Two days later.
Wang Shi hurriedly left Loguetown.
He had received word that the Marine hero had returned to Foosha Village.
Wasn't this the perfect chance to threaten and make use of the old bastard, especially after Dragon's attack?
Three-Color Haki, here I come!
And I wasn't letting the Six Powers slip away, either!
What's more, Fist Garp's adjutant, Bogard, was a powerful master swordsman.
He could give Zoro and Saka some special training.
These were all debts Dragon owed. Garp, his old man, had to pay them back.
Otherwise, the Goa Empire would turn Foosha Village into a dump and make life miserable for everyone there!
Wang Shi left Steel Bear, Jango, and the Cat Brothers—the four pirate slaves—with Bartolomeo.
"Serve Barto Club for one year, and you'll regain your freedom and become members of the Goa Empire."
That was the hope Wang Shi left them with.
And just like El Drago's, their wanted posters had long since been withdrawn. Wang Shi had notified Marine Headquarters himself.
Considering the attitude these two Marines, Garp and Bogard, had toward pirates, Wang Shi ultimately left El Drago behind as well, to work with Bartolomeo and bring the East Blue underworld under their control.
Several days later.
The Exile Emperor finally returned to the Goa Empire.
Empress Sally and the nobles came out to welcome their emperor.
Wang Shi's injury in Loguetown had frightened them badly.
The Goa Empire's rise and glory were now deeply bound to Wang Shi.
If anything happened to him, how could they possibly hold on to this vast territory?
"Your Majesty, you're finally back!"
Like a swallow returning to its nest, Empress Sally threw herself into Wang Shi's arms.
Nami, Nojiko, Kaya, and the others watched, green with envy.
Honey Queen, wearing a Slave Collar, gazed at the blonde beauty, Empress Sally, with intense envy.
She was a blonde beauty, too. Why had she ended up as a slave?
It really was true: comparing goods made you want to throw yours away, and comparing people made you want to cry.
Amid the deafening cheers throughout the Goa Imperial Capital, Wang Shi and the others returned to the palace.
Wang Shi naturally stayed with Empress Sally, while Eric, Van Augur, Zoro, and Saka went off to train.
Nami and the others had their own studies to get back to: navigation, nutrition, and medicine.
Over the past few days, Baratie had reached the waters around the Goa Imperial Capital to expand its business, and business was booming.
Zeff had now decided to have the restaurant cruise the waters around the former Sasba Kingdom and the Goa Imperial Capital, doing business along the way.
After all, these waters were now part of the Goa Empire, so they could sail freely and without obstruction.
There were also fewer pirates in these waters, making it safer to do business.
They were waiting for Wang Shi to summon Sanji aboard when he set out to visit the Affiliated Nations across the Four Blues and tour the world, so they could search for ALL BLUE.
But first, they had to get through the war with Germa 66's evil army. Only then could Wang Shi begin his journey around the world.
If the Goa Empire couldn't defeat Germa 66, everything would go up in smoke.
He and Sanji would have to flee, escaping Germa 66's pursuit.
But for some reason, Zeff had a feeling Wang Shi would definitely beat Germa 66. It was his gut instinct.
That night, Wang Shi and Empress Sally gave themselves over to their longing for each other, making love with abandon.
With the threat from Germa looming, Wang Shi didn't linger in the arms of his beloved.
The next day, he took Eric, Van Augur, Zoro, and Saka with him to Foosha Village, on the empire's own territory.
"Your Majesty, can we really train under the Marine hero's master swordsman adjutant?"
Saka's eyes were full of yearning, and Zoro's were brimming with fighting spirit.
"I'll let you see for yourselves what a top swordsman can do."
"The World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, is far stronger than Marine hero Fist Garp's adjutant, Bogard."
"If you want to challenge Hawkeye Mihawk, Zoro, you still need plenty of training and a broader view of the world."
This time, Wang Shi was determined to make good use of Fist Garp and the others, making them pay for Dragon's sins.
"I wonder if the Marine hero's ship has any top-notch snipers?"
Van Augur wanted to improve, too. As a lone bounty hunter, he'd been growing too slowly.
Eric didn't know if anyone could teach him, but meeting more important figures could only do him good.
Several hours later.
At Makino Tavern in Foosha Village.
The village mayor, Woop Slap, and the tavern's proprietress, Makino, both served the renowned Goa Emperor with the utmost respect.
Several villagers had already rushed up Mt. Colubo to fetch Garp.
Wang Shi and the others saw Fist Garp's Dog-Head Warship and the elite Marines under the Marine hero's command.
"That Marine officer in the cowboy hat must be the Marine hero's adjutant, right?"
Zoro, the green-haired swordsman, fixed his gaze on the Marine officer in the brown suit, resting against the railing. His cowboy hat drooped low over his eyes.
But Zoro could sense the keen sword intent emanating from the Marine.
Bogard seemed to sense a swordsman watching him, too.
He looked up and pushed his cowboy hat back, his deep, sharp eyes settling on Zoro and Saka.
"Not bad sword intent for a couple of brats."
Bogard glanced at them once, then lost interest.
They were too weak.
He had no time to go down there and teach the brats a lesson.
But he sensed a faint, looming danger from King of Exile.
Had King of Exile already brought him within the range of his ability?
Bogard furrowed his brow and instinctively used Armament Haki to defend himself.
He believed Armament Haki could block any Devil Fruit ability.
If it couldn't, that only meant the Armament Haki wasn't strong enough.
When it came to Devil Fruit mastery and Armament Haki strength, whichever was stronger had always countered the other.
Just like the Three Admirals' abilities and techniques: ordinary Armament Haki couldn't block them.
Even intermediate or advanced Armament Haki might not be enough to stop a punch from Admiral Akainu.
That was because Sakazuki had developed the Magma-Magma Fruit to a terrifying degree.
And Admiral Akainu was no slouch when it came to Two-Color Haki and physical combat, either.
It was entirely possible that Admiral Akainu could defeat most Marine Vice Admirals with nothing but Haki, martial arts, and swordsmanship.
"Ahahaha! The Goa Emperor wants to see me? Is he here to give me trouble?"
His voice arrived before he did. A hearty laugh rang down from the mountain, and it even carried Conqueror's Haki, directed at Wang Shi and his group.
In an instant, Eric was the first to drop to his hands and knees. Saka came second, bracing himself with Yubashiri, drenched in cold sweat.
Van Augur gritted his teeth and leaned against the wall, forcing himself to stay upright.
Zoro, meanwhile, stood his ground, gripping his sword tightly.
He had already experienced the Conqueror's Haki of the man in the green robe and Wang Shi in Loguetown. He wouldn't be so pathetic again.
"Garp! Are you going to attack me like Dragon did?!"
Wang Shi roared furiously, unleashing a powerful aura.
In an instant, everyone in Makino Tavern rolled their eyes and collapsed. Even some of the elite Marines at the port fell.
"Hey! If you can't control your Conqueror's Haki, don't use it carelessly! You'll hurt them!"
Garp had meant to give Wang Shi a little scare. But when he saw Wang Shi unleash Conqueror's Haki too, knocking out so many people indiscriminately, he immediately started grumbling.
Bogard stared intently at Wang Shi, who had unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, and at Zoro, who remained standing.
From the green-haired brat, he sensed not only a tenacious sword intent but also a faint, unyielding will.
Could this brat have the qualities of a king, too?
And seeing Wang Shi's icy expression, he had a feeling things were about to go wrong.