...…
Dragon clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling slightly with rage, but in the end, he still managed to suppress the fury that was almost bursting out.
The slaves' dying wails, the innocent civilians falling lifeless—these scenes were deeply etched into his mind like a nightmare, unforgettable for the rest of his life.
Seeing the flames in Dragon's eyes—a mix of grief, anger, and determination—Zephyr fell silent.
He patted Dragon's shoulder heavily and didn't try to persuade him any further.
As a veteran Marine admiral, how could he not know about some of the despicable deeds of the Celestial Dragons?
But he was powerless to change it...
If Dragon truly had the ability and the resolve to shake this rotten order and create a better world... then perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing.
Still, Zephyr hoped that this child he had watched grow up could survive.
[Perspective returns to the light curtain above]
Garp wasn't angered by Dadan's initial rudeness. He chatted with Dadan as casually as if discussing family matters, talking about Ace's daily life...
But while they were talking, Dadan's attention was quickly drawn to Luffy, who was bouncing around energetically nearby.
"Hey, whose brat is that? Don't run around!"
Dadan yelled at little Luffy, and only then did Garp remember to introduce him.
"Right..."
Garp grabbed the wildly running Luffy and lifted him over, presenting him to Dadan like an item on display: "Starting now, this kid is also entrusted to you to look after."
"Luffy, say hello!"
"Yo!" Even though he was being held up, Luffy waved energetically at Dadan with full spirit.
Upon hearing that this mischievous little kid wearing a straw hat was actually Garp's own grandson, Dadan instantly felt terrible.
Just taking care of one Ace had already exhausted her mentally and physically. That kid was naughty and troublesome, and she couldn't even scold or hit him properly because of his special status.
Now another one—Garp's own grandson—and judging by how lively and hyper he was, he definitely wasn't going to be easy to handle either!
Dadan's right eyelid started twitching uncontrollably, and an ominous premonition enveloped her.
"M-Mr. Garp..."
Dadan forced out a smile that looked worse than crying, trying to struggle a bit: "C-Can I choose to refuse?"
"Ace alone is already enough to wear us out. If your grandson comes too, our little place probably..."
Before she could finish, Garp's face broke into that "kind and friendly" signature wicked grin.
The moment he heard Dadan trying to "reason" with him, he immediately decided to use the method he was best at to "reason" with her properly.
"I'm not forcing you. I'm the most reasonable person in my life." Garp's smile grew even "brighter," but the threatening tone in his words was completely undisguised.
"You choose for yourselves. Do you want to take care of this kid, or do you want me to dig up all those old thefts, robberies, and house-breakings from your past, drag you all into prison for a nice long vacation?
Dadan, I remember every good deed you did when you were young! Want me to calculate how many years all those crimes add up to for you?"
"I'll raise him!!! We'll raise him!!"
Hearing Garp say that, Dadan was so terrified her soul nearly left her body. She practically screamed her agreement, her voice cracking.
Good grief, this wasn't reasoning at all—this was blatant, completely undisguised blackmail!
Faced with this utterly unrefusable "choice," Dadan could only accept—tears in her heart—the hot potato of looking after Luffy.
The chaotic, uproarious life awaiting Mt. Corvo in the future seemed all too predictable.
...