Friends and a deal

A figure quietly descended before the imposing obsidian gates of the Kingdom of Bernia Security Company.

Boer straightened his collar, slightly disheveled from flying, his expression calm, as though his earth-shaking clash with a Marine Admiral had never happened.

Two attendants in crisp black suits, both with an air of seasoned competence, immediately pushed open the heavy double doors from inside. Their perfectly synchronized movements showed exceptional discipline.

Beyond the doors lay a smooth black floor polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the magnificent crystal chandeliers overhead.

Yet in stark contrast to these solemn, luxurious surroundings, a rather wild scene occupied the center of the lobby.

Five meters tall, Chinjao resembled a small mountain of muscle as he sat with his legs spread on a "throne" cobbled together from several sofas and thick cushions.

He held an enormous oak beer barrel, which looked like an ordinary drinking cup in his fan-sized hand.

Thatch, Boo, and Caiyi sat around him. Empty beer barrels had already piled up waist-high between them, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of malt and a certain... camaraderie between men who had become friends through a fight.

"To think you're a prized disciple of Master Hokushin Ichiteru!" Chinjao's booming voice echoed through the lobby. He took a great swig and wiped the foam from his beard with his thick fingers. "Your master's single-slash 'Swallow Return' is famous throughout the Flower Country's swordsmanship circles! Even I wanted to test myself against it back in the day!"

At this, Thatch gave a hearty, sincere smile, the relaxed smile of someone who had dropped his disguise and was drinking freely with kindred spirits. "You flatter me, elder Chinjao! How could my master's humble skills compare with the Happo Navy's secret techniques, renowned across the Four Seas? Come, let's drink to our meeting!" He raised his specially made oversized cup and gently clinked it against the rim of Chinjao's barrel.

Caiyi took a long drink, the tattoo on his forehead gleaming faintly in the sunlight. He looked at Thatch with genuine puzzlement in his voice. "Actually, Thatch, we've heard a little about you from our elders. Now that the Divine Mind One Sword Style has firmly established itself in the Flower Country and its reputation is growing by the day, why don't you return and keep pursuing the pinnacle of swordsmanship, with your talent and training? Staying here..."

Thatch's smile faded a little, and a trace of complicated emotion flashed through his eyes. He tipped his head back, drained the remaining liquor in his cup, and let out a long sigh. "Ah, to tell you the truth, brothers, my master has written many times over the years, urging me to return."

He rubbed the rough rim of his cup, his voice dropping. "It's just... I really feel I haven't made anything of myself. I'm too ashamed to face my master and fellow disciples, having tarnished our school's reputation. Besides..."

He glanced at the security personnel faintly visible patrolling outside the lobby. "I've still got a bunch of brothers under me who trust me and depend on me for their livelihood. I... couldn't bear to abandon them!"

"Well said! You're a true man who values loyalty and friendship!" Boo slapped his thigh and praised him loudly, clearly admiring the way Thatch looked after his brothers.

Just then, the attendants opened the doors again, and everyone's eyes turned together toward Boer as he entered.

With an appropriately apologetic smile on his face, Boer swept his gaze over the four men before finally resting it on Chinjao.

"My apologies for keeping you all waiting. Something important came up that I had to deal with, so I couldn't meet with you sooner."

"Hmph!" Boo was the first to express his displeasure, turning his head away and speaking stiffly. "Of course. Important people from Marine Headquarters are naturally far more distinguished than country bumpkins like us from the West Blue!"

Seeing this, Caiyi hurried to smooth things over, giving Boo a firm smack on the back. "Boo! Watch your mouth! The Marines bear the responsibility of maintaining order at sea. They must have come to discuss important military affairs with Mr. Boer."

He then gave Boer an apologetic look. "Mr. Boer, my younger brother is blunt by nature. Please don't take offense."

Seated in the place of honor, Chinjao set his barrel down beside him with a thud. His great, bell-sized eyes widened, still holding lingering anger and resentment. "Hmph! Boy, strength rules the seas! I've got nothing to say about you meeting the Marines first! We lost, and we accept it! But since you kept us here, what do you have to say? Or... did you simply want to humiliate a defeated old man?!"

He practically growled those last few words, his powerful presence making even the air seem to freeze.

Faced with this anger-laced challenge, Boer did not lose his temper. Instead, he spread his hands, his expression mixing grievance with lingering fear. "Ah, old sir, you've really wronged me. Perhaps you didn't see it just now, but that Vice Admiral Kizaru gave me a terrible beating. I nearly didn't make it back! If he hadn't gone easy on me because of my age, you might have had to visit me in a Marine prison." His tone was exaggerated, but the gravity that flashed deep in his eyes was unmistakably genuine.

He paused, then added as though still shaken, "And Admiral Kizaru wasn't the only one there. There was also Vice Admiral Onigumo, known for his ruthlessness, Rear Admiral Gion, adjutant to Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Tsuru, and our old friend from the West Blue, Rear Admiral Raymont."

As Boer spoke these names, renowned throughout both the Grand Line and the West Blue, Thatch, Boo, and Caiyi all grew solemn. The slight ease the drinking had brought them vanished instantly, replaced by a heavy sense of pressure. The implications of such a large Marine mobilization spoke for themselves.

Boer took in every change in their expressions before slowly getting to the point. "Actually, I can more or less guess why the three of you came. Old sir, although you initially intended to abduct me, the terms you offered, whether making me the next leader or arranging a marriage alliance, certainly showed plenty of sincerity."

At these words, Chinjao gave an ambiguous "hmph" through his nose, but his expression eased slightly.

Boer spread both hands, sounding somewhat helpless. "It's just that Marine Headquarters gave me explicit orders a moment ago-from now on, I am no longer permitted to sell 'Pseudo-Black Blades' to outsiders."

He deliberately paused to observe their reactions and, as expected, saw Chinjao's brows draw tightly together. "Personally, I don't mind. After all, my business has never been centered on that. I'm just worried... if the Marines settle accounts later and their investigation leads them to you, who bought large quantities of blades, then..."

Before he could finish, Chinjao flew into a rage and smashed his barrel against the floor. The oak barrel shattered instantly, golden beer spilling everywhere.

He rose abruptly, his five-meter frame radiating immense pressure. "In that case, there's nothing more to discuss! Boo, Caiyi, we're leaving!"

"Please wait, old sir!" Boer spoke at just the right moment, his voice quiet but reaching Chinjao's ears clearly.

Chinjao halted and looked back, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Brat, what else do you want?"

That faint smile of someone with everything under control returned to Boer's face. "I've heard the Happo Navy possesses a vast secret treasure passed down through generations. Is that true?"

At this, Chinjao unconsciously puffed out his chest with a hint of pride. "That's right! Well, brat? Tempted? Come be my grandson! Not only that treasure, enough to rival a nation's wealth, but the whole Happo Navy could be yours to command in the future!"

Caiyi hurriedly nodded beside him, his eyes full of anticipation. Even Boo, though still displeased with Boer, had to admit that winning him over would bring enormous benefits to the Happo Navy.

Boer smiled and shook his head again, politely declining the tempting offer. Looking into Chinjao's eyes, he abruptly changed tack, lowering his voice with a faintly probing note. "However, I've heard some... rumors." He deliberately drew out his words. "Supposedly, for certain special reasons, you... can't retrieve that treasure at present. Is that right?"

Those words struck the deepest sore spot in Chinjao's heart like a precisely aimed harpoon!

His massive body jolted, and his huge fists clenched instantly, his knuckles cracking explosively. Even the tattoo on his forehead seemed to twist with anger.

He stared fixedly at Boer for a long while before forcing words through his teeth, full of humiliation and resentment. "...That's right! Brat! I... lost to Garp! And the pointed head I was so proud of... he flattened it with a single punch! Now, I truly can't break open the 'Jade Ice Bed' sealing the treasure!"

It was almost as though he had personally torn open his most shameful scar in front of the younger generation.

Before Chinjao's rage could erupt fully, Boer's questioning took another sharp turn. As though casually, he asked, "Old sir Chinjao, may I ask... are you proficient with a spear?"

The abrupt question stunned the furious Chinjao, as though a strike he had charged up had hit empty air.

He was rather bewildered, but his pride as a martial artist still made him answer in a rumbling voice. "Brat! Aren't you underestimating me? I've roamed the seas for decades. I wouldn't claim to have reached the pinnacle in all eighteen martial disciplines, but I'm proficient in every one! And our Happo Navy's secret technique can be adapted to many kinds of polearms!"

Speaking of his martial skills brought the pride and confidence of a powerful warrior back to his face.

"Excellent." Boer's smile deepened. With a light flick of his loose right sleeve, a slender silver metal thread shot out like a living serpent. It swiftly circled Chinjao in midair, leaving a clear silver ring in its wake.

Then an astonishing sight unfolded. The silver ring abruptly split apart and condensed into countless suspended droplets of metal.

These droplets rapidly changed shape in midair-Pear Flower Spears, Hooked Sickle Spears, Nine-Bend Spears, Flower Spears, Knight's Spears, cross-bladed spears... All manner of long spears, each with a different shape and gleaming coldly, floated silently around Chinjao like soldiers awaiting inspection, slowly revolving and flashing with an alluring metallic sheen.

"Old sir, here's what I was thinking." Boer's voice carried a bewitching magic. "Since your pointed head is temporarily unusable and you can't open the treasure, then... how about switching to a 'key' that's hard enough, powerful enough, and perfectly suited to your martial skills?"

He made an inviting gesture. "Choose whichever design feels best in your hands. Although the Marines have forbidden me from trading in standard-issue weapons... surely they can't extend their reach so far as to stop me from giving a weapon I've painstakingly crafted to a friend as a gift?"

"That could work!" Chinjao's breathing instantly grew heavy. His great eyes fixed on the spear models floating around him, blazing with a frightening light!

He had personally experienced the terrifying Haki conductivity of Boer's blades. If he could obtain a peerless spear, five meters long, custom-made for him and possessing the same properties... with his profound Haki and the mysteries of Hasshoken, there was an excellent chance he could force open the Jade Ice Bed!

His gaze swept over every spear design like the most precise ruler, finally settling on the Knight's Spear model, its design simple and ancient, its conical point better suited for thrusting and piercing armor.

"That one!" His voice was a little hoarse with excitement.

"As you wish." Boer smiled faintly and willed it.

In an instant, everyone felt the entire security company building tremble slightly! The reinforcing steel in the walls, the metal reserves in the warehouse, even the metal fittings on the tables and chairs... every metal object hummed faintly! Countless

silver-gray metal particles gathered from every direction like iron sand answering a summons, forming an enormous, endlessly churning sphere of liquid silver metal in the center of the lobby, before Chinjao.

Under Boer's precise magnetic-field control, the metal sphere swiftly lengthened and took shape. The shaft, the butt cap, the tassel, the spearhead... every detail grew visibly clearer and sharper.

The searing heat warped the air, yet an invisible force confined it to a limited area, allowing not a trace of heat to escape.

In barely a dozen breaths, a ferocious-looking giant Knight's Spear over five meters long floated before Chinjao, its entire length gleaming with a cold light!

The spear's lines were smooth and perfect, its point incomparably sharp, as though it could easily pierce a giant dragon's skull!

Unable to wait, Chinjao reached out with his huge hand and seized the divine weapon made just for him!

The instant he gripped it, vast Armament Haki flowed naturally into the spear like a flood bursting through a dam!

Hum!

A low, pleasing metallic resonance rang through the lobby! Almost instantly, the silver-gray spear turned a deep, subdued black. Only its keen point still gleamed with a chilling light that made hearts tremble!

Armament Haki circulated flawlessly through the spear, meeting no obstruction or resistance whatsoever!

"Excellent! Excellent! What a magnificent spear!" Chinjao exclaimed in excitement. With a casual swing, he spun a beautiful flourish that cracked through the air and stirred a fierce gale, displaying his exquisite foundation in spearmanship.

He looked at Boer, the hostility and displeasure in his eyes long since replaced by excitement and gratitude. "Brat! No, Boer! If this spear truly helps me open the Jade Ice Bed and recover my ancestors' treasure, you'll be a great benefactor to our Happo Navy! I'll remember this debt!"

Those were precisely the words Boer wanted. Seeing that the time was ripe, he finally revealed his true intent and stated his ultimate goal. "You're too kind, old sir. Actually, I have another presumptuous request."

"Speak! If it's within my power, I won't refuse!" In an excellent mood now, Chinjao waved his large hand with great generosity.

"Could I ask Caiyi to stay here for a few days?" Boer looked toward Caiyi beside him, his tone sincere. "I'd like him to guide my Armament Haki training. In return, during that time, I'll make a batch of custom 'nonstandard' weapons suited to the Happo Navy's officers. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Chinjao scarcely hesitated before ordering Caiyi directly, "Caiyi! Stay here and give Boer proper guidance in his training! For this gesture and this magnificent spear, teach him everything about our Happo Navy's Armament Haki and secret techniques! Come back only when Boer has learned them!"

He was now desperate to return, wanting only to test his new weapon's power immediately. "Boo! We're leaving! Back to the Flower Country at once, to the Jade Ice Bed!"

With that, he eagerly shouldered the enormous black spear and strode out with powerful steps, Boo hurrying after him. Caiyi remained where he was and bowed toward Chinjao's departing figure. "Yes, Grandfather! I'll do everything I can!"

Boer watched Chinjao leave, then looked at the steady Caiyi beside him, a satisfied smile curling his lips. A deal in which each side got what it needed, leaving both satisfied, had been struck.