6 -Journey..

3 years later

On the outskirt of a certain island

"Garp san… Garp-san, wake up we have reached the island." A marine officer was trying to wake Garp from his sleep.

"Huh? Oh! Are we already there, Bogard?" Garp woke up from his Unique sleeping style i.e., standing on the deck of the ship and then falling asleep without care.

"Yes. Soon, we will dock at the port," Bogard replied respectfully.

Bogard was Garp's right-hand man and one of the people he trusted the most. He was a tall man with an ever-present serious look on his face. His dressing style was a Grey coloured suit with a standard overcoat and a matching hat. His choice of weapon- a sword hung near his waist like that of a samurai.

"Good, wait at the dock, I will return after some time" Garp replied and vanished using Geppo and Soru (Rokushiki techniques).

At a secret place on this island, a man wearing a green cloak covering his whole body was gently holding a sleeping 3-year-old baby.

"You are already here?" A voice called out from behind the cloaked man. It was Garp who had just arrived here.

"Yes, I had to take some precautions, father. Therefore, I arrived 2 days earlier." Dragon replied while taking off his hood.

"Where is she?" Garp looked around for his Daughter-in-law but thinking of the situation, he got the idea.

"She… she said, its better this way otherwise she wouldn't be able to leave him." Dragon replied with a bitter smile while looking at his sleeping son.

"And whose fault is that that she can't be with her only son?" Garp replied while sounding a little annoyed on this topic.

Dragon had no answer to this question. He had chosen his path and now he had to face its consequences too. What vexed him the most was, sometimes these consequences also affected the people most close to him and he had no way to ease their pain.

"Here" Dragon handed little Leon to Garp and started walking in the opposite direction without looking back.

"Aren't you going to say any last words to him before leaving? You don't know when you will meet him again." Garp called out to Dragon for leaving some words behind for Leon.

"No matter what happens, I will always love you." These are the words of his mother. Dragon replied without looking back

"And yours?" Garp followed

"Live your dreams and be Free!" Dragon replied and then disappeared from the spot.

"Hmph! Snotty Brat, trying to act cool in front of me!" Garp murmured to himself with a grin on his face.

***

On the Marine battleship with a bulldog's figurehead

"Sir, where did you pick up this child?" Upon seeing Garp with a baby with him, Bogard asked after Garp arrived at the ship.

"This child is 'my grandson!' " Garp simply answered him the truth without mincing words.

"What!!…" Bogard was dumbstruck for a second and rightfully so. Who was Garp? He was known throughout the world as the 'Hero of the Marines'.

Even before that, his title 'Garp the Fist' reigned terror in the hearts of pirates and now that man popped out a grandson out of nowhere.

"Sail the ship towards, Dawn Island!" Garp replied without clearing his doubts.

"Yes", Bogard immediately came back from his shock and went to give the direction to the helmsman. He knew that if Garp wanted to tell him about the child he already would. Therefore, he didn't ask any more questions and followed his order.

A few hours later…

"Waa waa!" the sound of a child crying woke up Garp, who was currently sleeping on the deck, in a cosy chair, personally made for him.

Garp immediately rushed in his cabin where he placed sleeping Leon on his bed.

He picked up Leon in his arms and started patting his head and made funny faces but Leon's crying didn't stop.

"As a child's first reaction after waking up would be to search for the one person he was most familiar with, his 'Mother' who was not present anymore. Also, the fact he might have got scared seeing a person like Garp upon opening his eyes!"

At this moment Bogard arrived at the room. Looking at his Battle-hardened senior trying to calm down a little child, his Grandson no less! was a rare scene for him.

"Garp-san why don't you take him on the deck. Maybe he is bored of this room." Bogard advised

Garp who was doing all sorts of antics to calm down Leon immediately complied. It was easier for him to face Rojer than handle a crying child who was searching for his mother.

Garp took Leon out on the deck. It was nearly afternoon right now and the sun was on full display.

The marine soldiers working on the deck were already full of questions upon watching their vice-admiral with a kid. Some even made their own theory and argued with each other.

"Where did that child come from?" a marine whispered to his comrade marine.

"How should I know?" comrade marine replied

"I know!!" Another Sly looking suddenly butted in

"You do?" both marine officers asked in unison

"Yes, I heard vice-admiral saved that boy from a group of vicious bandits on the island, we were before." The sly one replied with confidence

"Bam! What nonsense are you talking about?" a marine officer of higher rank knocked their head.

"Nothing sir, we were just going to work." The three marines replied.

"Did you think, I didn't hear all of you?" He appeared scary: "Anyway, you are asking the wrong questions to begin with. It's not from where the child came from but whose child is it?" The marine officer who at first seemed strict joined in the conversation.

"Sir, whose? Do you mean to say... " Another marine asked, while stealing glances at Garp.

"Shh! Of course, I am talking about vice-admiral Garp. This child must be his son!" the marine officer replied in a hushed tone.

"But at this age?" A marine questioned this idea.

"You idiot, what do you know? Our vice -admiral is a hero among men and his heart is still young as a youths." The marine officer scolded his fellow marine for not understanding the greatness of their 'Hero of Marines'.

"Ohh!" all the marines made an enlightened face.

"You all! focus on your duties instead of mucking around" This time it was Bogard who yelled at them.

"Yes!" everyone saluted and rushed to their work.

Bogard just shook his head listening to their conversation and then looked towards his senior who was trying to console Leon. But his mind remained on the conversation of those marines, remembering Garp's current age which was 57 years and chuckled at the thought.

Stop, it's me, grandpa!" Garp continually repeated while trying to not appear scary…

Grandpa?" Leon asked with fear in his eyes…

"Yes, yes, Grandpa. I am your grandpa!!" Garp was happy, because this was the first time his grandchild called him grandpa.

"Garp-san, we will arrive at dawn island in nearly 2 hours." Bogard reported as they were almost close to the island.

"Hmm! No need to dock at the port just stop near the island. I will head out alone with this little critter." Garp replied while holding Leon who was fast asleep after his crying session.

***

Dawn island

On a certain mountain

"'Bang! Bang!' Dadan Get out!" Garp banged the door of a certain house located the mountain while holding Leon in his other hand.

"Who the hell dares to call me with such impoliteness" After some time a loud voice came from, inside the house.

A curly, orange-haired, middle-aged woman opened the door with hostility!

"It's me" Garp replied while looking serious.

"Ah! Garp-san!" Her anger immediately went away after looking at the intruder: "You should have just told us from the beginning." Dadan replied. She and her two lackeys Magra and Dogra that were behind her knelt and started praising Garp like he was a angel.

Dadan was a mountain bandit and so was her group. 'The Dadan Family'

"How come you are here, Garp-san?" Dadan asked as she saw Garp holding a baby while smiling like a maniac, no angel!

"Where is he?" Garp knew what she was thinking about, but he wasn't planning to leave Leon here. He didn't say anything about it and asked about the person he came for.

"Oh! Magra go bring that little kid here?" Dadan ordered immediately.

"He is doing very well." Dadan replied to Garp with a beaming smile.

"Hmph! He better be!" Garp kept up his serious act in front of her.

Soon Magra came out of the house while holding a baby in his arms.

Garp had a smile on his face as he looked at the baby Jabra brought.

"Ace!" Garp went forward and took ace from Magra on his left hand and Leon on right.

"This child's name was 'Gol D. Ace'. The son of the 'Pirate King'. Ace was currently 1-year old while Leon was 3-years old."

"I will come back after a few hours," Garp told Dadan and left with Leon and Ace. Garp went towards a cliff on the mountain from where one could see the beautiful vast sea.

Along the way, Leon woke up, but this time he didn't cry and just looked around, and then he looked towards Ace with curious eyes.

It was nearly evening and the sun was ready to settle down for the day. It was a mesmerizing view from the cliff.

Garp sat down near the cliff and look towards the setting son reminiscing some old memories.

"Look Leo, that is our beautiful sun" He pointed towards the setting sun.

Leon followed his direction. "Big Mikan!" He replied cutely while pointing towards the sun as it resembled a big orange right now. Then his eyes again turned towards the sleeping ace.

"Do you know, who this is?" Garp saw Leon looking at ace and asked him thinking this kid could already understand him a little.

Leon looked toward Garp with twinkling eyes as if urging him to say who this is.

"This is your 'Little Brother' Ace!" Garp replied happily seeing Leon's curios face.

"Little...Bother." Leon mumbled in his own clumsy way.

"Yes, your little brother. In the future, both of you will become the 'greatest marines' in the world." Garp replied.

"Marine?" Leon replied with curiosity

"Yes, I will make you both the best marines in the world. Marines who help the innocent and fights for the people." Garp replied with a smile.

"Fight for your own justice." Garp mumbled to himself with a distant look on his face.

By this time Ace had woken up and was looking around with his baby eyes.

Leon stretched out his small hand and held ace's "little...Brother." He was quite happy.

" Now let's go back, we have a long journey to make after that." Upon seeing Leon's action Garp had a big smile on his face but now it was time to go back to work.

He only came here to see Ace who recently turned one, and make sure Dadan was taking good care of him. Upon coming back to Dadan's house, Garp handed ace to her and left with Leon.

***

2 years later...

Leon five years old…

"3"

"Obachan! Obachan!" Leon called

"Hmm! What is it Leo" Tsuru asked

"2"

"Weird numbers!" Leon held his head in pain and shouted

"Numbers?" Tsuru asked

"1"

"Thud!" Leon fell down onto the floor, losing his senses.

"Leo!!!"