"Hmm… looks like I didn't control my strength very well."
Glancing at the marines lying unconscious across the floor, Arashi withdrew his earlier domineering aura and calmly looked at Garp.
"Mr. Garp, it seems your subordinates were attempting to abuse their authority for personal gain."
"This…"
Garp was momentarily at a loss for words. If Morgan were still conscious right now, he would've rushed over and given him a good beating—letting him taste the power of his Iron Fist—before demanding an explanation for what exactly had happened.
But that didn't matter now!
With everyone knocked out cold, he could only suppress the anger boiling inside him. Standing up, he spoke with a trace of apology, "Your name is Arashi, right? I sincerely apologize.
I'm not entirely sure what's going on either. But rest assured, Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, I will investigate this thoroughly. Also, I genuinely wish to purchase these twenty-seven Devil Fruits."
As he spoke, Garp took out his Den Den Mushi and once again contacted the Marine Headquarters' Fleet Admiral's office.
After establishing contact and receiving confirmation, Garp put away the Den Den Mushi and turned back to Arashi.
"Mr. Kairo D. Arashi, you heard it yourself just now—this was not Fleet Admiral Sengoku's order, nor was it the intention of the 153rd Branch.This was entirely Morgan's doing… Yes, this man is abusing his authority for personal gain.
Therefore, Morgan will receive the punishment he deserves. We will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation. Also, this brat is not my subordinate—my men are all upright warriors of justice."
"Punishment is necessary—absolutely necessary."
Arashi narrowed his eyes slightly, his calm expression unchanged. "However, before punishing Morgan, you should first investigate thoroughly how a once passionate marine soldier ended up daring to defy Headquarters' orders and commit such acts after becoming a lieutenant."
"Don't worry, I will get to the bottom of this. Please rest assured, Mr. Kairo D. Arashi!!!"
Garp walked over to Morgan and kicked him aside without hesitation, then dragged a chair over and sat down opposite Arashi. "Now then, let's continue our discussion about the Devil Fruit transaction."
......
.........
Half an hour later.
Morgan and the other marines, all still in deep unconsciousness, were carried out.
Shortly after, the colonel of the 153rd Branch in Shells Town personally arrived at the shop with three hundred million Beli, standing nervously beside Garp, barely daring to breathe.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect Mr. Kairo D. Arashi to have some private stock hidden away!"
Holding the Devil Fruit Arashi had set aside—marked with a suggested retail price of fifty million Beli—Garp nodded repeatedly.
"It's definitely a Paramecia! Although this Paramecia Devil Fruit alone is worth one hundred million, I can tell Mr. Kairo D. Arashi is a straightforward man. All in all, I've really struck a huge bargain this time—hahaha!"
After examining it for a while, Garp placed the Devil Fruit—worth one hundred million Beli—into the basket, then said cheerfully,
"If Mr. Kairo D. Arashi doesn't mind, how about we grab a drink after this?"
"Another day. I'll treat you next time."
Arashi smiled and politely declined, then directly issued a subtle order for him to leave.
"It's getting late. Mr. Garp should be on his way."
"Haha, alright then. I'll visit again another day."
Garp was a straightforward man. After handing over the three hundred million Beli to Arashi, he happily left with a basket full of Devil Fruits.
This time, he had truly made a fortune! Devil Fruits worth billions of Beli, all obtained for just three hundred million—it felt almost unreal—like a dream.
Of course, compared to those Devil Fruits, what interested him more was Arashi's identity—and the true purpose behind selling so many Devil Fruits at such a ridiculously low price.
No one understood better than him the impact Devil Fruits had on this world. So he absolutely did not believe Arashi would sell them off so cheaply without a deeper reason.
After watching Garp leave, Shande and Doro exchanged a glance, then bowed and bid farewell to Arashi before departing as well.
At first, when Morgan appeared, Shande and Doro had stepped forward to stand in front of Arashi, ready to fight for him—but deep down, they were genuinely terrified.
Not of Morgan—but of the legendary figure, Garp.
If Arashi hadn't stopped them earlier and they had fought Morgan, Garp, as a Marine Vice Admiral, would definitely have intervened. And if Garp made a move, they feared they would be taken down instantly.
Of course, those were just their feelings at the time. After witnessing Arashi completely ignore the legendary marine and effortlessly knock Morgan and the others unconscious, all their fear vanished—replaced by fervent admiration,
Especially when they saw that Garp, instead of becoming enraged over his men being knocked out, actually apologized to Arashi—at that moment, Arashi was no longer a mere human in their eyes, but an untouchable god.
After Garp and the others left, the system prompt in Arashi's mind sounded right on cue.
[System Notification]
Congratulations, Host, on successfully completing the mission and obtaining 2000 Travel Points!
Hearing the system's notification, Arashi didn't hesitate in the slightest. He immediately entered the system interface and selected his LV7 Swordsmanship.
Having long decided to upgrade it, he decisively raised it to LV8.
[System Notification]
Congratulations, Host, for upgrading Swordsmanship to LV8. 2000 Travel Points deducted. LV8 Swordsmanship merging…
[System Notification]
LV8 Swordsmanship merge complete. Please arrange your next travel destination!
The complete integration of LV8 Swordsmanship fully opened the doors to a new realm of swordsmanship for Arashi.
And upon sensing the even more vast and domineering sword intent, he realized that the so-called LV9 "maximum level" was merely the end of a numerical stage.
Only by reaching LV9 would he truly step into the true world of swordsmanship—because beyond that gate, he could faintly perceive even more extraordinary and unparalleled techniques!
After fully merging with the new swordsmanship, Arashi slowly opened his eyes.
The moment his eyes opened completely,two nearly tangible rays of light burst from his pupils—then vanished in an instant…
"What an incredible experience…"
Unaware of this subtle change, Arashi stood up and stretched his body, muttering to himself,
"Once I raise my swordsmanship to LV9, I should be able to stand above all swordsmen in this world. But while my swordsmanship has improved, my combat experience still seems a bit lacking. Well… I'll focus on reaching LV9 first."
"To upgrade from LV8 to LV9, I only need 5000 Travel Points!"
With a trace of anticipation for the higher-level swordsmanship he glimpsed during the fusion, Arashi turned to look at the open shop door.
"So… where should I travel next?"