Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for only $7 to get early access to upcoming chapters!
> > Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations <<
----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 42: The Marines in Action
In Foosha Village, the afternoon sun was warm in Makino's bar. Garp was drinking rum from a giant mug, his face split in his signature, hearty laugh. Across from him, the Marine Admiral, Aokiji (Kuzan), was practically slumped over the table, looking completely drained.
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Garp suddenly exploded with a deafening laugh, sloshing rum from his mug.
"Three minutes!"
He slammed the table, laughing so hard tears were coming to his eyes. "Kuzan! You kid! You lasted three minutes! That's really something!"
"..."
Kuzan lifted an eyelid, his lazy face full of lifelessness. He didn't even have the energy to retort. That white-haired man named Madara Uchiha was a monster among monsters. His proud Ice-Ice Fruit ability was a joke in front of that guy. The Truth-Seeking Orbs. The Genjutsu. And that invisible, bizarre attack. Every single one was terrifyingly difficult to handle. Three minutes... He was lucky to have gotten out alive!
"Ara ra..." Kuzan listlessly scratched his messy, curly hair. "If it were you, Mr. Garp, you'd definitely last longer."
Garp's laughter stopped abruptly. He picked up his mug, drained the rest of the rum, and his expression turned serious for the first time. "Not necessarily."
He slammed the mug down. "That level of monster... if I went, I probably wouldn't fare well either."
"That guy Sengoku is probably going to have a headache so bad he can't sleep."
To create a world from thin air, and to stuff a monster of that god-like level inside to be a boss. That kid Blake's ability was completely beyond their comprehension. Kuzan nodded in deep agreement. Unintelligible, unbeatable, and they didn't even know his motives. That was the most terrifying part.
"Right." Garp seemed to remember something. He leaned forward, his eyes shining as he stared at Kuzan.
"Did you enter any other dungeons? You must have gotten some reward, right?"
"Quick! Show me!"
"..."
At this, Kuzan's already listless face fell even further. He scratched his head, looking away, as if he found it hard to speak.
"What?" Garp urged impatiently. "Is it something indecent?"
"Not exactly..." Kuzan sighed, a look of resignation on his face.
Under Garp's curious and insistent gaze, he slowly pulled something out from his coat.
Then, he gently placed it on the table.
It was... a pink... top encrusted with a giant heart jewel... with little white wings...
Magical Girl wand.
"..."
The air in the bar froze. Even Makino, who was wiping a glass, paused.
Garp's eyes bulged, staring at the ridiculously girly item on the table. His expression was priceless.
Three full seconds passed.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
A laugh ten times wilder than before exploded. Garp collapsed onto the table, pounding it, letting out a roar of laughter.
"What... What the hell is this! BWAHAHAHA!"
Kuzan's face was completely black.
He buried his head in his arms, his voice barely audible as he squeezed the words through his teeth.
"Don't ask."
"If you ask... I got it from a dungeon called 'Magical Girl'..."
"It's a long-range weapon."
"Really."
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the Fleet Admiral's office.
The atmosphere was so oppressive the air felt thick.
Fleet Admiral "Buddha" Sengoku held a newly printed document, his face terrifyingly grave. It was the report from Admiral Aokiji.
"Tsuru!"
Sengoku handed the file to the Great Staff Officer Tsuru, who was sitting nearby. His voice held an imperceptible weariness.
"It seems we still underestimated that guy."
The Great Staff Officer of Marine Headquarters, Tsuru, slowly set down her teacup, her aged face calm.
"At least we obtained some useful intelligence, didn't we."
Tsuru read the file, her face still calm.
"From the results, the abilities he's displayed aren't much different from what we would call a 'god'."
"Resurrecting the dead, eternal life, manipulating time."
"Kuzan only lasted three minutes in an intermediate dungeon."
"I can't imagine how terrifying the person who created all this must be."
"But the result isn't too bad."
Her voice was as calm as ever, carrying a reassuring strength.
"At least, it was us, the Marines, who found him first, not those lawless pirates."
Sengoku gave a bitter smile. He sat back down, steepling his fingers under his chin.
"That may be true..."
His expression was grim.
"But, Tsuru, how can a guy of this level stay unknown on the sea forever?"
"Sooner or later! He'll be discovered by others!"
"When that time comes, those lawless pirates, the Yonko... if they find out about such a place..."
Sengoku didn't finish, but the implications made the temperature in the office drop several degrees: a place that could grant eternal life, even resurrect the dead. For those monsters at the pinnacle of the world, still bound by mortality, this was a fatal temptation.
Tsuru quietly read the file. Kuzan's description of Madara Uchiha even caused a ripple in her calm eyes.
"Since we can't handle him."
Tsuru suddenly spoke, interrupting Sengoku's worries.
"Then let's get one step ahead."
Sengoku looked up, his eyes questioning his most trusted comrade.
A faint smile touched Tsuru's lips, her eyes, which had seen the world change, shining with wisdom.
"If we can't do anything about him, let's change our thinking."
"Before others discover his value, we... must become his biggest customer!"
"Become his biggest customer?"
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku rubbed his throbbing temples and leaned back in his chair. His usually stern face was now full of exhaustion and conflict.
He looked at his wise old comrade and gave a bitter smile.
Only after becoming Fleet Admiral did he realize how hard it was to run this house. The Celestial Dragons in the World Government kept the Marines' budget on a tight leash, scrutinizing every expense. They were afraid the Marines would grow too strong, afraid they were raising a mad dog that would bite its master.
And outside, the Great Pirate Era raged, the Yonko were like four insurmountable mountains, and now, this incomprehensible Blake had appeared.
.....
Support this book by leaving a Review, Comments, and Power Stone.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations