Chapter 42: Quirky Old Man

Garp stood before Ian, hands in his pockets, and a Marine coat draped over his back. It seemed that high-ranking Marine officers loved to wear their coats like capes, with the corners and sleeves swaying in the wind, giving off a dramatic vibe.

Garp wore his signature dog-head cap, and a few strands of disheveled gray-white hair peeked out from underneath. A scar adorned his left eyebrow, but despite his appearance, he didn't seem menacing. Grinning widely, his neatly arranged teeth sparkled as he glanced at the Sea Kingin the distance and said, "It looks like a sea beast unique to the East Blue. I wonder how it tastes?"

He suddenly clenched his right fist and thumped his left palm, asking Ian, "How about we have a barbecue party?"

"...," Ian was still shocked by his appearance and was at a loss for words after hearing this invitation.

Colonel Bogard next to him couldn't help but exclaim with helplessness, "Vice Admiral, please show some dignity!"

"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding!" Garp patted his dog head (cap?), laughing heartily. "Besides, it seems like that guy doesn't have any meat left to eat..."

It was clear that the joke was fake, and his remark about the lack of meat might be true. Ian inwardly rolled his eyes at the quirky old man.

Garp then turned serious and asked Ian, "Kid, who are you? What's your name?"

"I'm Ian, a pirate hunter!" Ian replied, "Thank you for rescuing me!"

He now understood why he had only heard the sound of flying cannonballs and not the firing of cannons. It was undoubtedly the work of this strange old man, Garp. No one else could throw cannonballs like that.

"Did you sail alone?" Garp curiously asked, "How did you encounter that creature?"

Naturally, he was referring to the Sea King. Ian also felt helpless about the situation and recounted the events to Garp.

Upon hearing the story, Garp burst into laughter, and tears even streamed down his face.

Colonel Bogard sighed and covered his forehead. "Vice Admiral, please show some dignity!"

After Garp finished laughing, he patted Ian's shoulder and said, "Kid, you're underestimating the ocean. The East Blue is already considered relatively tame. If you were on the Grand Line, things would be much worse. The sea can be harsh to humans!"

"So..." Garp looked serious and said to Ian, "Join the Marine!"

"...," Ian was unsure how to respond. What did joining the Marine have to do with the ocean being harsh?

This method of recruitment was too straightforward!

Colonel Bogard continued to cover his face, looking exasperated. "Vice Admiral, please show some dignity!"

"Rubbish! What else would a man do at sea if not join the Marine?" Garp scolded Bogard.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Bogard helplessly gave up arguing.

Ian had now witnessed Garp's personality, and it was just as the rumors described — quirky and difficult to keep up with. His mind seemed to work in unpredictable ways.

Shaking his head, Ian said, "I need money, so I can only be a pirate hunter for now!"

"Kid, why do you need money?" Garp asked curiously, "The Marine pays a salary!"

"I need at least several billion berries. How many years would it take to earn that in the Marine?" Ian countered.

Garp's eyes nearly popped out, "Why do you need that much money?"

"To save people and buy Devil Fruits!" Ian thought for a moment and said half-truthfully. He knew that buying Devil Fruits on the black market might not be reliable, but it was a good excuse. After all, his system required a substantial amount of money, and he could use this reason to cover it up.

Upon hearing this, Garp asked Bogard, "Do pirate hunters make a lot of money?"

"Indeed, if they have the strength, they do!" Bogard nodded, "But the risks are also significant. If you are targeted by powerful pirates, it's dangerous."

Garp pondered for a while before suddenly thumping his palm. "Ah! Then why don't we become pirate hunters too! I'm not afraid of being targeted by pirates!"

Not only Bogard, but all the soldiers on the ship sternly scolded, "Vice Admiral, please stop joking!"

It seemed that Garp's quirky personality had caused a lot of trouble for his subordinates.

"If you don't want to, then forget it. Why are you all shouting at me?" Garp muttered, poking his ear with his little finger. He then turned to Ian and said seriously, "Since you boarded the ship earlier, I felt your hat looked familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before."

He sat down on the deck with crossed legs and his chin resting on his hands. "Hmm, where did I see it? Let me think!"

After finishing, he ignored Ian and started contemplating with a furrowed brow.

Everyone on the ship fell silent, waiting for him to recall. Ian glanced around, unsure how to describe this bizarre scene.

After a while, Garp suddenly thumped his palm, and everyone thought he had remembered something. However, he just said, "Ah! I can't recall it. Never mind, I'll stop thinking. Kid, do you want some tea?"

Ian was dumbfounded!

When he looked up again, Garp miraculously took out a tea set from somewhere and had already started brewing tea casually.

He's really serious about it!

Ian turned to look at Bogard with a face full of sympathy. "You must have a hard time with such a boss, right?"

Bogard nodded helplessly. "Do you even need to ask?"

The two exchanged glances, and even without words, they understood each other perfectly. Although Garp was a Vice Admiral, he didn't act high and mighty in front of ordinary people. Instead, he seemed like a friendly old neighbor, making Ian feel comfortable and not constrained.

In other words, he was approachable! Yes, that was Garp's unique style.

Sipping the tea, Ian noticed Garp suddenly crossing his arms and deep in thought again. He didn't know what Garp had recalled, and it wasn't appropriate to ask. So, he silently continued sipping tea, as he was parched after spending so long on the sea.

After a while, Garp spoke up. He rubbed his chin and asked Ian, "Kid, you said you're a pirate hunter?"

Ian nodded, "Yes, didn't I say that earlier?"

"You must be quite strong to defeat such a massive sea beast," Garp said, pointing at Ian. Then he turned to Bogard and commanded, "Beat him!"

"Pfft!" Ian happened to take a sip of tea when he heard this command, and he ended up spraying it all over Garp's face. He was astonished and exclaimed, "What did you just say!?"

Before Ian could recover from his shock, Bogard had already pounced on him. He side-stepped and launched a swift kick, striking Ian in the face with tremendous force.

Boom! Ian was sent flying and crashed into the ship's hull, leaving cracks in it. Clearly, the kick had immense power.

Getting up, Ian felt the left side of his face numb, and he tasted a hint of blood. He seemed to be bleeding.

With a dark expression, Ian glared at Bogard, utterly surprised that he would attack without warning.

Although Garp's subordinates often complained about his quirky personality, they truly respected him. As soon as Garp gave an order, even if they were just chatting with him a moment ago, Bogard didn't hesitate to act. Seeing Ian getting up, Bogard charged again.

Ian drew the Sword Saint Longsword from his back and confronted Bogard. He didn't know why Garp ordered him to be beaten, but he couldn't stand there and take it.

Using the Evil Eye Master's passive detection, Ian sensed a strong crimson aura radiating from Garp, something he couldn't handle. Bogard's aura was also red, but much weaker than Garp's. Ian wanted to test the level of threat this enemy posed, so he unleashed his full speed.

In an instant, they closed the distance, and Ian swung his blade, unleashing his Seven Slashes!

However, Bogard realized the power behind Ian's move and stopped in place, clenching his fists and assuming a stable horse stance.

"Iron Body!"

As Bogard roared, Ian's blade struck him, producing a series of clangs and reverberating impact. Ian felt as if he had hit metal, without the sensation of cutting flesh.

Turning his head to look, he saw that Bogard's clothes were cut in several places, but he was unscathed.

"Hahaha!" Garp wiped off the tea from his face and laughed again, "Kid, don't underestimate Bogard. He's my personal intelligence officer, directly from CP5. Be careful when fighting him!"

Iron Body? Marine Six Styles? Ian was somewhat surprised. The metallic collision sound... Could this Six Style really turn one's body into steel?