The West Blue. The Kano Country. It was a nation heavily steeped in an ancient, Eastern aesthetic.
When Bardock and his crew disembarked at the main port, their arrival went completely unnoticed, despite the presence of two tiny dwarves.
"This country seems incredibly prosperous," Bardock noted, looking around at the bustling streets and towering architecture.
Standing in a secluded alleyway, Robin crossed her arms. Her Devil Fruit powers were already at work, sprouting invisible eyes and ears across the city to gather information. It didn't take long for her to report back.
"According to the locals, it used to be even more prosperous," Robin explained, her eyes closed in concentration. "The Eight Navies were both the impenetrable shield that protected the nation and the lethal sword that struck out across the seas. They frequently sailed out to pillage massive amounts of treasure, making the Kano Country absurdly wealthy. The 'Heavenly Tribute' demanded by the World Government was practically pocket change to them."
"However," Robin continued, opening her eyes, "that golden age took a massive hit when Don Chinjao the Drill, their strongest warrior, was neutralized by Marine Hero Vice Admiral Garp. After losing his legendary drill-shaped head and becoming 'Chinjao the Flat', his strength plummeted. Ever since then, the Kano Country has kept a much lower profile."
"It's hard to say if that was just a coincidence or if the World Government specifically targeted them," Bardock mused. "The Government probably didn't want another Germa 66 rising up in the West Blue."
As Bardock listened to Robin seamlessly summarize the political climate, he couldn't help but marvel at her. Even after experiencing it multiple times, her intelligence-gathering was basically a cheat code. What kind of terrifying mental processing power did she possess to filter through the chaotic chatter of an entire city and condense it into actionable military intel in mere minutes?
"Any news on the locations of the Navy Leaders?" Bardock asked.
Robin shook her head. "Nothing concrete. Mostly just rumors and small talk. However, Don Chinjao is a very popular topic of conversation."
"That's weird," Bardock frowned. "It's been years since Garp defeated him. If he's basically been a recluse since then, why is everyone suddenly talking about him?"
Robin paused, reorganizing her mental notes before answering. "It seems to be an issue of succession. The Leaders of the other seven Navies have all successfully passed their titles and authority down to the next generation in recent years. However, Don Chinjao still stubbornly holds the title of the 12th Leader of the Happo Navy. He doesn't actually manage the Navy's daily affairs anymore—he spends all his time obsessively trying to crack open something called the 'Jewel Ice Sheet'—yet the position of the 13th Leader remains vacant."
"The Jewel Ice Sheet?!" Bardock's eyes lit up in sheer delight. "That's perfect! If Chinjao is camped out there, he definitely wouldn't allow the other Navy Leaders anywhere near it! That's the Happo Navy's sacred treasure vault! Robin, can you find out exactly where this Ice Sheet is?"
Bardock was ecstatic. His biggest fear was that Chinjao lived right in the middle of a densely populated city. If that were the case, Bardock wouldn't have dared to fight him, no matter how good the opportunity was. The collateral damage of two powerhouse brawlers going all out would have leveled the entire city.
Robin closed her eyes again, maintaining her ability for a few more minutes. When she opened them, her face was noticeably pale. "It's going to be difficult. Eavesdropping won't be enough. We'll have to either infiltrate the Happo Navy's headquarters to track their supply lines to Chinjao, or acquire a detailed topographical map of the country and investigate every glacial region."
Realizing she was overexerting her stamina, Bardock quickly stopped her. "There's no rush. We can study maps and track supply lines later. Remember, our primary goal is just to travel and adventure! Let's just explore the Kano Country for a bit. I'm actually really interested in their culture."
"Are you sure?" Robin asked, uncrossing her arms. "Aren't you worried Moria might get impatient? He explicitly said he was leaving for the Grand Line soon."
"Who knows if our deal with Moria is even going to pan out?" Bardock sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "I made a massive tactical error last time. I shouldn't have recommended Dr. Hogback to him. Hogback is the greatest surgeon on the seas. If he joins Moria, he can probably figure out a way to chemically or surgically repair the physical damage caused by the Shadow Training method."
"If that happens," Bardock groaned, "the physical toll of the training won't be a bottleneck for Moria anymore, which means he won't strictly need our Blood Dandelions to survive the process."
"Boss, are you saying Moria is highly likely to ditch us and monopolize the method for himself?" Daz Bonez asked calmly.
"Who knows? What I'm really worried about is Moria gathering a bunch of elite doctors to assist Hogback," Bardock continued, his mind racing through the terrifying possibilities. "Think about it. Medical expertise is a learned skill. Which means it can absolutely be copied and shared via shadows."
Bardock looked at his crew, his expression deadly serious. "An individual doctor's skill has limits. But what if you concentrate the lifelong medical experience of twenty different elite doctors into a single person? What if a group of doctors constantly swap shadows, rapidly mastering each other's specialized surgical techniques? Can you imagine the absolute medical monstrosities they would become? If Moria realizes the true potential of his fruit, he won't just be feared—he will be worshiped by every single doctor, scientist, and artisan in the world."
Hsss!
The crew collectively sucked in a breath of cold air, utterly horrified by the implications.
"Gecko Moria... the World's Greatest Educator..." Perona muttered, shivering. "Just thinking about that feels entirely wrong."
"Well, let's go. What's done is done," Bardock clapped his hands, breaking the tense atmosphere. "Worst-case scenario, it just becomes a massive headache for the World Government. We're just free-spirited adventurers. It's not our problem!"
Bardock took the lead, marching cheerfully into the city.
Time flew by. Bardock and his crew spent the next few weeks leisurely exploring the Kano Country, sampling local delicacies, and enjoying the sights. In the blink of an eye, it was late January. Having passed his birthday on January 23rd, Bardock was now officially ten years old.
In a freezing, desolate tundra on the outskirts of the Kano Country, Bardock and his crew trudged through the thick snow, heavily bundled in winter coats.
"This is the very last glacial region on the map that could possibly be the Jewel Ice Sheet," Robin said, pulling out her map. The paper was already covered in a dozen red 'X' marks from their previous failed expeditions. "If this isn't it, we'll have no choice but to infiltrate the Happo Navy headquarters."
"I have a really good feeling about this one. This is definitely it," Bardock declared confidently.
"Oh, shut up," Perona groaned, her teeth chattering beneath her thick scarf. "You said that about the first place. And the second place. And literally every single place after that! And you were wrong every single time!"
She was utterly exhausted. If she had known Bardock was just blindly guessing, she never would have let him navigate.
"Hmph. Perona, I was doing it on purpose," Bardock shot back smoothly. "Didn't you notice you gained a little weight after the New Year's feast? I dragged you through all these tundras so you could burn off those extra calories. You're welcome."
Truthfully, Bardock couldn't believe his own abysmal luck. He had chosen the locations entirely at random, fully expecting to hit the right spot eventually. Yet, statistically defying the odds, he had managed to pick every single wrong location first. If this final spot also turned out to be a bust, he was going to seriously reconsider ever setting foot in a casino.
"I did not gain weight!" Perona shrieked, her face turning red.
"Oh! So that's why we did it!" Leo and Mansherry nodded in perfect synchronization, completely buying Bardock's blatant lie. Due to their inherently trusting Tontatta nature and Bardock fiercely sheltering them, the two dwarves were still incredibly innocent and naive.
"Hold on. Someone's coming," Bardock suddenly stopped, holding a hand out. "He spotted us. Everyone, get behind me."
Because of the freezing blizzard conditions, Bardock hadn't asked Robin to use her Devil Fruit. Instead, he had been constantly maintaining his Observation Haki. He instantly sensed a massive, powerful presence rapidly closing in on their position.
As the figure emerged from the blizzard, the details became clear. The man was over five meters tall, possessing a massive, bushy white beard and a heavily aged, weathered face. Bardock instantly recognized his target: Don Chinjao the Drill.
It seemed his luck hadn't completely abandoned him. The final location was indeed the right one.
"Who dares trespass on the sacred grounds of the Happo Navy?" Chinjao glared down at the group, his eyes burning with fury. "Whatever. Count yourselves unlucky. Remember not to wander into places you don't belong in your next lives."
Without another word, Chinjao's eyes widened sharply. A terrifying, crushing wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body, sweeping across the snowy plains directly toward Bardock's crew. Relying on his status as a legendary pirate, he didn't even want to dirty his hands on random intruders. He intended to simply knock them unconscious with his Haki and let them freeze to death in the snow.
"Perfect timing!"
Bardock's eyes lit up in sheer excitement. He had been dying to experience a true Conqueror's Haki clash! Ever since his sparring sessions with Boa Hancock years ago, he hadn't met a single person who possessed the Supreme King's Haki.
Instantly, Bardock focused his absolute will. An equally terrifying, overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded from his small frame, crashing head-on into Chinjao's invisible pressure.
BOOM!
The two invisible waves of sheer willpower collided in the space between them. The resulting shockwave violently tore through the air, grinding and grinding against each other as neither side yielded a single inch. High above them, the heavy blizzard clouds began to aggressively churn and split apart.
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