East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
On the deck of the warship about to dock, the freckled boy Ace crouched alone at the bow, his eyes darting around rapidly.
Although the day he wanted to set sail was still far off, he had already left Foosha Village.
He could take this opportunity to slip away and set sail ahead of schedule, forming his own pirate crew.
Not far behind him, Usopp, whom Garp had captured from Syrup Village, still hadn't fully regained his composure.
After blankly scanning his surroundings, he turned his gaze to the straw-hat-wearing boy Luffy and the green-haired swordsman Zoro across from him.
"Zoro, you said you want to become the world's greatest swordsman?"
Luffy crouched in front of Zoro, grinning.
"To be the Pirate King's crewmate, you definitely need a title that impressive! So, when I set sail, you'll be my first crewmate!"
"Who wants to be your first crewmate?!"
Zoro widened his eyes, exasperated.
"My goal to become the world's greatest swordsman has nothing to do with you! Besides, we've been captured by that dog-hat-wearing old man and brought onto this warship. Do you really think you still have a chance to become a pirate, you idiot!"
"Hehe, that dog-hat-wearing old man you mentioned is my grandpa!"
Luffy leaped in front of Zoro and whispered conspiratorially.
"Once Grandpa leaves the warship, Ace and I will sneak away with you!"
Before the words faded, Luffy suddenly tilted his head toward Usopp, who was crouching nearby trembling due to their loud scheming.
"Long-nose, do you want to join my pirate crew? If you're willing, we'll take you with us when we leave~"
"Are you kidding me?!"
Usopp nearly burst into tears at the thought of Luffy dragging him into trouble.
"I am the great and honorable Usopp, captain of the Usopp Pirates! How could I possibly join you? And could you please stop talking so loudly? They can hear everything!"
As he spoke, Usopp pointed helplessly toward Bogart crouching by the ship's cabin door, his face full of despair.
Just then, Garp emerged from the cabin.
"Ahahaha! You kids are full of spirit!"
Garp scanned the four children and laughed heartily.
"I'm starting to understand why Orion specifically requested to bring you to headquarters. You're not bad at all. If nothing else, with your current vigor, you'll surely be able to shoulder the future of the Marines, ahaha~"
After a brief pause, Garp turned to Bogart standing guard nearby.
"Keep an eye on them. I'm heading to Cocoyashi Village."
With that, Garp paid no further attention to the four kids on the deck and leaped ashore in a single bound.
Thanks to the detailed address on the list, Garp soon arrived at a small orange grove on the outskirts of Cocoyashi Village.
It was a grove planted in a backyard—not large in scale, but each tree was lush and thriving, clearly cherished by its caretaker.
After passing the orange grove, Garp stopped before a small two-bedroom house.
In the yard before the house, two girls sat facing each other.
The older one appeared about fourteen or fifteen, while the younger looked twelve or thirteen.
Both were exceptionally delicate, bearing no resemblance to children raised in a rural village.
These sisters were none other than Nojiko and Nami.
The older Nojiko was mending a dress, while Nami was completely absorbed in drawing, unaware that an uninvited guest had entered their yard.
Ever since Orion's eastern inspection led to the execution of the Arlong crew that had occupied Cocoyashi Village, the village had regained its vitality.
The sisters no longer had to live in constant fear.
It was precisely because of this that they had let their guard down.
Even as Garp walked into the yard, the sisters remained engrossed in their tasks, failing to notice his presence.
Upon entering the yard, Garp glanced up at the house's front door.
Seeing a plaque above it inscribed with the words "Home of the Marine Hero," the Marine Vice Admiral promptly removed his dog-shaped hat and saluted the plaque respectfully.
"Huh?"
At that moment, Nojiko caught sight of Garp out of the corner of her eye.
Her pupils contracted slightly, and she hurriedly stood up, asking nervously.
"Wh-who are you?"
Nojiko's voice snapped Nami out of her focus.
The moment she spotted the uninvited guest in their yard, the quiet girl transformed into a fierce little hellion.
Grabbing a broom beside her, she swung it at Garp.
"Where did this nasty old man come from, daring to trespass into the Home of the Marine Hero? Take this—"
"Ahem, it's a misunderstanding, kid!" Garp swiftly caught the broom and explained, "I am Vice Admiral Garp of the Marine Headquarters, not some suspicious old man!"
Hearing this, Nami and Nojiko finally noticed Garp's Marine uniform and recalled that he had just been saluting the 'Hero of the Marines Home.'
Nojiko was the first to react, quickly pulling Nami to her side as she politely said.
"Greetings, Vice Admiral Garp!"
Garp made himself at home by sitting on the stool opposite the sisters, then looked up at the plaque above the cottage door and got straight to the point.
"I've come under orders from the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters to bring you two back to HQ. Before that, Fleet Admiral Orion specifically instructed me to consult your wishes! If you're willing to join the Marines, pack your belongings and come with me now. If not, there's no need to fear—as descendants of a hero, you'll still receive special care!"
"Join the Marines?"
Nojiko's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes," Garp nodded with a smile. "If you're willing, from this moment on, you can carry the name of Fleet Admiral Orion and become Marines of justice. I know everything that's happened to you and the hardships your adoptive mother Bell-mère endured, but that's all in the past. It's time to focus on the future!"
Before Nojiko could respond, Nami suddenly stepped forward, lifting her delicate face with eager eyes.
"If we go with you to Marine Headquarters, can we meet the Fleet Admiral?"
"Of course, Fleet Admiral Orion will be your instructor, personally guiding you to become true Marine warriors!"
...
...
Cocoyashi Village coast.
On the deck of the docked Marine ship, Bogard was tightly bound, with several pairs of smelly socks stuffed in his mouth.
Standing opposite Bogard wasn't Luffy, Ace, or Zoro—it was Usopp.
Though Bogard was tied up, Usopp couldn't stop trembling.
He never expected Zoro and Ace would join Luffy in boldly attacking a Marine.
Luffy's move was especially shocking, transforming his body into rubber bands to wrap around Bogard, preventing him from drawing his sword before Ace and Zoro skillfully bound his hands and feet.
Then, Luffy and the others tasked Usopp with guarding Bogard before jumping ashore and disappearing.
Just as Usopp felt he couldn't hold on any longer, Luffy's voice echoed from afar.
"Zoro, Ace—"
"I found a ship!"
As the voice rang out, Luffy's figure soon appeared in Usopp's sight.
Luffy was sprinting toward the Marine ship at full speed, carrying a small boat on his shoulder.
His speed was so astonishing it shattered Usopp's understanding of reality.
At the same time, Ace and Zoro came running from two different directions, gathering beside the Marine ship with Luffy, both wearing expressions of delight.
However, when they saw the small boat Luffy had brought, their faces froze.
Zoro grabbed Luffy and pointed at the boat on the ground and yelled.
"This is a canoe, you idiot! Going to sea in a canoe? Are you trying to get us killed?"
"No problem!"
Luffy clapped his hands and grinned. "You guys take the boat—I've got this!"
With that, Luffy pulled out a wine barrel from behind and made a move to jump into it.
"..."
Zoro looked utterly defeated, hanging his head as he turned and walked away.
Ace's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
"I think going to Marine Headquarters isn't so bad. At least we'll get to see Sabo there."
Saying this, Ace and Zoro voluntarily returned to the warship.
Rather than following Luffy out to sea and dying halfway, it was better to stay obediently on the warship where their lives would at least be secure.