C14 Ace's Arrest Warrant

Every time Garp took a vacation, he made it a point to visit his grandson in the village. By the time his break was nearing its end, both Luffy and Rodney were exhausted to the bone. Garp would leave, satisfied with the rigorous training he had put them through.

Garp had expressed concerns about Rodney's frail body and lackluster vitality, fearing it would lead to his untimely demise on the battlefield. Consequently, Rodney was plunged back into his grueling routine: daytime was for training, and nighttime for refining his Chakra. This relentless cycle persisted until Garp's vacation concluded, signaling a temporary reprieve from Rodney's arduous existence.

Rodney's days were spent gorging on food, consuming vast amounts of energy to fortify himself. His physique began to resemble that of the village's robust inhabitants, his skin tanned from constant exposure to the elements. If he continued down this path, he feared he might end up aspiring to be the Reikage.

He couldn't let that happen. It was imperative that he quickly master the Six Moves and learn the art of life restoration, lest he truly become one of the village's own.

Fortunately, with the Sharingan, Rodney could capture Garp's execution of the Six Moves. Once he had learned them, he could work on integrating and mastering the life restoration technique. But first, he had to get a grip on the Six Moves themselves.

Shadow Clone... Why hadn't he opted for that technique from the start? Ah, right, it was prohibitively expensive. Out of his budget.

He needed to take on missions, and fast!

[Ding! A mission has been issued!]

Could it be that simple?

"Mission: Assassinate the Pirate Cliff Charlotte.

Mission Level: D+

Reward: 100 Mission Points."

Cliff Charlotte? Who was that?

Aboard the ship, Rodney turned to Bogart, the adjutant, and inquired about this character.

Before his association with Garp, Bogart had been part of Cp3, with a background in intelligence. Mulling it over, he replied, "Cliff Charlotte, captain of the Cannon Pirate Group, has a bounty of eleven million. He commands the ship with the most cannons in the East Sea and leads a thousand pirates. Two months ago, he was spotted in Graycastle Village in the East Sea. Colonel Smoker attempted to apprehend him but Charlotte managed to slip away."

Anyone who could give Smoker the slip must possess some real skill.

Smoker's prowess was among the top in the East Sea. With the Nature Type Fruit and the Six Moves, he could undoubtedly reign supreme there. It's likely only the leader of the Evil Dragon Pirate Group could give him a run for his money. Over time, no one would stand a chance against him. Without the Sea Building Stone or the power of dominance, the Nature Type Fruit was unstoppable.

The ability to escape was a skill in its own right.

"Why? Are you planning to make a move on him?" Bogart's adjutant inquired.

Rodney replied with a smile, "Naturally." A map pinpointing the target's location materialized on the screen before him. The ocean was vast; without assistance, he could spend a lifetime searching to no avail. Clearly, he needed this positioning.

"I forgot you're a Pirate Hunter. Where do you intend to apprehend him?" Bogart asked.

"I'll start by checking with the nearby naval branch. Thanks for your hospitality these past days." With that, Rodney leapt from the ship, striding atop the water.

"Has Mr. Rodney left?" Garp donned his dog-head hat and nibbled on a donut.

"Yes. Are you sure we shouldn't try to enlist him in the navy?" Bogart questioned.

Rodney's capabilities, consciousness, and perspective on justice made him an ideal fit for the navy. Garp had extended multiple invitations, but Rodney consistently declined, preferring not to be constrained by orders and to continue his work as a Pirate Hunter.

"Recruiting him would be futile. By the way, does being a Pirate Hunter really pay that well?" Garp pondered.

"Absolutely. Pirate Hunters can trade pirates for bounties. A ten million bounty could sustain an ordinary family for quite some time."

"Really? Maybe we should become Pirate Hunters then," Garp mused, causing Vice Admiral Bogart to wince. "Vice Admiral Garp, the navy doesn't receive bounties for eliminating pirates."

The navy's duty was to apprehend and eliminate pirates; they could only hope for a generous bonus but never the astronomical bounties.

"Hahaha, slipped my mind!" Garp chuckled, watching Rodney in the distance as he disciplined a Sea King Species. "This young man, as long as he stays on the right path, could definitely become an ally of justice."

Garp understood Rodney's inherent kindness. As long as this kindness wasn't corrupted by the murky seas, it was destined to shine brightly.

Rodney had a clear sense of right and wrong. He would become enraged when Pirates harmed others and was driven to anger in his efforts to save them. He could be indifferent to the suffering he couldn't see, sometimes offering a few angry words before moving on. But when confronted with injustice before his eyes, he would ensure those responsible paid the price. Resorting to violence wasn't his desire, but it was the way of the world.

Even the navy was merely an instrument of brute force.

He could only take care of what was within his reach. Anything beyond that was beyond his capability, and he was still at a stage of looking out for himself.

Ultimately, he was still too weak.

Perched atop a Sea King Species, its eyes bore the Sharingan, indicating Rodney's control over it. Its will completely overpowered, the creature served as his steed.

The Sharingan proved to be incredibly useful.

The Sea King Species sped through the ocean, a seabird with a hat and a worn leather bag gliding above it. Rodney patted the Sea King Species to halt and gestured to the seabird, "Over here, a newspaper, please."

The news bird, tasked with delivering newspapers, descended onto the Sea King Species' horn. In a remarkable display, it used its wings to produce a newspaper, and Rodney placed a hundred Belle in the bird's leather bag.

It's worth noting that a hundred Belle could buy two Choppers!

Chopper, handling mere tens of Belle, felt a pang of sympathy for the exorbitant amounts he had seen spent.

The news bird took flight, and the Sea King Species resumed its journey. Rodney turned to examine the newspaper in his hands.

The World News and Economics Society consistently unearthed a wealth of news from across the globe. Morgans was arguably the world's top paparazzo, unwavering in his dedication. To be featured in his World News was to be part of a genuinely significant story.

For instance, a member nation of the World Government in the New World, no longer able to endure the tyranny of corrupt nobles, boldly initiated a rebellion. The articles detailed the insurrection's progression and outcome, subtly suggesting the Revolutionary Army's involvement.

The language was meticulous and the prose, resplendent. Truly, he lived up to being a man who earned his keep in this profession.

"Hmm? A bounty? Is this guy... Ace?"

Tucked within the pages of the newspaper was a wanted poster featuring Ace's grinning visage.

Portgas D. Ace, 50 million Beli, "DEAD OR ALIVE!"

"This guy took just two months to make his mark on the Great Voyage, huh? He's moving fast." He shook his head, silently hoping Ace would honor the promise they made.

As the wanted poster was whisked away by the wind, Rodney's attention returned to the other news in the paper.

Traveling could be such a drag. Next time he found himself in a town, he'd have to pick up a few books to stave off the boredom.

The newspaper was filled with updates from the New World. There wasn't much about the first half of the Great Voyage. The Pirate Graveyard lived up to its ominous name; it was under intense scrutiny by the Navy and guarded by the Oka Shichibukai. Only a handful of pirates survived to reach the Sabaody Archipelago, pass through Fishman Island, and enter the New World, but those who did were formidable. Once there, they often found themselves schooled by the underlings of the Four Emperors.

In the New World, the Four Emperors wielded absolute power. Newcomer pirates had two choices: align or challenge. Those who aligned survived; those who challenged met their demise.

One article detailed the folly of a pirate with a 530 million Beli bounty who dared to confront Big Mom and ended up being thrashed by her top enforcer for inadvertently eating her cake. Big Mom flattened him with a single punch.

Of course, if you could curry favor with the Four Emperors, you stood a chance.

White Beard might adopt you as his son if he took a liking to you.

Big Mom would take you in as her son-in-law, and if you were particularly strong or unique, she might even consider you for a husband.

Kaidou would bring you into his fold as a subordinate if he approved of you; otherwise, you'd find yourself warned by his Thunder Bagua and sent to toil in the mines.

And if Shanks took a shine to you, he'd invite you for a drink.

Having finished the newspaper, Rodney was struck by a wave of boredom. His goal remained a considerable distance away, with several days' journey ahead of him, leaving him facing the prospect of tedium in the days to come.

He resolved to purchase some books in the future, though he wondered about the quality of the novels in this world. He hoped they would prove to be entertaining...