Defeating the Headquarters Colonel

Short was dismissed from his post, while the valiant major who had not played any crucial role was promoted by Garp to colonel of Branch 153. Monka was also promoted from sergeant to lieutenant for stubbornly holding off the pirates.

As for Leiyin, the sailors of Branch 153 described him to Garp like this: he could breathe fire, spit water, release lightning, teleport, and even use some swordsmanship.

That was obviously complete nonsense.

Garp listened to their solemn bullshit and wondered if there was something wrong with his hearing.

But when the entire Branch 153 said the same thing, he began to have his doubts.

There was no way all those sailors had gone insane, right?

Even the strongest Logia, the Dark-Dark Fruit, could only absorb one Devil Fruit ability, with two abilities at most. Yet this fellow had displayed abilities corresponding to no fewer than three natural elements. Could someone like that exist not only in the East Blue, but anywhere in the entire world?

If that wasn't bullshit, then what was?

But since everyone in the branch had given the same account, it greatly aroused Garp's curiosity. He wanted to see for himself, after all. Seeing was believing. Besides, he had not been at the scene when it happened.

Unexpectedly, two days later, Leiyin came back on his own.

The reason was simple: he had returned to collect his money.

When he had first killed Krieg, Shelz Town had been left in complete disarray. Leiyin had not felt comfortable asking the navy to exchange the bounty right away. Now that the navy had rested and mostly recovered, Leiyin came over.

Garp sat behind his desk, eating snacks and drinking tea. The moment he saw Leiyin, he put on his trademark genial smile. "Boy, I was just about to send someone to find you. I didn't expect you to come here yourself."

"Find me?"

The wrinkles on Garp's forehead gathered together as his smile grew even brighter. "Boy, your exploits have been spread through the navy like some legendary tale. You don't expect this old man to pretend nothing happened, do you?"

"Hm?"

Before Leiyin could figure out what Garp meant, Garp gave a signal to a navy lieutenant colonel standing nearby. Without a word, the lieutenant colonel kicked at Leiyin.

Fortunately, Leiyin reacted quickly and dodged the kick. The lieutenant colonel missed, and his foot struck the wall, kicking a huge hole through it.

Leiyin flashed to the side and immediately became furious. "Hey, old man, what do you mean by this?"

Garp took a bite of a senbei. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Pruzz, the vice captain of my guard unit. Have a spar with him."

Leiyin's exploits had been spreading like wildfire among the sailors of Branch 153, and the attacks he had displayed using at least three different attributes were even more unbelievable. That was why Garp had sent one of his men to test him.

Lieutenant Colonel Pruzz's face was utterly expressionless, as if he were paralyzed. He gave off an extremely aloof impression.

Leiyin looked at the large hole that had just been kicked through the wall, then jumped out through it. Pruzz thought he was trying to escape and immediately chased after him.

Once they reached the navy training yard, Leiyin stopped running and stood where he was. "It's too cramped inside to fight properly. Let's do it here."

Pruzz remained expressionless and said nothing. He charged at Leiyin at full speed.

Garp stood behind the hole that had just been kicked through the wall, watching the battle with great interest.

Pruzz struck first with [Six Powers—Finger Pistol], thrusting straight at Leiyin. Leiyin did not dodge, instead gathering chakra around himself for protection. The [Finger Pistol] struck him and knocked him back several steps.

As expected of a lieutenant colonel from Navy Headquarters, this [Finger Pistol] was nothing like the one Miller had used before.

When Leiyin came to a stop, a faint smile appeared on his face. That single attack was enough to show that this fellow was no ordinary person. Fighting experts was one of Leiyin's interests in life.

By then, navy officers and soldiers from Branch 153 had filled the perimeter of the training ground, all there to watch the battle.

Leiyin's hands moved rapidly as he formed seals.

"Fire Style—Great Fireball Technique!"

Accompanied by a wave of intense heat, a mass of crimson flame suddenly burst from Leiyin's mouth and shot straight at Pruzz. Pruzz vanished from his original position, disappearing without a trace. (Six Powers—Shave)

The sailors surrounding the training ground began chattering among themselves.

"It's that kid from the other day. He's come back again."

"It's that fire-spitting technique again."

Only after seeing this did Garp begin to believe what the sailors of Branch 153 had told him. He felt somewhat uneasy. Is this the ability of the Flame-Flame Fruit? No, that's not right. That fellow Ace already ate the Flame-Flame Fruit. How could there be two identical abilities in the world?

While Garp was secretly pondering this, Pruzz had already arrived in front of Leiyin.

"Six Powers—Tempest Kick!"

Pruzz raised one leg and swiftly kicked out a blue air blade resembling a slash. Leiyin likewise vanished from his original position at an unbelievable speed, and the blue air blade carved a deep mark into the ground.

Flying Thunder God Slash!

When Leiyin reappeared, he was already behind the lieutenant colonel. By the time the lieutenant colonel turned around, a blue chakra sphere had already gathered in Leiyin's hand.

"Rasengan!"

Pruzz had no time to react. The [Rasengan] struck him without mercy. Taking the attack at such close range, Pruzz spun through the air and flew more than twenty meters before crashing to the ground.

Pruzz shakily rose to his feet, only to collapse again. His fall announced Leiyin's victory.

Even Garp could not help sizing Leiyin up. A seasoned Navy Headquarters field officer had not been his opponent. This kid possessed unfathomable strength.

Leiyin slowly walked over, then looked up at Garp on the third floor and shouted, "Old man, I've already beaten him. Can we talk about my business now?"

Garp put on his dog-head mask and laughed heartily. "Hahaha! This old man can see it now. You really aren't an ordinary kid. Fine, tell me what you want."

Leiyin said, "I was the one who killed Krieg. Give me the bounty now!"

Garp was a vice admiral of Headquarters. For him, this matter could be settled with a single word.

Garp thought for a moment, then said, "All right. But you have to agree to one condition."

"A condition?"

Garp said seriously, "I sincerely invite you to join the navy. What do you say?"

"Huh?"

When he heard that, Leiyin's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Although Garp usually had a ridiculous personality, he did not look like he was joking when he said this.

Joining the navy was something Leiyin had almost never considered since arriving in this world.

He had thought about becoming a pirate hunter, a pirate, a member of the Revolutionary Army, or an adventurer, but joining the navy was the one thing he had never considered.

Hearing this, Leiyin put on a solemn expression. "What if I refuse?"

"Hm?"