Chapter 11: Aspirations

A year quickly passed and Tyr was now four years old.

"So? You want us to babysit Ace and Luffy again?" Tyr raised a brow at Garp who was pleading.

"Please! Luffy and Ace has been hounding me non-stop!" Garp underestimated Tyr's handling of Ace and Luffy.

They practically begged Garp to bring them back to Dawn island in order to hang out with them.

Especially Luffy who ate bountiful amounts of meat whenever Tyr hunted down sea kings for every meal.

"Why not? We haven't seen them for some time now." Hancock smiled as she remembered the two boys.

"Luffy's adorable too." Sandersonia chuckled. "I think it's cute that Ace calls you big brother. Even when you're younger than him." Marigold laughed.

"See? You can't just make my grandsons like you and don't visit them. Why not inspire them to be marines while you're at it?" Garp had a sweet smile on his face.

"Okay, we're definitely not coming." Tyr rolled his eyes at Garp.

"Wait! No! Okay, you can just hang out with them." Garp slumped down as he thought that they would be able to at least make them think about turning into marines.

"Sure, but you have to spar with us for haki bloom." Tyr gave a condition as Garp would definitely visit for just a little while.

"Tche, fine." Garp whined and Tyr packed up with the Boa sisters, getting ready to sail towards Dawn island.

"How's Ace and Luffy by the way?" Hancock asked Garp, making him huff.

"You brats are the only things that ever come out of their mouths." Garp grumbled.

"An old man, getting jealous of kids. It's kinda disgusting you know?" Tyr looked at him coldly.

"Oi... I'm not jealous." Garp lied as he breathed.

"We can feel it with haki, you know?" The Boa sisters outed him.

"Tch, want a fist of love?" Garp raised his fist and coated it with haki.

They then quietly packed their things and Garp snorted.

After packing, they went to the docks of Mary Geoise and saw his trusty boat.

"That again?" Hancock winced with her sisters and Tyr sighed.

"I gotta get me a nice boat from Vegapunk." Tyr decided to have a really good boat made of pure seastone.

'Well, I did forget to tell him about other sources of clean energy... Wait, won't the world government make nukes out of it?' Tyr put a seal on nuclear energy immediately.

Based on his research, not even Vegapunk dipped his hands on it. And it was the best idea not to introduce it to a tyrannical government.

"Let's go, the sea awaits." Garp grinned as they boarded his boat.

They quickly arrived at Dawn island and there was a bored Luffy waiting for them.

"Gramps! Big bro Tyr!" Luffy saw them on top of the boat and he waved at them energetically.

"I need to fetch Ace!" Luffy ran away and went to the forest where he lived.

"That kid's got tons of energy to burn, are you training him, Garp?" Tyr asked him.

"I am, though they aren't ready to train in the six powers or haki yet... They'll be targeted." Garp sighed.

"Hmmm, with Ace being that guy's son. And Luffy being your grandson, pirates would hound them like flies." Tyr shrugged.

Making them stronger would lead to the two in travelling the grand line for an adventure.

And with strength that surpasses a lot of people, comes infamy.

"I hope they'll change their minds and turn into marines." Garp looked at the happy go lucky Luffy with worry in his eyes.

"You can't control their fates, Garp. You just have to believe. Instill principles into them that will lead them to be good people." Tyr advised and Garp frowned.

"They can't understand, why can't they?" Garp was frustrated.

"What'd you expect? They're kids." Tyr sighed and Garp was miffed.

"Oh, they're here." Hancock waved at them and Ace tried to jump Tyr.

But he just blocked his attack with a raised brow.

"Damn, you're just too strong." Ace clicked his tongue.

"Want me to give you character development? Then I'll give you some." Tyr smirked at him.

It's undoubtedly, assuredly, undeniably, unquestionably, indubitably, an older brother's duty to beat up his younger siblings.

"Uhhh, I'm sorry?" Ace smiled sweetly, but he suddenly got hit by a mean hook on the face and Ace bounced on the pavement.

"Guhahaha! That's what you get, brat!" Garp laughed his ass off.

Meanwhile, Makino and the Boa sisters just stared at them with a pout on their faces, disappointed at them.

"What? He attacked me first." Tyr shrugged. "Umu, you have to prepare for the consequences." Garp agreed and it was a lesson that Ace should learn now.

"Whu? Where am I?" Ace suddenly woke up and he had a mean headache.

"Nothing important, just welcoming us." Tyr smiled at him and Luffy laughed at him.

"He socked you in the face and you bounced like a pebble! Shishishi!" Luffy in turn got the character development he was looking for from Ace.

"Ahhh! That hurt!" Luffy rolled around on the ground as Ace whacked his head from above.

"Alright, enough being boys. Let's welcome Garp and the others. They don't visit often." Makino clapped and put her hand on her hip.

"Yes, mom." Tyr rolled his eyes and Makino glared at him.

"Tyr! Big bro! I need sea king meat for my boo boo!" Luffy pointed at his head that was already swelling.

"M-me too!" Ace pointed at his face and he definitely had it worse.

"Okay, such needy little brothers. Call the villagers for a feast, I'll bring in two sea kings." Tyr had a smug smile on his face.

"You're the best!" Ace and Luffy cheered him on as he took off his shirt, ready to dive into the waters.

"Hmph, I can catch any sea king." Garp huffed as he thought of having a competition with Tyr to hunt down the most amount of sea kings.

"Garp, stop being childish. You're what? 60 years old?" Sandersonia raised a brow at him.

"Yeah, you're already an old man." Marigold added and Garp was sent reeling as he did an orz.

"I'm only 58, you brats!" Garp shouted, but he was too depressed to whack them.

"I'm gonna prepare what we will need." Makino got excited as Tyr's the only source of sea king meat they had.

And with an outrageous price of 100k bellies per pound, the normal household won't even dare buy it.

When Tyr came back while pulling two sea kings, the whole village cheered.

"Tyr! Tyr! Tyr!" The village called out his name like he was a superstar.

"Ahhh, a little bit of meat really brings the people together." Tyr nodded sagely.

"Let's prep it." Hancock took out three swords as the Boa sisters have proclaimed themselves as his chef.

They can't catch a sea king after all, so they trained a lot to cook.

Sandersonia busted out some seasonings and Marigold was handling the sauces.

Even if sea kings were delicious, you'd want variety in flavor from time to time.

"Luffy, Ace, we've been practicing real hard to cook since then. Be prepared to taste the best meat in your life!" Hancock nodded in pride.

"Ohhhh!" The two kids ooh'd, barely able to wait for them.

The trio imbued haki into their filleting swords and began dismantling it really fast.

"Ooh, you girls ever think of being cooks in the marines?" Garp definitely thought they could use a couple.

Not that the food there was bad, it was just mediocre.

"Shut up Garp, it's Tyr or death." Hancock huffed at him.

"You're exaggerating." Tyr laughed as he went off and helped the villagers set up tables.

She wasn't. "That brat's smart as hell, but he's still clueless." Garp laughed at the Boa sisters and they glared at him.

They then started pouting towards Tyr. Expecting him to understand the reason for their ire.

But he was just doing his own thing, not really noticing.

"Tyr's hopeless." Marigold puffed her cheeks in anger.

"Boys will be boys." Sandersonia sighed, already accepting it a long time ago.

"Hmph, if he doesn't realize. Then I just have to make him, later that is." Hancock blushed as she started to fantasize.

"Sasuga, big sis Hancock." Her sisters were impressed at her confidence and will.

"Heh, brat's gonna learn. A conqueror pining for you will be troublesome." Garp grinned.

Conquerors are naturally inclined to pursue what they want after all, even if it means they'll be dead for it.

After feasting, the group built a bonfire in the forest and had a little picnic.

"So, whatcha been up to, little rascals." Tyr gave Luffy and Ace a noogie.

"I've decided, I'll become a pirate!" Ace had a wide smile on his face.

"No! You'll be a marine you little shit!" Garp whacked him immediately.

"A pirate? Is that tasty?" Luffy tilted his head. "Hmmm, wait a minute. Let him cook." Tyr held back Garp.

"Shitty gramps, I'm gonna be king of the pirates! To show everyone that I'm not like my old man at all!" Ace wanted to prove himself.

And what better way than becoming a more successful pirate king than your infamous father?

"I'll show everyone that not all pirates are bad! I just want freedom and adventures!" Ace finished and Tyr nodded.

"I see, you want to become a pirate because they're the most free?" Tyr asked him and Ace confirmed.

"Well, why not just call yourself an explorer? Instead of following in his footsteps, just become the one who found untold treasures in the world. The adventurer who saw everything in this world." Tyr made him think.

"Woah, that sounds awesome, Ace!" Luffy grinned at him and Garp just stared at Ace.

"Then, how about you, big bro? Do you want to become the best adventurer in the world?" Ace asked him.

"Naturally! The world has so much to offer. Sailing the perilous seas of the grand line. Unearthing the mysteries of history, finding treasures that would make Mary Geoise envious. Wouldn't that be fun?" Tyr ruffled his hair.

"Then! Let's sail the seas together!" Ace beamed at him.

Tyr went wide eyed and he smiled wryly for a second.

'Don't say promises you can't keep, brat.' Garp looked away.

"Sure, maybe one day we will. We'll have the most exciting adventures all over the grand line." Tyr patted his head.

"Ohhh! Will there be lots of meat?" Luffy drooled and Hancock stuffed a piece of meat inside of his mouth.

"No way! I'm already sailing with him! I asked first, we'll have to walk different paths!" Ace grinned at Luffy.

"Then I'll choose meat!" Luffy raised his bone-in piece of meat.

Everybody chuckled, yet Garp noticed that Tyr was bothered.

'Brat...' Garp patted his shoulder and Tyr nodded.

'Maybe, maybe we can sail the seas someday.' Tyr looked at the Boa sisters who were playing with Luffy.

"How about I tell you about the time when this guy with a steering wheel on his head attacked Marineford." Garp laughed.

"A guy with a steering wheel on his head?" Ace and Luffy raised a brow.

They then enjoyed the night, tucking in the two boys who finally gassed out.

"You sure you want to tell Ace something like that?" Garp saw Tyr who was staring at the moon.

"I'll try. When do you think people truly die, Garp?" Tyr suddenly asked out of the blue.

Garp was quiet and Tyr reached for the skies. "It's when they lose hope, living life as a walking corpse. No dreams, no aspirations, nothing. Forgotten by everyone." Tyr clenched his hand.

"Me? I have a dream, Garp. And that's to live my life as a good man in peace. And there's too many people that stands against that. So I'm biding my time." Tyr squinted his eyes.

"You'll get along with my son, Dragon, brat. I guess he couldn't stomach being in the marines. As we're basically the minions of the world government." Garp sighed.

"Well, how can you enact justice. Knowing that you enforce it for a tyrannical government?" Tyr snorted.

"It's the only way I know how, brat." Garp winced.

"People always have a choice, Garp. Though I won't tell you to betray the marines. There's obviously people there with the same aspirations as you." Tur shrugged.

"There are... I want to nurture them. Make an era of marines that would truly have an impact on the world." Garp remembered an up and coming marine that was under him.

"I hope you can." Tyr nodded at him and they sat in silence for a good moment.

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Thank you for reading everyone, ciao.