While Grant was sizing up Taro, Taro was also sizing him up.
Beneath the iron armor on this guy's left arm must be that immense demonic power he harbors.
Taro didn't have a deep impression of this character. His current curiosity was more about the message he was delivering on behalf of Aokiji!
Grant had just climbed out of the sea, dripping wet and looking somewhat disheveled, yet his eyes sparkled with vitality.
Looking into this 15-year-old boy's eyes, Taro couldn't help but think of that kid Sherman. Same age of 15 or 16, same defiant and unruly nature, same possession of special abilities, and even the same background of being a student of a Marine Admiral.
Of course, one's teacher was about to become a former Admiral, while the other's was about to become the current Admiral.
"Taro, how much strength did you use in that punch just now?" Seeing Taro staring at him, Grant didn't shrink back but raised his head and asked.
Taro wasn't sure about this kid's mental resilience. Worried that the blunt truth might crush his fragile heart, he thought for a moment,
"About... half."
Grant seemed somewhat disdainful. "I haven't even exerted myself yet, and you've already used half your strength? Seems you're not all that impressive!"
Taro almost spat a mouthful of old blood in his face. Damn it, I haven't even started showing off, and you're already putting on airs?
Mike flew into a rage. "Grant, my Vice Admiral could beat you single-handedly! You really are..."
Taro waved his hand helplessly. "Forget it, Mike. You go ahead first. I need to talk to you later."
Then he looked at Grant. "You, come with me first!"
Following that, Taro led Grant into the captain's cabin.
"What message did Admiral Aokiji ask you to deliver?" Taro's expression turned somewhat grave as he asked in a low voice.
Grant assumed Taro's dark expression was because he was offended by his earlier remark. He now thought Taro not only wasn't as strong as imagined but also seemed rather petty.
Consequently, he became even more casual. In no hurry to answer, he instead went to the liquor cabinet on his own, took a bottle of wine, took a sip, smacked his lips twice,
"The wine's too bland!"
Taro forcefully suppressed the impulse to slap him into the wall.
"Enough nonsense! Speak quickly!"
Grant took another sip. "What my teacher told me to relay is just one word: 'Look'!"
"'Look'? Look at what?" Taro frowned tightly. What did this cryptic, incomplete message mean?
"How should I know! That's all the teacher said!" Grant pouted.
"Where has the Admiral been recently? What has he been doing?" Taro pressed.
Grant knew nothing, shaking his head. "I don't know. Even this single word was told to me by the teacher via den den mushi. He didn't say anything else."
Taro waved his hand helplessly, dismissing Grant.
Then, alone in the room, he paced back and forth, pondering the deeper meaning hidden in Aokiji's words.
This word clearly meant to 'look' at something. Recalling their previous meeting only deepened Taro's confusion.
Was he supposed to look at something, or did Aokiji's bid for the Fleet Admiral position mean he wanted to see something?
Damn it, everyone speaks so cryptically, hiding their meanings. Fitting for a world created by that guy Oda, always making people guess!
Shit!
"Mike, find all the newspapers since the major event and bring them to me!"
After pondering for a long time without grasping the point, Taro pulled open the door and shouted outside.
Mike soon came in carrying a stack of newspapers. "Vice Admiral, they're all here! Why did you suddenly think of reading these?"
Taro took the newspapers and, while flipping through them, said casually, "Nothing much, just reading to pass the time!"
Then, without looking up, he asked, "How's the situation in Sabaody Archipelago? What's the progress on the work I left behind?"
Mike found Taro's remark about reading newspapers to pass the time a bit odd. Hearing Taro ask about official business, his expression became more formal.
"Vice Admiral, everything is progressing steadily. However, regarding your... publicity about Fishmen belonging to the human race, everyone seems..."
Taro nodded. "Not very receptive, right? I know!"
Then he sighed. "Deep-rooted beliefs formed over a long time aren't so easily changed!"
"I'm sorry, Vice Admiral, I couldn't..." Mike felt somewhat guilty and stood up.
Taro gestured for him to sit down. "Sit. It's not your fault."
The newspapers' records of the Marineford War contained extensive inaccurate reports, including the news of the death of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gekko Moriah.
Taro skimmed through it roughly and then turned to the later pages. His gaze suddenly fixed.
"Who are these 'Freelance Writers' Wan Luo & Wan Shi?"
This issue of the newspaper actually contained photos of Taro defeating Silvers Rayleigh on Flame Island, and even the moment Blackbeard attacked Rayleigh.
The camera angle was somewhat miraculous. Taro was certain no one else was present at the time. How was this dual-perspective achieved?
Mike leaned over, looked at where Taro was pointing, and thought for a moment.
"Vice Admiral, it's still unclear. Several similar 'Freelance Writers' have emerged recently. If you flip further back, there's another one named Absa. They seem to be from the same organization, always managing to obtain unknown intelligence through some unknown method!"
Taro quickly flipped further back and indeed saw a submission signed "Absa."
This name sounds somewhat familiar! Taro frowned, then suddenly understood. Holy crap, isn't this the Clear-Clear Fruit guy!
Then, is "Wan Luo & Wan Shi" Moria's pseudonym?
Has the usually laid-back Moria changed careers?
Taro then flipped through some other newspapers, seeing reports about Franky causing the "Burning Spirit Beast Legend" and the "Balchimore Nightmare Incident" where he blew up Vegapunk's laboratory in the future country—Balkimoya.
After reading all the newspapers, Taro still hadn't found a single clue related to what Aokiji meant by "look."
"Vice Admiral?" Seeing Taro frowning deeply, Mike asked cautiously in a soft voice.
"Hmm? What is it?" Taro put down the newspaper and looked up, puzzled.
Mike took out a small notebook from his pocket and handed it over. "Vice Admiral, in your work plan, wasn't there a task to find some playwrights to write a story about humans and mermaids according to stage play requirements?"
Taro took the notebook. "Oh? Did someone write one?"
Mike stood up nervously. "Ah, no, no one was willing to write it. They all considered it an insult. So, I... I wrote one myself!"
Taro quickly flipped through it. Mike's story was simple, filled with what Taro considered very clichéd plots.
A little mermaid stranded on the beach is saved by a kind-hearted human boy. They go through hardships and eventually come to know and love each other.
Taro's eyes lit up brilliantly. Looking at Mike was like seeing a treasure. He threw an arm around Mike's neck.
"Mike, you damn Genius!"
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