldn't fathom how Hina had escaped Arton intact—knowledge only diary-holders might possess.
Garp folded his arms. "Catch Arton and the truth will sort itself out. A face-to-face will clear Hina's name, CP-0."
"A fine proposal—if you can seize him," the agent replied. "Arton left Loguetown some time ago, and the sea is vast."
"Leave that to me," Garp said, waving dismissively. "Just promise that when I bring Arton in, you return Hina unharmed."
"Then good hunting, Vice Admiral." With a thin smile the agent turned toward Shalria's ship.
Garp's gaze snapped to Jabra and the escorts. "Boy—lay one unnecessary finger on Hina and I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget."
An unseen pressure, born of a summit-level aura, crashed over the CP-9 men; even the proud Jabra nodded involuntarily.
"Hina, bear it a little longer," Zephyr murmured, patting her shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Kujaku stepped close. "If anything comes up, contact us—you know how."
Doll and Hibari echoed the sentiment. None of them had imagined that a single mission to intercept Arton would drive Tashigi from the Navy and leave Hina in chains—nor that after racing all this way to East Blue they'd never utter a word to Arton before his Conqueror's Haki dropped them flat.
Chapter 253 – Regret not leaving with Arton?
Doll, Kujaku, and Hibari looked at Hina, an unspoken sadness washing over them.
They knew she was innocent, and they knew why Arton had spared her—Hina is one of his heroines, and Arton never kills a heroine. In their eyes, he was simply casting a long line, waiting for the day Hina leaves the Navy. Under the command spell she had once blurted she would become Arton's plaything; once her uniform was no longer an obstacle, Arton would probably claim her for real.
After one glare from Garp, Jabra and the other CP-9 operatives hurried back to their ship. No one wants trouble with the Marine Hero: even CP-0 owes him courtesy, to say nothing of low-level CP-9 agents. They were the ones escorting Hina, and Jabra felt that if they lingered Garp might truly swing a fist.
"Wait." Garp's call stopped them.
Jabra stiffened. "Y-Yes, Vice Admiral Garp—sir?"
"Don't rough Hina up. If you do, don't blame me for being rude. Tch… If I weren't still chasing Arton, I'd sail to Enies Lobby with you." Garp folded his arms.
"U-Understood. We'll treat her well. Kumadori, remove Miss Hina's cuffs." Jabra shot a glance over his shoulder. Kumadori nodded and unlocked the seastone shackles. Hina rubbed her wrists, gave Garp a grateful look, and stepped aboard the CP-9 vessel of her own accord. As a Marine she did not want to drag Garp, Zephyr, or her friends into deeper trouble, though the future worried her—Arton's diary had shown her too much of the Government's darkness.
"Thank you," she said softly from the rail to Zephyr, Ain, and the others. Behind her, Jabra's squad had planned to shove her into the brig, but under Garp's eyes they let her stand on deck. Jabra recalled Kalifa's warning—be careful not to hurt Hina—and scratched his head, puzzled at how Kalifa even knew Hina's name.
Ain watched Hina, a glimmer in her eyes. Out of sight she opened her diary copy, found Hina's name, and sent a private message.
[Ain: Hina, do you regret not leaving with Arton?]
Hina frowned, glancing back.
[Hina: Regret? Why ask?]
[Ain: You joined the Navy before I did—you know what Enies Lobby means.]
[Hina: Ordinary people are condemned there, but I'm a Marine. If I explain everything, there's still room for reversal. And if Vice Admiral Garp really intercepts Arton, it'll be in time to clear this up.]
[Ain: Can you really explain? You can't mention the diaries at all. Saying Arton spared me because he likes pretty women won't convince them; they'll argue he'd have forced you to stay. And what are the odds Garp finds him on the open sea? Even if he does, with Arton's current power—fusing with allies for multiple abilities—could Garp truly hold him if Arton decides to flee?]
...
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