Chapter 04 

Yoriichi was the kind of person who, from time to time, was seized by an inexplicable sense of responsibility.

He stood by the shore for a long while. Just as he had settled his emotions and was about to leave, a patch of white suddenly appeared on the distant sea.

Moments later, the top of a mast emerged over the horizon.

Soon after, a flag embroidered with the emblem of a seagull came into view.

A massive deep-blue warship, its prow carved into the shape of a dog’s head, was rapidly approaching the island where Yoriichi stood.

“MARINE.”

“The Navy…”

“And that figurehead… is that Garp’s ship?!”

Just like the righteous heroes in every movie who always arrive too late, the Navy finally appeared—only after the entire tragedy had already unfolded.

After some time, the warship drew closer.

Yoriichi got a clear look at it. He had been preparing to leave, but now he stopped and watched.

“Yare yare…”

“They really went too far.”

“To think someone like this would appear in the East Blue…”

Out at sea, Garp’s warship sped toward Dragon Chant Island.

Even while they were still several hundred meters away, Garp had already noticed the red-haired boy standing atop the sea cliff.

His Observation Haki spread outward, sweeping toward Yoriichi’s location.

“I won’t allow a scumbag like this to destroy the peace of the East Blue!”

As he spoke, Garp loosened the tie around his neck.

Then, grabbing the shoulder of his white Justice coat, he yanked it off.

He bent his knees slightly…

And leaped.

Despite being separated from the island by several hundred meters, Garp launched himself straight toward Dragon Chant Island.

“Vice Admiral Garp!”

The cry of his adjutant was left far behind.

In the blink of an eye, Garp had become nothing more than a tiny black dot in his subordinate’s eyes, soaring toward the sea cliff.

“Something’s coming?!”

Sensing an approaching presence, Yoriichi raised his head toward the sky.

A tiny black dot was rapidly descending toward him.

Within moments, he could clearly make out the newcomer.

Although many of his memories had long since become hazy, the instant he saw the man’s face, Yoriichi recognized him immediately.

“It really is Garp!”

“And… he’s middle-aged?!”

Garp’s full head of black hair surprised him.

But in the very next second—

The man in midair drew back his fist.

Dense black lightning crackled around it with deafening thunder.

The astonishment on Yoriichi’s face instantly vanished.

His heart skipped a beat.

He immediately drew his katana, preparing to defend himself while hurriedly shouting,

“I’m a civilian! Not a pirate!”

His voice rang loudly.

Garp clearly heard him.

Yet instead of stopping, the rugged-faced man broke into a huge grin.

In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Yoriichi.

His fist, wrapped in overwhelming Haki, came crashing down.

Faced with life and death, Yoriichi’s expression sharpened.

He inhaled.

Flames engulfed his blade as he thrust it forward with explosive speed.

Sun Breathing—Seventh Form: Solar Heat Haze Thrust!

Garp didn’t dodge.

His fist, cloaked in crackling black lightning, slammed directly into the tip of the blade.

An overwhelming force surged through Yoriichi’s sword.

The next instant, his strength gave out.

Unable to withstand it, the tip of his sword was knocked aside, leaving his guard completely open.

His physical strength was nowhere near enough to compete with Garp’s.

With Yoriichi’s defense broken, Garp’s fist—large as a sandbag—struck him squarely in the chest.

His breathing stopped.

His vision went black.

He lost consciousness instantly.

BOOM!!

Yoriichi’s body was smashed into the ground by a single punch.

Completely unconscious.

Garp walked over and looked down at him.

“A kid…”

“Wearing animal skins…”

“And barefoot…”

“That level of Conqueror’s Haki…”

“He must’ve only awakened it recently.”

“It’s scattered and unfocused.”

“Just a rookie.”

“Not bad with a sword.”

“He probably isn’t a local from Dragon Chant Island.”

“A civilian, huh…”

“Puhahaha!”

“Anyone who dares to draw a sword on me can’t exactly be called a civilian! Hahahaha!”

Looking over Yoriichi’s primitive clothing, Garp recalled what the boy had shouted moments earlier and burst into laughter.

Walking over, he grabbed the animal hide wrapped around Yoriichi and casually lifted him off the ground.

Picking up Yoriichi’s sword as well, he slung the unconscious boy over his shoulder and headed toward the ruined town.

Yoriichi wasn’t dead.

At the last moment, Garp had held back considerably.

The punch had merely knocked him unconscious.

Carrying Yoriichi on one shoulder, Garp slowly walked through the devastated town.

After a brief investigation, he soon arrived at the battlefield from earlier.

The horrifying scene caused his expression to darken.

After carefully examining the fatal wounds on the dead Marines, his expression eased somewhat.

Turning to glance at the unconscious Yoriichi on his shoulder, he headed back toward the sea cliff.

By the time Garp was inspecting the battlefield, his warship had already docked at Dragon Chant Island.

The Marines had assembled atop the cliff.

Seeing Garp approaching while carrying what looked like a “wild man dressed in animal skins,” his adjutant froze in surprise before quickly running over.

“Vice Admiral Garp!”

“Who… is this?”

“What happened to him?”

Ignoring the confusion, Garp casually tossed Yoriichi toward his adjutant.

He also threw over the katana.

Caught completely off guard, Bogard instinctively caught both the unconscious boy and the sword.

Looking at Garp in confusion, he waited for an explanation.

“Take this brat and his sword aboard.”

“The battlefield’s over there.”

“The E-23 Unit that deployed here has probably been wiped out.”

“Gather our comrades’ bodies.”

“Send them home for burial.”

“Have men thoroughly search the town.”

“And search the entire island.”

“See if there are any survivors.”

“If you find anything…”

“Report to me immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

Bogard immediately straightened his posture and saluted.

Lowering his head to look at the red-haired boy in his arms, he couldn’t suppress his curiosity.

“Vice Admiral Garp…”

“Who exactly is this boy?”

“And the source of that Conqueror’s Haki just now…”

Garp had no intention of hiding it.

Casually digging his little finger into his nose, he replied,

“Oh, him?”

“I guess you could call him a survivor.”

“And yeah.”

“You guessed right.”

“That Conqueror’s Haki probably came from this kid.”

“He must’ve awakened it by accident.”

“Alright.”

“Get moving.”

“Any pirate daring to stir up trouble in the East Blue…”

“Now that I’ve run into them…”

“I’ll never let them get away!”

As he spoke, Garp clenched his fist, producing a series of loud cracking sounds.

Receiving their orders, the Marines immediately began carrying out their tasks in an orderly fashion.

To be fair, although Garp was Luffy’s grandfather, the Marines under his command were highly competent.

Before long, they had spread throughout the island, conducting a thorough search.

Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1497.

A crime unprecedented in the history of the East Blue shook the seas.

The Navy’s E-23 Unit, consisting of several hundred Marines, was completely annihilated while attempting to suppress a pirate crew on Dragon Chant Island.

Thousands of island residents were slaughtered.

Every woman and child on the island was abducted.

Vice Admiral Garp of Marine Headquarters, returning to Marineford after finishing a visit to his hometown, “coincidentally” encountered that pirate crew on his return voyage.

What followed…

Was Garp’s iron fist.

During that battle, towering flames suddenly erupted across the sea, setting half the sky ablaze.

Afterward, every woman and child taken from Dragon Chant Island was rescued.

With everything finally resolved, Vice Admiral Garp’s warship sailed back to Marineford.

However…

Compared to when it had first departed,

there was now one extra passenger aboard.

A red-haired boy.