A few days passed.
Makino's injuries had gradually healed, and thanks to timely treatment, the wounded villager's life was saved as well.
However, with no one to manage it, the bar was forced to close temporarily.
Luffy didn't sit idle during these days. He wandered around the outskirts of Foosha Village and wiped out two more small-time bandit gangs, less than thirty people combined.
Only then did the rage in his heart begin to ease, if only slightly.
Yet every time he saw Makino's bruised and battered face in his mind, he wished he could drag that bandit leader up from hell and kill him a hundred more times.
Makino had been the one who cared for him the most since he came to this world.
For two years, while Luffy focused solely on leveling up, it was Makino who provided him with food, shelter, and daily necessities. Despite her young age, she cared for him with the patience and warmth of a mother.
Just as Luffy was planning to head out again and hunt more bandits…
Someone showed up, and saved the remaining ones near Foosha Village from certain doom.
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That morning.
The first light of dawn painted the eastern sky a pale silver. The deep-blue veil of night faded, and the empty harbor welcomed an enormous figure.
The Marine flag fluttered in the wind, like a mighty seagull spreading its wings.
A Marine warship slowly docked at Foosha Village's small port.
But surprisingly, only a single figure emerged from the massive ship.
It was none other than the Marine's legendary hero, Monkey D. Garp.
He wore a pristine white Marine uniform, and the word "Justice" on his cape danced in the breeze.
His piercing blue eyes contrasted with the long scar under his left one. His hair was short and graying, and his massive, mountain-like body rippled with dense, powerful muscle. Each muscle was sharp and defined, like those of a rampaging lion.
And yet this terrifying figure strolled down the ship's ramp with one hand casually picking his nose and the other stuffed into his pocket.
"Why's the town so dead today?" Garp muttered. Seeing no one around, he wiped his finger on his coat and sighed. "Forget it. Guess I'll go check on my adorable grandson!"
With that, he marched off toward the village elder's house with exaggerated, heavy strides.
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"Grandpa!!"
Just returning from a hunt, Luffy caught sight of the relaxed Garp and shouted excitedly.
Hearing the long-missed voice of his grandson calling out "Grandpa!", Garp's lips curled into a wide grin as he turned toward the sound.
"Ah, Luffy, PUH!!!"
Garp froze in place like a thunderstruck tree stump.
There stood his grandson, barely up to his waist, carrying a wild boar the size of a small mountain on his shoulders, bouncing happily toward him.
Garp stood rooted in shock until Luffy reached him, grinning.
"Grandpa, you're back."
THUD!
Luffy dropped the beast to the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
"Ran into a big guy today," he laughed. "Perfect for a feast!"
Garp stared at the boar, noting the huge dent in its skull, then down at Luffy's tiny fist.
He'd always known their family genes were ridiculous, but this? Even he had to admit, it was terrifying.
Of course, Garp wasn't the type to be afraid. Not in the slightest.
Instead, he lovingly ruffled Luffy's hair and burst out laughing.
"WAHAHAHA!! My grandson is amazing!"
"Luffy, you really are my grandson! Perfect timing, come back with me this time and join the new recruit training! That old geezer Zephyr is always bragging about his lousy students. Go show his brats what a real student looks like!"
Garp's muscle-packed brain was firing on all cylinders now, not caring in the least what others thought as he rambled on excitedly.
He didn't even wait for a reply, just tucked Luffy under one arm, grabbed the boar with the other, and said, "Let's go greet the village chief first!"
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At the village elder's home.
A steaming cup of tea was handed to Garp.
The old village chief leaned on his cane and asked curiously, "Done with your duties at the Marine? What brings you back here?"
Garp took a big sip and replied casually, "Not even close. The seas are a mess right now."
"There's this new guy, Shanks, some big-name pirate stirring up trouble with Whitebeard."
"Then why are you here?"
"Well, some idiot Celestial Dragon's planning to come visit. The government wants Marines to secure the area in advance."
"And you volunteered?"
"Nah. Sengoku was about to send a vice admiral, so I just left him a note and sailed off myself! WAHAHAHA!"
Garp smacked the table laughing, clearly amused by the image of Sengoku's face when he found the note.
After calming down, Garp added sincerely, "By the way, thank you for taking care of Luffy all this time, Chief."
"I plan to take him back with me now. With proper training, he'll be a famous Marine in no time!"
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"I'm not going!"
Luffy, who had been quietly listening all along, suddenly interrupted with a loud refusal.
It wasn't that he particularly wanted to be a pirate, but it was obvious that pirates lived more freely.
Besides, he had plans for the future, big ones. Plans that wouldn't work if he were stuck serving the Marines.
"Stupid Grandpa! I don't want to be a Marine! I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"
BAM!
A familiar "Fist of Love" came crashing down on his head.
"You little brat!! Talking nonsense again! You and Ace are both going to become the strongest Marines!"
Furious, Garp grabbed Luffy by the cheeks and dragged him outside.
Before leaving, he turned back and said, "Chief, I'll be putting Luffy somewhere else for now. Please let Makino know."
"O-Okay…" The elder was stunned. He hadn't expected Luffy's dream to be becoming a pirate.
Struggling in vain, Luffy mumbled with his squished mouth, "Grandpa Chief! Give that big boar to Makino-san. Make sure she eats well and gets better. I'll come visit her!"
"Fine. Once you become a Marine, I'll let you come back anytime."
With a grunt, Garp tightened his grip and added, "I'll check on Makino myself later. I've got some Marine-grade medicine on the ship."
"Ow ow ow!! Grandpa! Let go!!"
Even without the Gomu Gomu no Mi, Luffy's face was being stretched like rubber.
"Shut it!" Garp growled. "Leaving you in this half-assed Foosha Village was a mistake!"
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And so, with Luffy squashed in his iron grip, the two bickered their way across several hours of walking.
They finally reached a small wooden cabin deep in the forest on the far side of the island.
Knock knock knock!
Garp pounded on the door impatiently and shouted, "Open up, Dadan!"
A moment later, the door creaked open.
A huge, round woman with wild orange hair and a cigarette dangling from her lips stared blankly at the scene. Behind her stood a gang of scruffy-looking thugs.
Her eyes darted from Garp to the boy in his arms, and her expression instantly changed.
"P-Please, Vice Admiral Garp! Have mercy!!"
"Raising Ace was already hard enough, he's ten now and totally unmanageable! Just take him back already!"
Garp ignored her entirely, picked Luffy up with one hand, and declared, "This is my grandson. Starting today, he's your responsibility too."
"EHH!? EH!? EHHHH!?"
The bandits cried out in alarm.
"A-A-Another one!? Garp's grandson this time?! No way! Absolutely not!!"
Dadan shook her head so violently her fat wobbled like jelly.
"Alright then," Garp said casually, "you choose, raise the boy, or spend the rest of your life in prison."
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