Not long after Rorschach had wiped out half of the Bounty Hunter Guild's food supplies...
Hibari and Law arrived at Queen Spring City, leading every Marine soldier from Water 7.
The reason? Rorschach hadn't used the Den Den Mushi to call back and report he was safe.
And when Hibari tried calling instead, the voice on the other end was that of an unfamiliar old man.
That scared Hibari half to death—she thought something had happened to Rorschach.
That very night, she rallied all the Marine forces in Water 7 and took the sea train in a fury, storming their way into Queen Spring City.
Hunter Guild Headquarters – Main Hall
The top figure of the Navy's new generation, the heroic prodigy who had taken down the Gods of Water in direct combat—Rear Admiral Rorschach—was currently being scolded by a subordinate.
"…Picking a fight with a local leader on their turf without absolute confidence? If it weren't for Mr. Issho's kindness and his refusal to take sides with his friend, you would've been done for, do you realize that?"
"Not to mention, there was a powerful ambusher lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."
"Rear Admiral Rorschach! Next time you plan something big, could you maybe talk it over with your subordinates first instead of acting on your own? Fulfilling the mission is important, sure, but keeping yourself alive is just as important! Don't make us worry about you!"
The girl stood with her hands on her hips, her face full of frustration.
"Yes, yes, Captain Hibari, I'll definitely keep it in mind."
The boy nodded frantically like a pecking chick.
After giving her superior a good scolding, Hibari smiled and walked over to Issho, who was seated on the couch. She bowed deeply to express her gratitude.
"Mr. Issho, thank you so much for your help. Without your intervention at the end, the exhausted Rear Admiral might've been in serious danger."
"Haha, no need for thanks. It was nothing—just lending a hand," Issho replied quickly, waving his hand with a somewhat embarrassed look.
"That was far more than just lending a hand, Mr. Issho! That attacker… if I'm not mistaken, he was a major pirate from the New World—a top officer under Wang Zhi—an assassin known as Wagner the Infiltrator. His bounty is a whopping 340 million Beli!"
Hibari looked at Issho with awe in her eyes.
The blind old man before her, whose appearance was far from impressive and who had no real reputation to speak of, had effortlessly taken down a pirate with a bounty over 300 million.
Even within Marine Headquarters, such high-level fighters were rare.
Although Hibari's Observation Haki wasn't as strong as Rorschach's, being this close—especially with Issho not bothering to suppress his presence—she could feel the immense force radiating from him.
It was like a mountain, like a towering cliff—heavy as the sea.
It made Hibari instantly realize that this was a terrifying powerhouse, on par with an Admiral.
That realization gave the young girl serious concern for Rorschach's safety.
Across from Issho, Jonathan—wrapped in numerous bandages—narrowed his eyes, glancing back and forth between Hibari and Rorschach, who was now giving instructions to Pamela and the others.
"This little girl… what's her relationship with that kid? They seem pretty close. Could she be the reason he turned down Serra?"
Jonathan had sustained some pretty serious injuries in the battle last night.
Even though he possessed a secret martial art—Earth Lord Fist—that let him maintain peak stamina for extended periods...
He ultimately couldn't fight off the wear of time. Age had taken its toll.
When he hit his limit, his strength plummeted, and he could no longer withstand Rorschach's attacks. In the end, he was defeated head-on by that boy.
Jonathan, though deeply affected, reluctantly accepted the reality.
He was already 87 years old.
Older than most of the elder powerhouses still alive on the seas today.
His prime had passed many years ago.
The only reason the ambitious Grelver had held himself back until now was because he still feared Jonathan.
More than twenty years ago, after Grelver's brother died, he came to seek revenge—only for Jonathan to nearly cut him down with his twin blades.
From that moment on, Grelver had carried a psychological shadow of fear toward him.
As his thoughts wandered, Jonathan suddenly spoke up, stopping Hibari just as she was about to turn and leave after thanking Issho.
"Hey, young lady—is this how the Navy does things now?"
Hibari paused and turned back toward him, puzzled.
Jonathan pointed to the thick bandages wrapped around his body."Without cause or warning, an old man like me—over eighty years old—gets beaten half to death by your superior, and the Navy doesn't even think to say a single word of apology?"
Hibari's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she looked at Jonathan with a serious expression:
"Mr. Jonathan, first of all, Rear Admiral Rorschach is my superior. As his subordinate, I have no authority to interfere with any of his decisions.
Secondly, Mr. Jonathan, I believe you already understand why the Rear Admiral came to your Bounty Hunter Guild.
Jean Ango attempted to steal the Rear Admiral's weapon. William Hanks was greedy and refused to return a valuable item. Mori Ichirou openly detonated Dynamite Rock in Water 7 and was found in possession of large quantities of this Class-One hazardous material.
From any perspective, all of this points to your poor supervision, Mr. Jonathan.
So, Mr. Jonathan, the one who owes an apology is not Rear Admiral Rorschach—it's your Bounty Hunter Guild. It's you, Mr. Jonathan."
"What did you just say?" Jonathan was momentarily stunned, then frowned deeply as he looked at Hibari. "Young lady, do you know who I am?"
Hibari met his gaze fearlessly. "It doesn't matter who you are. Wrong is wrong. As the so-called King of Hunters, Mr. Jonathan, don't you even have the courage to take responsibility?"
Jonathan stared intently at Hibari for a long moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, what an interesting young lady. This time, I was wrong. I failed to properly manage those under my command and brought trouble upon everyone. Don't worry—from here on, the Bounty Hunter Guild will do everything it can to help the Marines get to the bottom of the Dynamite Rock situation."
Hibari's eyes flickered with surprise.
She had expected the high-ranking president of the Bounty Hunter Guild to explode in anger at her words.
She didn't expect him to admit fault so readily.
"Then thank you, President Jonathan," Hibari said with a nod, then turned to walk toward where Rorschach stood.
"You all came anyway, huh? Well, the three who had previously been to Water 7 have already been captured. Even if Grelver has other plans in motion, they won't involve Water 7. But you were right not to bring Penne and the shipwrights from the Galley-La Company," Rorschach said, looking at Law, Pamela, Bepo, and the roughly two hundred Marine soldiers behind them.
"Because what we're about to face is extremely dangerous. This opponent is strong and possesses Dynamite Rock with massive destructive power. You may face life-threatening risks in battle—so be prepared to fight at all times."
"Yes, Rear Admiral Rorschach!" the soldiers responded in unison, each face filled with resolve, without a hint of fear.
"Hibari." Rorschach turned and looked at the approaching Hibari, speaking softly. "Go into the capital and buy paper and pens. Have everyone write a will. Whatever wishes they want fulfilled, or words they want to leave for their families—write them down. You, Law, and I all need to write one too."
Hibari's body trembled slightly. She bit her lip and nodded.
Writing a will before battle wasn't something Rorschach had come up with on a whim.
It was a tradition that had been in the Marines for hundreds of years.
Because no one could ever be sure they'd survive a life-or-death battle.
Rorschach had even considered sending the weaker soldiers back to Water 7, telling them not to join the potentially deadly battle ahead.
But the Navy's military merit system was strict and well-established.
For a soldier to become an officer, they had to earn their merit through real combat.
And to grow stronger—to become someone capable of upholding justice within the Navy—they had to fight, again and again. There was no other way.
"Why hasn't Lucci returned yet?"
Rorschach frowned and glanced toward a certain part of the Bounty Hunter Guild base.
He had already ordered Lucci to accompany Serra to the prison and interrogate the captured Mori Ichirou, Wagner, and the others.
He needed information—about Grelver, the Dynamite Rock, and the assassin guild.
Buzz.
A surge of powerful Observation Haki burst from his body and spread outward.
Soon, Rorschach turned his head toward Law. "Law, come with me. I'll need your ability to extract some intel."
Law nodded and followed Rorschach toward the prison block.
In the underground prison.
"Hahaha! It's useless! You think some flesh wounds are enough to break me? Keep dreaming, you clueless brat!"
Wagner—his hands and feet bound by Seastone chains—was shirtless, his body covered in wounds.
Blood streamed from him, forming small pools on the floor.
In front of him stood Rob Lucci, face cold, his hands soaked in blood.
In the adjacent cell, the fat samurai Mori Ichirou lay on the ground, also drenched in blood.
As for William Hanks and Jean Ango, they cowered in fear as they stared at Lucci's back.
They, too, bore several gruesome wounds.
But since they weren't part of the assassin guild and knew little, Lucci had spared their lives.
Outside in the corridor, Serra was crouched on the ground, vomiting uncontrollably with a hand over her mouth.
Lucci cracked his knuckles and looked at the still-defiant Wagner. A chilling smile crept across his lips.
"Very well. You don't want to talk? Then let's move on to the next round."
Under his interrogation, Mori Ichirou had already spilled everything he knew.
Now only Wagner remained—refusing to say a word.
He was a big fish—a link that could lead to both the infamous pirate Wang Zhi and Grelver.
He very likely knew critical information about the Dynamite Rock.
Just as Lucci prepared to escalate his methods, footsteps echoed through the prison corridor.
Rorschach and Law stepped inside.
(End of Chapter)
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