Looking at the guy wrapped up head to toe in front of him, Lin Hai couldn't help but think—Isn't he hot in all that?
And seriously, what a punchable face. Thick beard, nose running like a faucet. Tch.
The first thought that flashed through Lin Hai's mind was: Moron.
Or maybe... imbecile.
That sniveling guy in front of him was a "Celestial Dragon" in this world—descendants of the so-called "Creators," revered as divine and untouchable. His name? Saint Charlos. Yep, the same one who'd get punched halfway across the island by Luffy a year later.
Right now, Saint Charlos was stunned—there was actually someone standing right in front of him, looking him in the eyes. Not bowing. Not trembling. Looking. It was such blatant disrespect that Charlos felt deeply, deeply insulted.
Coming back to his senses, Charlos exploded in disbelief and fury:
"You... you filthy commoner! You dare stand before me, a noble of the world, without kneeling? I'll feed you to the pet I just bought at auction yesterday!"
What the hell is this guy on about?
Lin Hai's temper flared, and without thinking, he slapped Saint Charlos square across the face.
To his surprise, the blow sent the pompous noble flying, his head smacking against the wall with a solid thud—knocked out cold.
That's when it hit Lin Hai—oh crap, this guy's a Celestial Dragon. No wonder he was acting like the king of the universe.
Staring down at the unconscious idiot, Lin Hai knew there was only one thing to do: run.
Because in this pirate world, laying a hand on a Celestial Dragon meant one thing—retribution from the highest levels of the Navy. Admirals. And Lin Hai knew he wasn't stupid enough to think he could escape that.
He took a few steps before stopping in his tracks. Wait… aren't there usually guards outside?
So far, only Charlos had seen his face. That meant he still had a chance—if he moved fast.
Survival instincts kicked in, and Lin Hai quickly came up with a plan. Space Fruit... now's the time.
"Open up—pfft..." On his way back toward the unconscious noble, Lin Hai spat a thick glob of phlegm right onto Charlos's face. If I'm gonna run, I might as well do it in style. A man's gotta have flair—for himself and for the readers.
"Spatial Field..."
A round bubble expanded from Lin Hai's palm, wrapping around the bathroom wall. In a blink, space warped, and he appeared just outside the restroom. The great escape had begun.
He bolted toward the coast, heart racing. If the Navy discovered what had happened to Charlos, they'd lock down Sabaody Archipelago in no time. If that idiot remembered Lin Hai's face… well, that'd be the end of it.
Avoiding the crowds as best he could, Lin Hai ran on, only to spot a tall woman ahead heading into the island. Is that… Boa Hancock?
Known across the world as the most beautiful woman alive and one of the Warlords of the Sea, Hancock was terrifying in both beauty and power.
Lin Hai knew enough of her past to understand she definitely wouldn't take kindly to a search order from the Navy. If the island got sealed off, she'd stir up trouble for sure.
Might as well give the beauty a heads-up.
Hancock and her two sisters watched Lin Hai approach with a puzzled expression. He ignored their wariness and called out, "A Celestial Dragon's just been knocked out. The island's going to be locked down. You should leave—now."
He didn't wait for a response. Lin Hai turned and sprinted toward the coast.
At the mention of Celestial Dragons, Hancock and her sisters flinched instinctively—then stared at each other in disbelief. Someone dared to hit a Celestial Dragon?
After a long pause, Hancock stammered, "He said… he said…"
The green-haired sister snapped to attention. "Sister, we need to set sail. We'll visit them some other time."
Still stunned, Hancock let herself be dragged off by her siblings...
Reaching the shoreline, Lin Hai used his ability to jump aboard a ship that had just left port.
Only—it wasn't just any ship.
It was a Navy battleship, with a dog-head insignia flying high above the mast.
On deck, Vice Admiral Garp was chatting casually with Admiral Aokiji when they both sensed someone had come aboard.
Bold move, kid.
The sailors, sensing Garp's shift in attention, quietly returned to their posts.
Curious, Garp made his way toward where Lin Hai had landed. "Hey kid," he said with a wide grin. "Who are you, and what are you doing on my ship?"
A cold sweat dripped from Lin Hai's forehead. He knew Garp. But he quickly calmed himself—Garp didn't know him, and besides, the old man was a just sort, not some ruthless enforcer.
Lin Hai replied, "Me? I'm... the Sleep God. I was being chased by slavers and jumped on the first ship I could find."
"Sleep God?" Garp's eyes narrowed. "God, huh?"
Can't blame me, Lin Hai thought. That's what his friends used to call him—always dozing off in class, dreaming of teachers doing... questionable things. Ahem.
Another bead of sweat rolled down his temple. He quickly added, "Actually, my name is Huaxia D. Lin Hai."
Huaxia's Lin Hai. That works, right?
"'D'?" Garp frowned inwardly. Great. Another troublesome kid with a D in his name. Just my luck.
Lin Hai glanced back toward the island and said, "Vice Admiral Garp, just call me Lin Hai. Would you mind giving me a lift?"
Garp raised an eyebrow. Most people would be groveling in fear by now. But this kid? Chill as can be. Interesting.
With a nod from Garp, Lin Hai looked around, then walked over to the deck. "Vice Admiral, any chance I could get a drink of water? I've been running for my life and I'm parched."
Off to the side, Admiral Aokiji—lounging on a recliner—watched in disbelief. Does he not see me here? And that's my drink, dammit. I hadn't even touched it yet.
Of course Lin Hai had seen him. He knew Aokiji wasn't the kind of man to kill without reason. After the madness in the bathroom earlier, he was really dehydrated. So he chugged the drink in one go.
Aokiji took off his eye mask and sat up. "Ala-ala… Hey kid. Shouldn't you at least ask before drinking someone else's tea?"
Lin Hai let out a satisfied breath and smiled. "Thanks for the tea, Admiral Aokiji. My bad, I was dying of thirst. Tell you what, how about I make you a new cup?"
"..." Aokiji blinked. So polite? He waved his hand. "Forget it. I'm not really thirsty. So—Lin Hai, was it?"
Lin Hai nodded enthusiastically. "Yes sir! Honored to meet you, Admiral!"
Garp chuckled, walking over and plopping down beside Lin Hai. With a firm pat on the boy's shoulder, he asked, "So tell me, kid—how did you get on my ship?"