"Incomprehensible."
After returning to the ship, Nico Robin still couldn't understand Uehara Naraku's train of thought. Her brow was furrowed tightly: "Why bully a weak reindeer?"
Uehara Naraku couldn't be bothered to respond.
Because the thinking of someone who defies norms isn't something a normal person can grasp.
They had more pressing matters at hand. Kakuzu and Hidan had already arrived on their ship, and just moments ago, Kakuzu had completed the plundering of Wapol's heart using his Earth Grudge Fear.
"Can you use Fruit Power?"
Uehara Naraku was undoubtedly most concerned about this.
Kakuzu split off one of his Earth Grudge Fears, nodding slowly: "Hmm, theoretically it should be possible. I can feel the power within this heart, but this Earth Grudge Fear isn't suited for combat at sea."
"Then let's go plunder some stronger Fruit Powers!"
Uehara Naraku glanced at Wapol's corpse and continued: "Throw his body back ashore! Let others know the outcome of being targeted by Baroque Works."
This hardly needed further explanation.
Anyway, Baroque Works' members attacking Drum Kingdom would soon reach the Navy's ears. Wapol's body was just an embellishment among them.
The only peculiarity was.
The citizens of Drum Kingdom had mixed feelings.
Because Wapol was a tyrant; life under his rule wasn't pleasant, and Baroque Works killing Wapol was effectively saving them. But Baroque Works also robbed them of a million Belly.
This feeling is truly bizarre…
Kind of like everyone crowdfunding a million to kill their own king.
No, it should be said they crowdfunded two million Belly.
Among them, Dr. Kureha, known as the Witch, contributed a million, so after seeing Wapol's corpse, she announced she was moving into Wapol's castle.
Even Chopper had complex feelings towards Baroque Works; they bullied him and stole his money, but they also killed that tyrant Wapol…
Such things were indifferent to these commoners.
But to the World Government, it was entirely different.
Upon receiving news, the World Government immediately ordered the Navy to issue bounty orders for two newcomers of Baroque Works, because someone brazenly murdered a king of an allied nation, an incident far too egregious.
Uehara Naraku, special agent Baroque, bounty 8 million Belly.
Hoshigaki Kisame, special agent Baroque, bounty 15 million Belly.
After the Navy issued bounties for two members of Baroque Works, they inevitably mentioned that woman suspected of commanding them.
Could this woman be taking revenge on the world?
Regardless, the Navy updated a bounty order for Nico Robin that hadn't changed in over a decade, the Child of the Demon, Nico Robin, bounty 80 million Belly.
Navy Headquarters, Marinford.
Navy Admiral Sengoku the Buddha casually reviewed the bounty orders and set them aside, not considering Uehara Naraku and such minor figures to be of importance.
Even Nico Robin, the Child of the Demon re-emerging, was not as pressing as another matter at hand. After all, they had been chasing Nico Robin for so long…
Sengoku looked down at the most important bounty order in his hand, and his gaze gradually grew severe; it was the bounty for Portgas D. Ace, captain of the Black Spade Pirates!
The Navy Admiral sighed faintly, setting the bounty aside, thinking perhaps one day this bounty would be void…
Because the World Government wanted to invite the captain of the Black Spade Pirates, Ace, to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea before he reached Shampodi Archipelago, the Grand Line's transit point!
Once a Great Pirate becomes one of the Seven Warlords, the Navy would no longer pursue them, even allowing them a certain degree of legitimate pillaging rights, which is truly a disgrace to the Navy…
For the entire Navy, having a new Great Pirate join the Seven Warlords of the Sea was far more significant than capturing small-time members of a criminal organization…
Especially when this Great Pirate was related by blood to a high-ranking Navy officer, or better yet, when they were family.
If Ace refused, the entire Navy would go all out to chase him down, preventing Portgas D. Ace from entering the second half of the Grand Line, the New World!
"Hey, Sengoku, got any donuts?"
Just at this moment, that Navy officer related to Portgas D. Ace walked in; it was Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp.
Similarly, Vice Admiral Garp was also a Navy Hero, a true Navy veteran, and a close friend of Navy Admiral Sengoku.
Vice Admiral Garp came in without seeing donuts, but he saw a bag of rice crackers on the table, and without disappointment, tore it open and stuffed it all into his mouth: "Mmm mmm mmm… rice crackers will do too…"
"Finished?"
A gleam flashed across Sengoku's glasses, and he raised his head slightly, watching his old friend finish his snacks, as his expression gradually turned somber.
"Hey, Garp, the World Government has invited Portgas D. Ace to become a Warlord of the Sea, so go for a trip once you're done!"
"I'm not going!"
Garp shook his head quickly, looking down at Ace's bounty on the table, his face showing some displeasure: "I've instilled Navy justice in that kid Ace since he was young, and now you want him to watch his grandfather's insistence on justice be humiliated…"
Truth be told, this feeling really wasn't good.
Letting him, this Navy grandpa, invite the pirate grandson to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea — a legal pirate status — isn't that just asking to get slapped in the face!
That brat Ace would die laughing!
Sengoku clasped his hands and looked up at his old friend: "Hey, Garp, are you really not going? If it fails, the Navy will go all out to stop Portgas D. Ace from entering the New World!"
"Hahahahaha..."
Garp slowly scratched the back of his head and reached for Ace's wanted poster, intending to find another pirate below to change the subject.
As luck would have it, Garp found a wanted poster for someone named Uehara Naraku below.
On Uehara Naraku's wanted poster, he was squinting his eyes, smiling very kindly, looking absolutely harmless — a perfectly staged photo.
Could the photo have been bought at a photo studio?
"Hey, Sengoku."
Garp raised Uehara Naraku's wanted poster, sincerely explaining: "My intuition tells me this guy is a very dangerous presence; look at his face, like he doesn't care about anything in the world!"
Garp looked so serious...
It's hard to tell if he's pretending or acting...
Sengoku definitely didn't believe him. He snatched the wanted poster from Garp's hand and spoke unhappily: "If you don't want to go, I won't force you. Just wait at Marinford for the results!"
After speaking, Sengoku continued seriously: "If Portgas D. Ace accepts the Seven Warlords of the Sea's title, do whatever you want;
If he refuses, then your job is to stop him from entering the New World, capture him, and prepare for his execution in the underwater prison!"
"That guy is really dangerous!"
Garp skipped the topic about Ace and persistently wanted to discuss that small-time character named Uehara Naraku, even volunteering: "I'm going to catch that Uehara Naraku guy now!"
"Don't avoid the topic about Ace!"
Sengoku interrupted Garp's words angrily and firmly issued his order: "Garp, we already know Ace's identity.
You should understand that no matter what, we can't let such a character enter the New World, and the World Government will absolutely not allow another pirate to reach Laugh Tale..."
"I'm serious!"
Monkey D. Garp continued with his opinion: "That guy is really dangerous, maybe he's still weak now, but his thoughts are definitely dangerous, hahaha..."
At this point, Garp couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Because he realized how inappropriate it seemed for him to call someone else's thoughts dangerous, making Sengoku even more certain that all Garp said was entirely false.
"How dare you say this?"
Sengoku's face gradually became intolerant, and he pointed at the door, signaling his old friend to get out: "You're a family of jerks, and the world's most dangerous person is none other than your son Dragon!"
"... "
Monkey D. Garp angrily kicked the chair beside him, leaving the Marshal's office like a crab, with only one last sentence.
"Sengoku, you'll regret this!"
"Garp, I'm the Navy Admiral!"
Having quarreled with his old friend to such an extent, Sengoku took the opportunity to assert his Admiral status, directly issuing orders: "Vice Admiral Garp, please stay at Marinford and await the outcome of the Seven Warlords of the Sea appointment!"
"... I understand."
Garp paused at the entrance.
The next moment, the silhouette of this old Navy soldier regained its determination; he suddenly turned around: "By the way... Do you have any donuts in your cabinet?"
"Only rice crackers!"
The anger on Sengoku's face hadn't dissipated.
"Oh, that'll do."
Garp slowly nodded, turned around, and sat back, leisurely watching his angry old friend fetch snacks for him.
Generally, after a quarrel, Sengoku's heart would soften a bit.
Even if still angry, Sengoku would share snacks he usually wouldn't, due to his guilty conscience.
This was Garp's experience over the years.
Since they just finished quarrelling, it's definitely time to talk business again.
Sengoku took out the wanted posters of Uehara Naraku, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Nico Robin and continued softly: "If you really think it's dangerous, let Kuzan handle it! After all, it also involves the remnants from Ohara, I recall he's always in the first half of the Grand Line..."
"Oh, whatever."
Garp downed a bag of rice crackers in one go, and after finishing, continued: "Anyway, I was just trying to give myself an excuse to leave... Because I know Ace that guy won't agree to become a Warlord; I know all those damned brats in my family too well!"
"Garp, you bastard!"
Sengoku couldn't help but curse, yet he still dialed Kuzan's Radio Snail: "Kuzan, I have news about the Child of the Demon Robin and her two subordinates..."