"Oi, red nose… are you that brat from Roger's ship?"
Garp squinted at Buggy, noting the bright nose as memories stirred. Back then, under Roger, there was always that fiery-haired boy… and another with a ridiculous red nose.
Buggy's jaw clenched. His whole body twitched.
"Wha—who's the red nose!? You bast—"
Then it hit him.
The man standing in front of him wasn't just anyone. He was the man who had driven his captain, the Pirate King himself, into desperate straits over and over.
The rest of Buggy's words froze in his throat. His face went pale.
"Vice Admiral Garp!" Bogard stepped forward, saluting crisply.
"This is the pirate known as [Clown Buggy], one of the so-called 'three great pirates of the East Blue."
"His bounty is ten million berry. He can be detained and transferred to Impel Down."
"Then do it!"
Garp said it as casually as someone ordering breakfast. With one hand, he hoisted up his squirming grandson, who was still groaning from the earlier punch.
With the other, he lazily dug at his nostril with his little finger.
"Garp!?"
Nami's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
She wasn't as clueless as Luffy or as stubborn as Zoro. The name "Garp" was legendary. The Marine Hero, whispered in history books and war stories.
And yet here he was. The grandfather of this stupid, reckless pirate standing next to her.
Impossible…!
The Buggy Pirates collapsed to their knees like rotten persimmons, their faces twisted in despair.
Once, they had relied on Buggy's Chop-Chop powers to swagger around the East Blue like kings.
But now? Now the god-tier Marine himself had descended upon their little playground.
And worse — the rookie who had just defeated them turned out to be the grandson of the Marine Hero!
"Let go of me! Grandpa, let me go!" Luffy thrashed wildly, his arms flailing. "I've already made up my mind! I'm gonna be a pirate!"
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Each declaration was punctuated by another iron fist of love slamming down on his skull.
Luffy howled, rolling his eyes, a giant lump swelling on his head.
"You're still saying that crap?" Garp snorted, his teeth clenched. "Tch. Seems I'll just have to drag you back to Headquarters and give you a proper education!"
And with that, he tossed Luffy over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
"Oi, Luffy!"
Zoro shouted, his hand on his sword, but before he could move
Clang!
Bogard stepped forward, his blade flashing once. In a single clean motion, Zoro's stance was broken, and he was thrown to the ground.
The young swordsman grimaced, breath hissing through his teeth.
He had only just set out to sea. Against a top officer of Marine Headquarters, he was nothing more than a fly caught in a storm.
Bogard's sharp gaze lingered on him for a moment. Once he confirmed Zoro wasn't on any wanted list, he turned away. The swordsman was beneath his concern.
Zoro's fingers twitched on his hilt, but all he could do was grit his teeth, powerless.
"Things are getting more and more interesting…"
Guts smirked, hands in his pockets, a low laugh spilling out.
At that moment, a hesitant voice rose behind him.
"Um… V-Vice Admiral Garp! I… I…"
It was Nami.
Her lips trembled as she tried to speak.
For nearly ten years, she had run herself ragged, stealing, lying, suffering... all to scrape together 100 million berries to buy back her village.
It wasn't that she never thought about seeking help from the Marines.
But she was terrified.
Arlong had Colonel Nezumi — the "rat" Marine in his pocket.
If she begged the wrong Marine for help, the "rat" would find out. And when Arlong learned of it… Cocoyasi Village would suffer even more.
The risk was too great. She couldn't gamble with her people's lives.
So she bore it alone.
But Garp…
Even in a backwater corner like the East Blue, anyone with the slightest bit of sense had heard of the name "Garp the Fist."
And Nami knew — even Arlong, who seemed invincible in her eyes, would crumble before this man.
So for the first time, she decided to gamble.
Her fists clenched. She bit her lip. Then, bowing her head deeply, she shouted:
"Vice Admiral Garp! Please... help me! Defeat the pirates in my hometown and save us!"
The square fell silent.
Garp, still carrying his lump-headed grandson over one shoulder, turned to look at her.
"What do you mean, little girl?" he asked, his tone surprisingly serious.
Nami's eyes glistened as she quickly explained.
She told him about Cocoyasi Village, about the Arlong Pirates, about nearly ten years of oppression.
And about Colonel Nezumi, the Marine rat who not only turned a blind eye but worked hand-in-hand with the fishmen to bleed the villagers dry.
The Marines who heard this clenched their fists, their faces twisting in anger.
"Damn it… collaborating with pirates?!"
"The shame of the Marines!"
Garp's expression darkened, his usual goofy grin wiped clean.
His jaw tightened, veins bulging on his temple.
"There aren't many things that make me angry…" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "But that rat bastard is one of them."
Without another second of hesitation, he barked his order:
"Change course! We're heading for Cocoyasi Village!"
The Marines saluted in unison, their voices ringing out like thunder.
Nami's breath caught. For the first time in years, her chest felt lighter.
Her eyes widened, lips trembling but this time with joy.
If Garp is the one to act… then Arlong's ten years of tyranny… will finally end.
"Wait, old man."
Guts's voice cut through the cheers. He stepped forward lazily, hands still shoved in his pockets.
"You show up with all this fanfare, and what happens? Arlong's goons spot you coming a mile away."
"They'll either dive into the sea and vanish, or worse — grab hostages from the village. They won't fight you head-on."
Garp blinked. He scratched at his chin, considering it.
"Hmm~ … y'know, that actually makes sense. So, brat, you got a plan?"
Guts's gaze shifted, landing on the orange-haired girl still staring up at Garp like he was her last hope.
"Little Thief Cat… I'll help you take care of Arlong."
"Wh—who are you calling a thief cat!?" Nami snapped, her face flushing red.
Her fists clenched as her voice trembled between irritation and disbelief. "You? Alone? You think you can just stroll in and beat him!?"
Even though she'd seen Guts casually floor Buggy and Kabaji in an instant, the shadow of Arlong still loomed too deep in her heart. That kind of fear didn't vanish overnight.
Before she could argue further, Garp's booming laugh shook the air.
"Wahahahaha! Not bad! Let's leave it to him!"
"E-Eh!? Mr. Garp!?" Nami's eyes nearly popped out of her skull.
Garp waved her worries away with his free hand, the other still clutching his lump-headed grandson.
"Don't fret, little girl! Having this brat help you is the same as having an Admiral at your back! His strength's that overwhelming! No problem at all!"
"...Admiral!?"
The Marines on deck murmured in shock, some even stumbling.
Three days of sailing alongside this man had already shown them glimpses of his absurd skill.
But hearing Garp himself compare him to an Admiral? It rattled them to their core.
Admirals were the Navy's ultimate power. To place this young-looking ma who seemed barely in his thirties, on that level…
It was unthinkable.
Guts only grinned wider. "Oi, Thief Cat, don't get me wrong. I've got my own reason for helping you. I'm missing a navigator. So come on be mine. Hahahaha!"
His laughter was bright, but his eyes sparkled with intent.
Adventure wasn't about bulldozing everything alone. If he really wanted, he could torch Imu's soul with his Burning Flames tomorrow, topple the World Government, crush the Navy, and scatter every pirate on the seas.
But then what?
Wouldn't that just mean killing everyone, leaving no adventure behind? No journeys, no fights worth savoring, no story left to tell?
What fun was there in that?
Step by step. Like a rookie pirate setting out. Fighting, laughing, and growing stronger with every challenge. That was what he wanted.
"Don't call me a thief cat!" Nami snapped again, her cheeks flushed.
But her voice wavered as she added more softly, "Still… if you really can defeat Arlong… then fine. I'll be your navigator."
Garp raised his brows, grinning. "A navigator, huh? Boy, don't tell me you're planning on running off as a pirate. You should be coming back to Headquarters with me... become a Marine!"
"When the hell did I ever say I wanted to be a Marine?" Guts rolled his eyes.
He respected the old man, sure. But the Navy itself? To him, it was nothing more than a kennel. Marines might wear uniforms, but at the end of the day they were still the Celestial Dragons dogs.
Even if you climbed as high as Vice Admiral, you were still chained.
Truth be told, Guts felt that Garp should have followed in Monkey D. Dragon's footsteps.
That man had seen the truth early on... he had realized the rot ran too deep. No matter how high one climbed, even to the top of the Navy, nothing would ever truly change.
Dragon had chosen to break away, to fight the system itself.
And Guts couldn't help but respect that.
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