Chapter 3 Adopting

In the end, this group of pirates didn't have the slightest power to fight back. They were all handcuffed and awaiting their just sentence. How long they would last in prison depended on the crimes they had committed. But, in most cases, few pirates ever left prison alive. After all, the crimes they had committed could warrant execution multiple times over. Pirates who hadn't taken a single life might get a lighter sentence, but in the world of piracy, such cases were few and far between.

"Loot all the hostages and treasures on their ships. I want to see how many evil deeds these pirates have done."

The moment he laid eyes on them, Garp had already sentenced them to death. He could feel the thick aura of bloodlust coming from these pirates. It was a heavy, malevolent force formed by countless human lives—indicating these pirates were stained with blood. They were the worst kind of criminals.

Thinking about how such ruthless pirates were operating so close to his hometown made Garp regret taking leaves to come back less often. If he'd been around more, he would have rooted them out long ago, stopping them at the very start.

A while later, Garp saw a group of ragged women being escorted out of the prison by several navy officers.

Their faces showed no signs of life, their eyes dull and lifeless. They had lost all sense of hope.

These women were clearly on the pirates' ship, and it was easy to imagine the horrors they had been subjected to.

"Find a nearby town to take these women to, and let the local navy handle them from there," Garp ordered. Though he had seen things like this countless times before, it always hurt his heart to witness such cruelty.

After all, Garp wasn't a cold-hearted person. He was a man of justice, and he couldn't ignore such atrocities.

"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp."

Once the women were safely taken care of, Garp turned away from them.

"Bogart, find any excuse to dispose of these scum. I don't want to see them alive for even another second."

"Yes, Vice Admiral."

As Garp's adjutant, Bogart had done this many times before, and he knew how to handle the situation with cold efficiency.

Did the navy really need a reason to execute pirates? It was practically an obligation.

"Tie them up tightly and toss them into the sea. Whether they survive or not depends entirely on luck."

Bogart gave the order with a firm tone. As the second-in-command on the ship, his words often carried more weight than Garp's, as everyone knew Garp's occasional inconsistencies.

"Yes, sir."

One pirate shouted in fear, "What are you doing? We've surrendered! You can't do this to us!"

"Shut up, scum. It's already mercy that you're alive until now. Just sink into the sea quietly, alright?" Bogart snapped, his voice cold and full of menace.

A chilling aura radiated from him, and it was clear from his demeanor that he had killed more than a few pirates in his time.

Bogart walked away from the "execution" area, not wanting to waste another second on such lowly scum.

Meanwhile, Garp stood on the pirate ship, watching as the navy soldiers unloaded the stolen treasures from the ship's hold.

These pirates had never ventured far into the Grand Line, so their haul consisted of only mundane gold and diamonds—nothing extraordinary like Devil Fruits or legendary swords. They were either too inexperienced to recognize the value of such treasures, or they'd never encountered them before.

Both possibilities seemed likely, considering their location in the East Blue, where encountering such things was rare.

"Vice Admiral Garp, we found a child!"

A surprised shout came from one of the navy soldiers, and all eyes immediately turned toward the source. The treasure chest was opened, revealing a child inside—something none of them had ever expected. Who would put a child in a box?

"These pirates are so cruel, they planned to suffocate this child in a box!" one of the navy officers said, his voice filled with disgust. Even Garp was enraged by this.

"What about the pirates?" Garp asked, his tone darkening.

"Vice Admiral Garp, they've been thrown into the sea. Even if we fish them out now, it's probably too late."

One of the navy officers whispered, casting a sympathetic glance at the child.

"Monstrous bastards," Garp muttered under his breath. Pirates were divided into different types—some were just after treasure, while others were much worse. The navy could tolerate the former, but the latter—those who committed senseless acts of violence—were the true scum of the sea.

As Garp looked at the baby in the chest, he saw a pale-skinned child with a tuft of white hair on his head. Based on the features, the child would surely grow into a handsome young man, perhaps even more striking than Garp's own son, Dragon, had been at birth.

"When we reach the town, find a kind-hearted person to adopt this child," Garp ordered.

"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp."

Just then, the child opened his eyes. His pale blue pupils locked onto Garp's, and for a moment, Garp felt as though the child was looking right through him. He hadn't felt that sensation in years.

"What beautiful eyes," Garp murmured, a hint of wonder in his voice.

"It's true, but there's something strange about them... It feels like there are no secrets hidden from them," said one of the navy officers, watching the child's piercing gaze.

"Do you feel the same?" another officer asked.

Garp thought for a moment before responding. "Maybe I'll try to find a family for him. If no one steps up, I'll look after him myself."

"Vice Admiral Garp, are you considering adopting him?" one of the officers asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes. This child feels... familiar to me, almost like he could be my grandson," Garp said, his tone softening as he looked at the child with a protective gaze.