Chapter Fifty-Five: The Bargaining Chip (Repayment)

There were only a handful of people in all of Navy Headquarters who could enter Garp’s room without knocking. Tsuru, with her gray-white hair and face full of wrinkles, was one of them.

She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Garp quickly flipped the newspaper over and pressed it down on the table, his attempt to hide the contents so blatant he might as well have written “Nothing’s wrong” on his face.

Despite his swift movements, Tsuru caught a glimpse of the front-page photo and name boldly displayed.

“Portgas D. Ace—the promising new pirate making waves lately, and he bears the ‘D’ initial. What’s your connection to him?” Tsuru approached the desk, her gaze probing.

“Little Tsuru…” Garp gave an awkward chuckle, flustered and at a loss for how to respond. The secret of Ace’s lineage was something he hadn't even dared to reveal to Sengoku, and now Tsuru had noticed.

Under such a scrutinizing look, it felt as though nothing could be concealed.

“Would you like a donut?” Garp picked up a donut from the plate, clumsily trying to change the subject.

Tsuru didn’t even spare the donut a glance. Calmly, she said, “If you don’t want to talk, I won’t press you.”

“Ha-ha!” Garp let out a sigh of relief and tossed the donut into his mouth. Watching Garp’s carefree demeanor, Tsuru could only shake her head helplessly before getting straight to the point. “There’s news from Gion’s side.”

“Hm?!” Garp’s expression turned serious. He swallowed the donut in a few bites, sat up straight, and asked, “About the ‘Phantom Gun’?”

“Yes.” Tsuru nodded. “According to our sources, while the time still isn’t quite right, a very promising opportunity has appeared.”

“Go on.” Garp’s expression grew grave as he awaited her explanation.

“There’s a new bargaining chip to suppress the Phantom Gun, and this one is substantial—enough to make the Phantom Gun step in to protect it.”

“Hmm…” Garp stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Tsuru’s tone remained even. “However, whether the timing is truly right remains to be seen. You’ve waited so many years—what’s a little while longer? Don’t rush.”

“I understand,” Garp replied with a furrowed brow.

Tsuru regarded Garp, rarely so serious.

“You could tell Sengoku about this. Even if he doesn’t fully align with your position, he’d at least give you considerable support.”

“It’s not necessary. After all, this pursuit is my personal choice. It’s just an old pirate who’s long since retired, even if the Phantom Gun is…” Garp shook his head, voice low. “From the Navy’s standpoint, it’s not worth expending resources on him. Among all the remnants, only the Phantom Gun lacks notoriety.”

Tsuru nodded lightly. “On a personal level, I’d also like to see the Phantom Gun dealt with, even if he’s already left these seas. And there’s always the chance that this new ‘chip’ could become his direct disciple.”

Garp took a bite of a new donut and said earnestly, “If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Tsuru replied coolly, “If we can nip this in the bud, given the current situation, it won’t be a problem. But if a second Phantom Gun emerges, it’ll be more than just the two of us who have headaches.”

“Of course!” Garp’s eyes shone with intensity.

“There’s one thing that intrigues me,” Tsuru continued.

“What is it?”

“That new chip seems to have a particular fondness for hunting down pirates.”

“Hm???” Garp looked at her in confusion.

“Don’t look at me like that. Our intelligence is limited—even I can’t discern the motive or reason.”

“All right.”

“Also, the Revolutionary Army has had some contact with that island—supposedly to liberate the slaves there.”

“Oh.” At the mention of the Revolutionary Army, Garp’s tense posture eased, his indifference to the topic obvious.

Tsuru understood the subtle ties between Garp and the Revolutionary Army, so she wasn’t surprised by his reaction.

“In time, there may be complications.”

Garp fell silent.

...

Saul’s Weapon Shop.

Mod tightly gripped the Dark Crow, thrusting and slashing in the shop—his movements not without form, though clearly still rough. After a round of warm-up, he looked over at Sunny behind the counter and asked, “How was that?”

Sunny averted her eyes, unwilling to comment on such clumsy swordplay.

...

Mod then turned to Bailey beside the counter.

Driven by a strong sense of self-preservation, Bailey shamelessly praised, “Impressive! The blade’s edge is sharp and your technique is excellent!”

Mod smiled faintly.

He knew his own limits, but if tonight’s hunt went smoothly, his proficiency with the blade would no doubt improve rapidly.

Sheathing the Dark Crow, Mod walked to the counter. “Sunny, could you appraise how much the Dark Crow is worth?”

Sunny silently took the blade, examined it for a moment, and then assessed, “Fair quality. Worth about 600,000 to 800,000 Berries. If you put it up for sale, you could mark it at 1.2 million.”

“That’s not bad. No loss, at least.” Mod was satisfied as he retrieved the Dark Crow—though, of course, he had no intention of selling it.

For a beginner, having a blade of this caliber was already quite good. When he grew stronger, he could search for a superior sword. If he ever obtained the Weapon-Weapon Fruit, he could even wield a unique ‘living blade.’

“By the way, don’t tell Saul about this.”

...

Sunny remained silent.

Mod took her silence as agreement and went upstairs to properly hide the Dark Crow.

Watching Mod’s departing back, Sunny murmured to herself after a moment, “I never agreed to that.”

...

In his room, Mod glanced around the rather empty space. For now, he really couldn’t find a good place to hide the sword. After looking a while, he decided to just tuck it under the quilt.

With the Dark Crow hidden, he didn’t hurry back downstairs. Instead, he summoned the Hunter’s Notebook and wrote down information on Kazt and the others’ abilities.

[Sinny Kazt]
[Zoan-type: Yak-Yak Fruit user.]
[Special Move 1: Black Hoof—Channels force into his arms for an instant, using his hardened hoof-hands to strike the target.]
[Special Move 2: Savage Impact—Uses his horned head to jab at the target in the gaps between attacks.]
[Special Move 3: Double Strike—Both hooves attack simultaneously, aiming for the throat and abdomen.]

[Taylor Gabdon]
[Skilled swordsman.]
[Special Move 1: Shattering Slash—a high-speed fivefold slash focused at a single point.]
[Special Move 2: Ground Sweep—An opportunistic slash at the opponent’s knee joint to seize the advantage.]

[Andy Wells]
[Skilled marksman.]

After jotting down concise but detailed information, Mod put away the Hunter’s Notebook. There was no need to write lengthy essays when recording intelligence—just pick out the key points and describe them thoroughly, saving on paper as well.

“Bounty posters really are convenient—even the surnames are included. Otherwise, missing a surname would mean losing a portion of critical rewards.”

“All that’s left is to patiently wait for midnight.”

This was the most detailed intelligence he’d gathered on his targets so far. Thinking of the rewards that lay ahead, Mod couldn’t help but look forward to tonight’s hunt.

He was eager for the feeling of fulfillment that came from gripping the hilt of a sword to become even more tangible.

For the road ahead, he already had a basic plan: If possible, use firearms for long-range attacks. If the enemy closed in, then draw the sword...

The day passed uneventfully, and night fell.

Patiently waiting until just past eleven, Mod geared up and, after a moment’s thought, decided to bring the Dark Crow as well.

He slipped out of the weapon shop quietly, disappearing into the night alone.