044: Are You Going?

Fifteen days later.

"Boom!"

A ten-meter-high wave came crashing down from above. It wasn't a natural disaster, but to Mercer right now, it might as well have been.

With a helpless look on his face, he gathered all his strength and threw a punch. "Slap!" It only struck the water about a meter in front of him, creating a hollowed-out pocket. Then he was slammed hard to the bottom of the lake.

Lying spread-eagled on the muddy lakebed, Mercer narrowed his eyes and took a few seconds to recover, drifting along with the lake's undercurrents.

He spat out a string of tiny bubbles, dug his feet into the lakebed, and pushed off with his waist. The water's buoyancy helped him straighten up.

Mercer kicked off the bottom, swinging his arms and legs as he swam toward the surface.

Splash!

His head broke through the water. He opened his mouth wide, greedily gulping fresh air.

He shook out his hair and looked around. Ten meters ahead stood Garp. A little farther away, the two younger boys were floating facedown in the shallows.

Looking at Garp, Mercer gave a wry smile. "You really didn't go easy on me at all."

At the word "you," Garp's face twitched. He looked a little awkward. Mercer had just made it to within two meters of him, which should have counted as passing.

But somehow, Garp had lost his head and thrust out a palm, sending a wave crashing into Mercer. Then he'd raised another "huge wave" ten meters high and sent it after him.

By rights, he'd broken the rules.

Garp hurried to explain. "Mercer, you can't blame Grandfather. I was just trying to teach you something: never let your guard down just because you think you're about to succeed. People out there won't play fair with you."

As soon as he said that, Garp was so pleased with his own cleverness that he continued to "talk nonsense" with a perfectly straight face:

"When dealing with an enemy, you have to completely eliminate their ability to fight back. Never let your guard down in battle.

"You should know, the moment when you're about to succeed is often the most dangerous."

"Take the battle between your deadbeat old man and another great pirate, Golden Lion Shiki, about ten years ago.

"That was the 'Et War Sea Battle,' when your old man nearly bought it. It's a perfect example."

Garp, feeling a little guilty, began citing examples to hammer his way of thinking into Mercer.

Mercer listened to Garp's stories with interest, not bothering to press him about whether he'd just been taking the opportunity to get back at him.

Golden Lion Shiki.

A man who had existed only in Mercer's impressions.

Now, as Garp gave an objective account without slipping in any personal spin, Golden Lion Shiki came vividly to life in Mercer's mind. Garp told him how Shiki had risen to prominence, then how he'd left the great "stage" of the world.

He was cruel, cold, and calculating. He had ambition, authority, and courage—and he could be a bit of a clown, too.

People like him often played the lead in stories, for better or worse. He was a captivating subject.

Mercer listened, his blood beginning to stir.

"Then, Grandfather, where's Golden Lion now? Is he still in 'Impel Down'? The world's greatest underwater prison?"

Ace had arrived while Garp was telling the story. Now he raised his hand and gazed at Garp with bright eyes. His anticipation, curiosity, and excitement gave Garp an unprecedented boost to his vanity. Picking his nose, Garp laughed.

"That bastard Shiki cut off his own legs and escaped not long after he was locked up. He was the first escapee in Impel Down's history.

"As for where he is now, I've no idea what corner he's hiding in, plotting something nasty.

"Anyway, enough about him. Just remember what I told you."

The three boys nodded.

"So, don't let your guard down until you've succeeded, and make sure to completely eliminate an enemy's ability to fight back?"

Mercer summed it up. Garp grinned and nodded.

"Exactly. There are all kinds of strange Devil Fruit abilities out there. Better safe than sorry. It'd be downright stupid to get caught off guard at the last moment.

"Got that?"

The three boys nodded again.

Garp finally breathed a sigh of relief. He'd managed to talk his way out of it. As for whether it was inappropriate to talk about Golden Lion's business so freely?

Not a problem.

To Garp, none of that mattered. Was there anything wrong with teaching his grandsons about the "bad" pirates?

Was it wrong to use real examples to explain things?

Not at all.

He was keeping it in the family.

At the thought, a smile tugged at Garp's lips.

Mercer spoke up. "Grandfather, were you trying to get me to treat you like an enemy just now?"

Garp's face twitched at that. But this time Mercer hadn't called him "sir," which came as a relief. Garp replied helplessly,

"I was just teaching you a lesson about life. We're not enemies. What are you talking about?"

"Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!"

The three boys answered in unison.

Garp rolled his eyes, glanced at the sky, and turned to Ace and Sabo.

"You two keep training hard. I'll come see how you're doing next time I'm back. That's all for now."

Sabo looked a little confused, but Ace frowned. "Are you leaving? Today?"

Garp nodded and spread his hands helplessly. "Yeah. It's about time. I've got plenty to do where I am."

"Okay." Ace fell silent for a moment. "Then go. See you next time."

Smack!

Mercer slapped Ace on the back and grinned. "It's not like we're saying goodbye forever. What's there to be sad about?"

Mercer looked at Garp. "Grandfather, leave Ace a Den Den Mushi. Then, if he misses us, he can call."

Garp slapped his forehead, looking a little embarrassed.

"How could I forget? Sure. You can leave your number with Ace, and you'll be able to keep in touch."

"I'll call Bogard. He can bring one to Dadan's Home in a bit. Let's head up first."

The sun was bright and the temperature was warm, but staying in the water for so long was bound to leave their skin pale and wrinkled.

Freestyle.

Breaststroke.

Dog paddle.

They all showed off their skills. The four of them were soon ashore, where they dried off for a while and got dressed. Garp took the opportunity to use the small Den Den Mushi he carried and make a call.

It was autumn, and the afternoon sun was especially warm, its rays cozy against their skin.

Dadan's Home.

Mercer and the other two each carried a piece of game. They had a wild boar, a wild ox, and a giant crocodile, which they dumped in the yard.

The three heavy thuds brought Dadan and the others outside. They saw the plump game and smiled.

They set to work butchering and washing the meat, then heating oil in the pot. Mercer and the other three chatted in the shade of a tree nearby.

Click, click, click!

Click!

A slender piece of iron pried open a palm-sized padlock. Mercer closed it again and went back to picking at it.

Mercer lowered his head as if he were studying the lock in his hands, but in truth he was looking at the panel projected across his retina.

Gifted Abilities.

[E-Rank Gift: Lockpicking] (can grow freely)

[Gift Effect: Nimble and sensitive fingers, the ability to locate things by sound, and a slight improvement in understanding mechanical objects.]

[Gift Evaluation: You think I'm picking a lock? Turns out, I really am just picking a lock.]

A year ago, he'd spent some time training when he could. Then, at some point, the ability had manifested naturally.

Mercer hadn't suppressed it. He'd simply let it develop on its own.

Over the course of the year, he'd picked up a lock whenever he had free time and played around with it. Naturally, the Gift had grown to E-rank.

It was an ordinary Gift, almost useless in a fight. Even if it came in handy, its usefulness was overshadowed by his other Gifts. Still, it was a Gift.

Mercer believed that—

"There are no useless Gifts, only useless Gift users."

"Come to think of it, if this Gift keeps improving, could it develop into a conceptual ability? Once activated, it might open anything at all, as long as the concept of a 'lock' applies to it."

"Hey!" Mercer smiled and closed the panel. "Still, this ability has made my fingers more and more nimble and sensitive."

It wasn't just his fingers. His hands and feet, and every part associated with his fingers, had become more nimble and sensitive.

Bogard arrived.

He brought a small Den Den Mushi.

Then he left. His arrival had made the bandits here especially tense.

A classic case of occupational intimidation.

Like mice seeing a cat.

Bogard also seemed a little uncomfortable staying there.

Before leaving, though, he glanced at Mercer, then at Ace, who looked a little like him.

As for Sabo, Bogard might have taken him for a bandit's son and paid him no attention.

Mercer and Garp stayed for a meal.

While Ace and Sabo watched reluctantly, the two of them disappeared into Deep Forest.

They reached Foosha Village.

Garp looked at Mercer with a grin. "Going to Makino's again?"

"Hm?" Mercer feigned surprise. "How'd you know?"

Garp's face twitched. He pursed his lips, turned, and walked off in another direction. "I won't ask. Do what you want. Just remember to come back early."

Mercer watched Garp walk away, baffled. "What's with him?"

As soon as Garp left, Karasu swooped down from the sky and landed on Mercer's shoulder, its claws gripping tight. In a hoarse voice, it asked, "We, go, home?"

Mercer nodded. "Yeah, time to go home."

He chatted with Karasu as they went, turned down a few streets, and knocked on the door. Seeing Mercer at this time, Makino guessed what was coming. "Are you leaving?"

Mercer smiled. "Yeah, I'm leaving. I stopped by to pick up some honey, too."

Makino: "..."

Seeing her puff her cheeks in exasperation, Mercer smiled. "Of course, I also wanted to say goodbye."

Makino's expression improved, though she still looked reluctant. "Come in first. Have some tea before you go."

Mercer didn't refuse. He nodded and followed Makino to the bar on the first floor. He sat down at the counter, and a cup of black tea was brought over.

Mercer cradled the cup and took small sips, savoring the tea's distinctive richness.

Makino brought over a sealed ceramic jar.

"Here you go. Your honey. I packed it up for you."

Makino smiled gently.

"Mercer, when will you come back next time?" Makino asked casually. "Don't tell me it'll be another two years?"

Mercer smiled.

"It probably won't be that long, but I can't say for sure. I'll have to see how things go. Otherwise, would you like to come with me to Drum Island?"

"It's a Winter Island, covered in snow all year round, with several five-thousand-meter-high Drum Mountains. They're pretty fun to climb. You can see the whole island from the top."

"Do you want to go?"

A hesitant look flickered in Makino's eyes. She seemed unsure what to decide.

Mercer looked at Makino. She wore a warm yellow camisole and blue-gray capri pants. Her skin was fair, and her face had a hint of baby fat. Right now, she looked completely torn.

It was kind of amusing.

"Mm!" Makino thought it over again and again, then finally gave him an apologetic look. "I've heard the Grand Line is dangerous, so I don't think I'll go with you. I'm weak right now, and I don't want to be a burden."

Mercer looked disappointed but didn't press her. "All right, I won't force you."

Makino fell silent. After a brief pause, she suddenly took a deep breath and looked straight at Mercer.

"I'll keep practicing the Breathing Technique you taught me. Once I can punch a hole through a wall, will you take me to Drum Island?"

Mercer laughed. "Then you'll have to work hard. The 'Free Breathing Method' I taught you isn't simple. It's easy to learn but hard to master.

"Actually, you've been looking pretty good to me today, so I'll give you one more hand before I leave."

As he spoke, he took a needle case from his waist pouch and pulled out one Silver Needle after another. As Makino's eyelid twitched, he quickly placed them at the points where her breathing changed.

"Can't you be a little gentler?"

Mercer smiled. "Let's get this done so I can get back as soon as possible. Hurry up, stop talking, and breathe."

Makino's mouth twitched as she closed her eyes.

Half an hour later.

Drenched in sweat, Makino saw Mercer out.

With the ceramic jar in his arms, he soon reached the pier and boarded the warship.

It seemed they'd been waiting for Mercer alone. Within minutes, the warship left the pier.

It sailed farther and farther into the boundless sea.

A few days later.

Noon.

Mercer walked out of the cabin and looked back at the dark clouds and sheets of rain hanging over the stretch of sea behind the warship. Thunder rumbled every so often.

Water had collected across the deck.

Several supply soldiers, their uniforms marked with "Zan," were already clearing away the rainwater.

"We're finally out of that stretch of sea. Can't believe we ran into a rainstorm."

"Caw—feathers, fast, moldy."

Karasu came up behind him and perched on Mercer's shoulder, basking comfortably in the sun.

Mercer shrugged, making Karasu take flight.

He walked to the cabin wall, hooked his fingers into a gap, and climbed up, quickly reaching the roof.

He leaned comfortably against the railing atop the cabin.

He quietly enjoyed the sunlight.

When the sun sank in the distance, gradually disappearing into the sea, Mercer jumped down and landed on the deck.

By then, the rich aroma of food had begun wafting across the ship. Mercer went to the dining room, got two servings of meat, and sat in an empty spot to enjoy a hearty meal with Karasu.

After going back for two more servings, Mercer finally left the dining room, full.

He returned to Garp's quarters.

As soon as he entered, he heard Garp talking to someone over the phone. But the call was already winding down, and it ended a few seconds later.

Garp looked at Mercer, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. Then he casually said:

"Mercer, I've got a temporary assignment. I need to head to West Blue. Want to come with me?

"If you do, we'll take Reverse Mountain to West Blue. If not, I'll take you back to Drum Island first. What do you say?"

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