East Blue, Foosha Village
Inside the bar, Makino, who was visibly pregnant, was wiping a glass at the counter. Across from her sat Garp, wearing a floral shirt and large shorts.
At this moment, Garp hardly looked like a Marine. He had one leg crossed over the other, a pair of sandals lazily hanging from his feet, and a small wooden barrel of liquor in his hand. He said,
"Makino, pour me another drink."
Makino smiled and nodded, but Garp glanced at her belly and changed his mind.
"Never mind, I'll get it myself."
With that, Garp stood up, walked behind the counter, and grabbed a bottle of liquor from the shelf.
Makino didn't stop him but spoke softly, "Garp, you should drink less."
Garp waved his hand dismissively and chuckled, "What, Makino? You think I'm getting old?"
Makino looked at Garp's graying hair and stubbled face, her expression silently saying,
Isn't that obvious?
Garp wasn't offended. He simply shook his head, returned to his seat, and poured himself another drink. But this time, he didn't drink immediately. Instead, he stared at the barrel, his eyes filled with loneliness.
It was his vacation, and as usual, he had returned to his hometown, Foosha Village. But this time, something felt different. An overwhelming sense of solitude weighed on him—he had no family left.
His son, Dragon, was dead. His grandson, Luffy, was still missing.
Though he rarely saw them when he visited, at least he had always known they were alive. Now, that certainty was gone.
Thinking of Dragon and Luffy, Garp let out a deep sigh. Maybe it was better not to return anymore. Perhaps he should just stay at Marine Headquarters and retire alongside Sengoku the Buddha.
Makino noticed Garp's gloomy mood and had a good guess as to why. The entire village knew about Garp's losses, but no one dared to mention them.
Garp downed his drink in one gulp, looked up at Makino, and said,
"Makino, when your child is born, make sure to raise them well. Don't let them turn out like me—raising a son and grandson who both became criminals! Hahaha… I've really failed as a man!"
Hearing this, Makino's expression turned strange. She instinctively placed a hand on her belly. After all, the father of her child was one of the last remaining great pirates in the world.
By the World Government's laws, her child was already a criminal before even being born…
Garp noticed her unusual reaction and asked, "What's wrong?"
Makino forced a smile and replied, "Nothing, I was just thinking… With the way the Marines are going, fewer and fewer people will dare to become pirates in the future."
Garp nodded. "That's because the current Fleet Admiral is him! Mark my words, the so-called Great Pirate Era will end at his hands. From the Pirate King to the Four Emperors… Heh. I just wonder when he plans to take down the Red-Haired Pirates."
At the mention of the Red-Haired Pirates, Makino's hands trembled, and the glass she was wiping slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floor.
The sudden sound startled Garp. He immediately stood up.
"Are you okay, Makino? Did you get hurt?"
Makino quickly turned away to hide her panic.
"I'm fine. Uh… Garp, are the Marines really going to go after the Red-Haired Pirates? Will Fleet Admiral personally lead the attack again?"
Garp replied, "Of course. When has he ever sat out of something like this? And with Sakazuki and the others, it'll probably be us old folks like me and Sengoku staying behind at Headquarters again."
Makino's face grew even paler. "That lineup… The Red-Haired Pirates don't stand a chance."
"Chance? There's no chance. The difference in strength is like night and day. Honestly, I think Carl alone could wipe them out. With his current power, even I wouldn't last more than a few moves against him. That guy's a monster."
Garp kept talking, oblivious to Makino's worsening expression.
Makino bit her lip. "So Shanks has no way out?"
"Unless he disbands his crew and retires like Silvers Rayleigh, he's as good as dead."
"But for someone like Shanks… disbanding his crew is impossible."
Garp narrowed his eyes and stared at Makino. "Makino, do you have some kind of connection to Shanks?"
Makino lowered her head and murmured, "I guess you could say that. He used to come to my bar. He was kind and didn't seem like a bad person."
Garp still felt something was off, but seeing her discomfort, he didn't press further. He simply said,
"Compared to Whitebeard, Shanks is indeed the most easygoing of the Four Emperors, but…"
BANG!
Before Garp could finish, the bar's door burst open, and a villager from Foosha Village ran in, shouting,
"Garp! There's trouble! There's a fight at the village entrance!"
Garp frowned and stood up. "A brawl? Where are the stationed Marines?"
The villager, gasping for breath, stammered, "I don't know who they are, but they're like monsters! The Marines can't handle them!"
Without another word, Garp stormed out of the bar, rushing toward the commotion.
At the entrance of Foosha Village, Bogard and a unit of Marines were facing off against a group of cloaked figures.
Just moments ago, Bogard had stopped these strangers for a routine inspection. Something about them had seemed suspicious. However, when he attempted to question them, they refused to cooperate.
This only made them more suspect. When Bogard tried to insist, the strangers attacked. In an instant, several Marines were knocked out.
The ensuing battle was brutal. To Bogard's shock, these people were incredibly strong. The stationed Marines were no match for them, and even the elite soldiers from Marine Headquarters were struggling.
A bead of sweat rolled down Bogard's forehead as he stared at the figures and demanded,
"Who the hell are you?"
The leader, a short figure with a slightly hunched cloak, spoke calmly,
"Lindbergh, go ahead. Make it quick."
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