"Where do you think you're going to run?"
Up in the sky, Jin had reverted to human form and was gripping Captain Nezumi's neck with a wicked grin.
This guy was surprisingly durable—the lightning and flames from before hadn't managed to kill him.
"I'm a captain of the Navy's 16th Branch! Let me go! I serve under the World Government!"
Captain Nezumi wheezed, glaring at Jin with a false show of bravado.
"If I were scared of the government, why would I have ever set out to sea?"
Jin's grip tightened around Nezumi's neck, his smile growing ever more delighted.
"N-no, wait—!"
In the reflection of Nezumi's dimming pupils, the force around his throat suddenly surged.
With a crisp crack, the junction of neck and spine was snapped like a twig.
The light faded from Captain Nezumi's eyes.
A moment later, they rolled back in his head—lifeless.
"Now that was a pathetic death."
Jin tossed the corpse onto the deck of the Merry, rummaged through Nezumi's pockets, and raised his eyebrows.
Turning to Nami, he flashed a sunny grin. "Found 100,000 Berries. Pocket money for you."
"Uuh~"
Nami finally snapped out of it. Her nose stung with emotion, and she dove into Jin's embrace.
"Jin, thank you..."
"Don't thank me just yet."
Jin looked out over the sea and suddenly smiled even brighter. "You hungry? I'm treating you to grilled sea bull."
"...What?" Kaya and Nami both blinked.
"Look there. There's something huge in the water."
Jin stuffed the Berries into Nami's hand and walked slowly toward the edge of the ship.
Right then, the water beside the Merry surged upward as a massive figure emerged from beneath the surface.
"A sea beast!?"
Kaya and Nami gasped and covered their mouths at the sight of the giant bull-headed creature that burst forth.
"No—it's Momoo!"
Now recognizing it, Nami's expression changed dramatically.
"Momoo?" Kaya tilted her head, confused, and looked to Nami.
Biting her lip, Nami's face darkened. "Momoo the sea cow. He's a member of the Arlong Pirates..."
"Eh?"
Kaya was stunned. This gentle-looking creature was one of Arlong's underlings?
But Momoo paid no attention to Nami's wariness or hostility.
After surfacing, it locked eyes with Jin—the man with wings—and its gaze was filled with rage.
Clearly, Jin's earlier thunder-fire attack had scorched it painfully.
Now standing in the towering shadow of the beast, Jin suddenly asked:
"So... what do you think grilled sea cow whip would taste like?"
Nami and Kaya: ???
At that moment, just as Momoo was ready to attack—
A wave of immense malice suddenly surged up from below.
Momoo shuddered from head to tail, cold sweat dripping from his massive bovine skull.
The next thing he knew, the human had vanished from his vision.
In a flash of fire and lightning, Jin's figure appeared overhead. Dazzling purple thunder came crashing down.
Grilled · Sea Cow!
ZZZZZHHHH!!!
Electricity and flames surged violently.
Jin's thunder attack expanded tenfold, completely enveloping Momoo.
Momoo's entire body twitched uncontrollably as arcs of lightning scorched long bloody gashes into his hide.
His pupils trembled violently—and then rolled back. His charred tongue lolled out of his mouth, white smoke trailing upward.
With a tremendous BANG, he crashed backward into the sea, sending up waves like a miniature tsunami.
"I slice, I slice, I slice-slice-slice!"
Using his control over water to float Momoo's charred corpse back up, Jin grabbed a long knife and got to work.
After carving out a generous haul, he returned cheerfully and tossed a particular piece onto the deck. His expression turned serious:
"This part's only useful for men. You two—hands off."
Nami looked like she was about to puke and couldn't help retorting:
"Are you a savage? You're seriously going to eat that?"
"Yeah, seriously! That's so gross." Kaya scrunched her face in disgust too.
"You two just don't get it," Jin huffed and summoned a spark in midair. "That's top-tier protein!"
"The whole sea cow's a treasure. That part's mine. If you want something else, just say the word—I'll carve it for you."
Kaya and Nami shook their heads furiously, clearly having lost their appetites.
Jin ignored them, happily continuing to roast the sea cow whip.
He chopped it into chunks, skewered them, added some spices, and feasted.
Kaya and Nami exchanged helpless glances, eventually settling for some vegetable salad from the kitchen to eat alongside him.
Once their bellies were full...
The three of them left Momoo's floating carcass behind and resumed their course toward the Conomi Islands.
Jin, however, kept glancing at the frog-like figure swimming butterfly-stroke in the distance and couldn't help muttering in surprise:
"So Morgans is a bird... and he's got frogmen working under him?"
"Truly a beastly news agency!"
...
Time passed. The sun blazed high overhead.
Noon, at Navy Headquarters—Marineford.
Inside the grand, imposing Navy HQ building, at the top floor in the Fleet Admiral's office—
"What!? Kuzan and Sakazuki are fighting again? Those two..."
Sengoku, seated behind his massive desk, slammed the surface in fury after hearing the report from his aide.
"They're always using 'training' as an excuse to brawl—utterly disgraceful! Go stop them, now!"
"...You want me to stop them? Fleet Admiral, do you hear yourself?"
Brannew's lips twitched. He nearly performed seppuku on the spot.
"Hahaha! What's the problem? Fighting makes you stronger."
From the nearby couch, a tall, burly old man with bronze-toned skin, white hair, and blue eyes laughed heartily.
While munching on Sengoku's senbei, he added nonchalantly, "Those two sparring all the time is a good thing. Let them grow stronger, Sengoku—don't be so uptight."
"A good thing, huh? Alright then, you spar with me!"
Sengoku gritted his teeth. "I've got a bone to pick with you over your grandson!"
Garp: "..."
[End of Chapter]