Chapter 130: Throw the First Punch, Then Ask All the Questions While Fighting!

"It really is you, old man!"

Siano burst into loud laughter as well. "Isn't this a bit exaggerated, Marine Headquarters? Have things really reached the point where you're being sent specifically to capture me?"

I've only been in the Grand Line for two months, after all.

This is the kind of treatment Roger received!

"Can't be helped," the old man said. "Over in the New World, Kaidou and Whitebeard are fighting hot and heavy, so manpower is extremely tight. I was enjoying my leave quite nicely, but then I got dragged over here... Eh, wait, no, that's top-secret military intelligence; I can't tell you that."

"But you already told him, Mr. Garp!!!" angry shouts rang out from the surrounding Marine soldiers.

"Pwahahaha!"

Garp scratched his head and laughed. "Ah, I slipped up! It's fine, anyway; the newspapers will be printing it in a couple of days!" Suddenly turning serious, he said, "Siano, the truth is, I'm here on behalf of the World Government to discuss the matter of the Qiwuhai Alliance with you."

"The Qiwuhai Alliance?"

Siano stroked his chin. "So you want to recruit me; has this really stirred up the World Government?"

"That's right, haha! A track record of consecutively defeating two members of the Qiwuhai Alliance has even made the Five Elders unable to sit still. Hmm, anyway, just nod your head, and your bounty poster will be voided immediately, plus you can enjoy... Tsk, why are there so many pages in this document? Such a hassle. How about we just meet face-to-face and talk!"

"Meeting is fine, but you should come alone, right, old man?"

Siano paused. "Don't let it be that when we meet, I suddenly discover some sleazy uncle wearing sunglasses or an eyepatch trailing behind you."

"Hah? Definitely not!"

"Alright, then I'll stop the ship and wait for you. Let me check the sea chart; hmm, the current coordinates should be approximately..."

Click.

The call ended.

Inside the dining hall, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, before their gazes all converged on Siano once more.

"Brother, are we really staying here to wait for the Marines to arrive?"

Nami was the first unable to hold back; she said anxiously, "We can't trust them so easily; what if it's a trap..."

"Rest assured."

Siano sat back down in his seat and continued eating breakfast with an unchanged expression. "If it were anyone else, maybe, but when that old man speaks, his words can be trusted."

"Mm, that's correct." Smoker nodded deeply in agreement. "Old Man Garp is indeed like that; even when facing an enemy, he wouldn't pull a stunt like this."

"Even though you've left the Marines, you still seem to hold him in high regard," Robin said from the side, blinking her eyes.

"The title 'Hero of the Marines' has shaken the seas for decades; which child dreaming of joining the Marines didn't grow up listening to his stories?"

Smoker let out a sigh.

Unfortunately, within the upper echelons of the Marines, not everyone is like Mr. Garp.

"Enough! The captain has said there's no need to worry, so stop fussing over nothing!"

Nami was about to say something more, but Zeff cut her off with a chuckle, the old man banging his rice spoon loudly:

"Let's all continue eating properly!"

The Curtain Fall dropped anchor and came to a halt.

After finishing breakfast, Siano had been lazily lying under a sun umbrella waiting, but after glancing at the sea surface beside him, he seemed to remember something and suddenly lifted his head:

"Hey, Nojiko."

Nojiko, who was in the lookout tower scanning the surroundings for any appearing warships, quickly leaned out:

"What is it, Brother?"

"Freeze this area and create an ice sheet; the wider, the better."

Siano pointed to the starboard side of the ship's railing.

"Eh?"

Nojiko was somewhat baffled.

"You haven't met that old man, so you don't know his temperament."

Siano smiled. "Regardless of whether I agree to something like the Qiwuhai Alliance treaty or not, after not seeing each other for so many years, he'll definitely pester me to fight once business is concluded. You wouldn't want the two of us fighting on the deck of the Curtain Fall, would you?"

Fighting on the deck of the Curtain Fall?

Nojiko imagined it slightly and immediately shivered. The Curtain Fall had accompanied them all the way for two months now; they had developed feelings for it, and she didn't want it to be destroyed just like that.

"Understood, Brother."

She nodded, set her telescope aside, and leaped out from the lookout tower.

Head first, she let her body plummet.

Just before hitting the sea, she took a deep breath, pushed both hands forward flat, and the cold air accumulated within her body suddenly erupted—

"Ice Age—!"

In an instant, a bone-chilling cold current swept outward from the center of her palms in all directions!

Crack, crack; the originally surging sea surface instantly froze into a vast, silver-clad ice plain.

Siano was momentarily stunned.

Wait, what Age?

How could even this move's name be a coincidence?

I wonder what Aokiji would think upon seeing this scene.

"How is it, Brother!"

Nojiko clapped her hands, looked up with a grin toward Siano on the ship, and said, "It's roughly over a hundred thousand square meters; is that enough?"

"Enough."

Siano gave a thumbs-up, then stood up, went to the railing, flipped over, and landed on the ice layer.

Although it was also called Ice Age.

But unlike the mirror-smooth ice surface created by Aokiji's ability,

the ice layer Nojiko created was covered with a layer of accumulated snow nearly half a meter thick, glittering with fine silver light under the sun.

It went crunch-crunch underfoot.

"A very suitable venue."

Siano grinned, lifting his gaze to the distance. "Next, we just wait for that old man to arrive..."

Over an hour later.

On the distant horizon, the dark silhouette of a dog-headed warship finally appeared.

On the deck, Garp sat cross-legged on the railing, clutching a bag of rice crackers stolen from Sengoku's office, munching away heartily.

Beside him, his adjutant Bogart reminded him helplessly:

"Mr. Garp, we're about to reach our destination; shouldn't you take out the documents and prepare yourself?"

"Pwahahaha! What's the rush?"

Garp waved his hand carelessly. "In matters of negotiation, one should properly entertain the guest first, right? Who goes straight for the documents... Hmm?"

He suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring at the vast ice field that had abruptly appeared on the sea ahead. "Strange, is this... that kid Kuzan's ability? No, it seems slightly different."

"It should be the power of the Snow-Snow Fruit."

Bogart observed for a moment and said softly:

"The user is named Nojiko, that Siano's younger sister. Furthermore, according to intelligence, there are two other Logia-type users on his ship, whose strength cannot be underestimated."

No, it was far more than just 'cannot be underestimated.'

Bogart sighed inwardly.

Who could have imagined that the country boy he once saw in the Colubo Mountains had not only become a famous figure renowned throughout the world but also gathered a group of powerful subordinates under his command?

A full three Logia-type users!

Looking at the entire world, aside from their own Marine Headquarters and the Four Emperors of the New World, what other faction could boast such a luxurious lineup?

"Is that so?"

Garp brushed the crumbs off his hands. "I don't care much about those things, but... preparing the venue in advance? Pwahahaha, it seems this kid and I are on the same wavelength!"

On the same wavelength?

Bogart froze.

The next moment, he suddenly realized the truth, his expression changing instantly. "Mr. Garp! Please remember your mission this time; do not, due to a momentary impulse, just..."

"Relax, relax." Garp chuckled. "You've followed me for so many years; you should know I have a clear head."

"Report!"

The lookout's voice suddenly came from above. "Vice Admiral Garp, the Curtain Fall Ship spotted ahead! There is also a figure on the ice; it's that Siano with a bounty of 540 million Berries!"

"Ah, I see him too."

Garp grinned.

His eyesight far exceeded that of ordinary people; in his field of vision, he could not only clearly see the figure in the center of the ice but also

perceive that the other party was lying comfortably in a rattan chair under a sun umbrella, drinking beer.

At this moment, seemingly noticing the approaching warship, he raised the glass bottle in his hand and gave it a gentle shake in their direction.

"Damn it, I've been tearing my hair out looking for you, yet you're leisurely enough, you brat!!!"

Laughing loudly, Garp took a single stride and leaped over the ship's railing.

He did not use Moon Walk; instead, relying on his terrifying leg strength, he jumped straight up several hundred meters high before crashing down onto the ice like a cannonball—

Boom!!!

The ice surface instantly exploded into a huge hole, cracks spreading outward in all directions like a spiderweb.

The figure of this Marine Hero vanished directly into the ice hole, leaving behind only a circle of splashing water.

Hmm?

Siano froze, turning his head to look at Nojiko.

"Uh, that's the edge zone; the ability weakens as it extends that far."

Nojiko's face flushed, and she said awkwardly, "The center is still over ten meters thick, but over there it's probably only two or three meters... Should I go patch the hole now?"

Siano shook his head. "Forget it, no need. Besides, when the fighting starts, it'll be in the central area anyway..."

Before he could finish speaking,

a series of gurgling bubble sounds suddenly erupted from the ice hole, followed immediately by—

"Pwahahaha! What's going on? This ice is way too thin!"

Garp's head suddenly popped out of the water, half a rice cracker still dangling from his mouth, his wet hair plastered to his forehead; paired with his dog-head hat, he looked quite comical.

While struggling to climb out, he waved at Siano:

"Hey! You brat! Hurry up and pull me out?!"

Siano fell silent for two seconds, then turned to Nojiko and said: "... Patch the hole."

Nojiko: "... Oh."

She squatted down, placing her hands on the ice.

Crack-crack—

Cold air erupted once again, and the ice layer rapidly thickened. Seeing this, Garp kicked hard with his legs, letting out a wail as he jumped straight out of the water.

"Murder, you little girl!"

Garp strode over, speaking in a bad temper. "Luckily I reacted quickly, or I would have been frozen at the bottom of the sea by you!"

Siano sighed, handed him another bottle of beer, and pointed to the seat opposite. "Sit down, old man. I really can't tell if you're here to negotiate or to perform acrobatics."

I know you like to act the clown.

But look at the occasion, will you!

The atmosphere was perfect just now.

On the vast sea, ice stretches for a thousand miles; after many years apart, old friends meet, raise their wine bottles, and drink together under this umbrella.

And now? Look at this mess—you've ruined it all!

"Negotiations? That's trivial!"

Garp took the beer, tilted his head back and gulped down a huge mouthful, exhaled with satisfaction, then looked down at Siano across the round table and chuckled:

"Rather than that, let this old man see first—"

Whoosh!

An iron fist wreathed in violent Haki suddenly appeared before Siano, as Garp's hearty laughter echoed across the ice field:

"You little brat, just how much have you improved!"

Siano had been prepared; red light flickered in his eyes as he sidestepped.

Garp's fist grazed his shoulder, the resulting wind pressure blasting the chair into fragments and carving a trench dozens of meters long into the ice behind him.

"Hey! Weren't we supposed to negotiate first?!" Siano glared.

"Pwahahaha! We'll talk after we fight!" Garp roared with laughter, launching another iron fist.

"You're even more impatient than I am, you damn old man!"

Siano cursed loudly, yet fighting spirit surged in his eyes as well.

Fine, a fight first wouldn't hurt; he had wanted to try this anyway...

To see, after so many years apart, just how great the gap between him and Garp truly was!

Hum, his right arm instantly coated itself in Armament Haki black as ink, meeting the surging fist head-on.

Boom—!!!

The moment their fists collided, a visible spherical shockwave erupted between them.

The entire ice field, like glass trampled by a giant, cracked outward from the point of impact in spiderweb fissures hundreds of meters in diameter.

The warship that had just docked was rocked violently by the shockwave; the Marines on deck desperately clung to the masts, yet were still shaken until they staggered in every direction.

Bogart, however, remained standing straight as an arrow; watching the two engaged in fierce combat, he couldn't help but press his forehead and sigh:

"... As expected, it's turned out like this after all."

He should have foreseen this long ago.

Thud, thud!

Under the focus of countless gazes.

Two figures constantly crossed paths, becoming afterimages difficult to distinguish amidst the swirling ice crystals; every collision triggered a chain of explosions.

"Take this fist of mine!"

Garp's fist, wreathed in terrifying wind pressure, smashed toward Siano's face; the instant Siano leaned back to dodge, the wind grazed his hairtips and instantly blasted a huge crater into the ice layer.

"Pwahahaha! As expected, you've mastered Observation Haki quite skillfully; nicely dodged!"

Laughing, Garp changed tactics, his left leg chopping down sharply like a battle-axe!

"Iron Body!"

Siano crossed his arms to block, absorbing the full force of the strike, yet the ice layer beneath his feet could not withstand the tremendous power and collapsed with a boom.

He simply went with the flow, sinking into the ice cave, only to burst out from behind Garp a second later; his right leg, coiled with dense Haki, whipped like a lash, striking fiercely at the back of his opponent's neck!

Bang!

Without even turning his head, Garp snapped a hand back to precisely seize Siano's ankle, swinging him in a full circle before slamming him hard against the ice surface.

Once, twice, three times!

With every slam, countless cracks exploded across the ice; in the blink of an eye, Siano was like a wooden mallet, thrown back and forth over a dozen times, the slight smile originally hanging on his lips gradually twisting into a ferocious grimace.

Is there no end to this, you damn old man!

Damn it, this is clearly my usual move!

"My turn!!!"

Just as Garp lifted him high to the apex of the arc, he suddenly twisted his waist mid-air, flipped over, and with a snap, used the momentum to break free from Garp's large hand.

While propping himself up with his left hand, he gathered his entire strength into his right fist and smashed it violently into Garp's chest!

"Rokushiki Secret Technique: Yamabuki-colored Ripple Dash!"

"Iron Body!" Garp also roared.

Boom!

The instant the fist struck Garp's abdomen, time seemed to stand still; only ripples, like those on water, slowly bloomed across Garp's chest.

Then—

Thud!!!!

A terrifying shockwave spread in a sphere; on the surrounding ice layers, all accumulated snow was sent flying high, as if a heavy goose-feather snowstorm had begun!

The Iron Body at Garp's chest shattered; he was blasted flying backward, carving a trajectory hundreds of meters long across the ice before finally crashing into the side of the Dog Head warship and coming to a halt.

"Mr. Garp!"

"Vice Admiral!"

The Marines on deck rushed to the railing on that side, their faces revealing disbelief.

Mr. Garp's Iron Body couldn't even block that punch, and he was blown this far?

Bogart's eyes merely flickered; he remained standing quietly in place, paying it no heed.

He had already witnessed this scene many years ago.

"Mr. Garp."

He spoke softly to the figure below, "It is obvious that the opponent's abilities far surpass those of the past; if you do not adjust your mindset and unleash your true skills, you will be thoroughly underestimated."

(End of Chapter)