Marineford – Port
The next morning, sunlight dappled on the mirror-calm sea. With a slight ripple in space, a warship quietly materialized at the Marine Headquarters port—it was Zephyr's personal vessel, returning two days ahead of schedule.
BOOM!!!
The moment the ship appeared, a figure shot out from deep within the headquarters, landing on the deck with the force of a sonic boom and a wave of fury, shaking the entire vessel.
"LUFFY!! ACE!! WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!!"
Garp roared as he boarded, his face fraught with anxiety, his fists clenched. He unleashed a wave of Haki that instantly enveloped the ship, making him seem like an enraged beast.
Just as the sailors were scrambling in shock, a familiar figure flashed to the old man's side.
"Easy there, old-timer!" Roy placed a firm hand on Garp's shoulder, his voice calm and reassuring. "The two little rascals are exhausted. They're sleeping soundly."
Seeing it was Roy, Garp's tense muscles relaxed slightly. He let out a long breath. "Ah, Roy... so you were there too. That's good." The anxiety and anger in his eyes finally dissipated, replaced by a rare look of relief.
"Sorry about that," he said, scratching his head with an embarrassed smile. "I just got back and heard the West Blue internship mission was attacked... The moment I heard those two knuckleheads were in trouble, I nearly tore down the building."
"Understandable," Roy smiled, his tone as gentle as ever. "They are your grandsons, after all."
Marineford – Roy's Residence
As soon as the warship docked, Roy had teleported the sleeping Ace and Luffy directly back to their familiar home. The morning courtyard was peaceful, filled with the singing of birds and sunlight filtering through the eaves.
Nami and Nojiko, upon hearing the two were injured, immediately dropped everything to come and take care of them.
"Those two idiots... always so reckless!" Nami grumbled softly as she gently tucked Luffy in, her eyes, full of worry and heartache, fixed on his sleeping face.
Nojiko checked Ace's injuries and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. It's just physical exhaustion. He'll be fine after he wakes up and eats something."
The two sisters stood guard by the beds, silent and watchful.
In the courtyard, steam rose from a tea set on a sun-drenched table, where three figures sat. The fragrant aroma of tea mingled with the fresh morning air.
Garp silently watched the two sleeping boys in the house, his usually smiling face now showing a rare gentleness.
"My old friend..." he began, his voice a little hoarse, "I'm glad you were there."
Zephyr paused for a moment, the teacup in his hand trembling slightly. "I should be the one apologizing to you," he said, his gaze heavy. "If I hadn't taken them out..."
"None of that!" Garp snorted, waving his hand dismissively. "That's called training, not leading them astray! Birds have to face storms to learn how to fly." He tilted his head back and drank his tea, his eyes once again burning with his trademark indomitable spirit. "My grandsons aren't flowers raised in a greenhouse!"
Zephyr was taken aback for a second, then chuckled and shook his head. "You old rascal, you certainly know how to look on the bright side."
Roy refilled their cups. "The mission was indeed more than we expected," he said softly, "but they performed very well." He looked at Garp seriously. "Especially Ace." He paused, his gaze meaningful. "At the critical moment... he awakened his Conqueror's Haki."
Pfft—!!!
Garp, who was in the middle of drinking, sprayed a mouthful of hot tea. "WHAT?!" His eyes widened, his jaw dropping so low he could have fit a fist in it. "You mean... Conqueror's Haki?! For real?!"
Zephyr couldn't help but snort. "What, are you surprised? You didn't have a clue about your own grandson's potential?"
Garp stared blankly for a moment, then burst into loud, hearty laughter. "Hahahaha!! As expected of my grandson!! The disposition of a natural-born king!!!"
The old man's laughter echoed through the courtyard. Inside, Luffy sleepily turned over and mumbled, "So noisy... Grandpa's so annoying..."
The three men paused, then all burst out laughing. The clinking of teacups and the aroma of tea filled the morning with a moment of warm, peaceful quiet.
Evening – Roy's Residence
The last rays of the setting sun bathed the courtyard in a warm glow. Inside, the two brothers who had slept the entire day opened their eyes at almost the same instant.
"Ugh... I'm starving..." Luffy sat up, rubbing his stomach, his hair a mess.
"Me too..." Ace rubbed his temples, still feeling a bit weak, but his strength was mostly recovered.
They looked at each other for a second, then yelled in unison, "MEAT—!!!"
BAM!!!
A fist landed on each of their heads. Nami's hair was practically standing on end with anger. "You two! You just woke up and you're already making a racket! Do you have any idea how worried everyone was?!"
"Ow, ow, ow—Nami! Not the face!" Luffy scrambled away, holding his head.
"Sorry, we're... we're just really hungry!" Ace said with an awkward laugh, rubbing his stomach.
Nojiko sighed and handed them two glasses of warm milk. "Here, have this for now. Grandpa Garp already went out to 'find' you some meat."
"...Grandpa?!" Ace and Luffy froze, suddenly on alert.
"He's... he's not going to take us for another special training session in the mountains, is he?" Ace asked, his face filled with dread.
"Like the time he said we were having dinner, but it was really just us chasing wild boars to practice our reflexes?"
"Not this time," a relaxed voice said from the doorway. Roy leaned against the frame, smiling. "He said he was going to get you some 'real, proper meat'."
The two brothers were completely confused.
Marineford – Port
BOOM—!!!
The entire Marine Headquarters was suddenly rocked by a violent tremor, almost like an earthquake.
"What's going on?! The alarm didn't go off!"
"Look at the port!!!"
Everyone rushed to the shore and was met with an incredible sight. Garp was returning from the sea, walking on the waves, laughing heartily. On his shoulder was a Sea King the size of a battleship. With each step he took, the port's stone tiles cracked.
"Hahaha!! My grandsons want meat? Then they'll eat their fill!!"
The Sea King was covered in blood but still radiated an immense presence, its massive body casting a shadow that nearly blocked out the setting sun.
"Is... is that a deep-sea class Sea King?!"
"Vice Admiral Garp dragged it back from the bottom of the ocean with his bare hands?!!"
The Marines stared, dumbfounded, their jaws agape.
On the other side of the port, Law and Roy stood on a ship's mast, watching the scene. Both silently face-palmed.
"He really is the 'reckless' old Garp..."
"I'll cut the meat." Law had already drawn his long sword, his expression as stoic as ever.
With the help of Law's Operation-Operation Fruit and Roy's teleportation ability, the entire Sea King was quickly butchered and distributed. Every Marine soldier and their families in Marineford got a share of the fresh meat.
"Hey, did you hear? Vice Admiral Garp caught a Sea King!"
"So epic!"
"My kids are in for a treat tonight!"
The entire Marine Headquarters was thrown into an unprecedented barbecue festival.
Roy's Residence – Courtyard
As night fell, several giant grills were set up in the courtyard, their flames and smoke creating a fragrance that filled the air. The best cuts of the Sea King had all been transported to Roy's residence.
Luffy and Ace were practically resurrected, their eyes sparkling as they circled the grills. "Meat!!!"
"It smells soooooo good!!"
"You two, slow down!" Nami and Nojiko said with exasperation, wiping grease from their mouths.
Garp sat in the center, looking proud as he drank from a flask of sake. "Eat! Eat as much as you want! I guarantee you'll eat until you burst tonight!"
Zephyr sat nearby, putting down his cup and sighing contentedly. "Now this feels like a celebration."
Law calmly grilled a large rack of Sea King ribs, his blade flashing with elegant and swift movements. Binz was in charge of flipping the meat, Ain chopped vegetables, and Kuina sipped her tea, occasionally smiling over at the group.
Zoro, with a large bump on his head (from Kuina hitting him when he tried to grab some sake), leaned against a pillar with a drink. "After this, I'm going to go train."
"Don't!" Ace said, his mouth full of meat. "Today... is a day worth celebrating!"
"Yeah!" Luffy held up a piece of meat. "Everyone's here! I'm so happy!!"
"Cheers—!!!"
The firelight illuminated everyone's faces. The sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and sizzling meat blended into the warmest symphony in Marineford's sky.
That night, the entire headquarters was immersed in an unparalleled atmosphere of warmth and reunion. The youths had grown through battle, and the true bonds of family and friendship had quietly taken root and spread during this feast.
-------
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