At the end of the day, treasure was just money. And if Bardock truly wanted money, he could acquire an infinite amount of it effortlessly. He didn't need to hunt down the legendary City of Gold, Shandora, or the mythical treasure of Captain John. Just casually selling Mansherry's Blood Dandelions to the highest bidder would make him the richest man in the world.
However, possessing massive wealth didn't guarantee you could keep it. In this dog-eat-dog world, endless packs of hyenas would swarm anyone who flashed that much cash—and the very first hyena to bite would undoubtedly be the World Government.
To Bardock, the only thing that truly mattered was personal strength. Only an overwhelmingly powerful lion could keep the hyena packs at bay.
And right now, standing before him was a massive, naturally regenerating glacier that was significantly denser and harder than solid steel. It was the absolute perfect whetstone to temper his swordsmanship and Armament Haki.
But he needed to verify its properties first. Bardock drew Shusui. Closing his eyes, he tuned his senses until he could feel the subtle 'breath' of the massive ice sheet. In a flash of motion, he swung downward, launching a razor-sharp flying slash.
The compressed air blade slammed into the ice, leaving a noticeable, jagged gash across the pristine surface.
If this glacier were a human body, Daz Bonez's previous attacks had merely scratched the epidermis. Bardock's slash had cut deep into the muscle. But neither attack was anywhere near enough to actually sever the ice sheet in two.
Seeing that he couldn't cut it yet, Bardock grinned, his mood soaring. He loved having a clear, tangible goal to strive for. By the time he could slice this entire glacier open with a single swing, he was absolutely certain his swordsmanship and Haki would have evolved to a completely new level.
"Ah! Even you can't break it?!" Perona whined, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she watched the deep gash Bardock had just created slowly begin to freeze over and seal itself.
"Not yet," Bardock smirked, sheathing his blade. "I plan on staying here and training for a while. Bonez, you're with me! What about the rest of you?"
Robin thought for a moment. "We'll stay with you. But how long are you planning to train here?"
"Three months max," Bardock estimated. "We can take breaks and explore other parts of the Kano Country in between. Staying cooped up in a freezing tundra for ninety days straight would get pretty boring."
Three months should be more than enough time for him to achieve his goal. Mansherry's Dandelions could instantly heal any physical strain or torn muscles caused by over-training. His Seimei Kikan (Life Return) could instantly replenish his stamina and calories. His only real limitation was mental fatigue, but as an Awakened Mythical Zoan, his mental recovery rate was also absurdly high; a short nap was all he needed to completely refresh his brain.
"Three months? That works for us," the crew agreed.
"Alright, I'll contact Moria first. Let's see if he's willing to come pick up his prize," Bardock said, pulling out a Den Den Mushi and dialing the number on the business card.
Kacha.
"Kishishishishi... Bardock, you finally called." Moria's signature laugh immediately echoed from the snail's receiver.
"Hey, Moria. Don Chinjao was pretty tough to handle," Bardock skipped the pleasantries. "Anyway, when are you coming to the Kano Country to collect his shadow? I went through a lot of trouble to catch him, so don't tell me you expect me to deliver him to your doorstep."
The Den Den Mushi's expression instantly shifted to one of genuine shock and seriousness. "You actually did it? I have to admit, that's incredibly impressive, Bardock. To capture a legendary veteran of the old era alive... With the strength of a monster shark like you, why are you still swimming around in a tiny pond like the West Blue?"
"Hahaha!" Bardock laughed loudly before replying. "Moria, you're giving me way too much credit. If I'm a giant shark, then the Emperors of the New World are Sea Kings. It's too early for me to face them. The only reason I managed to beat Chinjao was because of his advanced age; he's nowhere near his prime. Honestly, if you fought him right now, you'd probably have a decent shot at beating him too."
"What do you mean 'probably'?! Of course I could beat him!" The snail's face scrunched up angrily before quickly smoothing out. "Anyway. Since you held up your end of the bargain, I won't break mine. I'll arrive in the waters near the Kano Country within a week. We'll decide on an exact rendezvous point when I get closer."
"One week works perfectly. See you then."
Bardock hung up. A one-week voyage wasn't very long; it proved that Moria had indeed lingered in the West Blue, waiting to see if Bardock would actually succeed.
Having secured the deal, Bardock's crew found a small, secluded wooden cabin located halfway between the crater battlefield and the Jewel Ice Sheet. It was clearly the residence of Chinjao and his two subordinates. The crew quickly cleaned it up and moved in.
When Don Chinjao finally regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was a familiar wooden ceiling. Blinking in confusion, he tried to sit up, only to realize that an excruciating, blinding pain was shooting through all four of his limbs. He couldn't move a muscle.
"Grandpa! You're awake! Are you okay?!" "Yeah, Grandpa! You were out cold for a long time!"
Two young, panicked voices called out to him. Chinjao looked down and saw his two grandsons, Sai and Boo, securely stitched to his broken legs.
"Sai? Boo? You boys got captured too?" Chinjao sighed, a massive headache pulsing in his temples.
This remote cabin was Chinjao's private hermitage, where he lived in seclusion while personally training his grandsons in the Hasshoken arts. Aside from the three of them, the entire tundra was completely desolate.
This meant that no one was going to sound the alarm. The Happo Navy headquarters wouldn't realize anything was wrong for a very long time. The Navy only delivered supplies to this hermitage once every few weeks, and since a shipment had just arrived a few days ago, it would be at least half a month before anyone came looking for them.
Hearing the commotion, Bardock walked into the room. Seeing that all three prisoners were awake, he smiled politely. "Ah, Leader Chinjao. I apologize for the abruptness of our encounter earlier. I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself. I am Bardock, a traveling adventurer."
"You bastard! Are you implying I lost so fast you didn't even have time to say your name?!" Chinjao roared, a massive vein bulging on his forehead.
"Hey, you jerk! Untie us right now!" "Yeah! If you have any guts, fight us in a fair, head-on duel! Sneak attacking us with giant hands is completely cowardly!"
Sai and Boo shouted angrily. During the battle, they had suddenly found dozens of arms sprouting from their own bodies, locking them in submission holds. They had frozen in shock for a split second, which was all it took for them to be knocked unconscious.
"Enough, Sai, Boo. You two are no match for him," Chinjao barked, silencing his grandsons. He turned his glare back to Bardock, his temper cooling as he switched to diplomatic defense mode. "Bardock, was it? Why did you trespass into the forbidden grounds of the Happo Navy? As the guardians of this territory, we had every legal and moral right to attack intruders."
"Leader Chinjao, you are absolutely correct. We trespassed on your land, and you attacked us in defense. I consider that matter completely settled and even," Bardock nodded reasonably, raising a single finger. "However. You were on the verge of death after our clash, and we provided the emergency medical treatment that saved your life. Therefore, you owe us one favor."
"Bullshit! You're the one who almost killed him in the first place!" Sai, true to his hot-headed nature, exploded in anger, completely unfazed by their captive status.
"Sai! Shut up and let him finish!" Chinjao ordered sharply.
"Secondly, we completely restored your legendary drill-head. Therefore, you owe us a second favor," Bardock continued, raising a second finger.
"WHAT?!" Chinjao's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "My... my drill? Is that true?!"
He desperately tried to reach up and touch his head, but his shattered arms were firmly stitched to his sides. Frantic, he leaned his head backward, rubbing the top of his skull against the wooden floorboards.
He felt it.
The sharp, unmistakable point of his legendary drill! It was really back!
Tears began streaming down Chinjao's weathered face. He had dreamed of this moment for years. The loss of his drill had been his greatest shame and the source of his endless, festering hatred for Garp. To have it miraculously restored... the sheer emotional whiplash was overwhelming.
"That's amazing, Grandpa! Your drill is back!" Boo cheered happily. "Now you can finally open the—!"
"Boo! Shut your mouth!" Sai snapped, instantly cutting his brother off before he could accidentally blurt out the secret of the Jewel Ice Sheet. Boo immediately clamped his hands over his mouth, realizing his mistake.
"And thirdly," Bardock continued smoothly, completely ignoring the brothers' panic, "your arms and legs are currently shattered. If you want us to heal them so you aren't crippled for the rest of your life, you will owe us a third favor."
Bardock raised a third finger, a bright smile on his face. "So, in total, you owe me three favors."
'He beat our Grandpa half to death, split the healing process into two separate steps, and now he's demanding three favors for it?!' Sai gritted his teeth, his blood boiling at the sheer audacity. He opened his mouth to shout again.
"I accept. I owe you three favors."
Chinjao's definitive statement silenced the room. A wise man knows when to bow his head. He had lost the fight fair and square, and he was currently completely at their mercy. Beggars couldn't be choosers.
"What do you want me to do?" Chinjao asked solemnly.