Chapter 49: I won't...!

Next day, at dawn, somewhere on the vast sea.

Garp was currently looking in a daze at the sea seemingly thinking about something that was troubling his mind.

...

*Flashback*

"Wait here a bit I'm coming back..." Edam said a he rushed outside while everyone looked at him.

Rayleigh then said, "Well, your "grandson" is really something Garp..." he seemed to have emphasize this word before drinking his beer.

"Heh...of course who do you think raised him after all, Bwahaha..." Garp said eating his rice crackers.

"If by raising you're talking about throwing him in a forest then...yeah we could called it raising someone..." Z then commented on it.

Garp was about to exploded in anger when Rayleigh then interrupted and said suddenly.

"I'm sure that it wasn't an easy drive to raise him properly huh..." Rayleigh said and drank again.

"Ahh that, it sure was not...not at all even..."

The old pirate looked at him and then commented. "This boy...he came from the stars right ?"

Garp looked back at him but didn't say anything in return unwillingly replying to his question as he then continued.

"As for how I know that, well our little journey to find a certain treasure had undermine some lost secrets... something that would have been better be left unknown in my opinion..."

"Well no need to tell you that he's special right, having lived so many year with him you should have see it, he possessed an absurd level of raw talent for fighting, a strenght that grow more and more powerful each time he heal and most of all... this unique caracteristic of becoming the embodiment of Destruction itself on certain nights right ?"

"I bet that even you are having more and more difficulty to stop him as he grow up..." Rayleigh had a faint smile as he looked at his glass of beer

Garp glanced at him and said, "Hum... you do know a lot...Rayleigh..."

Rayleigh shrugged a bit at this and said. " Well I do know a bit, I can tell you that those archaeologists on Ohara weren't only researching about the Void Century but even some matters that would be wiser left untouched..." A serious look on his face.

"Then tell me what is he..."

Rayleigh looked at him seriously and then said. "First, reply to one question..."

Without waiting for his response he talked right away.

"From what I know and from the legends, this race is said to be a fierce and savage one and a really natural bloodthirsty one at that, just like a beast they have the instinct to kill since they are born or so... but your grandson doesn't really have this instinct in him it seems...rather he look really calm and cheerfull at moment..."

In response Garp laughed out loud and then said.

"Bwahahaha... he too was savage when he was a baby even after growing a bit more too, he was savage to anyone but me and Z, never bothering to greet anyone back, just like a beast who doesn't trust a human being. But as far as I know he never had or reveled this natural bloodthirsty thing you mentioned."

"The day he began to change was...when his brother was born..." Garp looked down recalling the face little Edam had when he was told that he was now a big brother, it was so funny and cute to see.

Rayleigh listened attentively and then said.

"Hum...hehe... all right...then..." He then opened his mouth to talked.

*End of flashback*

...

Garp after this recalling looked at his right and saw... Edam who had arrived not long ago.

The kid was resting his arms on the borders of the ship gazing calmly at the sea along with his grandpa thinking about the things that were troubling his mind too.

Seeing him, Garp said plainly. "Oh you're done sulking...?"

"Hum...? I was not sulking...I just...I just had a question..."

Garp signal him to ask this question as Edam then asked.

"Well I was wondering why...why those people in white could do as they wished, why does The Navy has to obey to them... because... because in my opinion they... what they are doing are exactly what I would called a crime... something that should be stopped..."

Garp stayed silent and kept listening on.

Edam at the beginning was hesitating a bit to say this piece of mind of his but seeing that Garp was letting him talk, his expression became resolute as he said.

"I mean, if becoming a Marines means to become their tools to help them to do what they are doing... then... I won't become a marine grandpa... !" At his last sentence he looked at Garp directly in the eyes as his voice was resolute like never before.

In fact Garp even had the impression that he was facing Luffy and Ace when they talked about how they wanted to be pirates.

Meaning that Edam wouldn't become a Marines even if he were to force him to.

Something really weird coming from this eldest grandson of him as Edam had always listen to him no matter what, but now...

However faced with this different Edam, Garp couldn't help but laughed out loud.

"Pfff bwahahaha...now this is interesting..." Garp lifted his right hand in the air.

Edam thought that he was going to hit his head and closed his eyes but to his surprise no pain came, instead he felt a hand ruffling his head fiercely.

Opening his eyes, he looked at Garp and saw him grinning while looking at the sea as he then say.

"Then, don't..."

"Do not listen to them, do as you wish and lived up to your own justice !"

"But I'm warning you Edam... this path will be hard and straining...the only reason I can do as I wish is because I'm strong enough to make them dread me... but... even I can't change the way the world is because I'm not strong enough to do it, do you understand...?" Garp said looking seriously at Edam.

"That's right..." A voice rang out of from behind, it was Zephyr.

Garp and Edam turned their heads around to look at him as he then said.

"Edam, remember this, a strong man can save himself, but an even stronger one can save the others..." Zephyr smiled faintly and then added.

"And an even stronger man can change the world..."

Those words seemed to struck Edam deeply as he came to realized something...

...

"Ahh now that I think about it, I have talked to Sengoku for your test and he decided to make a concession, after three years in the training camp, you will be able to take the test, rather than when you will be in age... But of course your test will be unlike any other test..." Garp said smirking a bit.

"What does that mean ?"

"It will be difficult, normally..." Z responded in Garp's stead.

"Oh is that so..." Edam replied indifferently not really caring about this test since it will still be three years later.

...

A week later or so, when they reached Marineford, as they were disembarking they were greet with a rather good surprise.

...