Chapter 69: Garp's Return to His Hometown, Feeling Helpless

Marine Headquarters.

Sengoku was being scolded once again.

Nico Robin had joined the Sun and Moon Pirates, and the Ope Ope no Mi had also fallen into their hands.

Both Nico Robin and the Ope Ope no Mi were top priorities for the World Government.

And now, they had both been claimed by the Sun and Moon Pirates, the group the World Government wanted to eradicate more than any other pirate crew.

The Five Elders were furious, berating Sengoku for half an hour, calling the Marines useless—complete failures!

Sengoku quietly endured the scolding for the full thirty minutes. Once he finally hung up the phone, his demeanor immediately changed.

His face darkened like coal, veins bulging on his forehead, and he angrily turned to the Marine higher-ups. "I've asked for solutions, and after all this time, none of you have come up with a single plan! You call yourselves admirals and vice-admirals? If you don't want to do your jobs, just leave!"

The officers were stunned, feeling wronged.

It wasn't that they weren't trying.

The problem was that they simply couldn't find the Sun and Moon Pirates. What were they supposed to do?

Could they curse them to death?

"Kuke and his crew are in the West Blue," Akainu spoke up. "I proposed half a month ago to lead a team to Reverse Mountain and block the entrance to the Grand Line. As long as the Sun and Moon Pirates try to enter, I can catch them."

Akainu's suggestion seemed flawless to him. Why hadn't it been taken seriously?

"Sakazuki, your plan is too idealistic," Sengoku shook his head. "Can you guarantee that you alone can capture the Sun and Moon Pirates?"

"I can!" Akainu replied confidently.

The last time they faced off, they almost succeeded, even without an impenetrable defense.

"You think the Sun and Moon Pirates haven't grown stronger? Right now, sending a single admiral won't be enough. If we send two or even three admirals to block the entrance to the Grand Line, what if something happens at Mariejois or Marineford? Who will deal with the monsters in the New World if they act up?" Sengoku countered.

He understood that blocking the entrance to the Grand Line was a good idea, but implementing it would cause too many problems.

Blocking the entrance would draw too much attention, and there was no way to keep it a secret.

The Sun and Moon Pirates wouldn't need to do anything. They could just roam the four seas for a year or two, and the Marines wouldn't be able to keep up.

There were only three admirals, after all.

Their workload was heavy.

The Marines had more enemies than just Kuke. There were countless pirate crews that needed to be dealt with.

The distance from the entrance of the Grand Line to Marine Headquarters and Mariejois was too far. If something went wrong, they wouldn't be able to respond in time.

"Blocking the entrance to the Grand Line is unrealistic, but blocking the route to the New World is doable," Akainu's suggestion gave Sengoku a new idea.

To reach the New World, there were only two routes.

One was through Mariejois, but no pirate would ever take that path.

The other was through Fish-Man Island at the bottom of the sea.

To reach Fish-Man Island, pirate ships needed to have their ships coated at Sabaody Archipelago.

That would be their chance.

"For now, we'll wait. Don't alert the Sun and Moon Pirates. Let them lower their guard and wait for the right moment," Sengoku said, clenching his fist and slamming it onto the table.

The opportunity would come eventually.

"The Sun and Moon Pirates won't be able to keep this up for long. I, Sengoku, firmly believe that."

At that moment, Sengoku couldn't help but think about Garp.

He had encountered the Sun and Moon Pirates, and yet he reported that he couldn't take them down.

Who was he kidding?

This was Garp.

Was there any pirate Garp couldn't capture? Clearly, he hadn't tried his hardest.

No matter how fast Kuke grew in strength, could he really surpass Garp?

Sengoku refused to believe it.

...

After a long journey, Garp finally returned to his hometown.

He saw the familiar sight of the windmill turning in the breeze.

After being away for so long, Garp smiled, eager to see those two rascals again.

"Luffy, your grandpa's home!" Garp announced as he disembarked, greeting the villagers of Foosha Village.

"Did the Red-Haired Pirates or the Sun and Moon Pirates cause you any trouble?" Garp casually asked.

"No," the villagers replied.

"They were quite friendly."

"They didn't seem like pirates at all."

"The only thing is that Makino was taken by Mr. Kuke, so we don't have anywhere to go for drinks anymore."

"Garp, you're a Marine, but please don't hurt Makino."

"Alright, alright. With that guy, Makino will be fine," Garp reassured them while chatting and grabbing hold of Luffy, who had been trying to run away. "Luffy, why are you running?"

"Ah! Grandpa, it's you! I thought you were a bad guy," Luffy's eyes darted to the side as he spoke.

"Garp, you need to teach Luffy a lesson. He keeps shouting about becoming the Pirate King, even in the middle of the night," one of the villagers complained.

"What?" Garp was stunned.

He looked down and met Luffy's gaze.

"Luffy, who taught you about becoming the Pirate King?"

"I'm going to be the Pirate King! I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!" Luffy declared loudly, even under Garp's intense stare. "It's my promise with Shanks!"

"Red-Haired Shanks!!!" Garp roared in fury, his voice echoing through the village.

Far away on the Grand Line, Shanks, who was having a drink with Dracule Mihawk, suddenly shivered.

"Shanks, have you grown that weak?" Mihawk said with mild disappointment, looking at Shanks. "You've lost an arm, and now you seem broken. You've left me with one less worthy opponent."

"Hahaha! Boss isn't weak. He's just heartbroken because the girl he fancied ran off with someone else!" teased the members of the Red-Haired Pirates.

Shanks' face turned dark.

"Don't listen to them, Mihawk. Let's drink. You're not interested in fighting me anymore, so let's see who can drink more!" Shanks said, trying to change the subject.

Mihawk, however, wasn't interested in drinking.

What he craved was a worthy opponent. That was what made life enjoyable for him.

"Don't look so grim. If you don't want to fight me, there's someone else. Word has spread across the seas that Kuke and I fought for three days without a clear winner. Oh, and I forgot to tell you—Kuke got his hands on Captain Roger's sword, Ace. He's a swordsman, too. You should go after him instead," Shanks suggested.

Mihawk's eyes lit up.

"He's got that sword now?"

If there had ever been a frustration in Mihawk's otherwise smooth life, it was that he had never been able to wield the supreme-grade sword, Ace.

He had failed to obtain it.

But Kuke had succeeded.

"I thought with Kuke's age, it would take a few more years before he could match me. Turns out he's not just brave; he's skilled," Mihawk said, rising from his seat, excitement evident in his eyes.

"Where are you going? We're still drinking!" Shanks protested.

"I've lost interest in you," Mihawk replied, walking away without looking back.

Shanks was left speechless.

Damn it!

...

That night in Foosha Village, Luffy's screams echoed through the air.

The next morning, Luffy, covered in bruises and bumps, was hanging from a tree, having spent the entire night there.

"Luffy, do you still want to be the Pirate King?" Garp, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, asked, showing his fist to the boy hanging from the tree.

"No matter how much you hit me, Grandpa, I'll still become the Pirate King!" Luffy shouted defiantly.

Garp's face darkened.

Why wasn't this boy afraid of pain? If he kept hitting him, he might accidentally kill him!

Feeling at his wits' end, Garp suddenly had an idea.

"Luffy, you know, you have an older brother," Garp said, thinking of Ace.

Since he couldn't discipline Luffy himself, perhaps Ace could do it. Sometimes, a brother's guidance was more effective than that of an elder. Ace's influence might be just what Luffy needed.

"I have a brother?" Luffy's eyes widened in surprise.

"That's right. I'll take you to him now. Remember, you have to learn from him," Garp said, grabbing Luffy by the scruff of his neck and heading toward the mountains.

"Grandpa, what's my brother like?" Luffy asked curiously along the way.

"Ace, huh... He's mischievous, brave, and will surely become the finest Marine in the future," Garp confidently replied.

He believed it with all his heart.

Ace hated the Pirate King and would never follow the same path as Luffy. He was destined to become a great Marine.

About an hour later, Garp arrived at a cabin deep in the mountains.

"Ah! Garp's back!" the bandits shouted in terror, scattering in all directions at the sight of him.

"What are you running for?" Garp scowled, grabbing the leader, Dadan, by the collar.

They were old acquaintances.

There was no reason for them to run.

Dadan, with a sheepish grin, tried to explain, "Garp, I thought it was the Marines coming after me."

"You take me for a fool? You called out my name just now. Where's Ace?" Garp asked, glancing around the cabin.

There was no sign of Ace.

"He's off playing in the forest," Dadan answered nervously.

Inside, Dadan was terrified.

It's over. If Garp finds out that Ace's dream is to become a great pirate like Kuke, he'll kill me for sure.

In the distance, in the quiet forest, the voices of Ace and Sabo could be heard.

"I'm going to become a pirate as great as Kuke!" Ace shouted, his voice echoing through the trees.

Garp's face froze as he heard those words.

"Shanks! Kuke! I'll kill you both!!!!" Garp roared, his fury shaking the forest.

...

A few days later, Garp, exhausted and nursing a throbbing chest, left the mountains.

He left behind three wide-eyed boys.

As soon as he was gone, the three boys immediately started brawling.

"I'm going to be the Pirate King, and I'll be way stronger than Kuke! Hmph, he may have taken Miss Makino, but I'll never be like him!" Luffy boasted to Ace and Sabo.

Insulting their idol was too much.

Ace and Sabo exchanged glances.

"Let's get him!"

Luffy was promptly beaten up.

"No matter how much you hit me, I'm still going to be the Pirate King, stronger than all of you, and better than your Kuke—"

"Get him!"

"Let's throw him in the river!"

And so, Luffy's tragic childhood began, far worse than anything in the original story.