Garp, who had brought Ace and Luffy onto the warship, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two youngsters before him, an unconscious smile of relief spreading across his face.
Over the years, he had focused on cultivating Luffy, hoping he would inherit his legacy of justice.
Yet, he never expected Shanks to appear out of nowhere, rendering all his efforts and expectations futile.
No matter how much he tried to guide him afterward, Luffy remained single-mindedly determined to become a pirate, even shouting about becoming the Pirate King.
Every time he heard Luffy declare his intention to set sail as a pirate, Garp couldn't help but wish he could tear Shanks into pieces.
If Shanks hadn't appeared in Windmill Village back then and planted the seed of piracy deep in Luffy's heart, he was certain he could have molded Luffy into a qualified Marine.
Of course, the reason he hadn't taken Luffy to Marine Headquarters for training all these years wasn't entirely due to Shanks' influence.
A large part of it stemmed from his own inner conflict.
Because back in the day, his own son Dragon, though he had followed his wishes and become a Marine soldier, had accompanied him to God Valley at the mere age of seventeen to participate in that earth-shattering war.
During the God Valley incident, Dragon, then still a Marine soldier, witnessed the Celestial Dragons mercilessly slaughtering civilians and resolutely turned his gun against them.
With a father like that, Luffy would naturally be no exception!
If he brought Luffy to Marine Headquarters and Luffy saw the Celestial Dragons abusing their privileges and acting without restraint, Garp was almost certain Luffy would make the same choice Dragon had back then—raising his fists against the Celestial Dragons.
He might even follow in Dragon's footsteps and ultimately choose to defect from the Marines.
With Dragon's precedent as a lesson, Garp had hesitated all these years to firmly decide on bringing Luffy to Marine Headquarters.
However, the current situation is vastly different now.
In the past, the Marine was constrained by the Holy Land, forced to unconditionally obey its commands and uphold the rule of the Celestial Dragons without question.
But now, with Orion's emergence, the Marine is no longer bound by the Holy Land, placing justice above all else.
Not only pirates or other criminals, but even if the Celestial Dragons violate the order of justice, the current Marine has the authority to arrest them and hand them over to the God Knights for punishment.
Given this situation, it was the perfect time to bring Luffy to headquarters.
He believed that with Orion personally guiding him, Luffy wouldn't stray down the wrong path.
"Grandpa, is Sabo really at Marine Headquarters?"
Suddenly, Luffy sprang forward and crouched on the coffee table in front of Garp, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"What's going on? How did Sabo and the others become Marine soldiers?"
Luffy was only about twelve years old at this time, still carrying a childlike innocence as he blinked his eyes, full of confusion yet brimming with anticipation.
"Well, I'm not sure either!"
Garp, having collected his thoughts, glanced at Ace, who was sitting alone at the bow of the ship lost in thought, and then replied.
"All I know is that your father was the one who saved him back then."
"Father?" Luffy blinked blankly, showing little reaction to the sudden mention of having a father.
"What father? Do I have a father?"
Hearing this, Garp's mouth twitched, and he immediately started picking his nose, speaking with a straight face.
"Of course you have a father! His name is Dragon, and he used to be a spirited Marine soldier too!"
"Grandpa, let's talk about Father later! Father or whatever isn't important right now. Just tell me about Sabo!"
Luffy grew impatient, raising his voice. "I just want to know if Sabo is really at Marine Headquarters."
"To be honest, Sabo isn't at Marine Headquarters right now!"
Garp wiped his nose-picking hand on Luffy's clothes.
"But don't worry, he's on his way to headquarters, just like you two. In short, you'll definitely meet him there. Whether he remembers you or not, I can't guarantee!"
"Oh, I see," Luffy blinked, then grinned widely. "That's fine, as long as I can see Sabo. Hee-hee—"
...
Although the warship was fast, it still took several hours to enter the waters of Shimotsuki Village.
As the island loomed faintly ahead, Bogard lowered his binoculars and turned to look at Garp, who was lying side by side with Luffy, both fast asleep and blowing bubbles from their noses.
???
Surprised by how the grandfather and grandson, who had been noisy just moments before, had suddenly fallen silent and adopted the same sleeping posture, Bogard couldn't help but be filled with question marks.
Their sleep quality and posture—truly fitting for grandfather and grandson. In one word: impressive.
Since they still had some distance before docking, Bogard waited until the warship had anchored before walking over to Garp and suddenly shouting loudly.
"Vice Admiral Garp, we're about to arrive at Shimotsuki Village!"
Bogard's sudden shout startled Garp, popping the bubble he was blowing from his nose.
Rubbing his nose, Garp mumbled sleepily, "Since when did our warship get so fast?"
Luffy was also awakened, looking confusedly at the island ahead and asking.
"Grandpa, aren't we going to Marine Headquarters? What are we doing here?"
"To arrest someone!"
Completely sober now, Garp stood up and asked Bogart directly, "What's the name of the kid living here?"
"Roronoa Zoro!"
Bogart checked the list and continued, "According to the information on the list, he's a three-sword style swordsman currently training at a dojo in Shimotsuki Village under a master named Koushirou."
Pausing slightly, Bogart suddenly leaned close to Garp and lowered his voice to ask.
"Vice Admiral Garp, just what is this Zoro's background? For him to appear on this list, his origins must be anything but ordinary!"
"How should I know where this brat comes from?" Garp glared at Bogart and retorted irritably.
"Aside from Ace and Luffy, I've never even heard of the others on this list—Nami, Sanji, Chopper, and that long-nosed Usopp!"
...
Meanwhile.
At Marineford's harbor.
A ship flying no flags slowly docked after receiving permission from the Marines.
Shortly after, two figures emerged from the cabin.
Leading them was Koala, a Revolutionary Army member who had previously visited Marineford with Dragon.
Still dressed in her signature dress and newsboy cap, Koala now carried herself with a composure that contrasted sharply with the nervousness she'd shown during her first visit with Dragon.
Following her was a blond, curly-haired youth wearing a top hat fitted with goggles, a jacket over a frilly-collared shirt and tie, and carrying a pipe on his back.
Sabo—once a noble youth from the Goa Kingdom, sworn brother to Luffy and Ace, and now a member of the Revolutionary Army.
"Koala, have we... become hostages of the Marines?" Sabo asked blankly as he stepped out of the cabin behind her, his eyes taking in the imposing Marine headquarters across the way.
"Didn't Dragon-san already reach an agreement with the Fleet Admiral for the Revolutionary Army to fully take over the liberated nations? Why the sudden change, having Dragon-san send us here?"
"Don't be nervous, Sabo." Koala smiled gently and replied softly, "Fleet Admiral Orion isn't as fearsome as the rumors suggest. He didn't summon us to Marineford to detain us as hostages, but because he and Dragon-san have reached certain agreements and need to engage in further discussions."
Noticing Koala's demeanor, a flicker of curiosity crossed Sabo's eyes.
"Koala, I've noticed that you seem... to really admire this Fleet Admiral."
"Is it that obvious?!" Koala didn't hide her true feelings and admitted openly.
The first time she saw Orion, the overwhelming pressure from the youngest and most iron-fisted Fleet Admiral in Marine history had filled her with nothing but fear.
From the moment she entered Marineford with Dragon to their departure, her mind had been in a complete blank.
But after leaving Marineford and returning to the Revolutionary Army's headquarters at Baltigo, she learned more about Orion through their intelligence network—about the various changes he had brought to the world.
The more she learned, the more her admiration for the young Fleet Admiral grew.
Especially after she learned about everything that had happened in Wano, her admiration for Orion reached its peak!
Because the transformed Wano was the ideal land of freedom, harmony, and equality they had been striving for.
Not just Wano, but Whole Cake Island and Dressrosa were also undergoing earth-shaking changes, becoming dream destinations for those who yearned for peace and freedom.
And all of this was thanks to Orion, the most powerful and influential Fleet Admiral the Grand Line had ever seen.
Now that she had the fortune to return to Marineford, she naturally intended to seize this opportunity to learn more from Orion.
-----------
Please read my new FT fic : Fairy tail : I am Akhnseram