"Vice Admiral Garp! Vice Admiral Kuzan!
We've confirmed the location of the Dark Night Pirates!"
"Oh? Where?"
Garp asked urgently.
Steel Bone Kong had just issued a death order.
Within five days, they must capture Malverick's group and rescue the Celestial Dragons.
Otherwise, the World Government would be forced to negotiate.
At that point, the Navy's face would be slammed into the ground and rubbed hard!
Such a thing absolutely could not be allowed to happen!
"Blackstone Island…"
The marine soldier said with a grim expression.
At that name, even Garp's face darkened.
It was an uninhabited island, yes—
but the sea it sat in belonged to one man,
and that man was the Navy's eternal enemy!
The largest pirate crew currently existing—
The Whitebeard Pirates!
That was right.
Blackstone Island was located inside Whitebeard's territory!
This made things complicated…
Although the Navy was the strongest force on the seas overall,
in the New World, things were different.
Here, pirates—not marines—were the rulers.
And Garp only had Aokiji, Bogard, and about a thousand marines with him.
To openly clash with the Whitebeard Pirates with such numbers—
that was practically suicide.
With the Red Hair Pirates blocking Sengoku at G1 Base, Garp would receive little to no reinforcements.
"Garp-san… what should we do?
Are we really going there?"
Aokiji was wavering.
He truly didn't know whether they should proceed… or retreat.
Garp pondered for a long moment, then looked out toward the sea.
"All units—accelerate!
Our target is Blackstone Island!"
"Yes, sir!"
Garp's prestige within the Navy was immense—
even the not-yet-Fleet-Admiral Sengoku couldn't compare.
At his command, every marine instantly felt invigorated,
and the entire force sailed full speed toward the Whitebeard territory.
…
On Blackstone Island, Malverick, Tiger, and the others sat around a campfire.
"This is Whitebeard's territory.
We just barged in like this… isn't that a little too arrogant?"
Tiger couldn't help asking.
In the New World, there was an unspoken rule—
entering another pirate crew's territory meant hostility.
Unless you notified them in advance.
Malverick had walked in directly…
to anyone else, it would seem like he was trying to seize territory.
"Arrogant?
We're barely getting started."
Malverick didn't mind at all.
He had already agreed with Shanks—
Shanks would fight Kaido for him,
and Whitebeard and Big Mom were his future targets.
If he didn't even dare enter their territory,
what was the point?
He might as well go home and sleep.
"Relax. Didn't I say it before?
In the New World, I have many friends."
"And Whitebeard just happens to be one."
The Roger Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates had been enemies,
but their relationship wasn't shallow.
Malverick had drunk with Whitebeard many times.
That old man wouldn't get mad over something like this.
And even if he did—so what?
They could just fight.
Whitebeard would never come help the Navy fight Malverick.
Pirates and marines were the true mortal enemies.
"That's that, then.
Now we wait for the Navy to arrive."
Malverick patted Susanoo's head.
Susanoo wagged its tail and rubbed against his hand.
Later that night, after Malverick and Robin "finished their activity,"
they lay together on the bed.
Touching Robin's smooth back, Malverick murmured:
"How about… you leave me for two days?"
"I refuse."
Robin immediately sat up, glaring at him angrily.
"Don't even think about abandoning me again!"
She pressed down on his shoulders, eyes firm.
Malverick rubbed his temples.
"I'm doing this for your own good. It's dangerous."
"I don't care.
No matter how dangerous it is, I'm staying with you.
Besides—I'm not weak!"
Robin couldn't compare to Malverick or Tiger, nor to Susanoo or Xiaobi, but she definitely wasn't weak anymore—
she had survived alone on the sea for over a year.
Seeing Malverick's expression, Robin bit her lip—
Then she threw the blanket aside.
"What are you doing?"
"Hmph.
I'm going to make you change your view of me."
Then the two of them pressed together once more.
Who knows how long it took,
but eventually Robin lay on the bed again.
Malverick picked up the blanket and covered her gently.
"Don't try to make me leave."
"…Fine. You won't leave."
"Good."
Satisfied, Robin nodded and immediately fell asleep.
Malverick looked at the night sky, dressed, and stepped outside.
"Malverick-san, you're not sleeping?"
Seeing him emerge, Jinbe hurried over.
"Nothing. I just can't sleep."
"Jinbe…
If Tiger and I create a pirate crew together,
will you follow us?"
Malverick asked suddenly.
Jinbe froze, unsure why Malverick brought this up.
"Of course I will.
I will always be loyal to big brother Tiger."
He answered without hesitation.
To him, Tiger was family.
"What if I am the captain?"
"In that case—
as long as Tiger is in your crew,
I will never leave.
The others feel the same."
Malverick nodded.
"To have a brother like you—Tiger is fortunate."
"No—
to have a big brother like Tiger—
we are the fortunate ones."
Malverick walked to the shore, staring at the moonlit sea.
He clenched his fists.
"Come, Navy.
Let's fight to our heart's content."
…
Elsewhere on the sea, three whale-shaped ships were anchored—
The Moby Dick fleet of Whitebeard.
"Gurararara…
Little brat from Rayleigh's side,
let's hope you don't get caught by Garp."
"If you do, Rayleigh will lose all face."
Clearly, Whitebeard wanted to see how Malverick would handle Garp's pursuit.
Even Whitebeard didn't want to take a direct punch from Garp.
He was genuinely curious about Malverick's abilities.
A Shanks, and now a Malverick—
Whitebeard felt the future of the seas was going to be very interesting.
Nearby, Teach was excited as well.
Marine hero Garp was going after Malverick— he hoped Garp would kill him, so the Dark-Dark Fruit could reappear.
But that was destined to be impossible.
—------------------------------
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