"What a sharp blade, Hammer! What's this sword called?"
Bogard admired it with a few swings, clearly delighted.
"Miaodao!"
"Miao Dao? A fine name. Does it have any special meaning?"
"Nope. Back in my hometown, that's just what we call it."
"Your hometown? You mean Sabaody? They have blades like this in Sabaody?"
The name Miaodao left a good impression on Bogard and the others.
"Hmph, whatever, it's a sword from my hometown. Use it or don't, just give it back!"
Hammer was still fuming. He'd been scammed out of 90 million Berriesninety million! That was more than enough to buy him several times over.
He was furious. Once they arrived at Sabaody, he was going to make that bastard Santos pay.
He'd learn what it meant to mess with Hammer.
"This sword hits harder with both hands. No wonder the hilt is so long."
As Garp's adjutant and a first-rate swordsman, Bogard immediately grasped the Miaodao's structure.
Gripping the sword with both hands, he slashed downward.
A massive, Haki-infused slash tore through the air.
Even the surface of the sea was split open under the strike.
"As I thought!"
"Tch. Took you long enough to notice. And you call yourself a swordsmaster? Pathetic."
Hammer's sarcastic jab short-circuited Bogard's brain.
"BAHAHAHA! Bogard, I've realized something: Hammer seems to be your natural enemy. You can't win an argument against him!"
"Bwahahaha!"
Garp laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. He knew his adjutant well.
Bogard was always the picture of stern justice, but today, Hammer had made him crack over and over.
Garp was loving it.
Bogart: ...I...!@#!$!@#%!#^%
The warship sailed swiftly, especially since Garp's "Dog Head Battleship" was a colossal vessel, the War Beast class. It had been recently modified by the genius Dr. Vegapunk. Its hull was lined with Seastone, allowing it to bypass Sea Kings' interference and traverse the Calm Belt unimpeded.
Smaller warships used by officers like Hammer hadn't yet been upgraded.
That's why Hammer always had to take a roundabout route through the Grand Line.
Thanks to the Garp's warship clearing the path, both ships soon returned to Marineford.
"We're finally back... Lance... I feel like crying."
Seeing the familiar sight of Marineford made Hammer's eyes water.
This trip had been brutal.
He got scammed, fought Judge, fought a Fishmen, and escaped a natural disaster.
Hammer had truly suffered.
"Hammer, don't cry yet. The communications officer just came by; you and Vice Admiral Garp need to report to Fleet Admiral Kong. Cry after that."
Hammer: ...I!@#!@￥!@#!@
Fleet Admiral's Office
Garp lounged on a sofa, casually drinking tea and munching on rice crackers.
"Damn it, Garp! That's my rice crackers! Put it down!"
"Bwahahaha, don't be so stingy, Sengoku! Let me have a bit!"
Next to him sat the Marines' sole Admiral, the "Buddha" Sengoku.
On another sofa sat Chief of Staff Tsuru.
Fleet Admiral Kong sat at the main seat, while poor Hammer stood off to the side.
"GARP! Behave yourself!"
"Hammer, tell us about the situation with Germa."
Hammer took a moment to organize his thoughts, mentally filtering what he could and couldn't say.
"Germa 66 showed up in the North Blue because it's one of their affiliated territories."
"I lured them to Notce using rumors spread via the Stanford Chamber of Commerce. As you know, I'm the one who made the invisibility hat. Vinsmoke tried to steal it to learn how it was made."
Kong and the others nodded. Hammer's forging skills were unique; nothing like them existed on the seas.
"Later, I waited for Vinsmoke Judge in Notice. When he showed up, we didn't immediately fight. We had a scientific exchange."
"We kinda respected each other, he's a scientist, I'm a blacksmith. We competed in weapons and such. You could say a bond was formed. Some of the weapons on my ship were even gifts from Germa."
"After that, Germa withdrew to conduct more research. I don't think we'll see them again anytime soon."
Hammer recited his heavily edited version of events with a straight face.
The others gave him strange looks.
Scientific exchange, huh?
Budding scientist friendship, really?
As if they didn't know what kind of man Vinsmoke Judge was? That egomaniac would never just give stuff away.
Still, as long as Germa 66 stayed quiet and didn't stir up trouble in the North Blue, it was fine.
"Hammer, don't treat us like a bunch of muscle-bound idiots. We know what Germa's about."
"But since they're part of the World Government's alliance, if they're not making trouble, we'll let it go. As for your story... heheh."
"You really believe it yourself?"
Fleet Admiral Kong didn't press any further. After all, Hammer had gone to confront Germa.
Whatever actually happened, the shipment of weapons he brought back made it clear he hadn't come out on the losing end.
And since they hadn't received any complaints from the World Government, Germa probably wasn't making noise either.
So far, so good.
Hammer let out a breath of relief. What else could he say?
That he beat up the king of Germa so badly he got amnesia? And that the king now wanted to be his sworn brother?
He'd be dead if he said that out loud. Old man Kong and Sengoku would probably bash his head in.
"Oh, by the way..."
"Hammer, I heard you got scammed out of 90 million Berries? Come on, tell us what happened."
Suddenly, Lady Tsuru smiled gently and stabbed right into his trauma.
"PFFT, BAHAHAHAHA!"
"WAHAHAHAHA!"
The room exploded with laughter. Even Fleet Admiral Kong doubled over.
Only Hammer's face turned bright red like an apple, stuck in place from embarrassment.
"Hammer, Hammer... come on. If you needed ammo for your new guns, you should've just submitted a report."
"You think HQ wouldn't approve it? Your burst-fire gun could drastically boost our forces' firepower."
"Phil Jackson's an idiot too, hahahaha!"
Sengoku, glasses on his nose, tried to hold back laughter at first, then gave up and laughed anyway.
Hammer looked miserable.
"One hundred million Berries for ten thousand bullets. What were you thinking?"
"If you've got that much money to burn, just donate it to HQ next time, ahahahaha!"
Hammer was completely numb now.
One thought remained in his mind:
'Santos... you're dead. DEAD!..'
Meanwhile, at the Hydra Society Spa in Sabaody...
Santos was relaxing in a hot bath when he suddenly felt a chill, one even the hot water couldn't dispel.
"Ah-choo!"
"Why is it so cold all of a sudden...? Weird..."