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[TIOP] Chapter : 24
🕑 Added 2025-02-07 21:10:13 +0000 UTC"Bastard! Let go of our captain!"
A sudden roar came from behind as Gin, the "Demon" and Iron Wall Pearl, the commander of Krieg’s second division, charged at Jack in a desperate attempt to save their Captain.
"Tekkai!"
Bang!
Jack didn’t flinch. Gin’s twin tonfas struck him directly, but instead of causing damage, the impact rang out like metal striking steel.
"Is that guy even human?" Sanji muttered in disbelief, his mouth hanging open as he watched Jack take Gin’s full-force attack head-on without so much as flinching.
"Heh, was that supposed to tickle?" Jack sneered. "Consecutive Shigan!"
With Kreig still dangling in one hand, Jack struck with his free hand. In an instant, Gin and Iron Wall Pearl collapsed to the ground, rendered completely incapacitated.
"Filthy pirates—accept justice!"
Using Geppo, Jack propelled himself into the air, hauling Krieg up with him.
"Rankyaku: Dragon Slash!"
With a single sweeping kick, a razor-sharp slash cut through the air. The remains of Krieg’s flagship—already in ruins—were obliterated, sinking straight to the ocean floor.
The chefs of Baratie stood frozen, mouths agape, staring at the vanishing wreckage.
"So this is the power of someone from the Grand Line?" One of them murmured in awe. "No wonder the Krieg didn’t even last a single exchange..."
Just then, a naval warship appeared in the distance, speeding toward them.
Descending from the sky with Krieg still in his grasp, Jack turned to Luffy, who stood dazed by the sudden turn of events.
"Luffy, didn’t you set out to be a pirate? Why the hell are you dressed like a restaurant waiter?" He asked with a smirk.
"Oh? I accidentally wrecked this restaurant, so I'm working here to pay for it! I originally planned to take out those pirates as compensation, but now that's off the table!" Luffy complained, his face filled with disappointment.
Jack's expression darkened with disbelief. He couldn’t fathom that a pirate would behave this way. In all his years with the Navy, he’d never heard of pirates damaging property and then working to make amends—let alone seen Luffy’s brother, Ace, do anything like that!
"Look, I'm really sorry," Jack said as he pointed toward the nearby warship. "I have to handle that scum myself, but I'll cover your compensation. Just promise me you won't claim to be a pirate again, or it'll make my life much harder!"
"Really? Really? You're actually going to help me pay for it? That's awesome!" Luffy exclaimed, excitedly stripping off his odd job clothes.
"Hey, who's in charge here? I want to settle my brother's debt!" Jack called out to the chefs at Baratie with a playful grin.
"No need, Mr. Marine— you've already done us a huge favor. Come on in and enjoy your meal," Zeff replied with a warm smile, clearly pleased.
"The Chef looks familiar," Jack murmured, touching his chin as he regarded Zeff with quiet curiosity.
Baratie's chefs were visibly nervous—they’d just learned from Kreig that their boss was, in fact, a pirate who had ventured into the Grand Line. If the marine recognized him, they’d be rendered utterly powerless.
“Well, never mind—maybe I’ve seen him somewhere before. It doesn’t matter now; I still owe the boss my thanks for taking care of my brother!” Jack declared, gently holding Luffy’s head as he saluted Zeff.
His words brought a collective sigh of relief from the chefs, though Zeff remained as composed as ever.
Once Jack ushered Luffy into the restaurant, the chefs and waitstaff immediately set about tidying up the disordered dining area.
“By the way, Luffy, where's your crew?” someone inquired, noticing that the injured Zoro, Usopp, and the others were nowhere in sight.
“Ah? They went off to find my other navigator!” Luffy replied with a relaxed smile.
Jack nodded and asked, “I see. So, where are you headed next?”
“Me? Of course I have to reunite with my crew too!” Luffy said as he sat down at the table, eager to begin his meal.
Just then, Jack nodded in agreement and was about to continue the conversation when Sanji arrived with food and red wine, promptly serving both him and Luffy.
As Sanji walked away, Jack continued eating before turning to Luffy. “By the way, Luffy, you do know, right? Your grandfather went back to Windmill Village looking for you. But seeing as you're here, I take it you didn’t run into him?”
True to its reputation, the sea restaurant Baratie delivered exceptional cuisine. The flavors were rich, and the red wine selected to accompany the meal was equally impressive.
Luffy, mid-bite, froze at the mention of his grandfather. His eyes widened in shock. “Grandpa?” he mumbled through a mouthful of food before hurriedly swallowing it all in one go. Looking around frantically, he asked, “My grandpa’s here? Where is he?”
Sanji, who had only just stepped away, discreetly lingered nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation. He recalled Jack mentioning earlier that he was Luffy’s grandfather’s disciple. If the student was already this powerful, then just how terrifying was the master?
Jack studied Luffy’s expression, which was eerily similar to Ace’s, and couldn't help but wonder—just how afraid was he of the old man? Noticing Sanji within earshot, he decided not to continue the conversation just yet. It wasn’t that he was concerned about Sanji overhearing, but rather out of respect for the cook’s work. He waited in silence until all the dishes were served.
Once the meal was finished, Jack wiped his mouth with the towel beside him and reassured Luffy, “Don’t worry, he won’t catch up with you just yet. But in the future? That’s another story entirely.”
Luffy let out a sigh of relief, reassured by Jack’s words.
Just then, a group of marines entered the restaurant, marching directly toward Jack. They saluted sharply and called out, “Captain!”
Jack nodded at them before issuing his orders. “Take Kreig aboard and keep him under custody for now.”
While the other marines were handling the situation, Luffy remained completely unfazed, continuing to eat as if nothing had happened. Seeing this, Jack felt relieved—at least Luffy wasn’t causing any trouble. The last thing he needed was for him to stir up chaos and embarrass him in front of his subordinates.
“Oh, by the way, Luffy, do you still have a boat? Wasn’t yours stolen? If you need a lift, I can take you,” Jack offered with a friendly smile.
Luffy paused mid-bite. “Huh? But I’m a pirate. Wouldn’t it be bad for me to board a navy ship?” he asked without a hint of hesitation.
Sanji, who had been listening in from the sidelines, nearly lost it.
'Idiot! The guy in front of you is a navy officer! A NAVY OFFICER! And you’re openly calling yourself a pirate?!' He fumed internally, barely holding back his frustration.
Sure enough, Luffy hadn’t paid any attention to what Jack had told him earlier.
Jack’s expression darkened, black lines practically forming across his face.
'Are you trying to announce to the whole world that you're a pirate?'
Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. “Forget it. I’m not going to argue with you, Luffy. I still have other matters to handle, so I won’t waste more time here. Take this.”
Jack pulled out his Vivre Card, tore off a small piece, and handed it to Luffy. “This is my vivre card. It’ll always point toward me. Keep it with you,” he explained, watching as Luffy examined it curiously.
Seeing Luffy carefully place the Vivre Card inside his straw hat, Jack smiled and waved before settling the bill. Not only did he pay for his own meal, but he also covered the compensation for the damage Luffy had caused to Baratie. Even though the restaurant staff hadn't insisted on payment, as a navy officer with a sense of justice, Jack made sure they received what was owed.
As he stepped outside with his men, the petty officer turned to him and asked, “Captain, where are we heading next?”
Jack smirked. “To Conomi Islands. There’s a certain rat there that needs to be dealt with.”
Today’s encounter with Luffy had left Jack in a good mood. Having been a One Piece fan in his past life, seeing the future Pirate King was surreal. Yet, despite this, he had no intention of arresting Luffy or interfering with his journey—for now. After all, many of his own plans required Luffy’s natural knack for stirring up chaos.
Once Jack and the navy departed, Luffy turned his attention to Sanji, extending an invitation to join his crew. After bidding an emotional farewell to Zeff, Sanji accepted and set off with Luffy. The two of them took a small boat Zeff had provided and began their voyage toward Cocoyashi Village.
Upon arriving at Conomi islands, Jack ordered the warship to remain anchored at a distance. Using Geppo (Moon Step), he swiftly traversed the sky and landed directly on the island. He recalled that around this time, Captain Nezumi had likely already extorted Nami, seizing the 100 million Beli she had painstakingly saved. He also seemed to recall that Nami’s sister, Nojiko, had been injured in the process.
With that in mind, Jack decided to deal with Captain Nezumi first. As for Arlong’s 20 million Beli bounty, he intended to observe the situation before making a move. After all, he had just received 1,700 diamonds from Krieg, pushing his total past 10,000. There was no urgent need to rush into things.
Surveying the ruined homes around him, Jack sighed. If Arlong weren’t Luffy’s opponent, his personality would have inevitably led to a direct confrontation by now. Pirates like Arlong, who thrived on preying upon defenseless civilians, were the ones Jack despised the most.
As for Jinbei, one of the Shichibukai, Jack doubted that the whale shark Fish-Man—renowned as the "Knight of the Sea"—would ever condone Arlong’s actions. However, if Jinbei truly intended to protect Arlong after learning what he had done, then Jack wouldn’t hesitate to face him in battle.
After setting foot in Cocoyashi Village, Jack quickly assessed his surroundings before making his way toward Gosa Town. He remembered that Nami’s orange grove was situated between Cocoyashi Village and Gosa Town, making it his next destination.
Not wanting to miss anything, Jack followed the coastline closely. He recalled that Nami had taken Luffy and the others on a boat, which was likely docked near the orange grove along the shore.
As he reached the area, his gaze instinctively shifted toward another location—the heart of Arlong’s territory, the stronghold of the Fish-Men. That was where Arlong and his crew resided. However, at that moment, movement on the distant sea caught his attention. To confirm what was happening, Jack immediately propelled himself into the air using Geppo (Moon Step). From above, he spotted a naval warship being sunk before his eyes.
“That’s the flag of the 77th Branch!” Jack muttered, narrowing his eyes. “Did the 77th Branch send reinforcements here? Are they trying to strike a deal with Arlong, just like Captain Nezumi? Or did negotiations fall apart because they got too greedy?”
He pondered the situation for a moment, but one thing was certain—this wasn’t a naval assault against Arlong. As the highest-bounty pirate in the East Blue and with the influence of the Warlord Jinbei backing him, Arlong had little to fear from the average naval force. As long as he didn’t push things too far, the Marines wouldn’t dare provoke him without good reason.
