NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Ace's Wanted Poster
Chapter 14: Ace's Wanted Poster
Garp would always return to Windmill Village to visit his grandson during his vacations. As his vacation neared its end, he left feeling satisfied but equally exhausted, just like Luffy and Rodney, who he had trained relentlessly.
Garp had mentioned that Roney's body was weak and lacked vitality, making him susceptible to danger on the battlefield. This statement marked the beginning of Rodney's rigorous training once again.
Day in and day out, Rodney would train during the day and condense chakra at night, following a repetitive cycle until the end of Garp's vacation. His grueling training routine was finally coming to an end.
With each passing day, Rodney consumed Military Rations Pills, a food rich in energy, to nourish his body. He spent his days exposed to the elements, embracing the sun and wind, causing his skin to take on the same color as the villagers of Windmill Village. If this continued, he might even resemble the Raikage.
"No, I must master all Rokushiki as soon as possible and learn how to control my Life Force(1). Otherwise, I might truly become a resident of Windmill Village," Rodney thought to himself.
Luckily, Rodney had the Sharingan, which allowed him to record Garp's movements when he utilized Rokushiki. He only needed to learn them and find a way to integrate them. Mastering the control of the Life Force would become a real possibility. However, before that, he had to focus on learning Rokushiki.
"Why didn't I choose the Shadow Clone technique directly?" Rodney pondered. Then he remembered the prohibitive cost of using the Shadow Clone technique, realizing that he couldn't afford it.
"Damn it, I have a mission to complete!" Rodney exclaimed.
[Ding!]
[Mission released!] A notification sounded.
"Is it really that easy?" Rodney questioned.
The mission read: [Assassinate the pirate Clive Geza. Mission level: D+. Reward: 100 mission points.]
(TL/N: Previously named Clive Xiazuo meaning Lower Seat in Chinese but changed it to Geza for better immersion)
"Clive Geza? Who's that?" Rodney wondered aloud.
On the warship, as they departed, Rodney asked Adjutant Bogard about this individual. Before joining Garp, Adjutant Bogard had been a member of CP3, specializing in intelligence.
After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "Clive Geza is the captain of the Artillery Pirates. He has a bounty of eleven million bellies and commands a crew of one thousand pirates. The Artillery Pirates are known for having the most powerful artillery in East Blue. They were last spotted in Guerrero Village two months ago, where Captain Smoker tried to capture them but failed."
"Escape from Smoker? That's quite impressive," Rodney commented.
Smoker's strength was renowned in East Blue. With his Logia-type Devil Fruit ability and mastery of Rokushiki, he was a formidable opponent. For Clive Geza and his crew to have evaded Smoker's pursuit indicated their own level of skill.
"What? Are you planning to confront him?" Adjutant Bogard inquired.
Rodney smiled confidently and replied, "Of course I am." The location map of the target appeared on the screen in front of him. Given the vastness of the sea, it would be nearly impossible to find someone without assistance, hence the need for the map.
"For now, let's head to the nearby Marine Branch to gather more information. Thank you for your help during these days," Rodney said as he jumped off the ship, effortlessly walking on water.
"Has Rodney left?" Garp asked, wearing his dog hat and munching on a donut.
"Yes, do you think he should have joined the Marines?" Bogard asked.
Rodney possessed the right qualities, mindset, and sense of justice to become a valuable asset to the Marines. Garp had extended numerous invitations to him, but Rodney always declined, stating that he didn't want to be constrained by orders. Instead, he chose to continue his career as a pirate hunter.
"Recruiting him would be futile. Besides, isn't being a pirate hunter quite profitable?" Garp responded.
"Indeed. Pirate hunters can exchange captured pirates for bounties. Exchanging a 10-million-bellies pirate for a bounty would take an ordinary family a considerable amount of time to accumulate," Bogard explained.
"I see. Then let's become pirate hunters," Garp chuckled, causing Bogard to worry. Garp's daily distractions from his duties were giving Bogard a headache. "Vice Admiral Garp, the Marines don't offer bounties for killing pirates," he reminded him.
It was the Marines' responsibility to apprehend and eliminate pirates, and if successful, they would receive a substantial bonus. However, they were not entitled to the exorbitant bounties offered for capturing notorious pirates.
"Hahaha, I completely forgot about that!" Garp laughed. He glanced at Rodney, who was teaching a Sea King creature in the distance, and remarked, "This kid, as long as he doesn't stray from the right path, he could become a true ally of justice."
Garp understood that Rodney possessed kindness in his heart. As long as the corrupting influences of the pirate-infested sea didn't taint that kindness, Rodney would undoubtedly shine as he was meant to.
Rodney knew the difference between good and evil. He would become furious when pirates harmed others, and he would be equally furious when he witnessed acts of heroism.
He would remain indifferent to things he couldn't see or touch, but if someone dared to disregard his words in front of him, he would make sure they paid the price. Violence was not his preferred method to combat violence, but in this world, it was the prevailing norm.
Even the Marines, an institution responsible for upholding justice, ultimately relied on violence.
Rodney could only take care of what was within his reach, focusing on the tangible. As for matters beyond his immediate sphere, he struggled to address them. He was still in the early stages of his journey, alone and vulnerable.
Sitting atop the Sea King, with his eyes bearing the Sharingan, Rodney flawlessly controlled its movements with his mental power, employing it as his means of transportation. The Sharingan was proving to be incredibly useful.
The Sea King swiftly traversed the ocean while a seagull glided overhead, carrying a hat-wearing, slightly tattered leather bag.
Rodney patted the Sea Kins, signaling it to halt, and waved at the seagull in the sky, exclaiming, "Over here, over here, deliver the newspaper!"
The news bird, responsible for newspaper deliveries, descended from the sky and perched on the Sea King's edges. In a remarkable display, it extracted a newspaper from its wings. Rodney retrieved a hundred bellies and deposited them into the bird's leather bag as a token of appreciation.
To think, a hundred bellies could buy two Choppers!
Chopper, valiantly fighting alongside millions of bellies bounties with just a few bellies, stirred a sense of pity within Rodney. With the news bird flying away, Rodney resumed his journey on the Sea King, turning his attention to the newspaper in his hands.
The World Economy News Paper was known for unearthing numerous stories from around the world. Morgans, the organization's leader, was often dubbed the number one paparazzi in the world, always chasing after big news.
The newspaper contained stories from the New World, describing various events that occurred during the first half of the Grand Line. Notably, it emphasized the Pirate Graveyard, a focal point for the Marines, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The words are exquisite and the rhetoric is gorgeous, and really deserves to be the person who eats this bowl of rice(2).
"Huh? A wanted warrant? This guy is... Ace?"
There was a wanted warrant in the newspaper, with Ace's smiling face on it.
Portgas D. Ace
Fifty Million Bellies
{DEAD OR ALIVE!}
"Has this guy spent two months on the Great Line and already made a name for himself? It's really fast." Shaking his head, he hoped that he would abide by the agreement with him.
The arrest warrant flew away with the wind, while Rodney continued to pay attention to the news in the newspaper.
Only a handful of pirates managed to survive encounters with them and make their way to Sabaody Archipelago. Among them were those who passed through Fish-Man Island, but few pirates dared venture into the treacherous New World. Those who did were confronted by the formidable subordinates of the Four Emperors.
In the New World, the Four Emperors held absolute authority. New pirates had two choices: either submit and serve under one of the Four Emperors or challenge them. Submission ensured survival, while challenging them meant certain death.
The newspaper recounted a tale of a pirate with a 530-million-bellies bounty who foolishly dared to challenge Big Mom. However, he met his demise when Big Mom's first mate, wielding a pair of sticks, pummeled him into submission. The unfortunate pirate had accidentally consumed a cake belonging to Big Mom, sealing his fate.
Of course, there were exceptions. If a pirate managed to impress one of the Four Emperors, they might be spared. Whitebeard would take you in as his son if he deemed you worthy.
Big Mom would accept you as her son-in-law if she favored you. If you possessed unique and potent blood, she might even accept you as a husband. Kaido would consider you a younger brother if he took a liking to you. Otherwise, he would send thunder and lightning your way, sentencing you to a lifetime of mining.
Shanks would invite you to share a drink if he found you agreeable. Having finished reading the newspaper, Rodney found himself somewhat bored. He still had a long way to go before reaching his goal, and the days ahead promised to be monotonous.
"I must buy some books next time I come across a town. I wonder what kind of novels this world has to offer. Hopefully, they'll be more interesting," Rodney mused.
Ratoon's Note:
Life Force- is the life energy of all people and living things based on the strength of their physical energy. It governs one's stamina, durability, and longevity.
Really deserves to be the person who eats this bowl of rice- It is often used to express admiration or praise for someone who has worked hard or accomplished something deserving of recognition.