Night fell upon the royal capital, inside the grand palace.
Countless gas lamps and flickering candlelight lit up the vast palace, casting the Queen of Spring City in a brilliant glow.
The banquet stretched from the resplendent palace hall all the way to the gates of the inner city.
In the dim night, the brightly illuminated Queen of Spring City looked like a torch in the darkness.
The city was bustling with voices and celebration.
This was the second city-wide banquet held by Poplar V to welcome the arriving Navy.
Such an extravagant gesture of hospitality could only be described as lavish to the extreme.
Inside the radiant great hall, Poplar V, cradling his bulging belly, raised a wine cup with a smile and toasted to Garp, who was busy gorging himself.
"Vice Admiral Garp, on behalf of the Kingdom of Saint Poplar, I thank the Navy Headquarters for their support."
Garp lifted his head from a large platter of golden, crispy, and aromatic roast meat, casually wiped the grease from his mouth with a white sleeve, and raised his cup to clink with the ever-smiling, chubby king.
"If anyone deserves thanks, it's that old fart Jonathan and the brat Rorschach. By the time I got here with my men, even your destroyed harbor was already repaired. I might as well have stayed home."
He downed the wine in one gulp, grabbed a giant drumstick, and started tearing into it again.
The food here really wasn't bad.
"Thanks are definitely due. That a Navy hero like Vice Admiral Garp would personally visit shows the World Government's respect for our kingdom. As for President Jonathan and Rear Admiral Rorschach, they're undeniably the heroes of this war. Come, you two, a toast."
Poplar V drained his cup, refilled it, and looked toward Rorschach and Jonathan.
"King Poplar, you're too kind," Rorschach and Jonathan responded with polite smiles, raising their glasses.
Rorschach didn't particularly dislike the chubby king.
Compared to capable and people-loving rulers like Iceberg, Poplar V did seem rather mediocre.
His Kingdom of Saint Poplar included cities like Queen of Spring and the City of Gourmet—major, bustling metropolises.
As one of the member nations situated on one of the seven key routes through Paradise, the kingdom's geographic position was second to none.
As Rorschach once put it: with a location like this, even if you did absolutely nothing, just opening a few inns would make you rich.
Indeed, the cities of the Saint Poplar Kingdom were extremely prosperous—worlds apart from the tiny northern nations.
Though Poplar V lacked great talent or deep compassion for his people, he did have one virtue: he placed great trust in his ministers and in Jonathan's Bounty Hunter Guild.
Bluntly put, he was a decadent ruler content to live in indulgence.
And under his influence, the royal family members were similarly passive and laid-back.
As long as they ate and drank well, they didn't go out of their way to oppress the common folk.
Just for that, Rorschach considered him a passable ruler.
"Brother Rorschach, I want that lobster. Can you get it for me?"
Beside him, Hibari tugged on his sleeve, her eyes gleaming as she looked at the arm-thick lobster on the table.
"You're still growing—you should eat more. Here, take them all."
Rorschach picked up the five or six massive lobsters in the center of the table and placed them all in front of Hibari.
"That's too much, I can't eat all this." Hibari's small mouth opened slightly in surprise.
"It's not that much. You won't grow tall if you don't eat enough. I'll help you peel them."
With that, Rorschach grabbed a half-meter-long lobster and started peeling it.
"Th-thank you…"
Hibari's cheeks flushed pink as she softly expressed her thanks.
Across the table, the short-haired girl Sera puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
"So that's why he kept rejecting me—he already had someone else in mind? So he likes that type, huh? All shy and demure like a delicate bird. But that girl was even more ruthless than me when killing pirates a few days ago."
As Rorschach peeled lobster, he nudged Garp with his elbow and whispered, "Hey, old man, I got a question."
"What?" Garp replied without lifting his head.
"So… that Chinjao guy, he's the current pillar of the Happo Navy, right? I remember, even though the Happo Navy are pirates, they're also the official military of the Flower Country. And that country's one of the World Government's member states. I took out one of their military commanders—do you think they'll complain to the World Government?"
Before Garp could respond, the nearby Poplar V—who was sitting right next to him—suddenly slammed his meaty palm on the table and roared indignantly.
"He wouldn't dare!"
"I should be the one demanding compensation! That Flower Country is just a gang of pirate thieves—how dare they pretend to be the victims?"
"For Chinjao the Drill to lead the Happo Navy in an invasion of the Saint Poplar Kingdom—this offense won't be forgiven!
Rear Admiral Rorschach, don't you worry! I'll contact the World Government right away and report Chinjao's unprovoked invasion of a member nation. I want to see how the Flower Country tries to justify this!
And if I don't get a proper apology and compensation, just watch me blast them at next year's Reverie!"
"Your Majesty Poplar, that's bold!" Rorschach gave the indignant king a thumbs-up.
"Fuhahaha! I like you, Poplar! Let's drink!"
Garp also burst into laughter, slinging his greasy arm around the king's shoulders and raising his cup.
Poplar V didn't mind at all. Instead, he laughed heartily and raised his glass to the others at the table.
"Tonight, no one goes home sober! Eat and drink your fill!"
"Cheers!"
—
Bounty Hunter Guild Headquarters – Rear Courtyard
"That brat Garp! Give him money and he couldn't care less. Still mooching around and stuffing his face just like the old days—some things never change."
Jonathan grumbled, leading Rorschach and a man in a black suit back to the empty rear courtyard.
The man in black was Bogart, Garp's aide—a formidable swordsman in his own right.
He held the same rank as Rorschach: Rear Admiral.
"Heh, that's just how the old man is. If you've got something to say, you can talk to Rear Admiral Bogart—he can speak for Vice Admiral Garp."
Rorschach chuckled at Jonathan. "What, you planning to give me money? I'm telling you, I'm a Navy officer who upholds justice—I don't take bribes lightly!"
"100 billion. I'm donating 100 billion Beli in military funds to Navy HQ. You want it or not?" Jonathan snorted and plopped onto a sofa inside the empty hall.
"Yes!"
Rorschach's eyes lit up immediately.
Come on—100 billion Beli! Who in their right mind would say no?
"It's not even going to you. Why are you so quick to agree?"
Jonathan rolled his eyes.
He picked up a teacup and took a sip.
The familiar taste of plain boiled water.
Just thinking about it made his stomach ache. He glared at Rorschach again.
This little bastard had handed him a bottle of "luxury water" outside the gates that day—turned out it was just boiled water. Nearly got him killed by the drugged-up Glievor.
"Hehehe, come on now. What would I do with that money, stage a coup? Navy HQ is short on funds as it is. Here, let me pour you some tea."
Rorschach grinned and scooted closer, eagerly pouring tea for Jonathan.
At the same time, he gave Bogart a subtle cough.
Though usually calm and quiet, even the stoic Navy swordsman looked startled by Jonathan's bold declaration.
100 billion Beli…
The Navy Headquarters' annual military budget is only a few hundred billion Berries.
Yet this seemingly ordinary old man in front of them was actually this wealthy.
Of course, with a swordsman's instinct, Bogart could still sense how formidable this old man was.
"Rear Admiral Bogart, don't just stand there—hurry and contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Tell him the good news."
"But... it's a bit late right now..."
Bogart hesitated slightly, pulling out a Den Den Mushi from his coat.
"With this much money on the line, it wouldn't matter if it were 2 AM or even 4 AM—he'd get up to answer. Hand it over, I'll call!"
Rorschach snatched the Den Den Mushi from Bogart and quickly dialed Sengoku's private number.
His practiced motions made Bogart's mouth twitch involuntarily.
Purururu... purururu...
After more than ten rings, the call was finally picked up by a puffy-eyed, afro-haired old man.
Before Rorschach could even speak, Sengoku's twisted and twitching face was already about to start cursing Rorschach out.
But in the next second, Sengoku's contorted expression bloomed into a radiant smile, with his mouth practically stretching to his ears.
"You said what? That old... ahem... hero Jonathan wants to donate one hundred billion Berries to the Navy Headquarters?! Is that for real? Am I dreaming? Hold on a sec."
Then, Rorschach heard a loud thud, followed by Sengoku's sharp gasp of pain.
A few seconds later, Sengoku returned to the Den Den Mushi with a big grin plastered on his face, pouring out flattery toward Jonathan with disgusting enthusiasm.
His tone was so syrupy that even Rorschach couldn't stand it anymore.
"Hey, hey, old man Sengoku, come on now—are you serious? It's just a hundred billion Berries."
Jonathan, lounging back on the sofa with his legs crossed, leisurely sipped his tea and casually said, "I heard you want to build a ship entirely out of Adam Wood. But since you're short on funds, you're planning to dismantle the old warship and piece it together with the new one. A ship made from two different materials doesn't seem all that stable or reliable, does it?"
"Is it worth losing your composure over?"
Rorschach's voice trailed off.
"I can sponsor you with a hundred billion Berries so you can buy enough Adam Wood to build a full ship out of it—just like the Merveille Gramma or the Oro Jackson."
Jonathan spoke with casual indifference.
"Godfather—no, I mean, Elder Jonathan, your shoulders must be sore. Let me give you a massage."
A dazzling smile immediately bloomed on Rorschach's face as he stood up and walked behind the sofa. He raised his hands and began massaging Jonathan's shoulders.
"How's that? Is the pressure okay? Want it stronger?"
"Mm, a little to the left. Yes, that spot's a bit sore. Getting old—these bodies just start breaking down. No matter how much money you have, you can't buy health. See, even with trillions of Berries, I can't stop aging. Sigh… life, huh?"
Jonathan sighed heavily.
Sengoku: "..."
Rorschach: "..."
Bogart: "..."
Once Bogart left with the Den Den Mushi, the grand hall was left with just Rorschach and Jonathan.
Jonathan narrowed his cloudy old eyes, staring intently at Rorschach until it made him uncomfortable. Then he gave a disgruntled snort.
"Kid, are you really not going to reconsider becoming my grandson-in-law?"
"You've seen the treasure vault. With that kind of wealth, you could buy a few small countries and be king yourself. Isn't that better than being a Rear Admiral—wait, I mean, a Vice Admiral?"
That's right—Rorschach had been promoted again.
After helping win the great battle at Queen of Spring City and securing the 100 billion Berries military funding for Navy HQ, Sengoku had made a grand gesture: once Rorschach passed his final exam and returned to Marineford, he would be promoted to Vice Admiral.
That meant the Rear Admiral uniform Garp had just brought him was already outdated.
Reaching Vice Admiral rank at HQ meant stepping into a completely different level of status—true elite.
Above that were the top commanders of the Navy: HQ Vice Admirals, Admirals, and the Fleet Admiral himself.(Note: Admiral candidates are not a formal rank, but usually fall under the HQ Vice Admirals.)
It had been less than a month since Rorschach left Marineford. His rank had gone from Colonel to Vice Admiral.
It had taken him just over two years from officially joining the Navy to reach this point.
He was even advancing faster than Coby.
As expected, Rorschach declined without hesitation.
This left Jonathan visibly disappointed.
However, thinking about the advice Rorschach had given him earlier—to visit the East Blue and see if there were any promising successors who could carry on the legacy of the Hunter's Guild—Jonathan became contemplative.
After a long silence, he made up his mind.
"Might as well have some fun in the East Blue. Isn't that where Garp's hometown is? I'll go take a look at that Roronoa kid and see if he's promising. Hm? Right—if not, didn't that rascal Garp say he had two outstanding grandsons? Maybe one of them..."
Jonathan's eyes suddenly lit up, and a faint smile formed at the corners of his mouth.
The next day.
The port at Queen of Spring City was quiet and empty. The two sea trains and three warships that had been docked there had long vanished beyond the horizon.
Rorschach, Garp, and the others had departed.
Many bounty hunters and citizens stood at the harbor, staring out at the sea, unmoving.
Sierra's gaze was filled with melancholy and a hint of sorrow.
She had finally fallen for someone—only to be defeated so completely by that Navy girl named Hibari.
Seeing his granddaughter so dejected, Jonathan felt a pang of pity.
"Sierra," he stepped forward and patted her shoulder with a smile, "Grandpa's planning to travel to East Blue and needs a good ship. Help me place an order for one in Water 7."
"Really?" Sierra's eyes lit up instantly, joy returning to her face.
She knew that Rorschach and the others would be staying in Water 7 for a while, waiting for their new ship to be completed.
"Of course it's true."
Seeing her excitement, Jonathan couldn't help but laugh.
Behind them, Andre stood silently.
Suddenly, he spoke up in a deep voice:"President, should we also build a Qilin statue at the harbor? The shipwrights from the Galley-La Company said it can ward off evil and calm the sea."
"A Qilin, huh?"
Jonathan was momentarily stunned, but then a smile crept onto his face.
"Great idea! If we're going to build one, let's make it the largest Qilin statue in Paradise! Let it be the landmark of our Saint Poplar Kingdom!"
"I've got more than enough money for that!"
(End of Chapter)
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