Chương 158: OP53-60
'Really, just like that?'
'System, can I use Elizabeth Bathory's template on Uta now?'
[Ding! It has been detected that Uta sincerely wishes to become a partner of the host, hence she is eligible to use the Elizabeth Bathory template.]
'So it is!'
Arton deeply observed the close interaction between Carina and Uta, contemplating.
Soon after, Arton's face brightened with a smile again, and he extended his right hand towards Uta.
"Though I find it a bit hasty, I'm very happy that you can become the songstress of my crew."
"Hehe, don't worry, I'll ensure your ship always has the best songs."
Uta reached out her hand, grasped Arton's, and smilingly replied.
"I'm looking forward to it," Arton nodded slightly, "Then, to commemorate your joining our crew, I present this gift to you."
"Gift?"
Uta tilted her head, about to ask Arton for more details when suddenly she felt a powerful energy surge from Arton's palm into her.
[Ding! Initiating the fusion of "Lancer Elizabeth Bathory Template (Basic Form)" for Uta.]
[Ding! Fusion successful, Uta now possesses the basic strength of Lancer Elizabeth Bathory.]
[Through training, Uta will be able to unlock more of Elizabeth Bathory's powers.]
Carina's eyes widened as she watched Uta, who was surrounded by a bluish-white glow.
Having experienced it once herself, she immediately realized that Arton was helping Uta integrate the power of Elizabeth Bathory.
Indeed, when the glow around Uta dissipated a few seconds later…
Uta's body had undergone some noticeable changes compared to before.
Most notably, a tail had emerged from beneath her skirt.
Perhaps due to her unfamiliarity with her new body, Uta struggled to control her tail comfortably. This caused her tail to occasionally lift her skirt, inadvertently revealing the bear-patterned panties beneath to Arton.
Naturally, Arton had no qualms about deeply engraving this scene into his memory.
[Photo: Uta successfully integrating Lancer Elizabeth Bathory's template!]
[It's quite surprising how effortlessly and casually Uta agreed to join, but I feel somewhat fortunate for having Carina stay by my side. If it wasn't for her initiating conversation with Uta, Uta might not have so readily agreed to my invitation.]
[The combination of the Sing-Sing Fruit along with the explosive vocal power of Lancer Elizabeth Bathory… it's intriguing to think what a formidable entity Uta will become in the future.]
[Speaking of which, who would've thought Uta would wear panties with bear patterns? Truly adorable.]
[Photo: Uta with her tail flicking wildly!]
"What? Uta has already become a member of Arton's crew?!"
"And she has already obtained the power of Lancer Elizabeth Bathory?!"
At this moment, many of those monitoring Arton's diary couldn't help but rise from their seats in astonishment.
Charlotte Smoothie: "A dangerous woman and a dangerous man have finally formed a team."
Ulti: "Damn, I must be careful not to get dragged into that mess of a world in the future."
Whitey Bay: "I wonder what Red-Haired Shanks would think about his daughter joining Arton's crew."
Hina: "To agree to Arton's invitation so easily, Uta must also be one of those women who possess a diary."
Gion: "I need to speed up. I must intercept Arton and the others at Kaya's location."
Nami: "Waaaah, my template, my template is gone again, waaaah."
Vinsmoke Reiju: "Arton really has a knack for candid shots, huh? Bear-patterned panties? If Red-Haired Shanks knew about this, he'd be angry, hehe."
Carina naturally saw the new content on the diary as well.
Seeing the photo of Uta that Arton took, which inadvertently exposed her panties, Carina unconsciously twitched her mouth and instinctively placed her hand on her own rear.
Knowing that, when she excessively uses Yae Miko's power, a tail would appear as well.
'Could it be, has he also accidentally taken similar photos of me?'
'No, that shouldn't be the case.'
'If he had successfully taken any, he surely would've recorded them in the diary.'
While Carina was thinking this, she turned to look at Uta, who was initially excitedly trying out her newly acquired powers but suddenly became flushed with embarrassment.
Obviously, Uta had also noticed the photos Arton uploaded to the diary.
'This guy, he actually took such a photo.'
'Now, everyone with the journal has seen it?!'
Uta, lips pursed, her face flushing red, looked towards Carina.
Indeed, she saw Carina looking back at her with a smile on her face.
In that instant, a wave of embarrassment washed over Uta.
Though she had hoped Arton would take more photos of her, the exposure of her bear-patterned underwear was not something she had anticipated.
"Damn it, I need to control my tail."
"I can't let him see it again."
Holding her somewhat unruly tail, Uta pouted as she glanced at Arton.
"What's wrong, Uta? Are you puzzled by my gift?"
"Hehe, don't be too surprised."
"You've seen Carina's performance. It's a power similar to what Carina used before."
"You can think of this power as a different type of Devil Fruit."
Arton, seeing Uta's reaction, thought she was amazed by the gift he gave.
He didn't realize Uta was embarrassed because of her photo.
So, when Uta looked his way, Arton naturally began to explain the power of Lancer Elizabeth Bathory to her, to help Uta better adapt to this power.
However, due to seeing her bear-patterned underwear photo, Uta was somewhat distracted during Arton's explanation.
In the meantime, Jango and the others also arrived but were immediately dispatched by Carina to transport the Treasure Pirates' treasure.
...
"In summary, Elizabeth Bathory's power is basically like that."
"Although you might not be able to use Elizabeth's Noble Phantasm right now,"
"I believe that after extensive training, you'll be able to master Elizabeth's power quickly."
"Uta, I have very high hopes for you."
Arton patted Uta on the shoulder, laughing as he spoke.
"Leave it to me."
Uta took a deep breath, her gaze resolute.
After some time to mentally adjust, Uta had managed to shake off her embarrassed state.
"Good!" Arton nodded slightly. "Things here are pretty much settled, so let's leave... Huh?!"
Suddenly, Arton frowned, the patterns on his forehead appeared, his consciousness entered the transparent world state, and the Conqueror's Haki he had acquired not long ago instinctively emanated from him.
Buzzing.
For a moment, the air around Arton seemed to wail.
Uta and Carina both paused, looking at Arton with a bit of confusion.
At that moment, a surprised voice came from across the street.
"Eh! Conqueror's Haki?"
"There's someone with such an aura here?!"
"Kid, do you want to become a marine?"
Uta and Carina followed the voice and saw a tall man with white hair, robust despite his age, wearing a dog-head mask.
"Who is this guy, and why does he seem so strong?!"
Uta also frowned deeply.
She was currently using Elizabeth's powers.
And since Elizabeth inherently had dragon attributes, Uta was exceptionally sensitive to danger.
She felt a tremendous oppressive force emanating from the old man across from her.
Uta felt it so, and naturally, Carina did as well.
Her brows furrowed, and strands of electricity began to coil around her.
However, at this moment, Arton withdrew his Haki and placed a hand on Carina's shoulder.
"Carina, you just used your electric power."
"Let's take a break here."
"I know that old man over there."
Arton remarked.
How could he not recognize such an iconic figure? In the entire navy, only the Marine Hero Garp had such a distinctive appearance.
'I didn't expect this guy to show up here,' Arton mused internally.
Previously, he had instinctively adopted a battle stance upon sensing the presence of a powerful individual nearby.
"What, so you know him?" Carina naturally retracted her power upon hearing Arton's words.
Of course, she didn't completely let down her guard. After all, the man in the dog-head mask was wearing a marine officer's uniform.
And while they hadn't yet hoisted the pirate flag or been wanted by the navy, Arton was ultimately planning to form a pirate crew.
The old man glanced at the Treasure Pirates scattered on the ground but didn't pay them much attention. Although he was a marine, the attire of the Treasure Pirates clearly didn't suggest they were ordinary citizens.
Given they weren't ordinary citizens, they could potentially be criminals. Without understanding the true nature of the situation, he wasn't about to defend these fallen Treasure Pirates.
Instead, he approached Arton, Carina, and Uta, stopping about a meter away, and looked at them with interest.
"The power of lightning, I saw lightning strike this town from a distance earlier."
"That must have been your doing, young lady," the Marine old man said to Carina.
"So what if it was? Just to be clear, they're not exactly good people."
"And they attacked me first."
"At most, I was defending myself."
"You, as a marine, wouldn't go out of your way to defend them, right?" Carina, with one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Garp, said.
Ha ha ha, of course not. I was just curious and came over to have a look."
"You're not pirates, so of course, I wouldn't do anything."
"But looking at you, I see three fine prospects."
Garp laughed heartily, his gaze sweeping over Carina, Arton, and Uta one by one.
"One can summon lightning."
"Another uses Conqueror's Haki and seems to be a swordsman."
"And another appears to be a remarkable Devil Fruit user."
"How about it? Would you like to join the Marines?"
"I can introduce you to the Fleet Admiral."
Carina frowned immediately upon hearing this.
If this man could directly recommend them to the Fleet Admiral, unless he was lying, it could only mean his status within the Marines was quite high.
"Hmph, saying you want to recommend us."
"But who are you, exactly?"
Uta, with her hands on her hips, spoke discontentedly to Garp.
"He's the Marine Hero Garp, the man who chased after the Pirate King Roger."
It was then Arton finally spoke up.
"What? The Marine Hero?"
Carina's eyes widened. Although she guessed the man before them was a big shot, she never expected him to be such a significant figure.
'But why would such a powerful person be injured?'
'Wait, could it be the "Axe-Hand" Arton mentioned before?'
Carina's gaze lingered on the bandages wrapped around Garp, completely shocked.
Garp's injuries confirmed Arton's ability to foresee the future.
"What, Garp? Could it be Luffy's grandfather?!"
This was Uta's voice.
Garp: "Eh?! You know Luffy?!"
Carina: "Uta, you know this old man?"
Uta nodded slightly and said:
"I've heard about his grandfather from Luffy."
"Luffy once mentioned that his grandfather is quite reckless."
"Now it seems, that's indeed the case."
As she spoke, Uta gave Garp another look.
Knowing that Garp is Luffy's grandfather, Uta became less wary of the man before her.
Thus, she retracted Elizabeth's power and returned to her original appearance.
To Garp, this looked like Uta was retracting the power of a Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
"That Luffy, to speak like that about his dear grandfather."
"And to even become a pirate on his own."
"Once I find him, I must make sure he properly tastes my fist of love."
Garp touched his fist, disgruntled.
"Is Luffy still the same, wanting to be a pirate?"
"Could it be, he joined Shanks' pirate crew?"
Uta stepped forward, curiously asking Garp.
"Little girl, you know Luffy has always wanted to be a pirate?"
"Wait, you also know that guy Shanks?"
"Who exactly are you, and how do you know Luffy?"
Garp looked at Uta, sat down cross-legged on the ground, and asked with curiosity.
"Of course, I met Luffy in Windmill Village."
"Windmill Village? But there shouldn't be a kid like you there."
"Of course, I arrived at Windmill Village with Shanks."
"What?! That guy Red-Haired Shanks?!"
"Yes, at that time, Luffy kept pestering Shanks wanting to become a pirate. He even sneaked onto Shanks' ship to hide. It was quite a trouble stopping him."
"Is there really such a story?! Luffy, that guy, I definitely need to give him a good beating. By the way, little girl, you're not part of the Red-Haired Pirates, are you?"
"No way, Shanks abandoned me and left when I was young. You haven't answered my question yet. Did Luffy leave with Shanks?"
"That's not it. That little rascal went out to sea by himself. So, girl, what's your relationship with that guy Shanks, and what's this about him abandoning you?"
"Me? I'm Shanks' daughter. The reason he left me behind... Humph, even if you are Luffy's grandfather, it doesn't mean I will tell you."
"What?! Shanks has a daughter? How could that guy possibly have such a cute daughter?!"
This time, Garp was genuinely shocked.
His eyes widened to their fullest.
Behind Uta, Carina looked worriedly at Uta and Garp.
She feared that Garp would cause trouble for them upon learning Uta was Shanks' daughter.
As for Arton, he watched the scene unfold with interest.
His understanding of Garp reassured him.
Garp, who could hide even the son of the Pirate King Roger, wouldn't act just because Shanks had a daughter.
"Wait, that guy Shanks influenced Luffy to go out to sea as a pirate."
"If I can make his daughter join the Navy, wouldn't that be a perfect revenge?!"
Garp suddenly clapped his right fist into his left palm, his eyes shining as he looked at Uta.
This made Carina, who was somewhat worried, shake her head helplessly.
So, because Shanks influenced Luffy to become a pirate, Garp wants to influence Shanks' daughter to join the Navy?
What kind of revenge plan is that?
At this moment, Carina found herself unable to understand the thoughts of these great figures of the sea.
'No matter what, it's good that Garp doesn't know we're pirates.'
'This way, we can leave safely.'
'Wait a minute! Since Uta and I have the diary copy...'
'Maybe there are cute girls in the Navy who have the diary copy too.'
'If they find out we've encountered Garp...'
"And if they call him via Den Den Mushi, wouldn't that be..."
Thinking this, Carina's body involuntarily shivered.
She quickly opened her diary copy to check.
'Good, there's no new diary content.'
Carina let out a sigh of relief, her gaze shifting nervously towards Arton.
'I need to find a way to definitely prevent Arton from recording anything about Garp in the diary.'
What Carina didn't know was that Arton had no intention of recording anything in the diary at that moment.
After all, even though Garp currently bore no malice, he was ultimately one of the top figures in the world's power hierarchy.
With him nearby, Arton naturally needed to devote more attention to monitoring him.
Being distracted by recording in the diary wasn't something he should be doing now.
"What, I don't want to be in the Navy."
"You, with the big beard, don't randomly make decisions for others."
"Really, just like Luffy, even though you're already so old."
Uta pouted, pointing at Garp in annoyance.
"Ahahaha, don't say that, girl."
"Being in the Navy is really great, you know."
Garp laughed, still trying to persuade Uta.
"Hmph, I'm going to become the world's greatest songstress."
"I won't be joining the Navy."
"And I already have companions, I won't be going back with you."
Uta made a face at Garp and quickly stepped back to stand between Arton and Carina, grabbing each of their hands.
"Wanting to be a songstress doesn't conflict with being in the Navy, does it?"
"Since these two are your friends, why not join the Navy together?"
"And, you guys don't have any connections with that Red-Haired guy, do you?"
Garp looked at Arton and then at Carina as he asked.
"No, no, I've never met Red-Haired Shanks."
"I'm just a simple wandering singer."
"Then, in the course of my travel with my manager, we just happened to meet Uta."
"I only just found out that Uta is the daughter of Red-Haired."
Carina shook her head, calmly and smoothly spoke to Garp.
Arton, seeing Carina's demeanor, couldn't help but admire inwardly.
A great thief is indeed a great thief; when it comes to lying, her professionalism is on par with his own calmness.
"A wandering singer, an manager, so you guys are a music team."
"That's quite rare. Despite having such power, you're just into music."
"Especially you, kid, it's hard to imagine someone with Conqueror's Haki being a simple manager."
Garp's gaze fell on Arton, his eyes hinting at scrutiny.
"The sea is a dangerous place, even for musicians."
"If you want to live safely on the high seas, you need to have some power."
"Especially as the captain, if I can't protect my crew, I wouldn't dare to sail freely on the seas, especially when I'm with two lovely songstresses."
"Not to mention, achieving Uta's dream of becoming the world's number one songstress."
Arton smiled lightly, speaking calmly.
"I see."
"So your dream is just to help Uta achieve hers?"
"Don't you have a dream of your own?"
Garp asked with a meaningful tone.
"Of course, that's not all. Besides Uta, as the captain, I also have the dream of helping Carina achieve her ambition of becoming a wealthy lady."
As soon as Arton finished speaking, Carina immediately pouted and said to Arton:
"What dream of becoming a rich lady?!"
"Carina, dare you say you don't have the idea of becoming a wealthy lady?"
"Well, yes, but can't you phrase it differently? Like, a successful beauty with endless wealth?"
"That's still a rich lady."
"Hmph."
Carina huffed, pouting and turning her head away.
"Ha-ha, it seems you are a very good captain."
"But you talked about helping others achieve their dreams."
"You haven't mentioned the dream you want to achieve for yourself."
"Don't you have your own goals?"
Garp laughed.
"How could I not."
Arton's mouth curved up, and he shook his finger at Garp.
"Of course, I have ambitions."
"Oh? What kind of ambition do you have?"
"Do you even have to ask? As a captain, naturally, my goal is to make my team the best."
"To make the music band famous worldwide?"
"Of course!"
"Good ambition, but joining the Navy could also fulfill your ambition, and I could help your band hold concerts within the Navy."
"Forget it, being in the Navy means going on missions, and that would delay a lot of things."
"But being in the Navy means you're part of an organization, and you also get extra salary."
"Hehe, with that little salary, can it support a band? Tell me, how much can you save in a month?"
"Well... probably, maybe about this much."
Garp scratched the back of his head, showing Arton a finger.
"10 million Berries?"
Garp shook his head.
"1 million Berries?"
Garp continued to shake his head.
"100,000 Berries?"
Garp still shook his head, saying, "It's about 10,000 Berries, how about that, quite a lot, right? Haha."
"Heh, I see now, you're joking with me, aren't you, Vice Admiral Garp?"
"How could that be, I'm sincerely offering."
"Sincerely? What a joke."
Arton placed his hands on Uta and Carina's shoulders, seriously stating:
"I have the top two songstresses in the world."
"Besides, I have many great songs here."
"Once I release an album, that's easily a million Berries."
"And you're telling me you only save 10,000 Berries a month?"
"And you want me to join the Navy with that salary?"
"I might as well starve."
Carina, hearing this, also nodded in agreement.
Given Garp's spending and saving habits, saving only 10,000 Berries a month truly shocked Carina's worldview.
Back when she was a notorious thief, one job could net her tens to hundreds of millions of Berries.
Under such circumstances, she wouldn't want to be a broke Navy member either.
"It wouldn't get to the point of starving, at worst, I'd treat you to donuts?"
Garp laughed, offering a bag of donuts he was holding towards Arton.
Arton didn't hesitate, taking three donuts from the bag and passing two to Carina and Uta.
Arton was aware that Garp had once embarked on a continuous donut-eating spree for days and nights, which also became one of the reasons for his injury during the transport of the Axe-Hand Morgan.
Arton was curious about what kind of donuts could hold such allure.
"Hmm, not bad."
Arton nodded in approval.
"Right?! If you and your crew join the Navy, I could treat you to even more donuts."
Garp smirked, climbing up the conversation with Arton's response.
"Skip the donuts, I'm not about to be bought over with sweets."
"Besides, if there's nothing else, I need to take my crew and leave," Arton waved off, addressing Garp.
Although neither he, Carina, nor Uta were wanted, there was still Jango on the island with a bounty on his head.
Under such circumstances, Arton had no intention of staying in Oak Town any longer than necessary.
"Hey, no rush, can't we talk a bit more?"
"No time, I've got important matters to attend to."
"Making your music band world-famous isn't something urgent, right?"
"That may not be urgent, but I have other pressing matters."
"Other matters? Mind sharing?"
"It's nothing much, just some folks who sank my ship. I plan to find them soon and have a... discussion about compensation," Arton shared casually.
"That happened? With your strength, to run into such an incident... were they tough pirates? Need help?"
"Help's not necessary, I've vowed to personally deal with them. Plus, I didn't have my current strength back then. And they aren't pirates, so as a marine, you can't really help, can you?"
"So, you got stronger specifically to negotiate with those people?"
"Exactly!"
Arton nodded emphatically, continuing:
"Imagine this, Garp. You've spent a fortune to rent a ship for a sail."
"Enjoying yourself at sea, eating hotpot and singing songs."
"Then suddenly, your ship gets robbed... no, sunk."
"How would you feel about that, could you just let it go?"
Garp scratched his head, "If it were me, I'd probably be furious."
"Right? So, I'm determined to personally use my power to make them 'apologize' properly."
"For that, I've been training hard to gain this strength."
"So don't even think about offering to help."
Garp nodded, giving Arton a deep look. As a Marine Vice Admiral, even though he often appears laid-back, it doesn't mean he's foolish. Sometimes, he's sharper than anyone else. Hence, after seeing Arton exhibit Conqueror's Haki, he wanted to test Arton thoroughly.
Unbeknownst to him, Arton remained in a calm state, where his mind was lucid and bright, easily manipulating his expressions and emotions as he pleased. Thus, Garp couldn't detect the lies in Arton's words. Slowly, he began to believe that Arton indeed wanted to form a world-renowned music band and also had an adversary he wished to confront personally.
"Let's go, Carina, Uta," Arton said, seeing Garp quiet down, ready to leave with Carina and Uta.
Carina was naturally happy, but Uta shook her head at Arton: "Arton, I have a friend at the tavern. I need to say goodbye before we can go."
Hearing this, Arton nodded: "In that case, let's go together."
After hearing his agreement, Uta made a face at Garp and then took Arton and Carina toward the tavern she had come from.
Garp watched them leave, scratching his head with a chuckle. "Just like Luffy, such a mischievous kid. Too bad she has no intention of joining the Marines. I'd love to see Red Hair's face if she became a Marine."
"That Arton kid and Carina seem quite promising too. What a pity."
Garp mused, shaking his head.
"Vice Admiral Garp, should we report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku about Red-Haired Shanks having a daughter?"
At this moment, his aide, dressed in a suit with a round hat and a long sword at his waist, approached him.
Garp decisively shook his head, "No need. Shanks is Shanks, and the girl is the girl. Even if she truly is Shanks's daughter, she shouldn't be held accountable for Shanks's actions."
Pausing for a moment, he then asked, "Are those three on the Marines' wanted list?"
The aide shook his head, "No."
"What about these people lying on the ground? Do we have information on them?"
"They are well-known treasure hunters from the East Blue. Though not pirates, their actions can hardly be considered righteous."
"I see, so Uta and her companions can't really be considered bad people."
Garp nodded slightly, falling into thought again.
After a moment, Garp, stroking his beard, mumbled, "It's such a shame to let people like them go. We need to find a way to keep them."
"How about we just take them directly to the Marine Headquarters?"
Hearing this, the aide's lips twitched involuntarily. Indeed, Garp was still Garp, acting nothing like a typical Marine...
---
At the tavern.
Uta and Carina, now dressed in ordinary sailor outfits, were instructing the pirates in preparing to set sail. Jango, having heard about Marine Hero Garp's arrival, hid in the deepest part of the ship, daring not to come out.
Arton was conversing with Gordon, who had accompanied Uta on her journey.
"I still find it hard to believe that Uta suddenly decided to set sail with you and Carina," Gordon said, looking at Uta happily interacting with Carina on the deck, then at Arton in front of him, his face full of wonder.
From being woken up by Uta in the tavern to being brought to the shore, Gordon had been wearing this expression.
If he couldn't feel pain, Gordon might have thought he was dreaming.
"Heh, this world is full of unexpected events," Arton said with a chuckle. "You've seen it yourself, Uta and Carina get along very well. Plus, I have the kind of music Uta likes here. If you're worried, you could also join us on the sea, Gordon."
Arton's smile widened as he extended an olive branch to Gordon.
"Never mind, I'm getting on in years," Gordon declined. "Following you out to sea would only hold you back. After all, you even plan to hold concerts in the New World, right?"
Gordon mentioned this reasoning earlier during his conversation with Uta. However, in his view, Uta's intention to head to the New World was to find Shanks.
"Indeed, it's there that we'll find a stage grand enough," Arton agreed, nodding slightly. He chose not to mention that Uta's journey with him was to become a pirate, to avoid worrying Gordon. Moreover, Arton could feel Garp's watchful eyes from a distance.
"The New World..." Gordon sighed, then continued, "Carina is a very talented singer. Apart from Uta, Carina is one of the most outstanding singers I've encountered. The songs you mentioned to me before are indeed excellent. I believe you can take your concerts to the New World."
"However, singing talent alone isn't enough for the New World. It's a very dangerous place. Arton, are you sure you can protect Uta?"
Towards the end, Gordon's gaze became extremely serious. Since Shanks entrusted Uta to him, now that she was leaving with someone else, Gordon naturally wanted to confirm Arton's capability. Although he had heard from Uta about Carina's ability to easily defeat a group of treasure hunters, Gordon remained somewhat concerned.
"Do you wish to verify my strength?" Arton understood. "It's understandable, given you've been looking after Uta as her guardian for so many years. So, if I were to demonstrate my power, would that put your mind at ease?"
Arton placed his hand on the sword at his waist and spoke.
"Please, let me see your strength," Gordon responded without hesitation.
"In that case, let me be your opponent," Garp's voice chimed in.
"Admiral Garp, why are you joining the fun?" Arton raised an eyebrow, somewhat helplessly looking towards Garp, who was approaching them while munching on a donut, followed by his aide in a suit and carrying a sword.
"Ha ha ha, to test one's strength, you need an opponent, right?" Garp laughed heartily. "I'm quite curious about your abilities too. So, let me be your opponent."
"If you lose to me, bring your two songstresses and join the Marines, ha ha ha!" Garp declared with a laugh.
Hearing this, Arton couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Fight Garp? What a joke!
Previously, Arton had already used his Transparent World's perceptive abilities to observe Garp's body. Beneath Garp's clothing and skin were muscles honed to perfection.
Even if Arton felt confident in his own abilities, he wasn't delusional enough to think he could engage in a real fight with Garp.
Even though Garp mentioned he'd be the opponent to prove Arton's strength to Gordon, adding the condition of joining the Marines meant Arton naturally couldn't agree.
However...
Arton stroked his chin, looking towards Garp's aide behind him.
"Vice Admiral Garp, you're right," Arton agreed. "To showcase my strength, indeed requires an opponent."
"So, come at me, kid. Don't worry, I won't use my full strength," Garp said, misunderstanding Arton's agreement as acceptance, his face breaking into a smile.
"But it doesn't have to be you who fights me," Arton continued. "That aide behind you seems pretty good."
"He uses a sword, just like me. How about letting him be my sparring partner?" Arton suggested, pointing towards Garp's aide, with a smile.
"Having him fight you?" Garp looked momentarily taken aback before glancing over his shoulder at his vice-admiral.
"Yes, exactly him," Arton confirmed with another nod.
The vice-admiral, clearly surprised by Arton's choice, wore a look of surprise.
After a brief pause, Garp stroked his chin and proposed, "It's not out of the question, but if you lose, you'll join the Marines. How about it?"
"You're quite persistent, Garp," Arton remarked.
"Well, you're a talented young man, and you're also accompanied by Shanks's daughter," Garp justified his insistence.
"Ha, I see you're trying to settle a score with Shanks by recruiting his daughter into the Marines," Arton teased.
Garp became serious, "There's that, but I sincerely wish to invite you to join the Marines. I can sense you're exceptionally extraordinary."
At that moment, Garp looked meaningfully at Arton's forehead. Although there was nothing unusual visible at the time, Arton had previously manifested the signs of Conqueror's Haki and entered an enhanced state of awareness. Garp had felt Arton's potential, akin to a sharp sword ready to be drawn. Individuals who had given Garp such an impression had all become formidable figures in the future.
Garp didn't want to miss the opportunity with Arton, who, if aware of Garp's thoughts, would appreciate the admiral's keen perception.
"Well, thank you for the compliment, Vice Admiral Garp," Arton responded.
"Alright then, if I truly lose to this vice admiral, I wouldn't mind accompanying you to Marine Headquarters," Arton declared.
"Great!" Garp laughed heartily, clapping the vice admiral on the back. "You better give it your all. Don't hold back, okay?"
The vice admiral nodded slightly, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Although he found Garp's method of invitation a bit reckless, he understood the significance of having Uta join the Marines. Therefore, he was ready to give his all.
"Arton, are you really going to fight him?" Gordon frowned, expressing his concern. "I just wanted you to prove your strength, not make such a pact with Vice Admiral Garp."
"Don't worry, I'm confident," Arton replied with a smile. He had already assessed the vice admiral's physical condition and estimated his strength. Arton believed he had sufficient power to surpass the vice admiral. Even in the event of an unexpected outcome, Arton could resort to using the abilities of Carina and Uta through fusion, eliminating the possibility of his defeat.
Seeing Arton so assured, Gordon had no choice but to abandon his attempt to persuade him further.
"Now that we've agreed, let's start," Garp announced with a hearty laugh.
"Hold on, Garp!" Arton interjected.
"Hmm? Is there something else you want to say, Arton?"
"Of course! Since it's a bet, it can't be that only I have something to lose, right?"
"And what do you propose?"
"Garp, do you still have plenty of donuts on your ship?"
"Quite a lot. Why do you ask?"
Arton's lips curved up in a smile as he glanced at the donut bag in Garp's hand and said, "If I defeat your vice admiral, I don't ask for much. But you'll have to give me all the donuts on your ship."
"Right, and the senbei and the tea you love to drink as well."
Hearing Arton's words, Garp blinked, taking a moment to process the request. After a while, he widened his eyes and said to Arton, "You want me to give you all the donuts on my ship?"
"Arton, are you a demon? If I give them all to you, wouldn't I be unable to attempt breaking the continuous donut eating record? And you even want my senbei and tea?"
"These are my favorite things!"
Arton's lips curved into an amused smile as he observed Garp's reaction. He was well aware of how much Garp cherished senbei, donuts, and tea, as these items were almost always associated with him in the original story.
Arton knew it would be unreasonable to ask for too much upon winning, but it also felt unfair to ask for nothing at all. Therefore, he aimed to take something from Garp that wouldn't be too excessive but would still annoy him for a while.
"If you're unwilling," Arton said, "I could choose not to fight your vice admiral. I believe a brief demonstration of my swordsmanship would suffice to assure Gordon that it's safe for me to take Uta with me."
Arton finished speaking and purposefully glanced at Gordon, who nodded in agreement.
"Vice Admiral Garp, please allow me to fight him," the vice admiral stepped forward, his tone firm. "Rest assured, I will secure a victory."
Garp looked at his vice admiral, then back at Arton, and finally nodded in acceptance.
"Then it's up to you."
After saying this, Garp stepped back, giving Arton and the vice admiral space for their battle.
Gordon did the same.
"Then, please take care of me."
The vice admiral drew his long sword from his waist, seriously facing Arton.
"Hehe, likewise."
As soon as Arton finished speaking, he immediately assumed a battle stance. The innate patterns and Transparent World were deployed simultaneously, and the Nichirin Sword in his hand turned into a crimson long sword in an instant, activating the Bright Red Nichirin Sword
"Interesting," Garp raised an eyebrow, his gaze firmly fixed on Arton.
The vice admiral, also a swordsman, did the same. If Arton was previously harmless like a rabbit, now he had become a tiger baring its fangs.
"Interesting, let's see how good you really are."
The vice admiral's eyes narrowed, and his blade was instantly wrapped in Armament Haki. In the next moment, his body turned into an afterimage, rushing towards Arton.
Arton lifted his head, his gaze also locked on the vice admiral. Even without Observation Haki, in the state of Transparent World, the vice admiral's every move was still within Arton's detection range.
"Sun Breathing: First Form: Dance!"
Arton murmured, instantly turning into an afterimage and rushing in front of the vice admiral. To end the fight quickly, he used full strength in this "Whirl" attack.
"So fast!"
As the vice admiral exclaimed, Arton's blade, carrying a surge of fierce flames, drew a fiery arc.
Seeing this, the vice admiral also swung his blade.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out. The long swords of the two collided, immediately stirring up gusts of wind.
"Surprising strength and sword technique!"
"No wonder you had the confidence to make a bet with Garp-san."
Feeling the force and the heat of the flames from Arton's side, the vice admiral couldn't help but express his admiration.
To this, Arton did not say much.
Instead, Arton directly used "Sun Breathing: Second Form: Clear Blue Sky" on the vice admiral, followed by the third form, the fourth form, the fifth form... Since the battle had begun, Arton naturally had no reason to waste words. His only goal now was to secure victory as quickly as possible, to reassure Gordon, and also to conveniently take some of Garp's favored items.
The techniques of Sun Breathing could seamlessly progress from the first to the twelfth form without interruption. The vice admiral had never seen such a continuous and intensely burning sword technique. Under Arton's full pressure, he immediately felt the strain.
Not far away, Garp's brows were also furrowed.
"Not using Armament Haki, yet able to pressure my man."
"And this continuous sword technique, where did this kid learn it?"
Garp muttered to himself, beginning to ponder over the possible mentors of Arton. However, he ultimately could not find anyone whose swordsmanship matched Arton's.
At the same time, Gordon, not far from Garp, had already been stunned. His vision could no longer catch up with Arton's sword-swinging speed.
"Gordon, you should be reassured now, right?"
At this moment, Uta's voice suddenly sounded behind Gordon.
"Uta!" Gordon looked at Uta by his side and nodded, "Yes, it's indeed rare to have such strength as Arton's."
"Hehe, he's the person I've chosen," Uta smiled confidently, "Moreover, although I can't tell you the details, following him will also quickly strengthen my own abilities."
Hearing this, Gordon merely nodded, assuming Uta wanted to learn swordsmanship from Arton.
Seeing Gordon's reaction, Uta realized he hadn't grasped her meaning. To this, she could only shrug helplessly. After all, she couldn't share the secret of the diary with others.
….
Time slowly passed.
In the blink of an eye, ten minutes had already passed. During this period, Arton's sword techniques were relentless, not giving the vice admiral any chance or space to retreat and distance himself.
Arton's techniques were like a vortex, forcefully pulling at his body, making it impossible for him to properly execute his own swordsmanship.
Finally, his suit was slashed and destroyed by the flames, causing the vice admiral's movements to slow down slightly.
This slight delay might not mean much to others, but for Arton, it was the opportunity to decide the victory.
'Sun Breathing: Twelfth Form: Flame Dance!'
Arton silently commanded in his mind, his long sword drawing two slashes, creating a cross of flames. The first slash blocked the vice admiral's blade, while the second grazed past the vice admiral's neck.
"That's enough."
At this moment, Garp came over somewhat helplessly.
Seeing this, the vice admiral sighed deeply. By now, he had also realized that he was defeated. If it had been a fight to the death, Arton might have severely injured him just now, or even caused his death.
"You're strong. I've lost this time. If there's a chance in the future, let's compete again," the vice admiral said to Arton before stepping back.
"Good kid, to have such strength."
"Really, you should become a marine, hahaha."
Garp approached Arton, laughing as he clapped Arton on the shoulder.
"Stop joking, Garp."
"Instead of that, hand over all your doughnuts, senbei, and tea to me," Arton brushed off Garp's hand, rudely stating his demand.
Garp: "..."
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