Chapter 453: Garp's Shock
In the coastal waters of Punk Hazard, the sea breeze was gentle, and the sunlight was just right.
A "Marine ship" that didn't look like it was on a mission at all was leisurely floating on this tranquil stretch of sea.
The exterior of the hull had been freshly repainted a bright yellow, and a crooked wooden sign reading "For Vacation Use Only" hung on the bow.
On the deck, three sturdy sun loungers were lined up in a row.
Three legendary old men—Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr—wore Hawaiian shirts, beach shorts, and flip-flops. Each had a coconut drink by their hand, complete with little umbrellas sticking out of the straws.
"Phew—ah~ Now this is the life..."
The white-haired Sengoku let out a long sigh, sinking deeply into his chair, revealing an expression of blissful happiness at being thoroughly freed from the shackles of official duties.
"I finally fucking understand why you've always smiled so punchably for the past few decades, you bastard Garp!"
"So you've been living this kind of god-like life all along!!!"
"Bwahahahaha—" Garp chewed on a rice cracker, laughing so hard he couldn't close his mouth. "Sengoku, you've finally seen the light! I told you long ago—life is short, you gotta eat more rice crackers and sleep more!"
As he spoke, he crossed his legs, his toes swaying gently to the rhythm of the ocean waves. The sunlight hit his Hawaiian shirt, which was printed with the words "Marine Hero." No matter how you looked at him, he didn't look like a soldier, but rather a beachside bed-and-breakfast owner.
"Sengoku," Zephyr, on the other side, pushed up his sunglasses, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. "Is it really okay for you to do this? Not dyeing your hair anymore? That black hair was your final dignity."
"Dye my ass!" Sengoku rolled his eyes, his tone lighter than ever before. "Starting today, this old man is completely letting loose! What's wrong with white hair? These are the medals of time!!!"
Saying this, he raised his juice glass and waved it at the two of them. "From now on, I'm going to learn from you two. I'm going to be a hands-off boss and completely retire!"
"Hahahaha—!" Garp laughed so hard he rocked back and forth, nearly spitting out his drink.
Zephyr picked up his drink and took a sip of the icy beverage, his tone carrying a long-lost sense of relaxation: "It's about time you took a rest too. Rosinante, Law, Nojiko, and the others are all capable of handling Marine affairs on their own. The banner of the Marines has long since been taken up by others."
"Us old bones can finally sit down, enjoy the sea breeze, and have a little drink~"
"Yeah," Sengoku sighed, yet his eyes carried a sense of gratification.
He half-squinted, gazing into the distance at Punk Hazard, the massive research island shimmering with a metallic luster in the sunlight.
"The young people have already taken up the mantle of this era... A new generation of Marines, a new Justice, it's about time they defined it themselves."
Just as the atmosphere was warm and leisurely—
"HEY—SENGOKU!!"
Garp violently slammed the table, spilling rice crackers everywhere, his face flushed bright red.
"This old man still hasn't settled the score with you!!!"
"Huh? Settled what score?" Sengoku turned his head lazily, his tone oozing the lethargy of "I'm already retired, nobody bother me."
"What is it now?"
"You actually dared to disguise a Devil Fruit as a cake and trick me into eating it!!!"
Garp hopped madly, jumping up and causing the entire small boat to creak and rock. Even the seagulls were frightened away, flapping their wings in a panic.
Sengoku froze for a moment before bursting into endless laughter, laughing so hard his belly shook.
"Hahahaha!! Roy taught me that!!!"
He pointed at Garp while laughing: "He said Old Man Garp would definitely fall for a 'trick' like that! So I gave it a try, but I didn't expect you'd actually fall for it!"
"YOU—!!!"
Veins bulged on Garp's forehead as he swung a fist at Sengoku.
Bang—!
The two old veterans were instantly tumbling together. Coconut water, rice crackers, and flip-flops flew everywhere.
Sengoku laughed so hard he couldn't stand straight while parrying the blows: "Hahahaha!! Let you experience the taste of eating a Devil Fruit too!!!"
"Pah—that thing was the most disgusting thing I've eaten in my entire life!!!"
Garp roared while throwing punches, his face almost purple with rage.
Zephyr simply couldn't hold it in anymore, laughing so hard he slid right off his lounger: "Hahahahaha! The way you two look, it's exactly the same as when you used to argue at Headquarters back in the day!!!"
The sea breeze blew past, carrying the continuous laughter and playful scuffling of the three old veterans.
Under the sunlight, they were no longer lofty legends, but simply three old friends who had lived to a ripe old age yet remained as childish as ever.
After their scuffle, Garp lay back down, still muttering under his breath, while Sengoku casually fixed his hair as if nothing had happened.
Zephyr shook his head and laughed, taking a sip of his drink. Suddenly, his tone shifted: "Speaking of which, Sengoku—"
He took off his sunglasses, his expression turning slightly serious.
"Are you planning to step down from the position of Fleet Admiral? Have you considered who you'll have take over the position for the next term?"
Hearing this, Sengoku paused slightly. His smile gradually faded as he fell into a brief contemplation.
"Hmm... about that."
He said in a low voice, "That bastard Borsalino is as slippery as ever; he has absolutely no intention of participating in the election. Roy, although possessing astonishing strength, is still too young, plus he requested a free-roaming position."
He paused and sighed: "So, as it stands now, the choice will have to be made between Sakazuki and Kuzan."
Zephyr nodded slightly upon hearing this, but his brows furrowed in response.
"Sakazuki's personality... is too extreme."
Sengoku smiled wryly, raising a hand to rub his temple: "That's what I was thinking too. If that guy became Fleet Admiral..."
"In this peaceful era where there aren't many pirates left to kill, I'm honestly worried he might act on a whim one day and just drop a 'Ryusei Kazan (Meteor Volcano)' straight onto the Holy Land..."
"Pfft—!"
Garp nearly spat out the coconut juice he had just drunk, coughing violently.
Zephyr froze for half a second before he too couldn't help but burst into laughter, hurriedly raising a hand to cover his forehead.
"Hahahaha! That mental image is way too vivid—"
Garp laughed so hard he slapped his thigh: "I can just imagine it—Sakazuki standing on the Red Line, roaring at the Five Elders: 'The volcano of Justice burns all!!' Hahahaha!!"
Sengoku sighed helplessly, but couldn't hold back a chuckle either: "Not gonna lie, it does sound like his style."
Once Zephyr finished laughing, he waved his hand: "If that really happened, I'm afraid the World Government would immediately announce the 'dissolution of the Marines'..."
"Like we'd care about them!" Garp laughed heartily, while Sengoku shook his head, letting out a sigh that was half-helpless and half-gratified.
"Sigh..."
—The small boat docked.
The three old men slowly disembarked, stepping onto the solid metal pier with lazy strides.
"Speaking of which—" Zephyr asked as he stretched his back, "What exactly did that brat Roy call us over for this time?"
Sengoku walked with his hands behind his back, humming leisurely: "What else?"
"It's highly likely that Vegapunk cooked up some 'special experiment' again, and he wants us old bones to come and expand our horizons a bit~"
"Hahahaha—I just hope nothing explodes this time," Garp laughed while picking his nose.
The three were chatting and laughing as they walked forward. Suddenly, Sengoku's footsteps halted. He looked up, his expression changing.
At the end of the corridor ahead, four familiar figures were walking toward them.
—Ace, Luffy, Zoro, and Kuina.
"Huh? Isn't that—" Zephyr was about to greet them, but Garp's eyes had already lit up. He excitedly threw his arms wide and shouted:
"HEY—LUFFY!! ACE!! You two brats are actually here too—"
However, before he could finish shouting, his smile froze on his face.
He saw his two grandsons—one had half his face swollen like he'd been stepped on by an elephant, and the other had a bruised and purple mouth, with dark circles around his eyes like he was wearing sunglasses.
The two walked side by side, their expressions stiff. No matter how you looked at them, they didn't look like they had just won a victorious battle; rather, they looked like they had just taken a severe beating from society.
Garp's smile froze for a full three seconds. Then, his expression changed drastically. His eyes bulged, snot flew from his nose, and his voice cracked entirely:
"WHO THE FUCK COULD BEAT YOU GUYS UP THIS BADLY—?!!"
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