第24章 求我当海军?抱歉,我只喜欢当大爷

"You wish."

Those three outrageously arrogant words sounded especially grating in the tavern, which was already a complete mess from their earlier clash.

Karp stared at Lei En as though he were a priceless treasure, his old eyes brimming with fanatic excitement.

He had lived most of his life—what storms had he not weathered?

But this was the first time he had encountered a brat who could take one of his punches head-on and still dare to so recklessly mock the Marines and the Celestial Dragons to his face.

If this had been one of those troublemakers from the Marine recruit camps, he would have taught them a lesson with a Love Fist long ago.

Yet faced with Lei En, he could not summon even the slightest anger. Instead, he found the brat's temperament perfectly suited to his taste.

"Mr. Karp..."

Makino stood cautiously at the entrance to the kitchen, holding a tray of freshly baked senbei. Looking at the wreckage covering the floor, she was completely dumbfounded.

She did not know what had happened, but she had heard Karp's earth-shaking roar loud and clear.

This legendary Marine hero was actually begging an outsider boy to join the Marines?

And he had been ruthlessly rejected?!

What in the world was going on?

Lei En frowned and disdainfully brushed off the rough, iron-clamp-like hand Karp had placed on his shoulder.

He dusted off his clothes as if they had been contaminated with something filthy, his face full of displeasure.

"Hey, old man, have you been drifting at sea so long that seawater got into your brain?"

Lei En rolled his eyes dramatically, unleashing his full venomous, sharp-tongued mode.

"Join the Marines? Do I look like I have masochistic tendencies?"

He crossed his arms, making no effort to hide his contempt for the Marine system.

"Wearing those lifeless white uniforms all day, taking orders from those fat, useless higher-ups, and running around arresting poor pirates who can barely afford to eat."

"And that would be one thing, but the most disgusting part is having to guard that bunch of trash Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise—the ones wearing bubble helmets and calling themselves descendants of the creators!"

Lei En sneered, his tone dripping with mockery.

"You're trying to tempt me with a job not even a dog would do? I'm a man who only likes living free and easy on the sea like a king."

"Being someone else's dog? Sorry, I'm not interested."

If any other Marine had heard such treasonous words, they probably would have drawn their swords and fought Lei En to the death on the spot.

Insulting the Marines!

Insulting the world nobles, the Celestial Dragons!

That was a serious crime!

However, upon hearing the words "Celestial Dragons," Karp did not get angry. Instead, his face darkened, and a trace of undisguised disgust and irritation flashed through his eyes.

As a member of the D. clan, the people he despised most in his life were those lofty, life-disregarding Celestial Dragon scum.

If not for old comrades like Sengoku and Tsuru in the Marines, who persisted in justice for the sake of protecting civilians, he would have quit long ago.

"Hmph! You brat, you see things pretty clearly!"

Karp snorted and, for once, actually agreed with Lei En's view.

"I don't like that bunch of trash either, but not every Marine is their dog. There are also people who fight for civilians and uphold true justice!"

Karp argued loudly, trying to salvage the image of the Marines in Lei En's mind.

"As long as you're strong enough—strong like me—even the World Government can't do anything to you!"

He patted his broad chest, radiating heroic confidence.

"Follow me, and not only will you never have to cater to anyone, you can also beat up any pirate you don't like whenever you want. Isn't that better than being a rootless drifter?"

Lei En raised an eyebrow and inwardly scoffed.

This old guy was certainly good at selling dreams.

But Lei En was not buying it.

What true Marine justice?

Before absolute power and wealth, it was all bullshit.

"Forget it, old man. Your tricks for fooling recruits won't work on me."

Lei En picked up his knife and fork again, continuing to cut the grilled sea beast meat on his plate, which had cooled slightly from the earlier shockwave.

"I'm a lazy person. I can't stand being bound by rules and regulations. I only believe in the blade and fists in my own hands."

He raised his head and shot Karp an exceptionally smug glance.

"Besides, even if I don't join the Marines, who on this sea could possibly control me?"

That arrogance, that confidence, made Karp freeze again.

Looking at Lei En, he seemed to see the young Roger—the same unrestrained pride that regarded the entire world as beneath notice.

This brat was practically a born king!

Karp's eyes rolled as he decided to change tactics.

Since force would not work, he would try kindness.

He refused to believe a brat could resist temptation.

Karp suddenly revealed an extremely lecherous grin. He rummaged through his clothes for a long while before pulling out a paper parcel carefully wrapped in oil paper.

"Hehehe, brat, don't be so quick to refuse."

Like a creepy old man trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood away, Karp waved the parcel in front of Lei En.

"Take a look at this."

He carefully opened the oil paper, revealing several golden, crispy pieces of specially made senbei that gave off an enticing aroma.

"These are premium senbei specially supplied to Marine Headquarters, part of my personal stash! That stingy old bastard Sengoku usually can't even bear to eat them!"

Karp swallowed, his face filled with pain.

"As long as you agree to return to Marineford with me, I'll give you this packet of senbei... no, from now on, I'll share half of all my senbei with you!"

For Karp, who loved senbei as much as life itself, this was an enormous sacrifice!

Watching from the kitchen doorway, Makino nearly burst out laughing.

Mr. Karp's way of recruiting people was far too unusual, wasn't it?

Lei En looked at the senbei in Karp's hand, and the corner of his mouth twitched violently.

Did this old man really think he could placate him like a three-year-old child?

A few lousy crackers were supposed to buy a future god with a max-level cheat?

"Old man, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about my worth?"

Lei En sighed and shook his head helplessly.

He felt it was necessary to give this shameless old man a small shock.

"Keep your lousy senbei to pick your teeth with."

Lei En did not even glance at the packet of senbei. He casually raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

"Crackle—"

An extremely faint azure arc of electricity, so subtle it was nearly imperceptible, flashed across his fingertips.

The electric arc was so fast that it could not be caught by the naked eye!

The next second!

"Pfft!"

Karp had not even realized what had happened when he felt heat in his palm.

He lowered his head and saw that his treasured packet of golden, crispy premium senbei had turned into a heap of black charcoal giving off a pungent burnt smell!

Thin wisps of black smoke were still rising from it.

"This... this..."

Karp stared blankly at the pile of charcoal in his hand, his mind completely blank.

His prized Observation Haki had failed to catch Lei En's attack trajectory at all!

How was that possible?!

Aside from that terrifying Armament Haki and suspected Conqueror's Haki, was this brat also an incredibly rare Logia user?!

And his development and control over his ability had reached such a meticulous, silent level!

"My senbei!!!"

Several seconds later, Karp finally came back to his senses.

Watching his treasured snacks vanish into nothing, his heart ached so much that tears nearly fell from his eyes. He let out a miserable, earth-shattering wail.

Like a wronged child, he stomped his feet furiously and pointed at Lei En's nose as he cursed.

"You bastard brat! You actually destroyed my precious senbei!"

Karp's fury blazed, and he decided to stop wasting words on this brat. He would tie him up and take him back first!

"I don't care whether you want to or not! Even if I have to tie you up, I'm taking you back to Marineford today!"

He rolled up his sleeves, preparing to seize Lei En by force.

Just then.

"Bang—!"

The tavern door, which had already been reduced to an empty frame, was suddenly rammed hard from outside by someone's head.

A small, chubby little figure shot in from outside like a cannonball!

"Grandpa! I came to play with you!"

Along with an extremely loud, energetic child's voice.

The little brat who had charged inside was moving too fast to stop and slammed headfirst into Karp's iron-hard leg.

"Ow!"