Chapter 132: The Words of the Garp Family

The Marines began their cleanup work, chaining up the captured pirates and tossing them onto the battleship.

"I never thought Luffy would have this kind of strength. He's far surpassed us adults," Bellemere said in amazement, watching Luffy.

"Bellemere, you helped too. That battle food you made was delicious, and it added some useful attributes," Luffy replied as he walked back to Bellemere.

"I've only just started learning, so I don't know how effective it really is," Bellemere said with a shake of her head.

"Did you get hurt, Luffy?" Uta asked, grabbing hold of his shirt to inspect him.

"No, but I'm soaked in seawater. I'll need a bath first…"

"Luffy, you looked so cool just now!" Nojiko and Nami praised him.

Some villagers also offered their congratulations, and the walk back to the village took much longer with all the well-wishers.

Once back, Luffy filled a tub with water, dipping his feet in and letting the warmth envelop him. Relaxing, he let out a sigh of contentment.

After cleaning his sword and wrapping it in a white cloth, Luffy pulled out a transponder snail and eagerly called his grandpa.

"What's up, Luffy?" Garp's booming voice came through.

"Grandpa, I beat Arlong and his crew!" Luffy exclaimed with excitement.

"So, you managed to pull that off already?" Garp said, scratching his nose.

"Why do you sound surprised?"

"If you've already mastered a few of the Six Powers, it shouldn't be hard to beat Fish-Men in theory. But battle experience can't be taught. By the way, where'd you pick up that experience? Arlong and his crew are no small fry—they served under the Sun Pirates."

Luffy, of course, couldn't reveal that his mind and body were split, and that he'd been playing hyper-realistic monster-hunting games to build his skills.

"Grandpa, don't you think there's something weird about the way the Navy is organized here?" Luffy asked, thinking about Captain Nezumi's actions.

"Hm?"

"Well, it was Captain Pudding Pudding who first spotted Arlong. He notified me right away and came to the island a day early to provide support. But the 16th Division Marines only showed up after someone called for help…"

Luffy explained his suspicions to Garp.

"Eh… that's usually up to the individual base commanders. The Navy can't monitor every base, you know. On paper, everything's supposed to work well, but if the people in charge don't do their jobs, there's not much we can do…"

"Still, if you've noticed it, I'll report it to HQ. This is indeed a serious issue. If Arlong's left unchecked, he'll wreak havoc in the East Blue…"

Arlong's mastery of Fish-Man combat techniques made him a formidable threat, one that a typical Navy division couldn't handle alone, requiring HQ's attention.

Moreover, because Arlong was technically associated with the Seven Warlords, HQ officers generally wouldn't monitor his activities proactively. Captain Pudding Pudding's decision to confront Arlong was technically a gray area, as the Marines weren't supposed to mess with pirates under the Warlords' flag. Legally, they had the right to plunder as privateers…

The entire Seven Warlords system often clashed with the Navy's principles, leaving Marines uncertain about dealing with pirates under their banner. However, because of Garp's influence, Luffy could circumvent such issues, especially since he wasn't a Marine himself.

"Grandpa, the Fish-Men's techniques are so cool. They can launch water blasts like cannons! I want to learn it…" Luffy said, already thinking about the Fish-Men's skills and how he could use them himself.

"What? Just stick to the Six Powers! Have you mastered Rankyaku?" Garp barked, annoyed. He couldn't teach Fish-Man techniques even if he wanted to.

"Yep, I even used it to add flying slashes to my sword," Luffy replied.

"…"

Garp was stunned. How did this kid learn so fast? There was silence on the other end for a moment.

"Luffy, how about coming to Marine HQ for training?" Garp suggested. "Last time, Sengoku mentioned gathering the younger generation of us old guys to train together, but we decided you were all too young, and Z himself doesn't take kids that young… But now I think you're ready."

The minimum age for Marine HQ's recruits was usually around early teens. When Z entered the academy at fourteen, he joined the ranks alongside the legendary Garp at eighteen, Sengoku at nineteen, and Tsuru at sixteen. Z held the record for youngest recruit, but Garp thought Luffy could break it.

"Huh? I'd rather not, Grandpa. I still want to explore outside. I even tamed a massive Sea Cow to help pull my ship."

"Animals are naturally sensitive to a kingly aura. If you use Conqueror's Haki on them, it can bring out a deep-seated obedience," Garp added as an afterthought.

"By the way, Luffy, how's that little girl Uta doing? Buy her whatever she wants, no need to hold back—just get the Navy to foot the bill. Old man like me has more money than I can spend… I don't want Shanks looking down on us…"

Luffy yawned and mumbled a half-hearted response.

"Oh, and by the way, do you know who Z is, Grandpa?" Luffy asked, feigning curiosity.

"How could you not know him? What's wrong with you, kid?"

Garp then enthusiastically shared Z's background: "Black Arm" Zephyr, the "Non-Killing Admiral." Garp spoke with genuine pride, more so than when he talked about his own fame. To Garp, Zephyr was the true pride of the Marines, while he saw himself as a mere puppet propped up by the government.

"It's a shame, though… Pirates eventually retaliated, and his family was killed… Even his vow of 'not killing' has changed…" Garp's tone turned solemn.

Luffy noted that in Garp's recount, Zephyr still had his arm intact.

Luffy remembered Zephyr vaguely, mostly because of his charming female subordinate, who in his mind, helped transform Nami from an adult to her adorably childlike self.

Zephyr was a tragic figure. Before long, his hand would be destroyed by Edward Weevil, Whitebeard's self-proclaimed son, with most of his students slaughtered.

Not remembering the exact timeline, Luffy felt even less inclined to study at the Marine Academy. If admirals like Zephyr couldn't escape tragedy, he doubted he'd fare any better.

"How terrifying… Grandpa, why would an admiral's family be targeted by pirates? Couldn't this also happen to those rookie Marines doing internships at HQ?" Luffy asked.

"Well, who can say for sure? Zephyr often takes recruits out on training missions. But don't worry, he's incredibly protective of his students. Not many pirates can defeat him," Garp reassured.

"Although his strength has declined with age, few can challenge a Marine admiral. He's still exceptionally powerful."

"But… what if?" Luffy pressed.

"There are hardly that many 'what ifs' out there, brat. Most pirates who rise to infamy either possess Devil Fruit powers or raw

, deadly strength honed through brutal combat. We keep a record of them all…" Garp reassured him.

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