Chapter 68

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Within the dignified meeting room of Navy Branch 153, over ten Colonels and Commodores, draped in their Navy justice cloaks, convened.

They were there to deliberate on the subsequent actions concerning Colonel Morse's collusion with pirates.

Crunch, crunch.

The sound of munching reverberated from a corner, forming a stark contrast with the serious atmosphere around the conference table.

Yet, despite this noise causing some annoyance, the Navy officers didn't show the slightest sign of displeasure. After all, the individual making the noise was none other than the Vice Admiral from the headquarters, the legendary marine, the hero of the Navy, Monkey D. Garp!

This situation involved the mobilization of an officer at the Colonel level, a matter of great significance. Given that Vice Admiral Garp was conveniently on vacation in the East Blue, he was directly summoned by a phone call from Admiral Sengoku.

Garp, with hair showing signs of white at the temples yet mostly retaining its black color, lay on a sofa with his eyes closed, a bubble of snot at his nose.

His hands mechanically reached for the doughnuts placed before him, continuously feeding them into his mouth. This was a traditional secret technique of the Monkey family: replenishing the body with ample nutrition and energy while resting.

In simpler terms: eating while sleeping.

Garp had absolutely no interest in matters of officer mobilization, only appearing here out of obligation due to the Admiral's orders, to indulge in the provided refreshments.

The meeting lasted for over two hours before nearing its conclusion.

"Finally, regarding Zyhark of the Sea Restaurant Endless Dream, our investigations in both Orange Town and Syrup Village have revealed extremely high approval from the residents. His strength and character seem to have no significant issues."

"The headquarters' stance is to attempt to recruit him if possible, to bolster the forces of justice and combat those pirates who wreak havoc."

Pop!

Just then, the snot bubble at Garp's nostril burst.

The man who had been soundly asleep until a moment ago suddenly sat up, his energy so vibrant that he hardly seemed like someone who had just woken up.

"What did you just say? Zyhark?" Garp asked, intrigued.

He had a deep impression of the young man who had taken great care of Luffy in Windmill Village.

A few months ago, he had given him some basic instruction on physical techniques and the concepts of Haki.

Garp was unaware of the news about Zyhark, which had just been published today.

Seeing the interest from such a prominent figure, the Navy officers did not dare to delay and relayed the entire event in detail.

"Hahaha! Defeating both Buggy and Kuro, that kid running a restaurant is quite capable, isn't he?"

After hearing the story, Garp burst into laughter.

"Mr. Garp, you know him?" the officers asked, puzzled.

If Zyhark had such a connection, then they would need to treat him even more seriously.

"He's someone who I owe a small favor."

"Leave the task of recruiting him to the Navy to me; you needn't worry about it."

With that said, Garp, still smiling, donned his cloak of justice. He walked out of the meeting room, continuing to eat his doughnuts.

The officers left behind were stunned: The Navy hero Garp owed Zyhark a favor? This was a crucial piece of information to note!

---

As the newspaper spread across the East Blue, business at the Sea Restaurant Endless Dream boomed, attracting a continuous stream of customers.

Since Zyhark and his companions weren't only dreaded pirates, merchants, travelers, bounty hunters, and even off-duty marines all wanted to witness the individual who had defeated two pirates with bounties in the millions.

Taking advantage of this popularity, Zyhark harvested profits, increasing the prices of meals and drinks several-fold.

Once the meat sold out, fish was sold; when the alcohol depleted, purified water produced by Aquas was sold at 1000 belly per cup!

Seeing that there were actually people willing to pay, Aquas nearly laughed herself awake.

If it weren't for Zyhark's advice on the principle of "hunger marketing," she might have flooded the place!

With the wind of news at their backs, Zyhark earned nearly three million belly in just a few days, nearly as much as capturing a pirate.

This made him sigh; the world of One Piece was indeed full of rich people.

Every kingdom had its wealthy merchants and nobles. Only those who couldn't make ends meet in harsh villages and towns would choose to set out to sea to become pirates!

The frenzied sales of the Sea Restaurant temporarily concluded only when the outline of an island appeared on the horizon.

The island where Shimotsuki Village was located was not very large, featuring only one town with a designated harbor for docking.

After paying the management fee and docking the Endless Dream at the harbor, Zyhark, Aqua, and King disembarked.

Like Orange Town, Shimotsuki Village also had direct access to the coastline. However, since the Sea Restaurant had run out of supplies, it was easier and more convenient to restock in a larger town.

After having a simple meal at a town diner, Zyhark learned the exact location of Shimotsuki Village from the enthusiastic owner.

Before leaving, the owner even asked for their autographs - they were now "celebrities" with high recognition in the East Blue!

Exiting the coastal town and following the winding road to its end brought them to the area where Shimotsuki Village was located.

Built by the samurai of Wano Country, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, the village's architectural style leaned towards Japanese, with low-rise, delicate buildings.

Strangely, upon their arrival at Shimotsuki Village, Zyhark and his companions found it eerily silent, whether at the village entrance or along the alleys.

Looking around, the place was deserted, with only a few scattered figures moving about.

"Travelers, huh? You've come at a really bad time. Please, turn back."

A passing villager sighed heavily after glancing at Zyhark and his companions, their mournful and sorrowful demeanor giving Zyhark a bad premonition.

"To be frank, we're here to find Master Shimotsuki Koushirou of the dojo. May I ask what happened?" Zyhark inquired.

"Ah, friends of Master Koushirou? I don't think he's in any mood to see you now. This morning, his daughter, Kuina, tragically died after tripping down the stairs."

"What did you say?!" Zyhark was shocked.

He had come to Shimotsuki Village precisely to prevent the tragedy of Kuina's death, never expecting to be too late.

"Could you please take us to see him?" he asked, urgency in his voice.

"Sure, but I hope you refrain from discussing other matters for now, so as not to upset Master Koushirou."

The villager nodded and led the way, with Zyhark following closely.

Although Aqua and King didn't know the villager's mention of Kuina, they sensed something was off from Zyhark's reaction and followed him to the dojo without asking further questions.

Master Koushirou's dojo, located at the heart of Shimotsuki Village, featured a spacious yard and a dojo building for disciples to practice swordsmanship and engage in daily sparring.

At this moment, many villagers stood in the yard, while the dojo itself was filled with disciples dressed in dojo uniforms.

A mood of gloom and despair was palpable among everyone present.

"Darn it! We had an agreement; you're not allowed to just run away like this, Kuina! Ah!!!"

When Zyhark and his companions arrived, they were met with a heart-wrenching cry emanating from the dojo.

A young Zoro, held back by several disciples, desperately tried to rush towards the beautiful figure covered with a white cloth lying on the dojo floor.

Although his voice still carried a youthful timbre, the overwhelming grief resonated deeply with everyone present, bringing tears to their eyes and compelling them to turn their heads away from such a heart-wrenching scene.

For the dojo and the entire Syrup Village, today had been enveloped in darkness.

Despite the bright sunshine outside...

Zyhark made his way through the despondent crowd to the center of the dojo, just in time to witness Zoro struggling to approach Kuina's "body."

The Zoro from the original story, known for his unwavering determination, was now crying uncontrollably, resembling a tearful mess.

Moved by the piercing cries, Zyhark clenched his fists, his expression becoming grave.

"Zyhark, why are they all crying?" Suddenly, Aqua, puzzled, quietly asked Zyhark.

Zyhark initially thought that Aqua, as a goddess accustomed to dealing with the departed and witnessing separations between life and death, simply found it difficult to empathize with the current situation.

But in the next moment, Aqua's words instantly galvanized him.

Her water-blue eyes shimmered with a faint golden light as she pointed at Kuina, covered with a white cloth on the ground, and stated, "That child isn't dead."

In the realm of the gods, her eyes possessed the ability to see through the essence of all things. In the world of One Piece, although her powers were constrained to only being able to see clearly at night due to the rules of this world,

After a few enhancements from faith power, Aqua could somewhat discern the abnormal state of Kuina's body at this moment.

"No, it's different. A severe blow to the head caused her body to temporarily lose all functions, resulting in a state of apparent death. If she isn't treated promptly, she will indeed die for real," Aqua analyzed seriously, her hand propping her chin.

Her casually uttered words shone like a beacon of hope in the engulfing darkness, attracting the attention of everyone present.

"Is that true? There's still hope for Kuina?!" 

Sitting in the dojo and trying to maintain composure, Master Koushirou couldn't contain his excitement and eagerly asked Aqua.

"Please, save Kuina, I beg of you, save her!"

Zoro, his muscles bulging, knelt on the ground, his arms trembling uncontrollably.

"Of course! Such a trivial matter is easily within my grasp."

Aqua proudly puffed out her chest, her eyes darting around as she boastfully said, "If you promise to forever worship the Church of Axis, devoutly praying to the Water Goddess Aqua every day, then I..."

"Now's not the time for that, you idiot goddess! Saving her is what matters!"

Zyhark looked up and knocked on the head of the overly proud Aqua.

"Got it, got it!"

Aqua, nursing her head with a pout, stepped forward, slowly closed her eyes, and began a mysterious chant.

Hum.

Pink ribbons materialized out of thin air, swirling around the brilliantly illuminated Aqua.

A magic circle, flickering with blue light, appeared on the floor beneath Kuina, emitting a faint golden glow.

Under the goddess's blessing, the golden light gradually seeped into Kuina's body until it vanished entirely.

The atmosphere in the dojo instantly fell silent as if death had enveloped it. Everyone held their breath, their gazes fixed on Kuina lying on the floor.

Thump, thump, thump.

The heartbeat, previously halted, grew from faint to strong, audibly resounding through the tense dojo.

Soon, Kuina's chest began to show slight movements, stabilizing to a normal, steady rhythm as if she were merely in deep sleep.

Under the eager and joyous eyes of everyone, Kuina's stiff fingers twitched.

"Ow, ow, ow."

As Kuina regained consciousness, she slowly sat up, clutching the back of her head, puzzledly removing the white cloth obstructing her view, "Strange, wasn't I going upstairs to fetch a whetstone? Why am I lying on the floor covered with a cloth?"

Before she could unravel the mystery in her mind, she looked up to see the densely packed crowd surrounding her, "Why is everyone here, looking so solemn?"

"Ah! Kuina! You damn fool, you finally woke up!"

"Last night, we promised to become the world's greatest swordsmen together. If you tried to escape because you were scared, I would never let you off the hook, you fool!!"

Zoro was the first to break, rushing over and tackling the bewildered Kuina to the ground.

"Thank goodness! It's truly wonderful! Kuina is alive!"

The entire dojo erupted in cheers, the earlier gloom dissipating, replaced by uncontrollable bright smiles.

"Why are you suddenly tackling me, Zoro? Launching a surprise attack and winning against me would be a disgrace to a swordsman!"

Kuina pushed Zoro away, adopting a defensive stance.

But in the next moment, realizing the gravity of the situation, her eyes widened, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, she finally reacted.

"Wait, what did you just say? I... came back to life???"

(End Of Chapter)