[TIOP] Chapter : 146

"Aah! That hurts! Who are you? Why’d you hit me so hard?!" Weevil cried, rubbing his bruised side.

Ryokugyu’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Finally, someone who can take a punch! I’ve been waiting for this.” He licked his lips, savoring the challenge.

Weevil, however, suddenly felt a strong sense of danger.

As the clash intensified, the Navy soldiers instinctively cleared the area. They knew the rule: Stay far away from any battlefield where a Admiral-level officer is fighting.

Jack had made that protocol clear.

First, because ordinary soldiers were no help in such battles. And second—more importantly—entering those zones meant certain death. Whether it was their side or the enemy holding the advantage, soldiers caught in the crossfire would be nothing more than collateral damage.

The troops of G1 understood that well.

That’s why Weevil’s pirate crew was wiped out so quickly—because the Navy soldiers had regrouped and attacked with full force, led by several elite officers.

The battle between Ryokugyu and Weevil was just beginning, but for the rest of Weevil’s men, the war was already over.

By the time Jack arrived at the island where Ryokugyu was stationed, the battle was nearly over. The port lay in ruins, debris scattered everywhere, and Ryokugyu stood bloodied, clearly wounded. Yet Weevil still gripped his massive blade, facing off against Ryokugyu with fading strength.

“Impressive,” Jack said casually, appearing behind Ryokugyu with a faint smile. “That one’s not someone just anyone can handle.”

“My lord, this is my fight,” Ryokugyu growled, his tone guarded—as if afraid Jack might steal his kill.

Jack raised his hands in mock surrender. “Relax. Go ahead. Just don’t kill him—I still need him alive.”

Weevil’s eyes immediately locked on Jack. He glanced around wildly, then bellowed, “Who are you?! Why did you take my mother?!”

“Hah. Who are we? Don’t you know whose territory you’ve wandered into?” Ryokugyu scoffed.

“I don’t care if you’re the Navy. You can’t just take my mother like that. She was Whitebeard’s wife!” Weevil shouted, his wide eyes filled with rage and confusion.

Jack chuckled. “What’s next? You going to say you have a frail mother and you're just a poor boy, so we should let you go?”

Weevil blinked, stunned. It was exactly what he was about to say. Jack’s uncanny ability to read him left him momentarily speechless.

“Do you remember Admiral Zephyr?” Jack continued, voice dropping coldly. “The first time he defeated you, you spouted that same excuse. He let you go... and how did you repay him? You turned around and attacked him. Cut off his arm. Slaughtered his students—his pride and joy.”

As Jack’s words echoed, the surrounding marines began to see Weevil in a new light. Until now, many had pitied him, thinking he was just a dull-witted brute. But now? They looked at him with quiet contempt.

Zephyr wasn’t just a former admiral. To them, he was a mentor, a comrade, a symbol of what the Navy stood for.

“So that’s why you want him alive,” Comil murmured, finally understanding as he stood watching from the sidelines.

Now confident that Jack had his back, Ryokugyu no longer held back in the fight. Eventually, after a drawn-out clash, Jack stepped in and delivered a precise palm strike, knocking Weevil unconscious. The island erupted in cheers—the battle was over.

“Hand him over to the Neo Marines,” Jack ordered. “Their leader... is Zephyr.”

It was poetic justice.

In the original story, Weevil had been accepted into the Seven Warlords by the World Government—a move that drove Zephyr to resign and form the Neo Marines, vowing to rid the world of pirates. Later, Zephyr had been killed, supposedly by Kizaru, when he tried to seize DYNA Stones to destroy the New World.

Jack had once planned to seek him out—to see if he could alter that tragic fate—but with Blackbeard closing in, he had no time. Instead, he stationed a squad to watch over Weevil.

But then Jack realized a small problem.

He had no idea where Zephyr actually was.

With no other option, Weevil was temporarily imprisoned in a high-security cell at G1. Word quickly spread: the former Warlord Edward Weevil had been stripped of his title after attacking a Navy base and was now locked up at G1.

So Jack waited—for Zephyr to come claim him, and for Blackbeard to make his move. The latter was the true objective.

But neither Zephyr nor Blackbeard appeared.

Instead, the World Government sent someone else.

“Admiral Kurohyou, good day. I’m from CP0. My name is—”

“Who let this guy in?” Jack interrupted flatly. “Who’s on duty today? Stop letting in random nobodies.”

“We’re with CP0—direct representatives of the World Government,” the agent said stiffly, puffing out his chest as he took a step forward.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

Without warning, he grabbed the agent by the throat, lifting him off the ground with one hand. With the other, he casually dug at his ear.

“Hmm? Couldn’t quite catch that. Speak up a bit,” he said with mock curiosity.

The other CP0 agents instinctively took a few steps back, stunned. Their leader dangled helplessly, gasping for air. What were they supposed to say?

“My lord…” a soft voice called out.

Jack glanced over. It was Kalifa.

With a sigh, he dropped the CP0 agent unceremoniously. “Fine. For Kalifa’s sake, I’ll let it go.”

He turned to the rest of the agents, his tone ice-cold. “Now get out of my territory. Fast. Or I’ll treat you like pirates... and we both know what happens to pirates.”

“Cough, cough, cough…” The CP0 agent wheezed after Jack released him, the bruises on his neck a painful reminder. Just moments ago, he could feel it—Jack had genuinely meant to kill him.

“Sir, that was sexual harassment,” Kalifa said matter-of-factly, adjusting her glasses with a serious expression.

Jack’s face darkened. “Don’t talk nonsense! I didn’t do anything inappropriate. And besides, weren’t you once part of this department? That’s the only reason I didn’t kill them. If not for that, none of them would’ve left here alive.”

“Correction,” Kalifa replied, pushing her glasses again. “I was with CP9, not CP0. Also, they represent the World Government. Are you sure you want to ignore what they came here to say?”

Jack let out a hearty laugh. “Kalifa, you’re still too naïve. Do you really think a bunch of second-rate agents and dried-up salted fish like them can represent the World Government?”

He continued, his tone sharp but composed. “You should know better than anyone—CP doesn’t represent the Government. They exist because the World Government is afraid the Navy will slip out of their control. CP is nothing more than a watchdog unit. Even if I killed a few of them here today, no one would bat an eye.”

Jack’s voice lowered as he leaned in. “I’m the Admiral of the Navy Headquarters—the highest military force they’ve got. As long as I don’t touch Mariejois directly, they’ll turn a blind eye. That’s the reality of this world.”

Kalifa fell silent. The CP0 members did too, the weight of Jack’s words crashing down on them. All this time, they thought of themselves as the World Government's enforcers, above all others. But Jack’s blunt truth was a bitter pill.

“S-sir… cough… Lord Kurohyou,” the CP0 officer stammered, bowing hastily. “We didn’t mean any disrespect. We’re just here on official business—to inquire about the whereabouts of former Warlord Edward Weevil.”

“He ignored direct Navy orders and led pirates to attack a branch,” Jack said coldly. “His Shichibukai status was revoked on the spot. He’s been arrested and will be executed when the time comes.”

In truth, Jack hadn’t planned on making things difficult for them. But their arrogance had rubbed him the wrong way, and this was the result.

“I understand. I’ll report everything accurately to my superiors,” the CP0 leader said, bowing again before quickly turning to leave. He didn’t dare linger—worried that Jack might change his mind.

“My lord! Why scare them off?” Kalifa asked, narrowing her eyes. “We hadn’t even given them the evidence yet.”

“I didn’t scare them.” Jack scoffed. “And that evidence? It’s meant for the Five Elders—not flunkies like them.”

Kalifa adjusted her glasses but said nothing more.

A few days later, the tension thickened. Blackbeard’s fleet had anchored on a nearby island. The scent of war was once again in the air.

“What is that guy scheming now?” Jack muttered, sitting behind the desk in his G1 branch office, his brows furrowed.

“No idea,” Kalifa replied, shaking her head. “All our operatives in the area have been eliminated. We’ve lost all intel.”

“Hmph. They’ll pay for that soon enough,” Jack growled.

“What’s the next move, my lord?” Kalifa asked calmly.

“No need to rush,” Jack replied with a yawn. “If they’re in no hurry, we’ll be even more patient. But keep all units alert. Blackbeard is a crafty bastard.”

Meanwhile, on Blackbeard’s island, all nine division commanders had assembled.

“Captain! Everyone’s here. Can we finally get to work?” shouted Vasco shot impatiently.

“Hahahaha! Relax,” Blackbeard guffawed. “We already sent that idiot Weevil ahead to test the Navy’s strength. He didn’t even cause a ripple. That tells me one thing—G1 is packed with Navy forces. Charging in now would be suicide!”

“You’re the boss—we follow your lead,” said Shiryu, a bloodthirsty grin on his face as he cleaned his sword. “Just don’t keep me from killing for too long.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got something in the works,” Blackbeard said, his eyes glinting slyly.

“What exactly are you waiting for?” muttered Avalo Pizarro, the so-called Evil King. His "whisper" was loud enough for the entire crew to hear.

Just then, Lafitte leaned in close, whispering something into Blackbeard’s ear. Whatever it was, it made Blackbeard burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha! I knew this would happen! Boys, get ready—we sail at once!”

The crew looked at one another in confusion. Only a few of Blackbeard’s closest allies seemed to understand.

“Leave your ships behind,” Blackbeard ordered. “We’re switching to another vessel.”

The captains exchanged puzzled looks until Shiryu spoke up.

“Captain, we’ll do as you say, of course… but you don’t have to keep everything from us, do you?”

Blackbeard’s grin widened. “It’s not time to go to war with the Navy yet. But the remnants of Whitebeard’s crew—they’ve been hiding too long, and I haven’t been able to track them down.”

He leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “This situation is perfect. We pretend to clash with the Navy, news spreads, and those old Whitebeard pirates will come running back. They’ll think our territory is empty… and walk straight into our trap.”

“Marco and the others have been spotted. It’s time,” Blackbeard said, laughing once again. “Let’s go pay them a visit—and wipe them out for good!”