Chapter 12

"Fine, kid. You have until the evening, then we will be leaving Loguetown. I hope you can come to your decision before then. Garp stood up from his seat, and Dragon escorted him while pointing at another table where my things were kept, leaving me alone in the room.

As I contemplated in silence, I retrieved my transponder snail and also Sandai Kitetsu; the other blade that Diamante had given me had snapped in half, so I had to set it aside. The transponder snail connected immediately; it seemed like Doffy was anxiously waiting to hear from me.

"Ross, is that you? Are you safe?" The moment the call connected, I heard Doffy's worried voice sounding through the snail. I realized that Diamante must have received the hidden message that I had left. I knew for a fact that Dragon noticed this, but he simply didn't care. If I'm not wrong, he must have also noticed Diamante's presence when I pulled out my blade to engage him. That was also one of the reasons I had asked Diamante not to interfere.

"It's alright, Doffy. I am safe. How about Diamante? Has he already left Loguetown? There are some powerful Marines on the island now, so advise him to depart immediately." I shared my concerns with my brother. Although Diamante was not a well-known pirate, you never know how fate works, so it was better to be cautious.

"Wait, what do you mean by wanting to let Diamante return? What about you? How will you get back?" Doffy questioned with concern evident in his voice. I slowly started explaining exactly what happened and the offer that I had received from Garp to study under his wing.

Meanwhile, in the corridor, Dragon was following Garp, who had just returned after interrogating the now imprisoned Marine Captain.

"Old man, why are you so interested in that kid? What makes him so special?" Dragon was confused because of the extent of interest Garp was showing in this matter.

"Heh, brat, do you have any idea who that kid is?" Without pausing to wait for an answer, he continued, "He is a former celestial dragon. The kid is from the Donquixote family. The entire news about the kid has been sealed by the World Government," Garp shared the top-secret information that he had recently come across. The moment Dragon heard this, he was shocked. A Celestial Dragon bearing the symbol of a slave? What kind of madness was this? Looking at his father, who was steadily walking in front, he could not help but ask.

"Don't you hate them? So why are you helping the kid?" Dragon couldn't help but ask his father about the doubts in his mind.

Garp stopped abruptly and turned to face Dragon. "Brat, do you still think that the kid still holds the privileges of those scoundrels? He has fallen; moreover, he is just a child who wanted to defend his freedom, and I cannot fault him for that. But if left alone, like you said, he will hold deep resentment towards the Marines, and I cannot have that. He is a conqueror. I can see that his power lies dormant within him. I'm not sure if even the kid realizes how much power he holds deep within him. As a Marine, I could not fulfill my dreams, but I feel it in my gut; maybe, just maybe, this kid will pave the way for a new future. It's more like a gamble. HAHAHAHA, well, what's the worst that can happen?"

Garp then started walking again to finish the preparations for his upcoming voyage, while Dragon hastily followed him.

As evening inched closer, I waited for Garp. I had already made the decision to stay back and join the Marines under Garp's wings until I could learn everything from him. I wasn't ungrateful enough to up and run the moment I gained all my knowledge. Convincing Doffy was a challenge because he was adamant about having me return. However, I patiently explained that we were not strong enough to pursue our ambitions yet, and we needed to grow much, much stronger. It was a good thing that I had already left the details about the probable Devil Fruit's location with Doffy; otherwise, it would have been a big hassle.

I did not know how long I was going to be under Garp's care, but having future knowledge was an added advantage for me. So, I knew I would eventually be quitting the Marines later down the line. I had even suggested to Doffy that he send out Vergo to join the Marines in the near future. In the canon, Vergo only grew strong enough to reach the position of Vice Admiral, but I had other ideas.

And to rule the world, Eventually, we needed the Marines under our control, so I planned on having Vergo join the Marines earlier and grow far beyond his canon self. I had also suggested getting a certain Devil Fruit for Vergo, which I knew was in the New World. But the current Donquixote Pirates stood no chance. However, in a few years, maybe just by some blind luck, they might get their hands on the fruit that I had envisioned for Vergo.

I had promised Doffy that I would keep in constant touch with him, and having firsthand information by being next to Garp was an added advantage for the growth of the Donquixote Pirates. I did not feel bad about acting as a spy because I did not hold any attachment to Garp. Maybe in my old life, I might have liked the character, but this was real life, so I had to set my priorities straight. I was resolved to put out a few of my conditions before I joined the Marines.

The door to the room opened, and Garp walked in, followed by who I believed should be Bogard.

"So, kid, have you decided yet? Quick, we need to set sail soon." Garp leisurely wandered into the room and turned to me while questioning. Bogard from the side was curiously eyeing me because of Garp's recent interest in me.

"I don't mind joining the Marines, but I have a few conditions of my own. If you can promise me these, I can join the Marines," I declared. Garp, who was nonchalant, now showed an interested look. He had believed the stubborn kid would refuse, but now he was offering conditions, so he wanted to know exactly what my conditions were.

"I will only be under your direct command, and I don't want to be transferred under any circumstances. You will promise never to order me to act against my family, as I am sure you are already aware of my true identity. You will personally teach me without holding anything back. I will not be forced to accept any sort of promotion and the responsibility that comes with it . I will be allowed to carry my personal transponder, and you should swear never to intercept my communications. Lastly, if there ever comes a day when you cannot defend the justice you believe in your heart, you will personally relieve me from the Marines."

I put forth all the conditions that I had in my heart that would not hinder or restrict my actions in the future.

Garp squinted his eyes dangerously, while Bogard at the side had an amused smile plastered on his face.

"Kid, those are some steep conditions. Even a potential admiral candidate would not have such blatant demands. Sigh, fine. It was me who wanted you to join the Marines, so I cannot be stingy. However, I will have to set a few conditions of my own. I don't have an issue with you carrying your personal transponder snail, but I need your word that you will never leak any of the Marine secrets. And as for training, any secret manuals that I share, you have to promise not to share with others. The experiences that you gain on Haki are your own effort, so I won't restrict them. Finally, as long as I personally don't relieve you from the Marines, you must promise me not to betray the values of a Marine and stay a Marine."

Garp put forth his own conditions and couldn't help but unconsciously pout because the man had blocked most of the loopholes that I had left. Especially agreeing to his words would make me unable to share crucial intel with Doffy but then Vergo can bear that burden in the near future , and I couldn't share the training manual of Marines that could have helped my family. However, regarding quitting the Marines, he must have been confident that his resolve wouldn't waver. But I knew in the future that there were instances where Garp stood by the side even when he knew what was happening was absolutely against the justice he believed in and couldn't do anything about it. So, after some contemplation, I spoke up.

"Fine, then, I agree to all your conditions." With that statement, my journey with the Marines officially started.

As the agreement settled, I found myself amidst the hustle and bustle of the Loguetown Marine Base, preparing to embark on the massive marine warship that would become my new home. The ship loomed over the harbor like a formidable fortress, its sleek design and towering masts a testament to the might of the Marines.

As I stepped aboard, I was greeted by the sight of disciplined Marines moving about with purpose, preparing for departure. The deck was alive with activity, with sailors hoisting sails, polishing cannons, and running drills under the watchful eye of their superiors.

Amidst the organized chaos, I caught sight of a young man who stood out from the rest. Clad in the crisp uniform of a Marine officer, he exuded an air of calm confidence as he supervised the crew. His icy blue eyes scanned the deck with keen observation, and I could sense an aura of power emanating from him.

Kuzan, calmly observing the Marines, quickly turned towards me as he felt my gaze on him. He seemed surprised to see a young kid on the warship, but then he put his doubts aside and greeted me with a calm smile and nod, which I reciprocated. If I was right, then I would be spending much of my time training alongside the future Admiral.

As I admired my new surroundings, the last of the superiors boarded the Marine warship. Garp was among the last to board, and as he noticed me, he whispered something to Bogard, who quickly moved towards the interior of the ship.

After relaying a few instructions to the other Marines, Garp gestured for Kuzan to come closer as he moved towards me. Kuzan immediately moved to greet his mentor.

"Ice brat, meet... Kid, what's your name, by the way?" Garp quickly turned to me, wanting to know my name. I gave him a bland look but ignored him, stepping forward and stretching my hand toward young Kuzan.

"I'm Ross. I have recently been accepted under Garp sensei's tutelage." I confidently shared my first name, as I had no plans of revealing my family name, thinking it was of no great significance.

Kuzan was once again surprised by the amount of maturity I displayed and shook my hand while introducing himself.

"Kid, you will be a chore boy from today onwards. I hope you will not slack on your duties just because I took you in as a special recruit," Garp declared, while Bogard passed a Marine shirt that was surprisingly my size. I knew that Garp had the power to assign me to a higher position, but I did not care about it. Gaining prestige within the Marines was not my concern; my single goal was to grow strong.

Two days had flown by since I unofficially became a Marine. My days were spent doing chores, but I didn't mind. Garp, my mentor, promised he'd start training me once my tasks were done. So, I worked hard, doing almost everything on my own while the others lagged behind.

Scrubbing the deck and shining cannons became part of my routine. Garp watched me from afar, impressed by how fast I worked compared to the others.