[TIOP] Chapter : 131

“Sir, what happened in there?”

As soon as Jack emerged from the cave, Kalifa and the others quickly surrounded him. They had been training nearby when a massive roar echoed from deep within, prompting them to retreat immediately in case something had gone wrong.

Jack briefly recounted the events and issued a clear warning: "No one is to enter that chamber without permission."

“Sir, was it really a dragon? Like the ones from the legends?” Jabra asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Jack chuckled. “Well... it's hard to say. I’ve never seen a real dragon myself, but the thing down there looks close enough to the stories. It’s definitely powerful. If I hadn’t been worried about damaging the area, I might’ve already captured it.”

The soldiers and Kaku listened in awe, their imaginations running wild. A legendary dragon—real or not—was enough to spark excitement in any soldier's heart.

“Sir,” Kalifa interjected, “Lena’s already reported the situation to Admiral Aokiji. The headquarters should be sending someone soon.”

“Good. Until then, keep everyone out of that chamber. Just focus on your training.” Jack nodded. He had initially planned to return and brief Aokiji personally. With Aokiji's ice powers, he might be uniquely equipped to restrain the beast without killing it. Jack wasn’t keen on slaying the dragon—capturing it would be far more valuable.

But now that the higher-ups were sending someone, he decided to wait. And if they sent some arrogant fool? Well, he wouldn’t mind putting them in their place.

A few days later, a warship arrived, and from it descended none other than Admiral Kizaru, flanked by a team of elite marines.

Jack, relaxing on the shore with a fishing rod in hand, raised an eyebrow and smiled as he spotted the familiar figure.

“Yo~ What brings you all the way out here?” he called out.

“Believe me, I didn’t want to come. I'm way too old for cross-ocean marathons,” Kizaru replied in his usual drawl, though his tone was full of energy.

Aokiji had sent Kizaru for a good reason. As a Logia-type user, he could easily pass through the deadly wind blades, and his strength was more than enough to face whatever lay within. Even in a valuable training ground like this, nothing sparked interest quite like the unknown.

Jack reeled in his line and walked toward the cave entrance with Kizaru, explaining what he’d seen.

“A dragon, huh? A real one?” Kizaru asked, raising his brows ever so slightly.

“Hard to say,” Jack replied with a shrug. “It matches the descriptions from old books, but it's definitely not some patchwork creature like the ones your science team builds. Even some of my attacks couldn’t break through its scales.”

“Oh my, that is terrifying,” Kizaru said with a grin, though his expression remained as carefree as ever.

Jack narrowed his eyes slightly. “Let me be clear: I’ve claimed that creature. You're not to kill it. And that plant near the magma—it’s mine too.”

“Relax, relax,” Kizaru replied, eyes half-lidded. “I’m too old to be stealing from the younger generation.”

Jack didn’t buy it for a second. If something truly valuable appeared, he knew Kizaru wouldn’t hesitate to act.

“Say what you like. But I’ve warned you. If you decide that fighting me is worth whatever’s in that chamber, go ahead—just be prepared to die.”
Jack flashed a sharp smile, the glint in his eyes anything but joking.

“oooohhh~ Scary! These young people these days sure are frightening,” Kizaru laughed loudly, but Jack knew better than to take his words at face value.

Among all the pirates Jack had encountered, Shanks remained the one he couldn’t fully read. But in the navy, it was Kizaru who puzzled him the most.

Despite his strength and high status, Kizaru showed no real ambition. When Sengoku stepped down as Fleet Admiral, and Aokiji and Akainu clashed for the top post, Kizaru hadn’t even bothered to compete. He had stayed quietly in charge of the Navy's scientific unit instead—a department of such strategic importance that only someone with the World Government's deepest trust could be allowed to oversee it.

That alone spoke volumes.

Soon, the two arrived at the mouth of the cave—just in time to see Jabra stumbling out, drenched in sweat and clearly exhausted.

“Hehehe... This one’s a former CP9 agent, right?” Kizaru said with a knowing smirk. “Looks like he’s working under you now?”

“Don’t try to stir the pot,” Jack replied flatly, shooting him a sideways glance. “If I choose to trust someone, I trust them fully. If I doubt them, I don’t keep them around. I have complete confidence in my comrades—no need for your commentary.”

Jack understood exactly what Kizaru was implying. The message was clear: these former government operatives could turn on him at any time and return to the World Government. But he didn’t need reminding.

Jabra, who had overheard the exchange, lowered his head, his expression darkening. Their past as intelligence agents had always been a shadow hanging over them. But Jack’s firm stance filled him with unexpected warmth and a deep sense of gratitude. That trust meant more than words could express.

“So, shall we head in?” Kizaru shrugged nonchalantly. He hadn’t expected one offhand comment to break Jack’s bond with his subordinates. Still, if it sowed even a seed of doubt, that was enough. If it didn’t—well, that wasn’t his problem. That was for Akainu to worry about.

As they entered the cave, Kizaru and Jack moved swiftly through the narrow passageways. They advanced quickly, until one of the jagged wind blades sliced cleanly through Kizaru’s elemental form.

His brows furrowed in discomfort. “These wind blades... there’s something odd about them.”

“What is it?” Jack asked, effortlessly sidestepping another gust.

“Every time I reconstitute my body after being sliced apart, it costs twice the stamina it usually does outside,” Kizaru said, his tone now serious.

“Twice the stamina?” Jack turned to him, puzzled.

“That means one of two things,” Kizaru replied thoughtfully. “Either these wind blades carry a special energy that targets Devil Fruit users, or they somehow drain physical stamina.”

Jack nodded in realization. “That makes sense. Kaku and the others are always completely drained after each training session here. They must be losing stamina every time they get struck.”

Kizaru stepped deliberately into another wind blade. After reassembling, he stood still, analyzing the sensation. “It’s not just a passive drain. Your body instinctively uses more energy to resist the damage. That’s why most people don’t notice. You’re not a Logia user—so you wouldn’t sense this effect directly.”

“So... these wind blades aren’t like Seastone, but they do carry a kind of energy that targets stamina—of all living creatures?” Jack asked, astonished.

Kizaru nodded slowly. “That’s what I’m beginning to suspect.”

Jack exhaled sharply. “Then this place... might actually be a treasure trove.”

His mind immediately jumped to Kaido—the so-called Strongest beast. If the Navy could harness an ability that drained stamina on contact, even someone like Kaido could potentially be brought down.

The two men exchanged a glance, a rare moment of mutual understanding passing between them.

Without another word, they increased their pace, determined to reach the bottom. But before they could, Kizaru began to falter. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his movements grew sluggish.

Jack immediately took notice. “Let’s head back. We came unprepared this time.”

Kizaru paused, then gave a reluctant nod. The two silently turned back, retreating from the cave to recover and reconsider their approach.

“So, you’re planning to copy all this and send it back to headquarters?” Kizaru asked lazily as he munched on his food.

Having just exited the cave, he had joined Jack in replenishing his energy. For someone of his caliber, this was the first time he had burned through so much stamina without even facing a visible enemy.

“That’s the idea,” Jack replied, chewing thoughtfully. “The only problem is—I can’t make sense of any of it. By the way, haven’t you been overseeing the science team? Maybe take a look with me next time we go in?”

“Please... I just guard those guys—I don’t dabble in their experiments,” Kizaru waved him off with a half-smile. “Still, this place is bizarre. I’d bet even Vegapunk would be intrigued. Too bad, though…”