Chapter 406: The Secret of the East Blue!
A Heavy Question
After hearing Sengoku's words, Ryuunosuke fell silent.
Lately, whispers had begun to circulate across the seas—that the Dragon Hunters were no longer just a pirate crew. They were now spoken of alongside the Four Emperors. Some even called them "The Four Emperors and One Emperor."
It was recognition, yes, but also a burden. If the Dragon Hunters continued to act like a rowdy pirate band, the world would not see them as legends—they'd see them as a threat to be destroyed.
Of course, Sengoku was overthinking it. Ryuunosuke wasn't chasing that kind of title.
In truth, it wasn't the Dragon Hunters who stirred up storms. More often than not, it was the Navy and the World Government who came after them.
And sometimes… it was reckless brats like Garp's grandson, Monkey D. Luffy.
"There's no need to ask favors like this," Ryuunosuke finally said, his smile calm but cutting. "We weren't born to cause trouble. Along the way, it's been the Navy and the World Government that kept hunting us down. Of course, I've broken their so-called order—so it's natural they retaliate."
His words, spoken with quiet conviction, seemed to ease the tension. Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru exchanged glances. They could tell Ryuunosuke wasn't aiming to plunge the seas into chaos.
Which meant they could move to the real matter.
"Ryuunosuke," Tsuru said suddenly, her sharp gaze narrowing. "The World Government has been searching for something. You've crossed paths with it already, haven't you?"
Her tone was direct, almost weighty. The words carried more than curiosity—they carried trust.
Ryuunosuke arched a brow. "This 'something'... you mean the Infinity Stones?"
He remembered the terrifying power they wielded, power that bent the rules of the world. If the Government sought them, it made perfect sense.
"Yes. The Infinity Stones." Tsuru nodded firmly. "The reason Garp kept returning to the East Blue all these years wasn't just boredom. His true mission was ensuring the Stones never fell into the Government's hands. Every laugh, every carefree act—just a cover."
Ryuunosuke turned his gaze to Garp, who scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Now it all made sense. Before Roger's execution, Garp had been a relentless man of missions, always at sea, chasing order with iron fists. Even when tragedy struck his family, he had no time to return. That kind of man didn't simply change overnight.
The answer was clear: something greater had bound him. Something called the Infinity Stones.
"So you tell me this now," Ryuunosuke said bluntly. "What do you expect from the Dragon Hunters? If the Government learns of the Stones, they'll storm the East Blue without hesitation. And if they scour that sea, Shimotsuki Village will be caught in the fire."
The thought of both the Infinite White Stone and Infinite Green Stone surfacing at once made even him uneasy. The East Blue could be erased in the blink of an eye.
Tsuru leaned forward, her voice low and firm. "Then take the Goa Kingdom under your banner. Declare it your territory. Let it be known across the seas that the Dragon Hunters administer the kingdom."
Ryuunosuke chuckled softly. "So simple, and yet so effective. Fine. I'll do it. But answer me this—why is the East Blue so special? What makes it the cradle of monsters and legends?"
The others fell silent. His question was one that had haunted many for years.
"Let's ask Garp," Tsuru said. "He's searched every corner of that sea."
All eyes turned to the old hero. Garp puffed out his chest, but there was a hint of weariness in his voice.
"The truth? The East Blue's greatest uniqueness is… its ordinariness."
Everyone stared.
"People think it's peaceful because I kept wandering there," Garp continued, a helpless grin on his face. "But even before me, the sea was the same. Ordinary kingdoms, ordinary pirates, ordinary villages. On the surface, there's nothing special at all."
He paused, his tone deepening. "Except for the Green Stone. That was real. But even that wasn't truly my discovery."
Ryuunosuke frowned. "Old man, stop circling. If you know something, just say it."
"Brat," Garp snapped, though without malice, "back then, Roger told me something in Impel Down. He said the East Blue itself was the key. He didn't know the secret either, but he believed it was there. That's why he chose to end his life in Louge Town. We told the world it was the Navy's decision—close to Reverse Mountain, strategically convenient. But the truth… Roger wanted to die in the East Blue."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Ryuunosuke's brows furrowed. Roger's final choice had always bothered him. Why the East Blue? Why a backwater sea when he could have vanished anywhere?
Perhaps it was because the East Blue and Raftel were connected—two halves of the same truth. Perhaps the secret of one could only be unlocked with the other.
But Garp's twenty years of fruitless searching proved it wouldn't be uncovered by brute force alone.
And in that moment, Ryuunosuke thought of another man. Someone who might truly know the answer.
A dangerous smile tugged at his lips.
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