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--East Blue--
The sky was clear, the sun blazing high above. A Marine warship bearing the insignia of Loguetown slowly departed from Shimotsuki Village.
"Kuina is as clingy as ever..." Atlas sat cross-legged on the ship's ram, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he gazed back toward the Isshin Dojo.
He had only stayed in Shimotsuki Village for a few days. At first, Kuina had been a little distant, but after hearing the stories told by her mother and father, Koshiro, she had quickly warmed up to him.
Seven years had passed since their last meeting, even with the naturally stronger bodies of people in the world of One Piece, memories rarely formed before the age of three or four.
As for Zoro, Atlas had entrusted him to Koshiro. The moment that stubborn boy stepped into the dojo, he declared he wanted to test whether Koshiro was worthy of being his teacher.
The result was predictable: Kuina, only a year or two older than him, defeated him instantly. After that, Zoro obediently stayed at the Isshin Dojo.
Still, Atlas had promised Kuina that in two years, he would take her to Marine Headquarters so that she could see for herself the gap between her and the wider world.
She was determined to prove to Koshiro that a girl could also become the World's Strongest Swordsman.
What a pair of adorable children...
BANG!
"Set sail! Our next stop—Foosha Village!" Watching the shoreline fade into the distance, Atlas leapt down from the bow and called out to his crew.
"Yes, sir!"
.......
--East Blue, Foosha Village--
The small village in the Goa Kingdom was as tranquil as ever. Smiling villagers strolled about, chatting idly as they went about their daily routines.
For ordinary people, freedom did not mean living without rules.
To live peacefully, work honestly, grow old, and pass away naturally—this was true freedom.
They did not crave wealth, fame, or power. Yet in a world plagued by pirates, where could such peace truly exist?
This was why most common folk despised the Great Pirate Era that Roger had ushered in.
The root of the chaos might have been the Celestial Dragons, but most people would never even see one in their lifetime.
Instead, they felt the cruelty of the era through the actions of rampaging pirates. Order, after all, had always existed to protect the majority.
At Makino's bar, in the heart of Foosha Village.
The Makino of this era was already a striking young woman. Her lush, light-green hair was tied back beneath a plaid bandana, giving her a graceful yet approachable charm.
It was still morning, so the bar was quiet, with only a few villagers sneaking in for an early drink. Their wives were strict at home, so these men only dared slip away for a glass when their families were occupied with chores.
Even then, they never drank too much—they still had fields to tend.
Just then, the bar's small wooden door creaked open, though oddly, no one was visible.
"That must be Luffy," Makino murmured with a smile, turning from the counter she had been cleaning.
A small boy, no more than five or six, stepped in. His short white shirt with dark-blue trim hung loosely on his frame. His messy black hair framed a smooth, innocent face that made him look irresistibly adorable.
"Makino, I'm starving! Is there anything to eat?" Luffy scrambled onto a high stool at the counter and plopped down, rubbing his empty stomach pitifully.
"Just a moment, I'll fix you something."
At once, Luffy's face lit up. He waved his hands eagerly, blurting out promises.
"Thanks, Makino! When I grow up and become a pirate, I'll repay you with treasure!"
Makino only chuckled and headed for the kitchen. She knew better than to take such promises seriously. Everyone in the village looked after Luffy, since it was thanks to Garp's presence that they were safe from pirates.
But no one spoiled him more than Makino, whose care for Luffy overflowed with sisterly affection.
Clink!
Soon, she returned with a plate of fried rice and a glass of juice.
"Here you go~ Eat up."
"Alright! Time to eat!" Luffy's eyes gleamed as he grabbed the plate and began shovelling food into his mouth with childlike enthusiasm.
Makino sat across from him, resting her chin in her palms, her eyes soft with amusement as she watched him devour the meal.
"Luffy, I heard you got into trouble again?" she asked gently, once his plate was nearly empty.
"No, I didn't!" Luffy protested between bites. "I just yelled at those mountain bandits. They're the ones always bothering you, Makino!" His cheeks puffed as he pouted, full of determination. He wouldn't let anyone bully the big sister who fed him so often.
"Still, you can't do that anymore," Makino chided softly. "If something happened to you, I'd be heartbroken."
"But I heard from the village chief that he's already contacted Mr. Garp."
"Eh?!" Luffy froze, nearly choking as his eyes went wide with horror.
"My grandpa's coming back again? But he just left!" The very thought of Garp's iron fists sent a shiver down his spine.
It was the stuff of childhood nightmares. Even the fried rice on his plate didn't taste so good anymore.
"No, Mr. Garp asked one of his colleagues to check on you."
"Oh, then that's fine." Relieved it wasn't Garp himself, Luffy let out a sigh and gulped down the juice on the counter.
CRASH!
Near the coast of Foosha Village, a Sea King burst from the waves. Its blood-red eyes gleamed, its mouth filled with jagged teeth, and its brownish-black hide glistened under the sun.
It looked like a crocodile with a serpent's body, limbless and crowned with a blue-and-white dorsal fin. It wasn't very large, certainly much smaller than anything Atlas had seen before.
"This is the creature that took Shanks' arm?" Atlas muttered, staring at the corpse of the so-called Lord of the Coast.
"Vice Admiral, sir, should we haul it aboard and butcher it?"
"Forget it. It's too ugly, and the meat probably tastes terrible." Atlas shook his head. The thing's bloodshot eyes looked diseased, as if it carried some rabies-like virus.
Whoever wanted to eat it could have it. "Alright, you all stay on the ship. I'll go alone."
After giving his orders, Atlas dusted off his spotless uniform and stepped ashore. "It's been a while since I've seen Makino…"
Clang!
The tavern door, only just shut, swung open again.
"Yo! Makino, long time no see."
Both Makino and Luffy turned their heads. Standing in the doorway was a young man with a radiant smile.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, so sturdily built that he nearly blocked out the entrance. His clothes were dazzlingly white, without a single speck of dirt.
"Wow~ Your clothes look just like Grandpa's!" Before Makino could speak, Luffy shouted in amazement, staring up at Atlas.
"You must be the young man from a few years ago. Did Vice Admiral Garp send you to check on Luffy?" Makino asked softly. She remembered him faintly, especially how he'd once scared off mountain bandits with just a glare.
"Yep~ I happened to be on vacation in the East Blue, so I came to check on Luffy and Ace," Atlas replied, his mind racing as he studied the boy.
"By the way, my name is Kanos Atlas. Don't forget it." He had already noticed Makino struggling to recall. Back then, she'd only been a girl of ten; now she had grown into a lovely young woman.
"Hehe…" Makino gave an embarrassed smile.
"You're Luffy, right? Your grandpa asked me to look after you. Want to come with me? I can introduce you to some new friends."
"Are you from the outside? Can you tell me stories about pirates' adventures?" Luffy ignored the offer and fired off his question.
"Why don't you first tell me why you want to be a pirate?" Atlas asked, resisting the urge to smack the brat. His tone softened, almost coaxing.
"I heard everyone say my grandpa is a Marine, so only a pirate can fight him!" Luffy said, clenching his fists, eyes shining with excitement.
"My punch is as strong as a pistol! When I grow up and become a pirate, I'll send Grandpa flying with one punch!"
Unable to contain himself, Luffy punched the air. Atlas stared at him in silence. Did this kid's grandpa know how "filial" he was?
At least Shanks hadn't influenced him yet. Luffy wasn't dreaming of being Pirate King—he just wanted to annoy Garp. There was still hope.
"Oh! Right, you're a Marine too, aren't you, Uncle?" Luffy suddenly realised.
"Uncle? What the hell…" Atlas nearly choked. Calm down. Calm down. I still need to trick this kid into becoming a Marine. Don't lose your temper.
POW!
"I'm only twenty-two, you brat! Who are you calling Uncle?"
Ah, that felt good! Watching the steaming lump rise on Luffy's head, Atlas felt as refreshed as if he'd downed an ice-cold soda in the middle of summer.
"Ow! That hurts! You are a Marine, just like Grandpa!" Luffy groaned. If the pain was the same, then so was the profession. This only deepened his determination to become a pirate. After all, children's dreams are always so stubbornly simple.
Reading Luffy's expression like an open book, Atlas knew he had to change his way of thinking. Even pirates couldn't escape Garp's fists!
"Kid Luffy, do you know who the strongest person among the pirates is?" Atlas asked mysteriously.
"The Pirate King?" Luffy replied. Not bad—at least he knew that much. Roger's legacy truly ran deep.
"That's right. But did you know the Pirate King, Roger, was chased around by your grandpa every single day? He got beaten up plenty. So even if you become a pirate, you'll still end up getting punched by your grandpa."
"Is that true, Makino?" Luffy asked, doubtfully glancing at her.
"It is. Mr. Garp is known as the Hero of the Marines. Many pirates fear him," Makino said gently, though her words landed like a cruel hammer.
Luffy's expression crumbled. His world seemed to collapse.
"However, there is a way to stop your grandpa from hitting you," Atlas said, pausing for effect.
"What is it? Tell me, Uncle!" Luffy asked eagerly, hope blazing in his eyes again.
"It's simple. Your grandpa is a Vice Admiral. If you rise higher than him—say, become a Marine Admiral or even Fleet Admiral—he won't dare to hit you. You might even be able to hit him whenever you want."
Of course, the first condition was being able to beat Garp. But technically, Atlas wasn't lying.
"But doesn't that mean I have to be a Marine? That's so hard to decide…" Luffy frowned, torn. He didn't know much about Marines or pirates; all he had were half-heard adventure tales.
Since Shanks hadn't yet told him stories, Luffy wasn't fixed on becoming a pirate. He still wavered.
"Do you like roasted meat?" Atlas asked, ready to play his final card.
"Roasted meat? I love it!" Luffy's eyes lit up instantly, his head bobbing up and down furiously.
"The Marines have an endless supply of roasted meat. You can eat as much as you like."
At that moment, Atlas was like a devil whispering temptation, every word scratching at Luffy's deepest desires.
"I'm going to be the Fleet Admiral! Roasted meat, roasted meat, I want all the roasted meat I can eat!" Luffy cheered, his little heart completely won over.
All thoughts of being a pirate were gone. A life of roasted meat and freedom from Garp's fists—what could be better?
"Pfft~" Makino giggled, unable to hold back. She never imagined this young Marine could be so persuasive.
In just a few sentences, he had completely fooled Luffy, solving a problem that had always been a headache for Garp.
Atlas watched Luffy bounce with excitement, a smirk tugging at his lips. Dealing with a little brat like you is child's play.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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