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Chapter 64: Intermediate Dungeon, the Summit War
Blake looked as if he had been deeply wounded by this. He clutched his chest, his face a mask of agony, his handsome features scrunched up.
"Vice Admiral Garp, your words cut me deep."
"What's our relationship? I treat you like family, and this is how you repay me? With suspicion?"
"Who am I doing this for? Isn't it for you? For the honor of the Marines!"
Garp pouted, his face a mask of disbelief.
"For me? For the Marines' honor?"
He dug a finger in his ear, glaring sideways at Blake.
"If you're so noble, you should just give the dungeons to the Marines for free. Let us mass-produce powerhouses and unite the seas!"
"That, I can't do. This is a small business."
Blake immediately shook his head, then put on a "this is for your own good" expression.
"Just think about it. Admiral Aokiji was beaten that badly. Where is the Navy's dignity? The rumors are flying!"
"Only you, the Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp! Only you, by personally stepping up and winning back our honor, can shut those wagging tongues!"
Blake spoke with such passion, he almost believed it himself.
"Don't you worry!"
He pounded his chest, guaranteeing it.
"I swear! On the golden reputation of my 'Dungeon Shop'!"
"The dungeon I'm recommending this time... is absolutely, 100% tailor-made for you!"
"With your strength, I'm not saying you'll walk all over them, but you'll definitely be top-tier! The tragedy of Kuzan getting mopped across the floor will absolutely not happen again!"
The suspicion on Garp's face finally wavered.
He did care about Kuzan's defeat.
It wasn't just one Admiral's failure; it was a heavy blow to the Navy's top brass.
If he could go in, and make a good showing...
Garp rubbed the stiff stubble on his chin, his eyes flashing.
"For real?"
He was still a bit uneasy.
"You're not trying to trick me, are you, kid? If I go in and get my ass handed to me, I'm coming back, and I'm flipping this stupid stall!"
Seeing the fish was about to bite, Blake gave an innocent smile. He threw out the last, most fatal, piece of bait.
"To show my sincerity, and to celebrate the coming great victory for our Marines!"
Blake leaned in, lowering his voice with a mysterious allure.
"This time... as long as you clear it..."
"The reward... I'll double it!"
"Double?!"
Those two words exploded in Garp's mind like thunder.
The Chakra Extraction Technique had already felt amazing, boosting his combat power by 30%!
If he got another reward like that, and it was doubled...
The mental image was too beautiful. Garp didn't dare think about it.
All suspicion, all caution... vanished in the face of the words "reward doubled"!
"Bwahahahahaha!"
Garp slapped his thigh, letting out a deafening laugh, tears welling in his eyes.
"You said it, kid!"
He jabbed a thick finger, nearly poking Blake in the nose.
"It's a deal!"
"A gentleman's word! I'm going to check out this dungeon of yours right now!"
"If you dare trick me, you just wait! Bwahahaha!"
Blake gave an innocent smile, like a neighborhood kid who just wanted the best for his friend.
He patted Garp's shoulder, his tone sincere.
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral Garp. You'll be satisfied!"
"This dungeon... is absolutely spectacular!"
Blake's eyes were clear, without a trace of guile.
But deep in his mind, a silent whisper was flowing.
"I just wonder..."
"This time... facing that grandson of yours on the execution platform... now that you've seen 'the outside world'... what choice will you make?"
"I'm looking forward to it, Marine Hero."
Garp was oblivious. He was immersed in the joy of his "doubled reward."
He tossed his fishing rod aside. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, his entire being radiating an impatient, soaring fighting spirit.
"Bwahahaha! Good!"
"I'd like to see what kind of world... is worthy of the words 'reward doubled'!"
"Let's go, Blake! Stop wasting time!"
"As you wish."
Blake smiled, and snapped his fingers.
His mind sank into the system. A blue screen, visible only to him, unfolded.
Countless dungeon names streaked past like shooting stars.
[Battle of New York]
[Cyber-Psycho Ward]
[Chimera Ant King's Rampage]
...
Blake's gaze finally locked onto one that had just refreshed. It was glowing with a faint, bloody light.
[Dungeon Type: Intermediate]
[Dungeon Name: Summit War!]
[Dungeon Introduction: The largest war since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era! Marine Headquarters gathers 100,000 elites, the Seven Warlords of the Sea lie in wait, all for the public execution of the Pirate King's son: 'Fire Fist' Ace! The World's Strongest Man, 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate, will lead his legendary pirate crew to save his family, waging a world-shaking, climactic battle against the Marines!]
[Clear Condition: Join the Marine or Pirate faction and help your side achieve final victory.]
[Dungeon Rating: Calculated based on the participant's contribution to the war.]
"Found it."
A playful arc hooked Blake's lips.
He reached out his finger and lightly tapped the blood-red dungeon name.
"Well then... Have a good time."
His voice fell. Before Garp could react, a blinding white light swallowed him whole.
The light faded.
On the beach, only the empty lounge chair and the overflowing fish basket remained.
...
That familiar feeling of weightlessness.
That boundless, dead-silent darkness.
Garp had returned to this strange space.
"Here we go again."
He pouted, crossing his arms, floating in the void. He was no longer panicked.
But that didn't mean he was used to it.
On the contrary.
The more dungeons he experienced, the stronger the shock.
Every time he came here, it was like reading the history books of a thousand different worlds.
Garp's Adam's apple bobbed.
His heart, as hard as steel, now felt... a sense of awe.
All these unbelievable, logic-defying 'worlds'... were all created by that white-haired kid?
Is that kid... some kind of god?
Like... a mischievous god who enjoys toying with mortals?
Just as Garp's mind was reeling, the world fragments around him began to spin faster.
The lights blurred, finally converging on a single, fixed image.
A blue sky.
A crescent-shaped bay.
Tens of thousands of Marines in white uniforms, their faces grim.
And...
A tall, cold... execution platform.
A cold, grand, mechanical voice boomed in Garp's mind.
[Dungeon Selected: Summit War!]
[Mission Objective: ...]
[Please select your faction!]