As soon as the leading figure finished speaking, a shorter individual beside him stepped forward, raising his head to look at Bogard.
Bogard also caught a glimpse of the half-covered, furry face under the cloak. His mind raced as he thought,
"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user?"
The figure then shook his sleeves, revealing a pair of equally furry paws.
Crackle!
Silver arcs of electricity flickered across those paws. Seeing this, Bogard's expression changed again as he exclaimed in shock,
"A Mink Tribe member!?"
The next second, the figure instantly appeared before Bogard, striking out with a claw.
Although Bogard had been on guard, his opponent's speed was simply too fast. Caught off guard, he hurriedly raised his sword to block.
The moment their attacks collided, Bogard felt an immense force surge through his blade, sending him flying backward.
The short Mink swiftly followed up, releasing another electric shock that took down the remaining Marines.
When Bogard finally regained his footing, he realized he was the only Marine still standing. However, he had no time to worry about his fallen comrades, as the Mink had already charged at him again.
From their brief exchange, Bogard had already understood—whether in strength or speed, his opponent far outclassed him. In this situation, he had almost no chance of winning.
The only thing he could do now was hold out until Garp arrived.
Clenching his jaw, Bogard steeled himself and pressed forward.
However, the gap in their strength was even greater than he had anticipated. After just ten exchanges, Bogard was already covered in wounds, his body marked with charred claw slashes.
Moments later, with another crackling burst of electricity, Bogard collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
He struggled to get up, but the short Mink spoke in a deep voice,
"We have no ill intentions coming here. Why must you keep getting in our way?"
Using his sword for support, Bogard rose from the ground, responding coldly,
"You think I would trust a group that won't even show their faces? As a Marine, it is my duty to protect the peace!"
The Mink was silent for a moment before saying,
"You are a fine soldier, but you are standing in our way."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Mink vanished again, his lightning-cloaked claws about to strike Bogard's abdomen.
At that moment, Garp's figure descended from the sky, his fist slamming into the Mink.
Boom!
A humanoid crater formed in the ground before Bogard, while Garp landed beside him. He looked down at Bogard and said,
"Well done, Bogard."
Seeing Garp arrive, Bogard's tense body finally relaxed. Leaning on his sword, he weakly said,
"These people are suspicious and incredibly strong. You must be careful..."
Garp nodded before turning to face the group of cloaked figures ahead.
Swish!
A shadow flashed from the crater at Garp's feet, returning to his comrades.
The leader of the group whispered to the short Mink,
"Are you alright?"
The Mink coughed a few times before replying,
"It hurts... I didn't expect Garp to be here. What do we do now?"
The leader was silent for a moment before saying,
"We leave."
Hearing this, Garp sneered,
"Leave? After injuring so many of my men, you think you can just walk away? Do you think this old man doesn't exist?"
With those words, Garp's eyes widened in fury. His iron fists were instantly coated in Haki as he charged forward, full of wrath.
The short Mink met him head-on once again, but this time, the electricity crackling across his body barely had any effect on Garp, as if it were mere static.
Even before his claws could touch Garp's fist, they were blocked by the sheer force of Garp's Armament Haki.
Between them, the air compressed into a sphere of energy, radiating crackling lightning infused with Haki. The ground shattered beneath them, and a powerful shockwave tore through the area, ripping off the cloaks of the Mink's group and revealing their faces.
Garp's eyes narrowed as he saw the furry feline face in front of him.
"A Mink...? This face looks familiar... Wait! You're Lindbergh, the Southern Army Commander of the Revolutionary Army!"
Sweat drenched Lindbergh's fur-covered forehead. Realizing his identity had been exposed, he forced a stiff smile and said,
"Garp... sir..."
But Garp's expression was dark as storm clouds. With a furious roar, his overwhelming Haki exploded forth, sending Lindbergh flying.
Just then, another figure leaped into the air, his body inflating like a balloon.
"Gum-Gum Balloon!"
Boom!
Lindbergh crashed into the soft, rubbery "balloon." Garp looked up, and when he saw the face of the person who caught Lindbergh, his eyes widened in shock.
"Luffy!? Is that you, Luffy?!"
Luffy landed with Lindbergh in his arms. Looking at Garp, his expression was complicated as he said,
"Grandpa..."
Luffy had grown up under Dragon's care, while Garp had been stationed at Impel Down. This was their first time meeting in person.
Back in Dragon's care, Luffy had learned much about Garp and had seen his photos, so he recognized him immediately.
Garp had also received a letter from Dragon long ago, informing him that he had a grandson named Luffy. Over the past two years, Luffy's image had appeared in newspapers, so Garp was able to recognize him as well.
The grandfather and grandson stood there in silence, neither speaking first.
Eventually, Garp broke the silence.
"Luffy, why are you here? And why are you with the Revolutionary Army?"
Luffy lowered his eyes and answered,
"I just returned to the East Blue. I wanted to visit my father's homeland. As for the Revolutionary Army... They are my father's friends. They've looked after me since I was a kid. Is it so strange for me to be with them?"
Lindbergh, still nursing his bruised paw, stepped forward and said,
"Old man Garp, you are Commander Dragon's father. Please believe us when we say we have no ill intentions. We don't want to fight you, nor do we want to put you in a difficult position. If you don't want us here, we will leave."
With that, Lindbergh pulled Luffy along, retreating.
Garp stood still, deep in thought.
Luffy sighed and said,
"Grandpa, we're leaving."
He glanced at Garp one last time before turning to follow the Revolutionary Army members.
However, just as they took a few steps, Garp suddenly roared,
"Stop! You should be coming with me!"
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+230 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg