After a round of explanations, Garp finally understood what this adorable little girl actually was.
"Ahahaha—so she's a ship spirit?"
Garp laughed loudly. "That's really—"
Before he could finish, realization hit him like a cannonball.
His eyes bulged out.
Even his snot flew.
"A ship… ship spirit?!"
"WHAT?!"
Garp stared at Merry in disbelief, while the Marines outside were just as stunned.
A legendary being that only existed in sea myths actually existed—
and not only that… she was this cute?!
"Oi, old man," Merry said with her hands on her hips.
"Do you have a problem with that?"
Clearly, she had no goodwill toward anyone who tried to bully her companions.
"How could I possibly have a problem?"
Garp laughed awkwardly.
"It's just my first time seeing a real ship spirit. I got a little surprised."
He had only ever heard the legends before—
who had actually seen a living one?
But this little girl was way too cute…
Garp stared at the puffed-up Merry, and a dangerous thought suddenly popped into his head.
"Little one, how about becoming my granddaughter?" he said.
His grandsons were all troublemakers.
If he could get a well-behaved granddaughter…
He'd probably laugh in his sleep.
"EH?!!"
Everyone stared at him in shock.
What kind of mental gymnastics led to that conclusion?!
"Why would I be your granddaughter?" Merry said with disgust.
What kind of old man asks that the moment they meet?!
She shot a glance at Luffy as if saying:
Hey, aren't you going to control your grandpa? Why is he adopting people everywhere?
"Oi, Grandpa!" Luffy immediately shouted.
"How can you try to steal my companion?!"
Luffy glared at him.
Merry was someone Jin had barely managed to save—
even if it was his grandpa, he wasn't letting that slide.
"Old man," Jin said coldly, frowning,
"that joke isn't funny."
He still remembered how close Merry had been to dying.
Trying to take her now?
Absolutely not.
"I'm not joking," Garp said seriously.
"I really like this little girl."
That part wasn't a lie.
She was just too lovable.
If she really became his granddaughter, he could brag about it to Sengoku every day.
Just imagining Sengoku fuming already made Garp grin.
(Damn you, Garp! Why do you get such a cute granddaughter?!)
Jin: ...
Was this old man sick in the head?
"If you really plan on taking her," Jin said calmly,
"then don't blame me for getting rough."
"Oh?" Garp looked at him.
"You want to fight me?"
"That depends on your attitude."
The two stared each other down.
Jin's Sharingan slowly opened.
"So this is those blood-red eyes…" Garp muttered.
"What do you mean?"
Garp didn't explain. Instead, he looked at Merry.
"Relax, little one. I won't bully him. Put the hammer down."
Merry had already pulled out her hammer again, clearly ready to swing.
This left Garp feeling strangely helpless.
Such a cute kid… why was she always holding a weapon?
"…Fine."
Merry snorted and put the hammer away.
Then she noticed the damaged wall nearby.
"Huh?"
"What happened to this wall?" she asked, pointing.
"It was fine when we left."
All eyes immediately turned toward Garp.
"Stare—"
"…Huh?" Merry widened her eyes.
"You broke it?!"
"Ahahaha… yeah, that was me," Garp admitted cheerfully.
"But don't worry—I'll have it fixed."
"Stare—"
Garp: ...
"I'll… go do it right now."
Faced with such an adorable little girl, Garp found he had absolutely no temper left.
Outside, he turned to the Marines.
"Alright, men. You've got a mission."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp! Please give the order!"
"Fix the wall behind us."
"…EH?!"
The Marines instantly froze.
"That's… the mission?"
"Then why did you break it in the first place?!"
"Ahahaha!" Garp laughed proudly.
"Because breaking in like that looks cool!"
"…That's the reason?!"
"Vice Admiral, please stop being so willful!"
"We'll fix it—but you're helping too!"
"Eh… fine."
And just like that, Garp picked up a hammer and went back inside.
This left Jin genuinely surprised.
"This old man…"
He watched Garp quietly.
Despite everything, the old man seemed unexpectedly easy to get along with.
Able to joke with subordinates, willing to work with them—
his character was undeniably solid.
"I'll supervise you," Merry declared.
She dragged over a small stool, sat down nearby, and swung her legs while watching Garp work.
For a moment, the scene was oddly warm.
…If only Garp would stop picking his nose.
"By the way," Garp said casually while hammering,
"Luffy, you've met your father already, right?"
"My father?" Luffy blinked.
"I have one of those?"
"Of course you do!" Sanji complained.
"What, you think you popped out of a rock?"
Aside from beings like Merry, everyone had a father—
even him… well, never mind.
"So you haven't met him?" Garp said, surprised.
"I thought you did. He said he sent you off at Loguetown."
"Loguetown?"
Luffy tilted his head, confused.
But Jin's mind immediately recalled a memory.
Back in Loguetown—
when Smoker was chasing them, a man with facial tattoos had stopped him.
Otherwise, Luffy might never have left that town.
So that man… was Luffy's father?
Still—
those "tattoos" looked suspiciously like sandal prints.
…Did Garp beat him up too?
Jin fell into deep thought.
"So who is my dad?" Luffy asked.
"Ah, his name's Dragon," Garp said casually.
"He's a revolutionary."
"WHAT?!"
Everyone froze.
The Marines outside were so shocked that several of them collapsed on the spot.
Vice Admiral Garp's grandson…
was the son of that man?!
"Oh—wait."
Garp scratched his head.
"Was I not supposed to say that?"
"Then pretend I didn't."
"…HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!"
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