In the grand reception hall of the castle, towering walls were adorned with a wide array of Western-style oil paintings. Every kind of classical ornament imaginable could be found here.
Weiss sat deep in an expansive sofa, so soft that he practically sank into it. Groo, it seemed, had come to understand Weiss's preferences well—he had a maid bring over a silver tray bearing a bottle of red wine.
Weiss lifted the decanted wine, bringing it to his nose for a sniff. The aroma was exquisite—he didn't know quite how to describe it, but it was easily the best wine he had ever encountered.
After that single sniff, however, he set the glass back on the tray. He no longer possessed a body immune to all poisons—he couldn't risk drinking such wine now.
Seeing Weiss's reaction, Groo gave a bitter smile and shook his head. He understood well that this seemingly relaxed swordsman still hadn't let down his guard.
"Weiss, young ma—"
"Let's not get too friendly just yet," Weiss cut him off coldly. "If you were just a harmless man looking to sell books, I wouldn't mind the familiarity. But right now..."
He leaned forward slightly, his lazy demeanor vanishing. "Before I learn what you actually want, answer this: how did you find my information?"
Groo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gestured for a servant to escort the nearby young girl out of the hall. Soon, only Weiss and Groo remained in the vast room.
But only Weiss was aware—two hidden presences still lurked in the shadows.
...
...
"Weiss," Groo finally spoke, "you may not realize this, but your information isn't exactly a secret among a certain circle. In fact, on these seas, anyone who's reached the top of their field has probably heard of you."
"You're something of a... hidden celebrity."
It wasn't hard to understand. Though Weiss wasn't publicly known, those truly powerful had long been aware of him.
"How so?" Weiss frowned. "I've only fought twice since arriving—Bogard and those two sadists. Nothing that should've drawn this kind of attention."
Groo's eyes narrowed again, slipping back into the guise of the calm, calculating middle-aged man. "It's thanks to the Navy. They suspected you were connected to a certain legendary pirate, so they dug into your background."
"The Navy's files are accessible to you? You take me for a fool, or are you implying they're fools?"
"No, no," Groo replied quickly. "Initially, the Navy just noticed a young swordsman emerging in the East Blue. They didn't want someone like that to become a criminal, so they ordered minor surveillance."
"At that time, your records were practically transparent to anyone with the right means. The Navy wasn't that concerned about a lone swordsman, even a talented one."
"But for the ambitious figures across the seas, it was an opportunity. Recruiting someone like you would greatly enhance their strength."
"The higher-ups in the Navy knew about this. They didn't stop it. They saw it as a way for their people to make a bit of profit—selling information they considered irrelevant."
"But then, when Fleet Admiral Sengoku personally took interest, your files were sealed. Now, all that's publicly known is: a young swordsman has appeared."
"The fact that this swordsman might be a disciple of the Golden Lion—well, that's been deliberately buried. After all, if the heir to the Pirate Admiral Shiki showed up again, who knows what chaos would follow?"
"No one can say what that disciple's goals are... or what intentions the Golden Lion himself might harbor. He once stood toe-to-toe with the Pirate King. If not for that storm..."
Too many power-hungry figures might try to use Weiss as a link to Shiki.
This possibility had triggered Sengoku's concern—beginning with Garp's instincts. And once Weiss firmly rejected the Navy's offer, Sengoku passed his information directly to Dracule Mihawk and reclassified everything as top-secret.
Listening to this, Weiss couldn't help but question: Was all that really necessary?
The Golden Lion had been gone from the seas for nearly twenty years. Was he still worth fearing so much?
This kind of speculation is... pretty far-fetched, Weiss thought.
They think I'm the one who will inherit the Golden Lion's!
"So tell me, what do you actually want from me? There are plenty of people stronger than I am on the sea," Weiss said flatly, expression unreadable.
Groo thought to himself: Should I tell him he's just a pawn in a larger plan that was already prepared before I even invited him?
"Mr. Weiss, you're too modest. There really aren't that many who can surpass you. And inviting you here wasn't all that difficult."
Weiss chuckled drily. "You offered a Devil Fruit as payment and called it 'not difficult.' You think I don't know the value of one? What kind of Fruit is it, anyway?"
His interest was piqued.
"A Paramecia-type—Coordinate Fruit. The user can instantly travel to any place they've previously visited."
Weiss stood up immediately. "Goodbye."
He turned to leave without another word. A spatial-type Paramecia? Are you kidding me? Even the Navy would deploy elites for a Fruit like that.
To use something this valuable as payment? Just how dangerous was this mission?
And why hadn't Groo eaten the Fruit himself? With an ability like that, escaping death would be child's play.
"Wait, Mr. Weiss!" Groo called out desperately as Weiss made to leave. "At least hear me out. If you still think it's not worth it, I won't press you."
Weiss wanted to walk away, but his curiosity got the better of him. Curiosity, after all, had killed many a cat.
"Kill someone."
"Who?" Weiss asked reflexively.
"A Celestial Drag—"
"Goodbye."
Weiss vanished using Shave/Soru before Groo could finish the sentence.
"...n's butler."
Groo stood frozen in place, dumbfounded. He finished the sentence instinctively, though the intended listener was long gone.
Moments later, Matt and Emmet emerged from the shadows and approached him.
"Matt... did I speak too slowly?"
The athletic young man frowned in the direction Weiss had disappeared, then replied, "No, Master. Weiss was just too fast."
Groo gave a pained smile and shook his head. He shouldn't have mentioned the Celestial Dragons. If he'd simply said the butler, it would've been fine.
To the Celestial Dragons, their butlers weren't much better than slaves. The only real difference was they didn't have the hoof mark of the World Nobles burned into their backs—and were allowed to walk freely.
Losing one meant little to them.
But Groo had his reasons for wanting the man dead.
The butler had set his eyes on the Groo family's business—an empire that stretched not just across the Canopy Island but the entire Grand Line.
Why choose Weiss?
Because he was easy to approach. Young. Potentially the Golden Lion's successor. Impulsive. Lawless. Easy to deceive.
If Weiss accepted the job, Groo wouldn't have to activate his real plan. All the danger would fall on Weiss alone.
And as the possible heir to Shiki, he could shoulder that burden with little consequence.
Groo had already prepared all the justifications. With his years of experience, he was confident he could rope Weiss in. The process had a few hiccups, but was still under control—until Weiss bolted at the mere mention of the Celestial Dragons.
It was like punching into cotton. All his preparations, instantly rendered useless.
"Master... do you think he'll... tell someone?" Emmet's deep voice suddenly rumbled.
"He won't," Groo replied firmly. "He's a true warrior. Not some petty tattletale."
"Matt, go find Weiss again," he ordered. "I really don't want to use the backup plan. It's far too risky."
"Yes, Master," Matt said with a nod.
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