This Sentence is Retracted

At this moment.

Everyone was staring at this Marine hero.

Especially Nami, who had been somewhat tense; her mind involuntarily recalled Colonel Mouse and the Arlong Pirates from back then, and she immediately looked at Garp with both anger and contempt.

And this is supposed to be a Marine hero?

Isn't he just the same as Colonel Mouse?

As for Xia Che—in her heart, he was different. At least he hadn't done anything heinous.

He had even saved Cocoyasi Village!

Even Smoker, who had originally come to question Xia Che's sense of justice, now seemed deflated. He looked at Garp with a complicated expression, then at Xia Che, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.

His face darkened directly.

If his own superior's hands weren't clean, what right did he have to question a colonel who was just trying to feed the villagers?

Although Xia Che's status wasn't the same as Vice Admiral Garp's, and he understood that this stain meant little to someone like Garp—maybe even Fleet Admiral Sengoku wouldn't care if he heard about it—but Vice Admiral Garp was a Marine hero!

At Marine Headquarters, he was like a benchmark, a faith for all Marines!

And now...

Good grief...

They had come to investigate collusion between Marines and pirates, yet now the Inspection Team had already fallen!

Hadn't they noticed that the pirates they were supposed to arrest were all looking at them with contempt at this moment?

As for Tashigi... sensing the atmosphere had turned strange, a hint of confusion appeared on her little face. Unlike Colonel Smoker, she—being someone who would give even criminals a chance and was kind-hearted—didn't think Colonel Xia Che had betrayed so-called justice.

Colonel Xia Che was also a Marine bearing the weight of justice.

She understood in her heart that Colonel Smoker, after learning everything the 16th Branch had done, wasn't really set on arresting Colonel Xia Che. He was just angry that Xia Che had cooperated with pirates.

But what should they do now?

And then...

Seeing everyone staring at him, Garp's face stiffened for a moment before instantly recovering, breaking into a cheerful grin as he scratched his head. "Ah, I've been found out?"

With that, he lowered his head, his eyes calm as he looked at Xia Che.

"Kid, how did you know?"

"Just some intelligence I happened to come across." Feeling the atmosphere had settled enough, Xia Che gave a faint, composed smile and said, "So... Vice Admiral Garp, is there anything else you'd like to say?"

The moment the words fell.

Before Garp, who was scratching his head and looking a bit troubled about what to do, could speak, Smoker stood up abruptly. He was worried that if this continued, something else might go wrong.

Smoker stared at Xia Che expressionlessly, cutting straight to the point. "Dande Xia Che, you colluded with pirates and defrauded Marine Headquarters of military funds..."

"Hey, wait, wait, wait—what do you mean 'colluded with pirates'? The 16th Branch has never done anything like that." Xia Che spread his hands, almost as if he was playing dumb, and said, "Don't go slandering us. As for defrauding military funds... every time we requested funds, it was legal and compliant. Otherwise, I'm sure Marine Headquarters wouldn't have approved them. If you don't believe me, ask Udo~."

"Yes, the 16th Branch has never defrauded military funds." Udo, receiving Xia Che's signal, quickly nodded and said seriously, "Every time I requested funds, I followed the proper procedures. Everything was legal and compliant!"

"Colonel Smoker, don't slander us!"

"That's right, Colonel Smoker. The 16th Branch is poor—what's wrong with asking for a little more money?"

"You still want to argue?" Hearing Xia Che and Udo's back-and-forth, Smoker's face darkened. "The Captain of the Moke Pirates..."

But before he could finish.

"Thank you, Colonel Smoker, for assisting the 16th Branch in successfully capturing the Moke Pirates." Xia Che cut him off directly, his expression solemn. "This vicious and cunning pirate crew has plagued the 16th Branch for years. Today, they've finally been brought to justice."

With that, he turned to Udo.

"Hey, Udo, hurry up and send the Captain of the Moke Pirates to the 16th Branch prison. Don't let him escape!"

"Yes, Colonel!"

"..."

Were they taking him for a fool?

Watching Colonel Xia Che and Marine Udo still trying to weasel their way out, Smoker's face grew even darker. He slammed the table hard. "Are you trying to fool the Marines, Colonel Xia Che? Have you forgotten Teacher Zephyr's teachings? Have you forgotten the justice you bear as a Marine?"

"Marine justice?" Xia Che glanced at Garp, who was cheerfully watching the show, and raised an eyebrow.

Good grief—even at this point, the old man wasn't going to say anything?

Wasn't he worried they'd actually start fighting?

As a transmigrator, Xia Che didn't believe in so-called justice at all. The World Government at the top was already that rotten!

If the roots were rotten, what was the point of talking about justice with him?

If they wanted to kill him, fine—he'd just go back to being a fourth-level clerk.

That was more than enough.

He wasn't scared at all.

Xia Che sat back down, staring at the cold-faced Colonel Smoker and said flatly, "What exactly is the justice the Marines claim to uphold?"

"To maintain peace and order in the world, and to drive out the evil that plagues the seas!"

"Drive out the evil that plagues the seas? Then what exactly counts as that evil? Senior Smoker, is the justice you carry on your back truly justice?" Xia Che sighed as he looked at Smoker. He knew well that not all Marines were aware of the World Government's truths or the darkness hidden within the Marines.

Xia Che stood up, meeting Smoker's gaze directly, and said calmly, "Is it those who burn, kill, and loot? The slave hunters who capture people at will? Or those who slaughter innocent pregnant women just to find a single infant? Or perhaps the ones who brought down the nation of God Valley..."

Before he could finish.

As expected.

"Shut up!"

He was cut off!

Cut off directly by Garp!

Garp's cheerful expression vanished. He furrowed his brow and stared sternly at Xia Che. "Brat Xia Che, I don't know where you heard these secrets, but some things are fine to know—just don't say them out loud."

"Of course~. I was just startled by Senior Smoker a moment ago."

He wouldn't dare say such things in front of just anyone. But he had no choice—if he wanted to develop in the East Blue, he couldn't avoid these two.

Raising his head to look at Smoker, whose brow had furrowed at his words, Xia Che paused before continuing, "Senior Smoker, the justice the Marines bear might not be as righteous as you imagine. In this era, there is no such thing as absolute justice!"

With that.

Before Smoker, who was staring deeply at him, could say anything.

"I knew that Sengoku bastard would only dump troublesome things on me." Garp directly clutched his head in pain. "I thought you were just a Marine colluding with pirates, but kid, you know even more than I expected. What now? How about we just pretend we never met?"

"Vice Admiral Garp..." Smoker looked at Garp speechlessly. Though he didn't fully understand what Xia Che's words meant, he could feel that this was something extremely troublesome.

Was the Marine Hero trying to wash his hands of the matter?

How could it not be troublesome?

But before he could say anything more.

"Let's leave it at that for now!" Garp picked his nose and looked at Xia Che, whose hand was still on his sword hilt, and said cheerfully, "I'm old now. I don't want to go looking for trouble at this age! Besides, you... don't really want to arrest this kid either, do you?"

"Hmph!" Smoker, caught out directly by Garp, let out a cold snort but said nothing more.

He turned his dark face back to Xia Che. "The Moke Pirates must face judgment. I will capture them and lock them up in Loguetown Prison."

"Arrest me if you want!" Moke, hearing Smoker's words, still stuck his neck out stubbornly, refusing to back down. "As long as the boss is fine, what do I care if I get locked up?"

But.

"Shut up!" Xia Che angrily cut off that fool.

They were negotiating just fine—why was he looking for death?

Moke was someone he had brought up. He didn't want to just hand him over like this.

When he first met this kid, he was all skin and bones, his face sallow. Who would've thought that in just a few years, he'd gotten so big?

He was already taller than him now.

But all that growth went to his body, not his brain, right?

Of course~

Even if he was a bit of a simpleton, Moke always listened to him. As long as it was an order from him, Moke would carry it out seriously. That was why he felt confident enough to let Moke go out as a pirate.

No need to worry about him turning bad.

Xia Che turned around, ignoring Smoker, and looked directly at Garp. "Thirty percent!"

"???"

"Thirty percent of the military funds requested by Branch 16 from now on!"

The moment those words fell.

Everyone froze, then turned to stare darkly at Xia Che.

Was this guy trying to bribe the Marine Hero?

Right in front of so many people? Was he that bold?

Especially Smoker... His face turned ashen. Was this kid showing him no respect at all?

Daring to bribe the Marine Hero right in front of him?

And this was the Marine Hero!

How could he possibly be bought off by a mere thirty percent of a branch's funds?

Sure enough...

Before he could even shout to stop him, Vice Admiral Garp was already glaring coldly at Xia Che. "Kid, what do you take me for?"

But.

Before Smoker could let out a sneer.

"At least fifty percent!"

Suddenly.

"..."

Everyone fell silent again.

Before anyone could speak.

"Deal!" Colonel Xia Che's face showed some surprise, as if he hadn't expected Garp to actually agree. He'd been ready, if the answer was no, to threaten him by revealing Ace's secret.

He directly slapped Garp's outstretched hand.

"Next time, should I hand it to you directly, or to your grandson?"

"What would I give it to my grandson for? That kid's already grown up—he has to rely on himself!" Garp unhesitatingly dismissed his own grandson, chuckling happily. "No need to give it to me either. You know the Goa Kingdom, right? There are some refugees there too."

At those words.

"..."

Xia Che instantly understood why the old man had agreed. No wonder he'd accepted so readily—he'd been thinking along these lines.

Fair enough. He hadn't done anything, or rather, the things he had done were nothing to this old man whose own hands were far from clean. Rather than letting him run his mouth, or worse, become a pirate and spread rumors at sea, it was better to keep him quietly stationed here.

Anyway, he didn't feel like running off for now. This suited him just fine.

As for the Goa Kingdom...

Hiring workers was the same wherever you went!

Xia Che's face broke into a smile. "Pleasure doing business!"

"Pleasure doing business!"

Both of them wore meaningful grins.

But...

"Is this a matter of a few percent?!" Smoker grabbed Garp by the collar and roared, "Do you even know what you're doing, Vice Admiral Garp?!"

"Ara, Smoker boy, don't get so worked up. I know what I'm doing. That Moke Pirates haven't actually done anything, have they?" Garp, with his collar yanked, laughed it off, picking his nose as he looked at the bewildered Moke with a cheerful, meaningful gaze. "Letting them go is fine too!"

"Do you even hear yourself? You're a Marine! They're pirates!"

"Ah, almost forgot. Withdraw that last remark!" Garp laughed heartily, as if he hadn't just misspoken at all. Then he sighed with a hint of emotion, shook his head, and continued picking his nose, his eyes drifting. "Who would've thought, just as Colonel Xia Che said, that Moke Pirates are so cunning—they actually escaped from us. The Marine Headquarters must be alerted."

At that.

Smoker: ...

Looking at the utterly shameless Marine Hero, Vice Admiral Garp, he had words stuck in his throat that he didn't know whether to say or not.

Was this old bastard taking him for a fool too?