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[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the Golden Lion's Dual-Blade Swordsmanship (current-stage version)!]
"Huh?!"
Logan's eyes lit up.
Another straight power boost as a reward.
The moment that cold, mechanical voice faded, he could feel a new strength awaken deep inside him—the Golden Lion's twin-blade swordsmanship!
As one of the few men who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with Whitebeard—the world's strongest man—and the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, the Golden Lion's sword skills were beyond question.
He might not have been the number one swordsman in the world, but he was definitely at the level of a true master.
Still, Logan couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
What he'd gained was current-stage Golden Lion swordsmanship—not the Golden Lion's peak form.
And the gap between the two was massive.
At his peak, the Golden Lion's roar could shake the seas themselves. His ambition was boundless.
When Roger turned him down, he didn't hesitate to start a war.
Back then, the Roger Pirates weren't just Roger himself—they had Silvers Rayleigh in his prime, twin-axe Jaba, and the monster known as Douglas Bullet.
Four top-tier fighters.
And yet the Golden Lion didn't flinch for even a second.
If it hadn't been for that freak storm, no one knew how that fight would've ended.
Fate, though, has a twisted sense of humor.
In that battle, a stray ship's rudder literally flew through the air and lodged itself in the Golden Lion's head—a wound so bad it should've killed him.
That one stupid piece of wood crippled his strength.
Later, he was defeated by Sengoku and Garp together and thrown into Impel Down, the so-called unbreakable prison.
He escaped—but only by cutting off both legs.
After those two crushing blows, his strength fell off a cliff. His swordsmanship would never be what it once was.
"Speaking of which… where did that crippled lion run off to?"
Logan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
He knew the Golden Lion wasn't dead—just hiding somewhere, clinging to life.
"Whatever. Let's go find that guy at Baratie and test my blades first."
Originally, Logan had planned to skip Baratie entirely and head straight to Loguetown to recruit the glasses girl.
But now that he'd got this shiny new swordsmanship, he couldn't resist the urge to test it out.
Most importantly, he wanted to know—how far was he from the world's top-tier fighters?
The next morning, after Nojiko and Nami carefully dug up a few of the best orange trees, they left Cocoyasi Village with Logan.
There wasn't much worth staying for.
Logan had already left a tracking mark here anyway; he could bring Nami and Nojiko back anytime he wanted.
"Nojiko, from now on, you're the cook of the Logan Pirates," he said casually. "You'll handle meals with Makino."
He nodded approvingly. Last night's dinner had been amazing.Nojiko's cooking was easily on par with Makino's.
"Yes, Captain." Nojiko gripped her spatula and nodded seriously.
She knew she wasn't like Nami, who had a natural talent for navigation, and she wasn't any good at medicine either.
But logistics and cooking? That she could handle.
Logan smiled, satisfied.
He'd need more cooks soon anyway.With the number of girls on the ship increasing, Makino alone wouldn't cut it.
Cooking for dozens of people every day? She'd die of exhaustion.
Better to have backups ready.
Nami grinned mischievously and elbowed her sister. "So, sis… how was last night?"
"Did you leave afterimages?"
Nojiko blinked, then instantly realized what she meant.
Her face flushed red as she lightly punched Nami in mock anger.
This brat—how did she suddenly get so bold?
She didn't even realize it yet, but before meeting Logan, she wouldn't have understood what "afterimages" even meant.
Now she got it right away.
Fast and fluent.
It was over. She'd been corrupted too.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters…
When the Navy discovered Captain Nezumi's corpse, an immediate investigation began.
It didn't take long for them to confirm that Logan was the killer.
There were just too many witnesses in the village.
Hard evidence. Eyewitnesses everywhere.
Once confirmed, the report was escalated layer by layer.
Inside Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office, a Den Den Mushi's mouth opened and closed as it spoke. Sengoku listened, his brows furrowed deep.
When the call ended, he sighed and rubbed his temples.
These damn pirates.
Kill a Marine Captain today, and tomorrow they'll have the guts to attack Marineford itself.
He glanced over to where Garp was casually munching on senbei crackers.
"Garp," Sengoku snapped, "how many times have I told you—stop eating in my office!"
Garp just laughed. "Hahaha! Sengoku, it's not like I pissed you off. Don't take it out on me!"
And he kept eating.
Sengoku sighed but pressed on, tone serious. "The East Blue's been restless lately. Two pirate crews have popped up, both causing big trouble."
"Let's hear it," Garp said, mouth full.
He might act careless, but when it came to his home sea, he paid attention.
Pushing his glasses up, Sengoku began his report.
"The first crew is the Logan Pirates, led by Logan himself. He's suspected to be a Cloud-Cloud Fruit user. His crew's entirely female. Known members include Nami, the navigator, possibly a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user."
"The rest are still unidentified. Their photos are being transmitted as we speak."
"According to intel, Captain Nezumi was killed by Logan—brutally."
Garp nodded silently.
"The second crew is the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Monkey D. Luffy—suspected Rubber-Rubber Fruit user. His swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, is said to be highly skilled."
"They defeated Marine Captain Morgan in Shells Town and Buggy the Clown in Orange Town."
"But witnesses say they later clashed with the Logan Pirates in Syrup Village. Both Luffy and Zoro were slashed and seriously injured. Their current whereabouts are unknown."
BOOM!!!
The air around Garp exploded with pressure.
Sengoku reacted fast, slamming his hand down to stop him. "Garp! What the hell are you doing?! Calm down!"
Garp growled through gritted teeth.He couldn't calm down.
Luffy—his grandson—had been seriously injured?!
That bastard!
Wait—hold up.
Then it hit him.
His expression darkened instantly.
That idiot brat really went and became a pirate behind his back?!
And after bragging to his face about how he'd dominate the seas the moment he set sail—he gets beaten bloody on his first trip?!
The damn kid had shamed the entire D family.
Sengoku, noticing Garp's sudden change, frowned.
Why was Garp reacting so strongly to this Luffy kid's name?
Wait a minute…
Monkey D. Luffy. Monkey D. Garp.
Sengoku froze, realization dawning.
Then he slapped his forehead hard.
"Son of a—!"
"....."