12 Chapter 11

Garp, who was grinning as Smoker finally relaxed and lost consciousness, quickly grabbed the boy before he ended up falling down the stairs. Then, his grin faded away, replaced by a grimace.

"Who's in charge here, for the marine platoon of this size to be obliterated by the pirate crew led by a mere 20 million?" Garp's eyes were locked onto dead Barthur, and couldn't help but say darkly, "...Tsk, another case of promotion given by those corrupted bastards, I see."

But he quickly placed his huge hand over his face, trying to suppress his rising anger for the lost lives. Taking a deep breath, Garp turned his head back to the staircase into the ship, where Hina was wobbly running from within.

"Good to see that you are alive, Hina," Garp formed a gentle smile on his face.

Hina, who was running with nothing but a worry that Smoker may have killed himself, visibly relaxed upon sighting the latter in Garp's arms.

"Vice Admiral Garp! Phew..." Hina sighed in relief, "Hina glad."

"Consider yourselves lucky," Garp, while placing Smoker on his left shoulder, took out a letter from his sleeve, "I've come to deliver you a letter, and not by chance. If not for this, I wouldn't have come all the way here."

Hina expressed her confusion, "Why would Vice Admiral Garp personally deliver a letter?"

"Well, haa..." Garp scratched the back of his head, with his eyes appealing sadness, "It's only right that I, as a friend, do this personally. It was his last wish, after all."

As Hina took the letter from Garp's hand, Garp stated, "Your grandfather passed away, Hina."

Hina froze on the spot, unable to believe what she just heard.

__________

How much time did it pass by? When I came to feel the sensations—especially the sharp pains—around my body, and became aware that I finally regained my consciousness, I couldn't figure out where exactly I was.

Finding my eyes closed, I ended my surrounding darkness by opening my eyes. The bright light entered, causing me to squint my eyes. After the momentary adjust, I found myself in a room that seemed like a ward.

"Unfamiliar ceiling."

Raising my head up, I saw that my torso was completely wrapped around the white clothes, and judging by there being no stain of blood, I could conclude that my wounds have been healed.

'If I were to recall what happened back then...'

Monkey D. Garp. Although I only got one look before fainting, I knew for certain that the man standing there was Garp, and no one else. Considering his status and strength, all problems must've been resolved, and Hina and Bastille were alive as well.

Sighing in relief, I lied back down; I wasn't some rash boy that runs up and screams [ARE MY FRIENDS OKAY?!] to whoever he comes across. If we are out of a trouble, might as well enjoy it, right?

'Oh, right,'

And I just remembered, that I now was the user of Smoke Smoke fruit. It gave me a weird feeling, that me, who was living a normal life back in earth, was now possessing a supernatural ability that could be considered unreal.

'Smoke, huh.'

Upon my will, my right hand morphed into white smoke, which moved around the room as I ordered. What a strange experience it was, to see your own hand move around the room freely, without any human limit.

'And you wasted a powerful ability like this, Smoker?' I couldn't help but chuckle while watching the show my hand was giving, 'White Blow this, White Blow that, seriously?'

I was starting to have fun now. Retracting my hand back to my body, I then expelled smoke from my left hand, letting it fill the room.

'Smoke is essentially a gas that is produced by an incomplete combustion reaction, due to the lack of oxygen. The ability to spontaneously produce smoke means, if I were to supply enough heat to the smoke, it will combust into a fire. How strong is that—'

I then froze, upon noticing a lit candle that was lying on the table at my right,

'—s***.'

The smoke then exploded into a frightening fit of fire, instantly spreading all over the room. Immediately after, the fire alarm bell rang loudly, as the water poured out from the ceiling, quickly subduing the fire.

Boom!

"What's wrong?!" At the next moment, a huge man whom I came across previously, Monkey D. Garp, suddenly made his appearance by breaking the door opened, and stopped upon sighting the messy state that the room was in.

Garp then turned his face at me, before suddenly exploding into laughter,

"BWAHAHAHA!!!"

With a snot dropping down from my nose, and my face locked into a surprised expression, I slowly turned and looked at myself in the mirror; there was a boy with white-coloured broccoli-like hair, so huge that the head below seemed tiny.

"H-hi, my name is Bastille," I said out of instinct.

__________

"So," Walking next to Garp in the hallway, who was grinning with his hands in his pockets, I asked, "where are we, Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Marine Base G-4. This was the closest from where you were found." Garp answered casually, before asking me, "So you are Smoker, eh?"

"N-no, I'm Bastille," Sweating profusely, I turned my head away from Garp.

"Alright, then let me ask you one thing, Bastille!"

'He fell for it?!' I found my eyes shaking, as Garp continued his words,

"I heard from Hina that you were unconscious while the other guy named Smoker defeated all those pirates!" Garp picked his left ear with his pinky finger as we walked to who-knows-where, "Among them was a named pirate, Mammoth the 'fatso,' who had a considerable sum of bounty on his head."

Garp turned to look at me, and said with a knowing grin, "And since Smoker defeated that man, the bounty—or reward for the case of marines, naturally goes to him! I just wanted to confirm this information with you—"

"Yes, it is true, indeed," I nodded with my utmost seriousness, "and what did I say just before? My name is Smoker. Pleased to meet you, Vice Admiral Garp."

"Aha, I see! So you indeed were Smoker!" Garp nodded, acting as if he didn't know. Then, he pointed his thumb back and stated, "But unfortunately, the destruction that you've made just now, will cost approximately 20 million to repair!"

"What?! No way!" I immediately retorted, "How the hell can a repair cost that much—"

Bonk!

I found myself on the floor, groaning in pain due to the lump that was formed on my head by Garp's fist.

"Medical tools are... expensive!" Garp said while whistling with an unnatural expression; this man surely sucked at lying.

"No, they aren't!"

"I know more than you, so shut your mouth, brat!!"

"MAN-CHILD!!!"

"LOUSY BRAT!!!!"

And just like that, during my first official conversation with Garp, I was ripped off 20 million Beli. F***.