After Garen's extremely information-packed description, Arlong instantly became a hardened veteran pirate whom no one could handle unless Garp personally stepped in.
Then Garp had his subordinate bring out the bounty book for a look.
A bounty of twenty million.
"Just as I thought."
Garp glanced at Garen thoughtfully. "You were talking nonsense just now, weren't you?"
"Ahem."
Garen's gaze wandered as he said awkwardly, "Everything I said was true."
"Fisher Tiger's right-hand man?"
Garp's gaze at Garen grew increasingly oppressive.
"Uh, he really was an officer of the Sun Pirates."
Garen continued introducing Arlong's illustrious résumé.
Arlong had indeed once been an officer of the Sun Pirates, but compared to Captain Fisher Tiger, a minor officer like him...
was basically only qualified to stand in the back and yell, "Captain, you're awesome!"
"Close friends with Shichibukai Jinbe, and survived an encounter with Kizaru?"
Garp questioned him again.
"That's true too."
Garen said stiffly, "It's just that..."
Arlong really had survived an encounter with Kizaru—
because after beating him senseless, Kizaru could not even be bothered to kill such small fry.
Later, the good-hearted Jinbe saved Arlong's worthless life by accepting an appointment as one of the Shichibukai.
Garp had roamed the seas for years and was a Marine higher-up who knew the details of that incident. Naturally, he would not be fooled by Garen's few words.
He saw through Arlong's true level at a glance.
After thinking for a moment, Garp asked the subordinate beside him, "Where is Cocoyasi Village?!"
"I-I know!"
But it was Nami's excited, trembling voice that rang out first.
Looking at the legendary Marine hero before her, Nami's eyes filled with unprecedented hope.
"As long as we head west along the East Blue Current we're currently on, using the current's natural force, we can reach Cocoyasi Village in three days!"
"West along the East Blue Current?"
Garp muttered to himself, "That's completely out of the way!"
Garp's destination was the Goa Kingdom. According to the plan, after arriving in the East Blue from the Calm Belt, he was supposed to part ways with Smoker and take an entirely different route back to his hometown, the Goa Kingdom.
Hearing Garp say that so casually, Nami's heart immediately sank halfway.
During all her years drifting at sea, the Marines in Nami's impression had practically been synonymous with hypocrisy, incompetence, and greed.
They would not handle minor cases, and they did not dare handle major ones. As a law enforcement organization, the Marines had almost no credibility left.
So even after boarding this enormous Marine Headquarters warship, Nami had not considered actively asking the Marines for help.
Compared to the legendary Marine hero Garp, Nami was even more willing to place her hopes on Garen, whom she had only recently met and whose strength was limited.
Because she had tried such things far too many times before.
Garp's casual remark quickly brought back Nami's disappointment and helplessness from the countless times the Marines had turned her away in those bleak memories.
"Smoker?"
Garp suddenly looked toward Smoker, who was quietly smoking a cigar beside them, and asked,
"The Loguetown you're going to be stationed at should be on this route, right?!"
"That's right."
Smoker had also checked the route for this deployment in advance.
"Loguetown is on the East Blue Current as well. It should be located between here and Cocoyasi Village."
"Then it's right on the way."
A trace of anticipation appeared in Garp's smile.
"Smoker, I'll leave these Arlong Pirates to you!"
"Make sure you work hard in your first battle in the East Blue!"
Smoker froze slightly, but his expression immediately returned to its usual calm and stern demeanor.
"No problem."
The true owner of this enormous warship was Marine Vice Admiral Garp.
Whether it was Smoker, who had traveled alongside him from Marine Headquarters, or Garen, who had happened to board the ship not long ago, they were merely catching a ride.
Garp's destination, the Goa Kingdom, was not on the same route as either Loguetown or Cocoyasi Village.
So after the warship sailed for a while longer, Smoker, who was rushing to Loguetown to take over a new post, would part ways with Garp, who was eager to return home and see his grandson. He would then switch to a smaller ship with Garen's group and sail along the East Blue Current.
Smoker's pirate suppression itinerary was as follows:
First, he would go to Loguetown and complete the handover with the outgoing Marine garrison. Then he would consolidate the local East Blue forces at the Loguetown Marine base. Finally, he would lead the troops against the Arlong Pirates.
There was still some time before Smoker and Garp went their separate ways, so the Marine soldiers arranged for Garen and the other two to rest in the warship's living quarters for the time being.
As she walked down the long corridor, Nami's face was filled with happy, contented smiles.
For the first time in all these years, she had seen real, tangible hope.
"Thank you."
Nami suddenly spoke softly to Garen, who was walking beside her.
"It was nothing."
Garen answered casually, "I just—"
His voice abruptly stopped.
Nami had already blocked Garen's path, then slowly stepped in front of him and finally raised her head to look directly into his eyes.
From this angle, Garen could read complicated emotions that were difficult to distinguish in those bright, captivating eyes.
"You..."
After a long silence, Nami asked, "Why do you know so much about me?"
"Well..."
Without hesitation, Garen gave the explanation he had prepared long ago.
"I'm a knight who came to the East Blue to train, so I gathered intelligence on many evildoers beforehand."
"And the Arlong Pirates were one of my targets."
"Then that means..."
Nami's expression immediately became rather complicated. "You knew who I was from the very beginning?"
"That's right."
Garen answered frankly.
"An officer of the Arlong Pirates, and the somewhat famous East Blue thief known as Cat Burglar."
To avoid raising too many suspicions, Garen did not mention any deeper details. He merely revealed Nami's publicly known identity.
And neither of those identities sounded like the identity of a good person.
So Nami asked curiously,
"If that's the case, why did you still help me?"
"Hmm..."
Garen thought for a moment, then said seriously,
"Didn't I say it yesterday? You're the Knight's Lady I have my eye on!"
"In your dreams!"
Nami spat at Garen in embarrassment and annoyance, though an alluring flush had already risen on her fair cheeks.
Led by the Marine soldiers, Garen's group continued onward.
"Garen?"
Nami walked beside Garen at an easy pace and resumed chatting. "Do you think those Marines can defeat Arlong?"
Though the subject was still heavy, Nami looked completely relaxed and lively.
Like an ordinary young girl, she eagerly asked questions about the new life awaiting her.
"Of course they can."
Noticing Nami's mood, Garen cooperatively replied,
"Smoker is a Marine Headquarters colonel, and he has a Logia Devil Fruit Ability. Taking care of small fry like Arlong will be no problem at all."
"Hmph!"
Nami snorted and said pointedly, "That guy can't even beat you."
"If he can trade three moves with me, isn't that strong enough?"
Garen shouted exaggeratedly, then shamelessly started boasting.
"During that training match just now, Garp sent me flying, and I sent Garp flying too."
"What kind of strength do I, Garen, have?"
"I'm evenly matched with Garp!"
"Pfft!"
Miss Nami spat at Garen disdainfully, but his exaggerated performance still made her smile.
"Everyone, your rooms are here!"
The Marine soldier leading the way suddenly stopped and respectfully said to Garen, "Please rest well."
Regardless of his actual level...
Garen's "glorious achievements" of defeating a Headquarters colonel and slashing a Marine hero had ultimately made the Marine soldiers aboard this warship regard him with newfound respect, even reverence.
After showing them the way, the Marine soldier prepared to turn around and leave.
"Wait."
Nami stopped the Marine soldier and said with a gentle smile,
"Could you help me get some suitable clothes?"
"My clothes fell into the sea during the earlier naval battle."
After being blasted into the water by cannon fire twice in a row, Nami's clothes had long been soaked through by seawater and left her in a miserable state.
"No problem."
The Marine soldier agreed readily.
"Please get me a set too. Thank you!"
Wallace made the same request.
"Um..."
Garen suddenly remembered something, and his expression immediately turned strange.
"Could you get me a set of clothes too?"
The Marine soldier agreed to each request, then turned and left to find a change of clothes for the three of them.
"Eh?"
Nami noticed that something seemed off and could not help asking,
"Garen, come to think of it..."
"Ever since we met in the restaurant yesterday, you've been wearing that heavy armor. I've never seen you take it off."
"Aren't you hot?"
Garen could naturally remove his armor and greatsword. He only needed to deactivate his datafied combat mode to take off that equipment.
But...
"Hmm."
Garen answered with a gloomy expression,
"You'd better not look too deeply into that question."
Before you continue