In winter, dawn had barely broken. Even at Marine Headquarters, there were few people to be seen. Most soldiers had only just gotten up, washed, and prepared for their routine drills.
Hoisted over Garp's shoulder, Ron struggled with all his might, only to find that Garp's hand was like steel, utterly unmoving. The dense Armament Haki prevented him from using Elementalization to escape, leaving him no choice but to be carried.
What was even more insane was that Garp kicked off and stepped through the air with Geppo, advancing directly through the sky and bypassing the winding roads.
"Where exactly are you taking me?"
Amid the howling wind, Ron shouted loudly.
"Don't rush! We're already here!"
"Hm?"
Ron looked up. In barely a dozen seconds, they had crossed the vast square in front of the fortress and reached the harbor at its front. On the shore of the bay port, Traine had already been waiting for a long time.
When he spotted them, he waved with a smile. "Long time no see, Ron! How have you been lately?"
Thud!
Garp tossed him off his shoulder, and Ron felt his stomach churn.
So, in response to Traine's question, he twitched at the corner of his mouth and clutched his stomach. "Major General Traine, are you sure you can't tell whether I've been doing well?"
Traine: "..."
"Uh... Seeing that you still have the energy to talk back, I know you're doing fine. No problem, then get on the ship!"
Ron froze. "Now?!"
Setting sail early on a winter morning?
"Enough nonsense, get up there!"
Bang!
Garp brushed the wrinkles from the cape on his shoulder, then kicked out, sending the unprepared Ron flying more than ten meters into the air before he crashed onto the deck.
Then, he and Traine used Geppo to return to the deck and immediately gave the order.
"Everyone, prepare to depart!"
Hooonk!!!
The whistle blared as the machinery rumbled to life. Still lying dazed on the deck, Ron felt the War Beast pull away from the harbor, and his whole mood soured.
They were seriously setting sail just like that?
What was the reason?!
What was I even here for?
"Wait, I'm a little confused. Let me sort this out."
Climbing to his feet and sitting cross-legged, Ron muttered to himself.
"I didn't sleep all night. The first thing I did after getting up was go ask Teacher Zephyr about the Marine Six Powers. Then I ran into that old bastard... After Teacher made me sign something, that old bastard kidnapped me onto his ship, and now that old bastard's ship has set sail..."
Ron kept calling him "old bastard," making Garp's face turn green.
But before Garp could hit him, Ron asked first, "So!!! What am I here for?! You have a mission, what the hell does that have to do with me?!"
Ron glared at Garp, utterly bewildered.
"Hmph! There's naturally a reason I brought you here! You only need to obey orders, understand?!"
Garp was rarely this serious, his eyes imposing even without anger.
Ron frowned slightly. Recalling how Garp had used Geppo to travel, he quickly seemed to realize something.
"I see... You avoided the patrols? Other than the people on this ship and Teacher Zephyr, no one probably knows where I went... So this is a secret mission?"
Ron quickly understood and rubbed his chin silently.
Since he was here, he might as well settle in. After all, fighting... There was no way he could win!
And if it was a mission, then there would be rewards and such...
A faint smile curled at Ron's lips. He stood up, saluted, and answered loudly.
"Understood! Vice Admiral Garp!"
Tch... This little bastard's brain really worked fast!
Seeing the clarity in Ron's eyes, Garp would bet ten days' worth of donuts that Ron had already figured something out. Yet Ron did not say it outright and instead played along with Garp's act. Because Ron clearly understood that there were matters he did not know yet that needed to remain secret for now.
Comparing Ron to his own foolish and dim-witted grandson Luffy, as well as Dragon, who had already defected and whose whereabouts were unknown, Garp sighed inwardly.
"They're all someone else's children!"
The azure sea stretched endlessly.
A massive warship raised its sails, trailing a white wake as it sliced through the sea like blue colored paper and surged through the waves. Seagulls circled overhead, screeching at one another as they waited for a chance to snatch bread... the soldiers' lunch.
These little creatures looked pure and holy, but they were thieves through and through!
Just like the sea before them, beauty was merely its surface. Danger was its true nature.
A few minutes later...
Boom!!
A massive wave crashed down with a deafening roar.
Even the enormous War Beast bobbed uneasily before the sea. The might of nature truly was terrifying!
The weather on the Grand Line was just that strange. A few minutes ago, the sun had been shining brightly; a few minutes later, dark clouds filled the sky. Some compared it to a lovestruck young girl, ever-changing in mood. Ron, however, thought... This thing is fucking insane!!!
The soldiers immediately abandoned their meals. Under the command of their officers, they lowered the sails and secured the supplies. Every one of them was drenched, and it was impossible to tell whether it was seawater or sweat.
There was no slacking off on Garp's ship!
Ron's task was to clean the deck, but given today's situation, it looked like he would not need to bother. Watching the busy soldiers on deck at leisure, a pale blue barrier lit up around him, and he sat down to eat in peace.
This month, aside from sailing with the ship and practicing Paper Art, Ron had also kept Kizaru's words—"the development and extension of electromagnetic force"—in mind. He was not a scientist and did not understand electricity or magnetism, but electricity and magnetism were inseparable. As a Lightning Person, he had natural advantages and plenty of ways to figure it out. This Electromagnetic Barrier was his initial application of electromagnetic force.
Nothing was more important than eating!
Shielded from the rain by the electromagnetic defensive field, Ron ate quickly.
"Moo!!!"
Along with the torrential rain came sea beasts terrifying enough in the eyes of ordinary people. The churning seawater left them dizzy and disoriented. A dark brown sea cow with a ferocious bull's head burst from the water to breathe and immediately spotted the warship floating amid the wind and rain.
Splash!
The eyes of this enormous beast, over a hundred meters long, were each the size of a house. It was only slightly smaller than the War Beast, and the seawater it flung up blotted out the sky! Caught off guard, waves weighing several tons crashed down, shattering the defensive barrier Ron had set up merely to block the rain.
"Fuck!"
With half a piece of bread still in his mouth, Ron was knocked flat by the spray. Looking at the food before him that had turned to mush, his whole mood collapsed. Last time, when he had not eaten his fill and raided the mess hall cupboards, Garp had beaten him half to death. This time... he had not gotten to eat at all!
Ron's eyes instantly turned red.
"Form ranks! Prepare to fire! Three... Two..."
Major General Traine drew his weapon and shouted against the wind and rain. The next moment, Ron leaped up...
"It's mine!!"
His eyes bloodshot, Ron gripped lightning in his hand and moved from the deck to the sea beast's head in the blink of an eye. Seeing this, Traine's mouth twitched, and he could not bring himself to shout the "one" on the tip of his tongue.
To the War Beast, a sea beast capable of overturning merchant ships and sending people to a watery grave was merely a minor incident. Let alone Garp, even Traine had no interest in acting. It was a perfect chance to train the soldiers.
But now Ron had made a move, and the result would be the same as if they had acted...
Watching Ron appear atop the sea beast's head amid thunder, the soldiers all looked up and swallowed hard.
"It's Ron, the errand boy!"
"Great!! With him making a move, there definitely won't be a problem!"
"Go, Ron! Take it down!"
The soldiers trusted Ron greatly. Within the Marines, Ron had become somewhat well-known. Inside the cabin, Garp glanced through a window at the lightning flashing through the gloomy curtain of rain and smiled as he shook his head.
"This little brat!"
The Minotaur Sea Beast was deeply confused. How had this human appeared atop its head? Ron's exaggerated movement speed left it staring wide-eyed with a dumbfounded expression. But it soon opened its mouth wide, intending to swallow Ron whole.
But before that could happen, Ron struck first!
He clenched his fist, murder in his eyes, as every muscle in his body bulged and knotted, storing power within that fist.
"Die for me...!!!"
Boom!!!
Crack... Splat!!
A thunderous crash like the collapse of heaven rang across the sea. Under the soldiers' horrified gazes, the Minotaur Sea Beast's eyeballs burst straight out of its head, dragging long streams of blood as they fell into the sea on the other side of the warship. Its head, which had looked somewhat small atop its round body, was shoved directly into its neck like a deflated ball.
Without even a scream, the sea beast that had arrived amid wind and rain had its head blasted into its stomach by Ron's fist with absurd ease. It was dead beyond doubt!
Splash!
A vast amount of blood rained down, forming a thick crimson curtain even greater than the torrential rain. The sight was horrifying!
Traine knew that Ron hated trouble the most... Now the deck reeked of blood, and the one who would have to clean it up in the end was still Ron. For Ron to forgo lightning and use brute force to kill the sea beast, there had to be some deeper reason.
For example...
Thud!
Flipping down onto the deck, electricity crackling over his body, Ron wore a savage expression as he asked, "Can this sea beast... be eaten?!"
Crash...
The soldiers, covered head to toe in blood and wearing frightened expressions, collapsed in droves upon hearing that...
"He's been beaten into submission!"
Traine glanced toward the cabin, his gaze lingering for a second on a window where the vague silhouette of a broad, dark figure could be seen. With a bitter smile, he then ordered, "Enough nonsense! Clean up the deck! We'll reach Flower Capital soon!"
Before you continue