Poor Signal, Hanging Up First

Chapter 83: Poor Signal, Hanging Up First

"Blub blub blub blub!"

As Tsuru sailed on the sea, she heard the Den Den Mushi ringing and picked up the call.

"Tsuru here, who is it?"

"Vice Admiral Tsuru, it's me, Rodney. Do you have a mission right now?" 

The Den Den Mushi projected Rodney's iconic Sharingan eyes, just for recognition purposes. It was enough for Tsuru to identify the caller.

Back in Alabasta, they had exchanged contact information, and the Den Den Mushi she had given Rodney was the only one he had.

"Oh, Rodney, what's the matter?" 

Tsuru's perception of Rodney was quite good. He seemed much better than those impolite pirates she had encountered before.

"Hehe, well, you see, last night, I accidentally entered the Florian Triangle."

Hearing the mention of the Florian Triangle, Tsuru became more attentive. Did he get into a fight with Moria? Did he need her to mediate? No, considering his character, could it be...

While she was lost in thought, Rodney continued, "Hehe, well, the night was too dark, and I was attacked by someone, so I fought back. But, accidentally, I ended up taking down Moria. Look at his bounty..."

Tsuru: "..."

Who do you think you're fooling? Moria, as a Shichibukai, can't be taken down so easily! Are you trying to deceive an old lady like me?

This kid is quite audacious. Indeed, he has trained with Garp before, and causing trouble seems to be his specialty.

Right now, all Tsuru's mind was filled with was the loss to the World Government after Moria's death and its repercussions.

However, if Rodney was telling the truth, then Moria's death was genuine, and there was nothing wrong with killing a Warlord as a Pirate Hunter.

Although Moria and the others were Shichibukai, Tsuru and her companions never treated them differently. They were just a group of pirates who couldn't fight but had combat abilities, suitable as subordinates for battles.

The problem now was that Rodney had killed Moria, and being a Shichibukai, it wouldn't be easy to find a replacement. It would take quite an effort.

Originally, Garp's grandson could have been a Shichibukai, but unfortunately, he declined. 

He had such a great... sigh, he's so much like Garp.

Speaking of which, does this kid have any grudges with the Shichibukai? Killing Crocodile is one thing, but now he's taken down Gecko Moria as well. He really is troublesome. The Shichibukai, probably Godai ōkashichibukai now, must be having a headache.

(TL/N: Basically means 5 Warlords of The Sea)

While sighing, she was astonished by the fact that Moria, with his tricky abilities, was killed by Rodney. Has this young man grown stronger in such a short time?

"I understand. Where are you now?"

"I'm not sure. We've already left the Florian Triangle. Leicester, where are we?" Rodney asked loudly.

A voice answered him, "Don't ask me, Captain. I'm just a cook. Wait, don't ambush me!"

"Ah, it seems Leicester is getting beaten up."

"Heh heh, he's still young."

"Eat my Iron Fist attack!"

There was a commotion on the other end, and Tsuru sighed, saying, "Quickly determine your location."

"Alright."

Shortly after, Rodney reported his position to Tsuru, who nodded and said, "Land on the nearest island, and I'll contact our headquarters to come to find you. But forget about the bounty."

"What?!!!" 

The Den Den Mushi erupted with Rodney's exaggerated yelling, showing the person on the other end was utterly shocked.

"How can that be? Moria had a bounty of at least 300 million bellies! Why don't I get anything?"

Tsuru calmly explained the reality, "Before Moria was killed, he held the title of Shichibukai. As a Shichibukai, his previous wanted poster and bounty are all nullified. So, Rodney, you won't get a single Berry."

Rodney: "..."

The Den Den Mushi fell silent, and then a woman's voice spoke, "Captain, Captain! Pull yourself together! Captain! It's just 300 million bellies!"

"Ahhhh! My money! You're saying it's just 300 million? Are you speaking human language? Please, be a human!"

Rodney let out a loud cry to the sky as if realizing something was wrong, he asked, "How come Crocodile can exchange for the bounty?"

Tsuru explained, "Crocodile was exposed for his crimes and removed from the position of Shichibukai. At that time, you took advantage of the situation. In theory, you still have to return the money to the World Government..."

"Sorry, my signal is not very good. Hello? Hello? Vice Admiral Tsuru, why aren't you talking?"

"Wait..."

"My signal is not good. I'll hang up first!"

Rodney decisively hung up the call, thinking, "Humph, you want me to spit out the money? Impossible! I'm like a Pixiu(1); once the money enters my belly, it'll never come out again."

"This kid..."

Smiling, Tsuru shook her head, sighed deeply, and took a sip of the red tea on the table.

"Excuse me."

The office door was pushed open, and a beautiful woman walked in.

Her face was exquisite, with a mature charm, and a beauty spot adorned just below her lips, adding to her allure. She wore a purple-red blouse with the collar slightly open, revealing a fair skin tone. A golden hilt of a renowned sword hung from her waist.

Wearing hot pants, her long, straight, snow-white legs were exposed, and there was a spider tattoo on her left leg.

She was Vice Admiral Gion, also known as "Momousagi," a candidate to become one of the new Admirals.

Having a close relationship with Tsuru, she asked when she saw her looking distressed, "Has Doflamingo caused trouble again? It's rare to see you looking like this. There are not many things that can make you feel this way."

Tsuru shook her head and said, "Doflamingo is not enough to trouble me. It's that kid, Rodney."

"The magician?" 

Gion recalled the scene when they met Rodney last time. He seemed harmless, with a harmless smile on his face, looking like a simple person. Of course, she didn't take into account his slightly sinister-looking eyes.

"Yes, last night, that kid took his recruited crew to the Florian Triangle and killed Gecko Moria. He came to me, wanting to exchange for the bounty. The death of a Shichibukai like Moria will have a significant impact."

"What? Gecko Moria, one of the Shichibukai, is dead?" Gion was evidently not as composed as Tsuru, her astonishment evident.

He was one of the Shichibukai, a position they carefully considered before selecting. Well, Rodney is quite reckless...

But all of them were formidable.

Crocodile, with a Logia-type Devil Fruit; Moria, who could create an army of the undead; Fisher Tiger; Empress Boa Hancock; Bartholomew Kuma, also known as Tyrant; and the Magician, Rodney. 

Every one of them could easily take on a group of pirates. Rodney might be strong, but to take down a Shichibukai in one night, doesn't that make him too powerful?

"He wouldn't need to lie to us. The real question is how much of his strength is still hidden," Tsuru pondered. 

"He is a Pirate Hunter and, in a sense, on the same side as us. He also spent some time learning from Cap. He's practically half a Marine member. I suppose being a Shichibukai will protect him, but killing one would require finding a new one."

"If only Garp's grandson were willing to become a Shichibukai," Gion sighed.

"Unfortunately, he's not," Tsuru shook her head. 

"Such bright rising stars are easily shot down. He's still too young. The New World is not as easy to traverse."

The New World is truly a cruel place, entirely different from the first half of the Grand Line.

In the first half, there were very few people who possessed Haki, and most of them were Navy members. Having a Logia-type Devil Fruit was synonymous with invincibility.

But after entering the New World, it was an entirely different story. One swipe would kill ten people, with most of them capable of using Haki, and some were still learning.

At that point, the Logia ability would no longer be invincible.

"Anyway, let's not worry about that for now. I'll let Garp handle this. His head must be hurting," Tsuru said with a smile. Moria's death was unexpected, but apart from that, there wasn't much to fuss about. As long as it's taken care of properly, it's fine.

Thinking this way, Tsuru contacted Garp through the Den Den Mushi.

Ratoon's Note:

Pixiu- also known as Pi Yao or Tian Lu, is a mythical creature in Chinese culture. It is considered a powerful and auspicious creature that is believed to bring wealth, good fortune, and protection to its owner.