We were seated, enjoying our meal in an atmosphere that was half relaxed, half cautious, when the crash of an overturned chair and a heavy thud echoed through the room.
A pirate captain had just collapsed onto his table, mouth slightly open, eyes rolled back. His fork clattered to the floor with a metallic ring, and almost instantly, screams and panic broke out around us. Customers spilled their drinks, backing away in haste.
I leapt to my feet. That single movement alone was enough to impose a heavy silence on most of the room. All eyes turned to me, as if everyone was holding their breath.
My gaze slid to the slumped man. Despite his rough appearance—unkempt beard, scars slashing across his face—my sight revealed a golden heart, pure and bright. Certainly not the image of the ruthless pirate his looks suggested.Not so different from some of my own companions… Who am I to judge?
Without wasting time, I knelt beside him, grabbing the edge of his worn coat to conceal my actions. I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the chaotic rhythm of his heart beneath my palm, and immediately channeled my magic.
A rapid series of Cure+ spells, woven like an unbroken chain, flowed into him. The glow of my hand, hidden beneath the fabric, remained invisible to prying eyes. Energy spread through his body, easing the spasms, slowing the poison's progress. His breathing—ragged and wheezing at first—grew steadier… though he was still weak, his complexion pale and waxy.
I glanced up slightly, trying to understand. Not a single crewmate by his side. No rallying cries, no support. Alone? Or abandoned?
My Haki spread further, brushing over every presence in the restaurant like an invisible net.That's when I sensed two things:
At the back, behind the swinging doors, a young man in cook's clothes was getting violently beaten by Sanji. The rhythm of his blows—precise and furious—pounded like a drum in my mind.
And… more concerning, a cold aura, sharp as a blade, just a few meters away. A firearm. The unseen barrel pointed straight at me, with murderous intent as clear as crystal.
I kept my eyes lowered toward the pirate I was healing, but in my mind, that hostile presence was already in my sights.
Just as I was about to act, a sharp whistle cut through the air.THWACK! A metal pellet slammed square into the man's temple, making him stumble like a ragdoll.
"BAM! Bull's-eye!" Usopp exclaimed from the table, already holstering his slingshot at his belt with a satisfied grin.
Taking advantage of the opening, Koby darted forward—faster than I'd ever seen him move. He pressed the flat of his blade to the man's throat and, in the same motion, tore the pistol from his hands. The assailant didn't even have time to protest before he was already disarmed.
The customers around us, frozen in mute terror, didn't dare to move. Even the marines sitting at the back looked like they were melting into their seats, staring at their plates rather than intervening.
"Thanks, Usopp. Koby… bring him to me," I said, calmly resuming my Cure+ spells, still hidden by the injured captain's coat. The light seeped into him slowly, eating away at the poison as I regenerated his vitality. It wasn't a particularly strong venom, but even so, I'd have to maintain the healing until it was completely gone.
Koby obeyed. And that's when he truly realized the extent of his progress—he dragged the man with one hand as if he were just a sack of potatoes. He even gave a small, cocky grin.
"Tch… Guess training really does pay off," he muttered to himself, just loud enough for me to hear.
"So you won't mind if I crank up the difficulty of your training?" I teased, which earned Koby a brief flash of panic before he nodded.
"As long as I keep getting stronger, it's worth it," he declared with a smile.
I gave one last glance to make sure the captain was out of danger, then shifted my full attention to the assailant as I stood. He was trembling, and I could see a dark stain spreading across his pants.
"So scared, when you were the one aiming to shoot me… pathetic," I said coldly, planting my foot on his chest to keep him pinned. My words echoed through the silent room.
I leaned down slightly, locking my gaze onto his."Your name, your profession, and your goal… before I decide to cut you into pieces." My voice, deliberately icy, sent a shiver through several onlookers.
Behind me, I heard Nami and Luffy stifling laughter. Don't laugh… I know it's not convincing to you, but let me play my role, I thought, casting them a quick sideways glance.
"M-My name's Bob… I'm a bounty hunter…" he stammered, pointing at the unconscious captain beside me. "H-He… he's a former bounty hunter… refused to join the East Blue branch and pissed off the Marines by staying independent… so… so I wanted to kill him and collect the bounty."
I narrowed my eyes."You've got an accomplice in the kitchen, I assume."
At that moment, the swinging doors burst open and Sanji stepped out, dragging a man by the collar—his face swollen and bruised.
"Found him," he announced, looking as casual as if nothing had happened. "This guy was hired a month ago. Nothing suspicious until today. But he had the brilliant idea to put poison in the food…"
Sanji spat on the floor right in front of the man's face, forcing him to turn away."I'm warning you, bastard… don't you ever set foot in MY kitchen again."
My Haki wasn't developed enough to sense emotions outright, but just looking at Sanji, I could feel the anger radiating off him. In the canon, wasting food was a sacrilege to this man—and clearly, that hadn't changed here.
As things calmed slightly, nearly all the Baratie's customers had hurriedly paid their bills and left, leaving only the restaurant staff, the Marines… and us.
The half-cleared tables still held remnants of interrupted meals, the smell of dishes mingling with the sharper scent of lingering tension.
I swept my gaze across the room, then pointed a finger at a Marine officer with lavender hair."Hey, Marine. Yeah, you. Bring me two pairs of handcuffs, so we can finish our meal in peace."
The lieutenant hesitated for a moment, then stood. His more nervous subordinate immediately protested:"Lieutenant Fullbody, we… we can't just obey a pirate, can we?"
The comment made the poor lieutenant pale. He shot me an uncertain look, as if weighing whether he risked more by defying me or by giving in.
I offered him a cold smile."Follow the orders… unless you want to cause trouble for the civilians and this restaurant by pissing off a pirate with an 80 million Berry bounty on his head," he barked at his subordinate.
Silence fell over the room, and the subordinate stepped back.
"No need to shout, Lieutenant," I continued more calmly. "You happen to have a transponder snail?"
I held out my hand… but grabbed Luffy at the same time, stopping him from stealing a piece of meat meant for me."Heyyy, Jordan!" he protested, sticking out his tongue like a sulking child.
"Yes… here," Fullbody finally said, handing me the Den Den Mushi, clearly relieved not to be the focus anymore.
"Perfect. Dial Marine HQ for me," I ordered.
My friends instantly stiffened. Luffy gave me a wide-eyed, pleading look, shaking his head as if begging me not to do something stupid. I simply flashed him a reassuring smile.
Fullbody dialed the number, and I snatched the receiver just as a formal voice came through on the other end:"Lieutenant Fullbody, do you have something to report?"
I brought the transponder snail to my mouth."Hello. This is Heartless D. Jordan. Could I speak to Vice Admiral Garp? Tell him I've got his grandson as a hostage."
Across the table, Luffy jumped, eyes going wide."JOOORDAN!" he shouted, but I ignored him.
Marineford – Transmission Room
Two operators froze. One turned sharply to her colleague:"Patch me through to Vice Admiral Garp! Someone claims to have his grandson hostage!"
"Alright… but he's in a meeting with Vice Admiral Tsuru and Fleet Admiral Sengoku," the other replied, handing her the liaison Den Den Mushi.
Moments later, the line was connected.
Baratie"Garp speaking. Who's calling me?" a deep voice growled through the transponder snail. Luffy was sweating bullets.
"Hey, old geezer," I said with a mocking tone. "It's Jordan… you know, the one you slapped with an 80 million bounty." I let out all my frustration:"What did I do to deserve that?!"
Marineford – Sengoku's OfficeThe three high-ranking officers in the room froze for a moment, surprised by the call and my sudden outburst. Garp, however, burst into a booming laugh.
"BWHAHAHAHAHA! Serves you right, kid! And by the way, you clearly haven't learned your lesson since you keep insulting me. You want me to raise it?"
Baratie"This isn't funny!" I shot back, irritated. "I haven't attacked civilians. I've been taking down pirates alongside Luffy. The only incident was with a Marine who shot at me after demanding a bribe!"
Luffy straightened up, regaining some spirit."That's true, gramps! Makino almost got hurt by a Marine!"
MarinefordGarp's reaction was immediate."LUFFY! You little brat! I told you to become a Marine! Just wait 'til I get my hands on you… you'll be tasting the Fist of Love!"
He raised his fist as if it could reach through the transponder snail. Tsuru and Sengoku exchanged a stunned look. Sengoku finally snatched the device from Garp's hands.
"This is Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I hope you didn't call Marine HQ just to complain?"
"Yes," I replied, feigning sheepishness. "Actually, I just ran into a Marine and… decided to call on a whim." Inwardly, I smirked — I was crafting the image of a reckless idiot. Sengoku would never connect me to Sora, who was far more calculated and discreet.
"Actually… I have a request. Luffy's the captain. So… why not raise his bounty so it's higher than mine?"
Luffy immediately jumped up."Hey! No need! I'll surpass you on my own, 'cause I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Marineford – Strategic Meeting RoomSengoku set the transponder snail down on the desk, letting out a long sigh."He really is your grandson…" he said with resignation, shooting Garp a look.
The vice admiral, arms crossed, didn't answer right away. A faint, awkward smile tugged at his lips, betraying that he only half-accepted Luffy's stupidity… and Jordan's boldness.
Beside them, Tsuru observed with a thin, knowing smile — part amusement, part contemplation.
"I'll go deal with it myself," Garp finally declared, standing as if ready to leave the room.
"Don't even think about running off to East Blue just to slack off!" Sengoku barked sharply. His voice echoed through the room like a cannon blast. "We need you here, Garp. The pirates arriving on the Grand Line right now are in a whole different league."
The old man grumbled something unintelligible but eventually slumped back into his seat, crossing his arms with a scowl.
Tsuru, however, steered the discussion back to a far more pressing matter."Calm down. Garp understands. Now, let's return to what we were saying about that creature he brought back from his mission."
Her gaze sharpened."We've already been able to clear out a significant portion of corruption in some garrisons thanks to its actions. But the problem is… it seems to operate with questionable priorities."
"Hmph…" Garp frowned. "It wants to target Akainu first, along with the officers in his Hawk faction. I doubt they're fundamentally evil."
Tsuru tilted her head slightly."It's tied to their view of absolute justice. According to reports from the incident in your village, one of the surviving Marines overheard Jordan explaining that these creatures target individuals they deem 'bad.' Which, in their logic, means they attack those who harm innocents… or enforce justice too harshly."
Garp slowly nodded."Yeah… and if that's true, it could become a big problem."
Sengoku, silent until now, finally spoke in a grave tone."A major problem, actually. Because if this targeting logic continues… there's an even more obvious target when it comes to pure malice."
Silence settled over the room. Tsuru clasped her hands together on the table, her tone turning icy."The Celestial Dragons."
Garp grimaced, fully aware of the implications.
Tsuru continued:"At the rate these creatures are spreading, I'd say in two months, East Blue will be completely under Sora's control. At that point, no Celestial Dragon will be able to set foot in this sea… unless they're escorted at all times by elite forces."
She let a heavy silence hang in the air before concluding:"And we still don't know whether he'll choose to extend his influence to another sea… or strike directly at the Grand Line."
The three officers exchanged a tense look. For the first time in a long while, the threat wasn't coming from pirates… but from a predator who claimed to protect the innocent.
(Author's note: What do you think? I'm going to develop the bounty hunter faction much more, turning it into a true fourth power — so expect a lot of non-canon elements. As for the bonus chapter, I'll publish it tomorrow.)