Chapter 292: The Bottom Line
Marineford · Fleet Admiral's Office
Warm sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the faint fragrance of fresh tea filled the room.
Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru were rarely gathered together. Sitting around the tea table, their expressions were relaxed and comfortable.
"The younger generation has all grown up. Days like these are truly leisurely~"
Garp said this while stuffing rice crackers he had swiped from Sengoku's drawer into his mouth, crunching them loudly.
Sengoku rolled his eyes. "You say that as if you didn't slack off all day before they grew up either."
Zephyr revealed a rare smile, slowly picking up his teacup. "The more idle we are, the stronger it proves they have become. Isn't that a good thing?"
Tsuru took a gentle sip of tea, a smile at the corners of her eyes. "Indeed. It wasn't easy to achieve the peace we have now."
Before she could finish, spatial ripples suddenly appeared in the center of the office, and a vortex unfolded silently.
Roy's figure stepped out from it. With a natural expression, he nodded in greeting to the four elders one by one, then walked over to the tea table, sat down, and picked up the teapot to pour tea for them in turn.
Sengoku raised an eyebrow. "Oh, a rare guest. Why did you suddenly come back?"
Roy pushed a teacup in front of him, his tone calm: "Just finished dealing with some matters, so I dropped by to take a look."
Garp laughed heartily, picking up his teacup and downing it in one gulp. "I heard you beat up two Shichibukai in Dressrosa, brat? You really didn't give the higher-ups any face, huh?"
Roy shrugged. "Beating them up was a complete accident."
"I originally went there because a powerhouse caught my interest, but I ended up running right into that mess."
Tsuru looked at him, her tone profound. "I heard the Five Elders called you personally? Sometimes you still need to show some restraint; the time hasn't come yet."
Roy nodded slightly. "I understand."
Sengoku set down his teacup, his expression turning solemn. "By the way, aren't you going to keep an eye on the battle at Hachinosu?
Those two brats Ace and Luffy are both there. Ochoku is no ordinary opponent—he was one of the original crew members of the Rocks Pirates."
Zephyr chuckled, slowly setting down his teacup. "Oh? Did I not mention it when I came in earlier?"
Sengoku was taken aback. "Mention what?"
Zephyr wiped a tea stain from the corner of his mouth, his tone leisurely: "Kuzan went with them. It seems this brat—" he pointed at Roy, "—arranged it in advance."
Hearing this, Sengoku immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "I see. Then I can rest easy."
Just as the atmosphere was pleasant, Tsuru's expression suddenly faded. Her gaze locked directly onto Roy, her tone serious:
"Roy... do you want to consider bringing your parents to Marine Headquarters?"
This single sentence instantly froze the originally gentle atmosphere.
Roy's fingertips paused, his teacup hovering in mid-air. His eyes instantly turned cold.
"Are you worried that my recent attitude has been too unyielding, and the higher-ups might try some underhanded tricks?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it made the air in the room seem to plummet in temperature.
Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru fell silent simultaneously, a flash of gravity and complexity in their eyes.
Roy set down his teacup, taking a slow sip. His tone was light but permeated with a chilling intent: "If they really wanted to do that... bringing them here would be useless."
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of all four changed almost simultaneously, as if recalling a certain past event they did not wish to touch upon.
Zephyr's fists clenched tightly on his knees, his knuckles turning white. "Roy..."
Garp's smile vanished completely, his brow furrowed in a rare display of seriousness.
Sengoku took a deep breath, his gaze behind his glasses as sharp as a blade.
Roy looked at Zephyr, his tone unusually calm. "Teacher, so many years have passed... there are some things you should have clearly understood in your heart a long time ago."
Zephyr's pupils shrank slightly, a trace of gloom flashing in the depths of his eyes.
After a few seconds of silence, Roy continued speaking, his expression returning to indifference. "Rest assured, those five old fools aren't stupid enough to go to that extent.
Right now, I've just disgusted them a few times. We haven't reached the point of tearing away all pretenses yet."
Shifting his tone, his expression suddenly tightened. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes as sharp as blades:
"Even if they really did want to make a move on my parents, something like kidnapping is completely meaningless against my abilities."
His finger tapped lightly on the table—
Tap.
It was as soft as silence, yet it made the hearts of the four clench simultaneously.
"If something really were to happen..."
He didn't continue, but that oppressive feeling was enough for anyone to imagine the consequences.
"A 'nuclear bomb' that can teleport directly to your face at any time."
"There is no one in this world who wants to face that kind of threat!"
Garp looked at him deeply, speaking slowly: "Family is always the bottom line."
Roy nodded slightly. "I understand."
Tsuru pushed up her glasses, her tone softening. "Since you have your own plans, we won't say any more. However—"
She looked at Roy meaningfully. "Roy, sometimes showing weakness is also a strategy. A blade that is too sharp breaks easily."
Roy smiled faintly. "Thank you for the reminder, Staff Officer Tsuru."
"However..."
He stood up, darkness swirling silently beneath his feet.
"My 'sharpness' has never been for self-preservation."
"It is to ensure... that certain people won't even dare to harbor the thought of breaking it."
Hachinosu (Pirate Island)
Freezing air still permeated the atmosphere. Half of Hachinosu had now been turned into a world of ice and snow.
Ochoku's figure was completely sealed within a massive wall of ice. Even that aura that made the three of them palpitate had been thoroughly annihilated under the heavy layers of ice.
Luffy, Ace, and Gion finally recovered from the soul-stirring death match. Their gazes all fell upon that tall figure standing lazily nearby.
Gion took a deep breath and sheathed her sword. Her voice carried a trace of unconcealable sincerity and gratitude: "...Thank you."
Kuzan turned his head, his hands stuffed in his pockets. His expression was as lazy as ever, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Arara~ You three already did a pretty good job."
His gaze slowly swept over the three of them. "This was no ordinary enemy, after all..."
Luffy and Ace finally walked up closer. The battle intent in their hearts gradually subsided, but that feeling of being pushed to their absolute limits lingered in their chests, difficult to disperse for a long time.
For the first time, they clearly perceived it—the deterrent power of a Marine Admiral.
It wasn't just a simple gap in strength, but a presence akin to looking up at a towering mountain, making it impossible to ignore.
At the same time, Kuzan's freezing hadn't been indiscriminate coverage. It was precise down to every inch—
The boundaries of the iceberg perfectly bypassed the Marine soldiers' positions, yet completely froze the majority of the remaining pirates.
The Marine soldiers' eyes flashed with an exhilarating light as they quickly reformed their ranks and advanced—
Those who needed to be killed were slain on the spot; those who needed to be captured were swiftly disarmed. The arrogant bluster of the pirates on Hachinosu was utterly crushed in this moment.
The Battle of Hachinosu was a total victory!
Gion looked at the world of ice and snow before her, then looked at Kuzan, her tone carrying a bit of inquiry: "...You were here the whole time?"
Kuzan lazily scratched the back of his head. His tone remained slow, yet it revealed a reassuring certainty:
"Arara~ With these two brats who cause trouble all day long here, how could Roy not leave some sort of backup plan?"
"After all, his intention was—go all out and fight. Even if it's a life-or-death battle, you have to be allowed to go all in..."
A gentle breeze blew past, causing ice shards to slip from his shoulders. A faint smile lifted the corners of his lips, but it was as if he were speaking for the entire Marines:
"But remember—this doesn't mean we will just watch you go to your deaths."
He slowly raised his hand, pointing to the half of Hachinosu that had become a frozen ruin beneath their feet:
"Feel free to go all out, to gamble, to challenge your limits... because behind you—you still have us."
In that instant, the freezing wind seemed to stand still. Every word that fell into the ears of the three was as heavy as a thousand-pound hammer:
"So, feel free to put everything on the line. With us here, the sky won't fall."
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