Grandpa and Grandson

Chapter 13: Grandpa and Grandson

Rodney gazed at Ace, a sigh escaping his lips as he realized that this man had made up his mind. Garp had dedicated his life to the Marines and fought to save the hardworking people living in dire conditions.

Luffy had spent his whole life pursuing freedom and taking risks to become the Pirate King.

And Ace...was he caught in Whitebeard's pit because he yearned for the fatherly love he had lacked?

People are complicated, and the people in this world are even more so—simple yet complex, easy to understand but difficult to comprehend.

Ace loved his mother, a respectable and amazing woman. To bring him into this world, she had used a special method, forcing herself to endure a twenty-month pregnancy. After Garp appeared, she gave birth to Ace and died from exhaustion.

He hated his father because his mother died because of him. Even though he was the Pirate King, the man who conquered the seas and embodied ultimate freedom, he couldn't protect his wife. If it wasn't for Garp, he might have perished as well.

But he also respected Roger, the man who had conquered the seas and achieved the unprecedented feat of circumnavigating the world. Ace admired him for his ability to conquer the seas and become the freest person. While he respected him, he also yearned to become the Pirate King and prove himself. He wanted to demonstrate his strength and show that he was not inferior and hadn't let down his bloodline.

There's no use dwelling on it further. Rodney simply said, "I can help you, but you must agree to one condition. You must abide by it. This is a gentleman's agreement!" Rodney spoke seriously, with his blood-red eyes locked onto Ace's.

They stared at each other, and Ace said, "Tell me the condition, and I will definitely abide by it."

"After you enter the Grand Line, if you encounter the Whitebeard Pirates, you must not join them. Can you agree to that?"

"How could I join other pirates? I set sail to become the Pirate King!"

"Then we will wait until you have survived Whitebeard's challenge."

"I will definitely become the Pirate King!" Luffy shouted loudly, feeling uneasy.

However, neither of them paid him any attention. Rodney nodded, took out the key to the Seastone Cuffs, and freed Ace from his restraints. Ace felt the power surging through him, no longer suppressed. He nodded and said, "Although I don't like to admit it, Rodney, you are a man of principles."

"Yes, indeed! Especially when money is involved!" Rodney pocketed the Seastone Cuffs, watched Ace leave the area, and followed Garp.

There was only so much he could do. Ace pursued freedom, and Garp pursued justice. It was undoubtedly torture for an old man to witness his grandson's death in front of him while being bound by the chains of justice. Rodney had a soft heart and couldn't bear to witness such a tragic drama. If Ace agreed to their agreement, Blackbeard would not catch him, let alone any other nonsense.

If Ace didn't abide by the agreement, then he would have brought it upon himself. Rodney couldn't stop a man from pursuing freedom and affection. He did all this simply because he didn't want to see an old man suffer the pain of losing his grandson for the rest of his life.

Garp was a good guy, and Rodney knew it. Whether from the anime or the time he had spent with him, Garp had shown his true nature.

"Hey, Rodney, let me out!" Luffy shouted loudly.

Rodney looked at the loose soil around him and said, "You can figure it out on your own, soon."

Swish! 

In an instant, Rodney disappeared with a burst of speed, and at the port, a fire had already ignited.

"Old man, I will never let you harm them!" Ace's crew had arrived, standing on their ship, calling out their captain's name, wanting to take their captain away.

"Hahaha! Ace, do you think you can stop me, an old man? For your crew?" Garp laughed heartily as he gazed at the wall of fire behind Ace. 

His eyes gleamed, and he asked with a wide smile, "Of course! Old man, I'm their captain!" Ace had made up his mind to stand with his crew, no matter what. Because he was their captain!

"You are no match for this old man." Garp stepped forward, his aura as heavy as a mountain. The naval hero who had once stood alone against the legendary pirate Rocks, even in his old age, retained his formidable presence.

Ace took a step back, realizing that he couldn't defeat his grandfather, who was on par with his infamous father. Now, he stood no chance at all. However, he couldn't let the old man harm everyone.

Flames enveloped his body as an invisible aura erupted from him, causing Garp to raise an eyebrow. The marines and ordinary villagers around them fell to the ground in the face of this overwhelming aura, with only a few managing to remain standing. Had Ace awakened his Conqueror's Haki?

Garp clenched his fists tightly, took a giant stride forward, and reached Ace with almost instantaneous speed. Ace didn't even have a chance to react before he was struck by Garp's Iron Fist of Love!

Boom!

Ace was sent flying by Garp's punch, crashing through the wall of fire and landing directly on the Spades Pirates' ship. His crew caught him, holding him firmly.

"Captain Ace!"

"Captain, are you okay?"

"Captain!"

"Dr. Deuce, please check if Captain Ace is alright?"

Ace was deeply moved as his crew surrounded him. Although Garp had hit him, he knew that the blow didn't carry much force. It felt more like an act of fulfillment than an actual punch.

"Enough talking! Deuce, turn the ship around! Let's go!" Ace ordered.

"Yes, Captain!" Deuce, the helmsman, responded eagerly, turning the ship's bow upon receiving the order. The ship accelerated, swiftly leaving the port.

"Tsk tsk, Rodney boy, look at those cannonballs! Cannonballs!" At some point, Garp had already arrived on a warship, and Rodney quickly joined him.

Rodney appeared helpless as he handed a lead cannonball, the size of an ostrich egg, to Garp. The warship and the pirate ship were only a few hundred meters apart. With Garp's strength and accuracy, there was no way he would miss.

But Rodney didn't expose Garp; instead, he watched silently as Garp sent his grandson off into the sea in his own way. He was only annoyed that Ace had slipped away without a word, setting sail without saying goodbye to him. 

It had been a prank on Rodney, but he didn't expect Ace to genuinely escape. It was alright, though. This way, Garp's grandson could pursue his own path.

"Fist Meteorite!"

The cannonball struck the side of the pirate ship precisely, fired with such speed that it seemed to materialize through the barrel. The impact fueled the pirates' retreat, urging them to leave the area swiftly.

"You stubborn boy, don't let that old man catch you!" Watching the pirate ship sail away, Garp laughed.

"Grandpa! Thank you for taking care of me all this time!!!"

Ace knelt on the ship, slamming his head in Garp's direction!

Hearing Ace finally call out "Grandpa," Garp's sturdy body trembled slightly, and he chuckled, "This brat is just too stubborn! This old man wants him to become a marine; he insisted on becoming a Pirate King! I really don't understand what's so great about that! Rodney boy, don't become a pirate either."

"I probably won't, as long as no one forces me. I think being a pirate hunter is pretty good." Rodney shrugged, choosing not to question the old man's words. Instead, he asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, do you truly have no regrets?"

"Regret? I never regret anything I do! If he doesn't want to, the old man can't tie him down and prevent him from pursuing his own freedom for the rest of his life, can he? That's beyond this old man's capabilities."

"Is that so?" Rodney understood that Garp couldn't do anything to Ace. It was evident from the original story that if he wanted to, he could have captured Ace during the first half of his notorious journey. Yet, he chose not to and silently watched his grandson sail the seas, following his own path.

"Bwahahaha, let's not talk about that. These recruits were easily knocked down; I'll have to train them well. As marines, they can't be so weak!" Garp said, offering silent prayers for this group of marines.

At that moment, Luffy rushed over, standing on the warship and shouting loudly, "Ace!! Wait for me!! I'll never give up on finding One Piece!!" Garp's face darkened. "Luffy!!"

Bang!

Garp landed a powerful blow on Luffy's head with an iron fist, grabbing him by one hand and pulling him off the warship, saying, "Looks like I'll have to train you properly!"

"Ah! Grandpa, let me go! Grandpa!!"