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[TIOP] Chapter : 47
🕑 Added 2025-02-27 09:45:39 +0000 UTCA few days later, he passed through the Gate of Justice and returned to Navy Headquarters.
"Hey Jack, I haven’t seen you in a while, and now you’re already a Commodore?" A familiar voice called out as Jack stepped onto the port. He turned to see Tokikake, wearing his usual sly grin.
"What are you doing here? Heading out to sea?" Jack asked, surprised.
Tokikake shrugged. "Sengoku-san wants to see you. I just happened to be wandering around, so I figured I’d pass along the message."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "A vice admiral personally delivering a message to a commodore? That’s a first." Despite his amusement, he quickly assigned his troops some well-earned rest before following Tokikake toward the Fleet Admiral’s office.
Before they left, Lena stepped forward and saluted Tokikake. "Sir, I’ll head home to tidy up first," she informed Jack.
He nodded, waving her off. "Go ahead, take care of it."
Tokikake watched her leave before smirking. "Man, I’m jealous. With a woman like that by your side, I’m starting to wonder why you’re still not married. Or is it because she’s too smart for her own good?"
Jack was momentarily speechless.
He lived alone—Lena didn’t stay with him. She had her own separate quarters, a privilege granted by headquarters as part of their special accommodations for female navy personnel. Moreover, with her recent promotion to lieutenant, she now held a rank closer to his own.
Before long, Jack and Tokikake arrived at Fleet Admiral Sengoku’s office. Inside, Vice Admiral Garp sat beside Sengoku, leisurely sipping tea and munching on senbei, completely at ease. Opposite him sat an elderly woman with a gentle expression, but Jack knew better than to be deceived by appearances. Anyone who underestimated her wouldn’t even realize how they met their end—because she was none other than the legendary Vice Admiral and Chief of Staff of the Navy Headquarters, "Grand Chief of Staff" Tsuru.
Jack straightened and saluted each of them in turn. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Garp-sensei! Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
"Oh? You actually made it back? I half-expected you to be stranded out there! Hahaha! Turns out you’re not so easy to kill after all!" Garp was the first to greet him, laughing heartily.
Jack, however, had the sudden urge to kick him in the face.
"Sensei, I was nearly killed by Dragon back then. If it weren’t for a group of pirates, I wouldn’t have survived. I only regained consciousness after passing Whiskey Peak." Jack admitted with a sigh.
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled knowingly. "It was the Straw Hat Pirates from the East Blue, wasn’t it?"
Jack had no intention of hiding the truth, so he nodded. "Yes, it was them. That’s also how I encountered Princess Vivi of Alabasta and uncovered Crocodile’s scheme."
"So, you took advantage of the situation—using the Straw Hat Pirates as a means to strike at Crocodile. You even stood by and observed the war in Alabasta, all to ensure his downfall, didn’t you? Given your abilities, you had more than enough time to intervene the moment you learned of this, yet you chose not to. Instead, you manipulated events from the shadows, allowing that group of pirates to take the lead in eliminating Crocodile!" Sengoku adjusted his glasses, his sharp gaze fixed on Jack.
Jack was momentarily stunned. He had expected some level of suspicion regarding his actions, but he hadn’t anticipated that Fleet Admiral Sengoku would lay it all out so bluntly the moment he returned. Of course, what Sengoku didn’t realize was that Jack’s motivations weren’t entirely strategic—the diamonds played a role as well.
"Do you have any idea how destabilizing it is to lose one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?" Sengoku continued, his voice grave. "They serve as a critical balancing force. With the Navy preparing to advance into the New World, the Seven Warlords are an essential asset—we can’t afford to lose even one of them!"
Jack met his gaze unwaveringly. "But do you really believe any of them are truly loyal to the Navy?" he replied, his tone steady.
Sengoku was momentarily speechless.
"Alright, Sengoku," Vice Admiral Tsuru interjected, her voice calm yet firm. "The kid has just returned after accomplishing a major feat—there’s no need to be so harsh. Besides, we’re talking about Crocodile here. He set his sights on Alabasta; the World Government was never going to let that slide."
"Where is Nico Robin? Don't tell me she escaped. With your strength, there's no way that should have happened!" Sengoku exhaled sharply before pressing on.
"She was stabbed by Crocodile, and I chose to ignore her. But in the end, it seems those pirates took her away. Whether she survives is another matter," Jack replied calmly.
"What!? Jack—you did that on purpose!" Sengoku’s haki flared, his voice rising.
Tokikake, who had just been about to sit next to Garp, flinched so hard that his entire body trembled, prompting a burst of laughter from Garp.
"Garp!"
The tense atmosphere shattered as Sengoku turned to glare at him in frustration.
"Ahh—sorry, sorry! Carry on!" Garp waved a hand dismissively, utterly unfazed.
Although Garp feigned an apology, the serious mood had already been broken. With a sigh, Sengoku relented, shifting his tone. "I had considered delaying your promotion. Advancing too quickly isn't always beneficial. You've only been in the Navy for two years, Jack. While you've captured many pirates and demonstrated sufficient strength, I hope you understand my reasoning."
Jack shook his head. "Fleet Admiral, you’re overthinking it. I understand completely. If it’s an issue, I can simply resign."
"That's unnecessary," Sengoku replied, his expression softening. "But I want you to remain at headquarters for now and continue honing your strength. The New World is our priority. As one of the Navy’s rising stars, I have high hopes for you. Just don’t turn into certain individuals who neglect their training and spend their days slacking off."
As he spoke, he cast a pointed glance at Tokikake and Garp, his exasperation clear.
Tokikake looked utterly innocent—getting conscripted into the Navy had already been bad enough, and now he was being blamed for no reason. He silently vowed to keep his distance from Jack in the future. This guy was practically a walking disaster magnet!
After leaving Sengoku’s office, Jack immediately sought out Garp for a sparring match.
"Oh? Looks like you've made some progress lately. But you should go find someone else. This old man is past his prime—not exactly in the best shape for a fight!" Garp grinned, casually pointing at Tokikake beside him.
Jack glanced at Tokikake, who was shaking his head like a drum, and scoffed. "Fighting this guy is boring. He only has three moves, and once he's out of steam, it's over. There's no fun in that."
"Fine, then. I’ll go find Gion for a match," Jack said, clicking his tongue in disappointment.
Tokikake’s face twitched in annoyance. "Let me make one thing clear—I’m not going to be your punching bag. If I fight, I’m going all out. If you can't even hold your ground before getting a chance to show off your moves, then I’m done sparring with you."
Jack chuckled. "Don’t worry, I’ve got a surprise for you this time!"
As the three of them chatted, they made their way toward the outdoor training grounds—sparring indoors was far too cramped. As for Garp, while he claimed he was too old for action, he had no problem tagging along to enjoy the show.
In Sengoku’s office, after Jack and the others had left, Sengoku turned to Tsuru, who had remained behind. "What do you think of that kid?" he asked.
Tsuru smiled knowingly. "In terms of potential, Garp's judgment isn’t wrong."
Sengoku adjusted his glasses. "You know that’s not what I’m asking."
Tsuru sighed, gazing out the window. "The idea he proposed is certainly intriguing. Many marines have taken an interest in it. But you and I both understand how difficult it would be to implement. There were already differing voices within the Navy—now he’s added another. In the end, it all depends on how far he can go, doesn’t it?"
Sengoku was silent for a moment before asking, "So you think we should just let things play out?"
"What other choice do we have?" Tsuru replied. "Do you prefer Sakazuki’s approach? Should we really act against him now? As long as he doesn’t do anything to harm the Navy, we have no reason to intervene. And who knows? Maybe he’ll actually succeed. Haven’t you ever entertained the possibility, even for a moment?"
Sengoku’s eyes narrowed in surprise. "Tsuru… are you seriously considering this?"
Tsuru shook her head. "His idea is ambitious, but you and I both know the chances of success are slim. I’m only indulging in a bit of wishful thinking—I haven’t joined his side."
Sengoku exhaled in relief. If even his most trusted comrade had been swayed, he would have had to seriously reconsider how to deal with Jack.
Meanwhile, on the training grounds, Jack’s clothes were in tatters, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing was heavy. But Tokikake wasn’t faring much better—his left arm hung awkwardly, clearly dislocated, and his uniform was ripped in several places.
"Sensei, with my current strength, would I stand a chance of escaping if I were up against an admiral?"
Upon returning home, Jack found that Lena had already tidied up his villa.
Garp scoffed. "What kind of nonsense are you thinking about? With your current strength, you wouldn’t stand a chance against an admiral. Whether you escape or not would depend entirely on their mood!"
Jack nodded. "Then, please train me during this period!"
Garp folded his arms and smirked. "I can't teach you that strange chakra of yours, but since your physical condition has improved, we can finally push your body to its limits. Before, I held back because your body wasn’t strong enough, but now, you’re ready. Whether it’s Haki, hand-to-hand combat, or the Rokushiki, you can make significant progress!"
Jack straightened up and replied firmly, "Understood, sensei!"
After Garp left, Jack took a shower, changed into pajamas, and activated the system.
In addition to the exp and diamonds he had earned from capturing Crocodile, he also had a pending spin on the lottery wheel—something he had never used before. Now that he had some free time, he decided to give it a shot.
"You have used the Equipment Wheel Spin and obtained: Special Soft-Soled Boots ×1."
Jack glanced at the shoes in his inventory, momentarily intrigued. Without much thought, he decided to equip them.
Previously, he only had a set of novice gear and a basic weapon—an ordinary katana he had drawn later. However, since Jack preferred hand-to-hand combat, he rarely used weapons. As for the novice outfit, it didn’t suit his aesthetic taste, so he had long since tossed it into the depths of his inventory.
Soft-Soled Boots (Green): A common pair of shoes with soft soles, providing excellent comfort. Speed +5.
After equipping the boots, Jack found them surprisingly comfortable. With the added bonus of a small speed boost, he saw no reason to take them off. But just as he was about to close the equipment interface, something caught his attention—a red object positioned at his character’s side. He narrowed his eyes and examined it more closely.
Dragon Bead (Red): It is currently in a sealed state. Vitality +200, Recovery Speed +10%.
In addition to these displayed attributes, four more were marked with "???", likely representing the sealed abilities mentioned in the description.
"So that's the reason my physical condition has improved so drastically… It’s the enhanced recovery rate!" Jack muttered to himself, stroking his chin. "But how do I unseal it? Do I need dragon blood?"
Currently, there were no clear clues on how to break the seal of the Dragon Bead. The only lead Jack could think of was dragon blood. However, dragons might no longer exist in this world. That said, one individual did come to mind—Kaido of the Four Emperors, a user of a mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to transform into a dragon. Jack wondered whether Kaido’s blood could unlock the seal.
The mere sight of the Dragon Bead stirred an urge in him to spin the Treasure Wheel. However, after glancing at his remaining 30,000 diamonds, he clenched his fists and forced himself to resist the temptation.
