Garp was always rough and impulsive—he didn't even catch what the man ahead was muttering.
All he saw was that the guy had suddenly thrown up a wall of ice, blocking his line of sight. Clearly, it was meant to give the Roger Pirates time to escape.
What was there to think about?
Smash it—and keep chasing!
With that, Garp let out a roar. Armament Haki wrapped around his fist as a terrifying aura burst from his body.
"Bone Fist..." Garp shouted.
It had to be said, Garp in his prime was truly terrifying. He hadn't even reached him yet, and Valthior already felt a suffocating pressure.
No wonder monsters like Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido would turn tail and run when they saw him.
That aura was absurdly overwhelming!
But the one truly frightened by Garp's move wasn't Valthior—
It was Vice Admiral Tsuru behind him.
Garp might not have recognized Valthior or heard what he said, but Tsuru absolutely had.
She immediately realized—
This was the very person Fleet Admiral Kong had repeatedly warned them not to provoke!
The young master of a Five Elders family, traveling under the alias "Jaygar Valthior"—
Saint Jaygarcia Valthior!
If Garp smashed him with that punch, it would be a complete disaster!
At that thought, Tsuru urgently shouted:
"Stop, Garp!!!"
At the same time, her hands glowed white—she activated her Devil Fruit ability.
And her target… wasn't Valthior.
It was Garp.
Before Garp could throw his punch, Tsuru lunged forward and pressed both hands onto his shoulders.
The Paramecia-type Wash-Wash Fruit activated instantly!
Under normal circumstances, someone at Garp's level wouldn't be caught off guard from behind.
But the one behind him was his longtime comrade—someone he trusted completely.
He had zero guard against Tsuru.
So—
She succeeded.
The Wash-Wash Fruit instantly subdued the charging Garp, turning him into a flat, limp "paper man." He stumbled and fell into the sand.
Tsuru then pressed him down with both hands, one knee pinning his lower back, holding him in place in a half-kneeling posture.
"Tsuru, what are you doing!?" Garp demanded.
Though his body had been "washed," his will wasn't affected much. His mind remained clear.
But Tsuru ignored him entirely.
Still kneeling on top of Garp to restrain him, she lowered her head respectfully and said:
"Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Tsuru greets Saint Valthior."
That single sentence instantly calmed Garp down.
Holy crap, a Celestial Dragon?
Oh, so this guy is that Saint Valthior who joined the Roger Pirates?
No wonder he looked familiar!
"Hmph. You Marines... why are you pursuing this Saint? Are you trying to rebel?" Valthior sat high atop his camel, his tone dripping with arrogance as he questioned Tsuru and Garp below.
"We would never dare. Disturbing Your Excellency is a grave offense deserving death. However, please allow us to explain—we spotted the Roger Pirates. As Marines, capturing pirates is both our duty and our mission entrusted by the World Government…" Tsuru said respectfully with her head lowered.
But there was still a subtle implication beneath her words.
"That's right. I'm chasing Roger—not you," Garp added.
"What Roger Pirates?" Valthior scoffed. "They're merely a slave pirate crew under me. I got bored staying in Mary Geoise, so I decided to go out to sea and play at being a pirate."
"…You…" Garp was left speechless.
You're really something, aren't you? Treating the Roger Pirates as your slaves—do you actually believe that yourself?
But no matter how ridiculous it sounded—
Valthior was a genuine Celestial Dragon.
As long as he hadn't been stripped of that status, the Marines had no right to act against him—
Nor to question his words.
"What? You dissatisfied with what I said?" Valthior raised his chin arrogantly, his expression full of disdain.
"No. It was our mistake. We didn't realize this was Your Excellency's… game," Tsuru quickly replied, forcibly pressing Garp's head deeper into the sand before he could speak.
"Very well. Ignorance is no crime. I am magnanimous—I won't hold it against you," Valthior said after a brief pause.
"Thank you for your mercy, Saint Valthior," Tsuru replied immediately.
See that? They even had to say thank you.
Valthior nodded at her words and said, "You may rise."
Only then did Tsuru release Garp and stand up respectfully.
Garp, though clearly unhappy, didn't act rashly. He brushed the sand off himself and stood up, glaring at Valthior.
Just as Tsuru was worried the situation might turn dangerous—
Valthior suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Vice Admiral Garp, this should be our first proper meeting, right? Last time, when you were talking to Fleet Admiral Kong, you were cursing me, weren't you?" Valthior said with a grin.
The sudden shift in attitude left Garp a bit confused.
"Oh… huh? Seems like that did happen?" Garp scratched the back of his head casually.
Tsuru, standing nearby, nearly lost it.
Are you insane!? That's something you admit!?
Even if you did say it, now you should deny it to the bitter end!
"Vice Admiral Garp truly speaks his mind," Valthior said, clearly unconcerned, even praising him.
Then he turned to Tsuru.
"And this beautiful Marine lady—I'd like to have a private conversation with Vice Admiral Garp."
Though Tsuru was worried Garp might cause trouble, she had no right to refuse a Celestial Dragon.
"Please excuse me," she said respectfully, then quickly headed back toward the city gate.
Still chasing Roger?
Chasing what?
From today's situation, as long as Saint Valthior remained a Celestial Dragon, the Marines would have no way to act against the Roger Pirates at all…
With that thought, once she passed through the gate, Tsuru immediately contacted Headquarters.
Before long, Fleet Admiral Kong's voice came through the Den Den Mushi:
"Tsuru? What is it?"
"Fleet Admiral, regarding the Celestial Dragon within the Roger Pirates—what stance should Marine Headquarters take?" Tsuru asked.
"A Celestial Dragon? You mean Saint Valthior?" Kong paused.
"Yes. After completing our escort mission, Garp and I encountered the Roger Pirates in Alabasta. Saint Valthior personally intervened to stop our pursuit.
"This complicates matters greatly. If this continues, Marine Headquarters will be unable to take action against the Roger Pirates.
"And clearly, Roger's crew has been moving around for the past two years planning something major. If we can't track, investigate, or stop them, it could lead to a major disaster in the future," Tsuru said calmly.
On the other end, Kong rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
According to Saint Saturn's instructions—
As long as Valthior wasn't killed, everything else was fair game. Arrest who should be arrested, issue bounties as needed—don't worry too much.
But even if that was what the higher-ups said—
As a subordinate, would you really dare act like that?
You'd have to be insane.
And precisely because Kong had such concerns—
Even though Valthior had been with the Roger Pirates for over two years—
He still didn't have a bounty.
In fact—
None of the Roger Pirates' bounties had increased at all.
Of course, that also had a lot to do with the fact that over the past two years, they'd mostly been exploring ruins and hadn't committed any major crimes.