Chapter 82: The Juice Was Really Good

"He… he went down?!!!"

"What did that Marine just do?!"

"Did the Navy really attack a bodyguard of a Celestial Dragon?!"

The entire bar fell into stunned silence, then erupted in shouts of disbelief. Patrons stared at Yoriichi Tsugikuni and his group, terrified.

To strike a World Noble's escort — if a pirate had done it, that would be typical. But for a Marine to do such a thing? That was beyond shocking. Unthinkable.

Some realized just how serious things had become. Without a word, they abandoned their seats and sprinted out of the bar into the streets of Shika Island, vanishing into the crowd.

Once one person ran, others followed. No one wanted to be caught in the crossfire. Some were even thinking of relocating their entire families. Everyone could feel it — something big was about to happen on the island.

But in the midst of the panic, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the one responsible for it all, remained perfectly calm. He glanced at the unconscious Billy Schmidt on the ground, then quietly sipped his juice as if nothing had happened.

Bogard scratched the back of his head, watching the scene spiral out of control.

With a sigh, he reached into his coat and pulled out several thick stacks of 10,000 Beli notes, setting them heavily on the bar counter.

Turning to the bartender Wenfu, who was being helped up by the boy named Smoker, Bogard said:

"Sorry about this, boss."

"My colleague here… he's a little unconventional. I know we've caused you a lot of trouble."

"Please take this money. And when you get the chance, I suggest you leave Shika Island and try to build a new life elsewhere."

"I'm worried that when this guy wakes up, he might lash out at you."

"You too, kid. I know money can't make up for losing your home, but for safety's sake — find somewhere new to live."

As he spoke, Bogard pulled out another stack of cash and walked over to Smoker, bending down and pressing the money into the boy's hands.

Say what you want about Captain Bogard, the man had deep pockets.

"W-What's this for?" Smoker stammered.

"I-I can't take your money. I didn't do anything…"

He stared at the bundle, overwhelmed. In all his years, he'd never seen so much cash.

"It's compensation," Bogard said. "Boss, I can tell you're close with this kid. Please help inform his family."

"We've got other matters to attend to, so we're heading out."

"But don't worry, you'll have enough time to get off this island."

He walked over to Billy Schmidt's motionless body, lifted him off the ground like a sack of grain, slung him over his hip, and waved at Yoriichi and the others with a weary expression.

"Let's go."

"All we came for was to check out a person with unusual presence. Who knew it would turn into this mess."

"Yoriichi, once we meet Vice Admiral Garp, just tell him the truth."

"This guy… we'll bring him aboard for now."

Bogard sounded completely exhausted. This situation had spiraled far beyond what he expected.

"Heh, Captain Bogard," a nearby Marine leaned in and whispered, "if this is such a hassle, why don't we just clean him up here and now?"

"You don't say anything, we don't say anything… who's gonna know?"

Say what you will, Marines from Garp's ship were bold enough to make such outrageous suggestions.

But Bogard glared at him so fiercely that the man shrank back, laughing awkwardly before falling silent.

"Let's move, Yoriichi."

Bogard left the bar with Billy Schmidt over his shoulder. Yoriichi followed, grabbing his sword and another glass of juice before stepping out.

But just before leaving, Yoriichi paused.

Turning to the still-dazed Smoker, he said:

"Boss said your name's Smoker, right?"

"Don't overthink this. We Marines stand for justice."

"Smoker, when you grow up, join the Navy. I promise, it won't let you down."

"And if there are things in the Navy you think are wrong… then fix them yourself once you're in."

"I'm looking forward to the day we meet again."

"Oh, and by the way, that juice really was amazing. I wasn't lying."

"See you."

With that, Yoriichi pushed open the door and left the bar.

Smoker watched his back disappear into the streets, the image of the red-haired swordsman seared deep into his memory. And those final words — they echoed over and over in his mind.

Back on the street, Bogard hurried back to the Navy ship with Billy Schmidt in tow. There would be no more patrols today. Billy Schmidt was now a huge liability for the Navy.

That's what Bogard thought until Billy woke up.

To his shock, Billy Schmidt now behaved like a complete fool — sluggish, confused, and acting like he'd lost all sense. He didn't even remember anything from before.

Bogard thought he was faking it. But after testing him a few times… he realized the man was genuinely brain-damaged. Everything about him was off.

Bogard was disturbed… and secretly relieved.

He had never seen someone completely mentally broken by Conqueror's Haki.

What Bogard didn't know… was that Yoriichi's Conqueror's Haki had evolved to a level that could affect the physical world. He could even split wooden boards with it alone.

With his mastery of the Transparent World, Yoriichi had targeted Billy's unprotected brain with precision. To him, it was as simple as flicking a switch.

Though the situation was now "under control," Bogard didn't dare let Yoriichi leave the ship again.

He personally returned Billy Schmidt to the World Government cruise ship docked at the harbor — then retreated to his own vessel and stayed aboard.

Because he knew, a Celestial Dragon had already arrived on Shika Island.

And by now, Bogard had figured out enough of Yoriichi's temperament to fear what he might do if he saw how those so-called "nobles" behaved.

Bogard had served the Marines long enough to know exactly what kind of "divine beings" the Celestial Dragons truly were.

Yoriichi took the lockdown in stride. Standing at the ship's bow, he gazed calmly at the sea.

Bogard, beside him, nagged nonstop about not acting rashly, about keeping calm no matter how much he despised the Celestial Dragons, about patience and restraint, on and on…

But just as Yoriichi listened quietly, far away in Shika Island's west district, a tornado suddenly erupted without warning.

Winds howled as debris and dust spiraled into the sky. In seconds, the swirling mass turned pitch gray.

"…Sounds like a father-son chat got a little loud."

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