“You can?”
Sengoku looked at Bai Qi before him with some doubt.
After all, he had witnessed Whitebeard's strength, and while this mutated sea king's power could easily defeat Akainu, its comparison to Whitebeard remained unknown.
Bai Qi did not argue against Sengoku's disbelief. He simply stood up, and his immense dragon's might filled the entire office.
"This... is Haki? No, Haki cannot achieve this."
Sengoku watched as the desk before him creaked under the immense pressure. Several porcelain jars that had been penetrated by the pressure could not withstand it and exploded.
Sengoku had heard of Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, whose Conqueror's Haki was extraordinary, capable of inflicting physical damage on people and objects, but the damage was limited and could not possibly achieve what he was witnessing.
Based on this alone, this monster before him was already a match for a Four Emperor.
"Alright, I believe in your strength. The plan will proceed."
Sengoku pondered for a moment before continuing, "This is, after all, Marine Headquarters. I will grant you the rank of Vice Admiral. This will make your actions here much more convenient."
"Agreed."
Soon, the news spread that a powerful sea king, strong enough to crush Akainu, had joined the Marines. Although, apart from those who had personally witnessed Bai Qi, others considered it a clumsy lie concocted by the Marines to intimidate pirates. Nevertheless, Bai Qi could now walk freely within Marine Headquarters.
No one dared to obstruct this special Vice Admiral. Most would choose to steer clear, fearing that an unhappy outburst might lead them to be imprisoned in a psychokinetic sphere.
During his days at Marine Headquarters, Bai Qi was not idle. He used his position to acquire a vast amount of knowledge, including but not limited to Haki training methods, the Six Powers, and the numerous martial arts techniques derived from them.
Bai Qi certainly had no use for these himself, but he could bring them back for his subordinates.
He believed Afu would greatly appreciate them, as would those in the security company. Imitator Master would have enough to create a new school of martial arts in the main world.
Of course, more important than knowledge were the various famous swords and Devil Fruits.
Devil Fruits were broadly categorized into Logia, Superpower, and Zoan types based on their effects after consumption. Logia-type fruits were the rarest and most valuable, followed by Superpower, and then Zoan.
Even so, the lowest price for a Zoan Devil Fruit was still one hundred million Berries, a true treasure of the sea.
During his time at Marine Headquarters, Bai Qi managed to acquire three Devil Fruits through various means. Logia-types were out of the question; there were none. All three were Zoan fruits.
While Bai Qi was busy benefiting from Marine Headquarters, on another part of the sea, a massive whale-shaped ship was drifting. This ship was named the Moby Dick, the flagship of Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors.
As the sky gradually darkened, the ship remained brightly lit. The crew sang and danced, feasting on meat and drinking wine, holding a grand banquet.
One of the purposes of the banquet was to congratulate Whitebeard, their "father," on his recovery from his injuries. Another was to celebrate the arrival of two new members.
"Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!"
Along a long table, a myriad of empty wine bottles were laid out. A man and a woman sat opposite each other. The man was easily recognizable: burly, tall, with dark skin and a disproportionately small head. He was none other than Diamond Jozu, the Third Division Commander under Whitebeard.
Diamond Jozu held a massive glass filled to the brim with wine and, tilting his head back, poured it down his throat.
The wine in the glass rapidly depleted, and Jozu drank it all in one gulp.
Unlike the well-known Jozu, the young girl he was competing with in drinking was completely unknown.
She had tanned skin, a proud bust, and an orange ponytail that appeared very capable. Her attire was also quite revealing.
After Jozu finished his drink and cast a challenging glance, the girl, unfazed, raised her glass, which was larger than her head, and imitated Diamond Jozu by gulping it down.
However, before even half the wine was consumed, the girl couldn't handle it. She choked on a mouthful and spat it out, retaliating by spraying it all over Jozu's face.
Jozu was drenched in wine. Amidst the laughter of the crew, he wiped the wine from his face with a dark expression.
The next moment, Jozu, who was expected to become angry, suddenly burst into laughter, as if the incident had never happened.
The girl's companion hurried over and held the somewhat dazed girl, saying, "Orange, you've had a bit too much."
Dazed Orange pushed her companion away and said, "Ling Huan, leave me be."
She then picked up the remaining half-glass of wine and declared, "We won't stop until one of us wins. No one leaves."
But as soon as she finished speaking, Orange's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the table with a thud.
Immediately, another round of laughter erupted from the surroundings. Even Whitebeard, sitting in the back, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Gururururu, the young lady has a good tolerance, just a little short of the mark."
After speaking, he drained the wine from his large gourd, much to the displeasure of the two nurses attending to him.
"Father, your body is not suited for excessive drinking right now."
Whitebeard said with some annoyance, "Isn't my body already healed?"
"Even if it's healed, it's not allowed. Who drinks heavily right after recovering from a serious illness?"
"Exactly, exactly."
Under the persistent protests of the two nurses, Whitebeard finally compromised, looking like a wronged old man, with no trace of his Four Emperor demeanor.
Marco, with his pineapple-like hair, patted Ling Huan's shoulder and said, "Take your friend inside first. I've already had a room prepared."
Ling Huan, somewhat bewildered, was immensely grateful and quickly replied, "Thank you."
He then hoisted the dazed Orange up, slinging one of her arms around his neck, and dragged her into the room.
*Bang.*
Upon entering the room, Ling Huan unceremoniously dumped Orange onto the bed and then let out a long breath, muttering to himself, "You don't look fat, but you're so heavy to carry."
He then turned to leave.
"Who are you calling heavy?"
Just as Ling Huan was about to leave, a voice came from behind him.
Ling Huan turned around to see that Orange, who had been dazed, was now sitting on the bed, her face completely devoid of any drunkenness.
"You weren't..."
Orange didn't reply. She took a small device from her pocket and placed it in the center of the floor. A blue light then emanated from it, enveloping the entire room.
"There. Now, no one outside can hear our conversation."