Chapter 20: The Power of Background

"It's really Vice Admiral Garp!"

The two Marines stared wide-eyed at the photo Luffy held between his fingers, utterly astonished.

To be so close to Garp, yet they'd never heard of him having a grandson… Could it be true? Was this kid really Garp's grandson?

Their attitude shifted immediately.

"Um… may I ask what brings you here?" they asked politely, though they still didn't fully clear his way.

"I want to call my grandpa," Luffy replied, tucking the photo away and nudging the two Marines aside.

The soldiers were surprised by his strength; without much resistance, they found themselves stepping aside, allowing the boy to enter the Marine base.

"Sorry, but Vice Admiral Garp isn't stationed here… Since you're his grandson, though, I'm sure you know where he is, right?" they asked, still a bit skeptical but unable to stop him outright. Instead, they followed him, trying to steer him back.

"He went back to Marine Headquarters, but he forgot to give me his number, so I figured I'd just call him from one of the Marine bases," Luffy explained casually.

The soldiers exchanged glances, now mostly convinced. If he was indeed calling Garp, he'd be caught immediately if he were lying. No one would be reckless enough to try something like that in a Marine base.

"You all really slack off, don't you?" Luffy remarked, glancing around the base. Groups of Marines were lounging around, chatting in clusters, or even taking naps. Not a single person was actually training in the vast yard.

So, this was the Marine discipline of the East Blue? To Luffy, it looked more like a leisurely retreat than a military base.

"Grut, whose kid is this? Is he someone's relative?" a Marine who noticed Luffy called out, finding it hard to ignore the kid's conspicuous presence.

"He's Vice Admiral Garp's grandson, here to make a call to him," one of the Marines escorting Luffy explained.

"What? Garp has a grandson?! That's insane!"

The Marines straightened up, interest sparking in their eyes as they crowded around Luffy.

In this world, the common people's knowledge was fragmented, and the rank-and-file Marines had been fed a crafted image of Garp—a legendary hero elevated by the government. For the Marines, Garp wasn't just a hero; he was practically a mythical figure, embodying their values and spirit. Even when Garp had tried to retire, the Fleet Admiral Kong had urged him to keep his title for the sake of morale.

It was no surprise that, if Luffy's identity was verified, he'd be treated like a folk hero among the Marines—a young hero's descendant, met with admiration and loyalty.

The Marines escorted Luffy to the communications room, the only place besides the commander's office with a long-range Den Den Mushi that could connect directly to Headquarters. The Den Den Mushi acted like a radio, suited for conversations within short ranges for pirates. The Marines, however, had these deluxe models for communication over greater distances.

The Den Den Mushi in the communications room wore a Marine cap, with its shell etched in numbers. It appeared sluggish and unmotivated—until Luffy picked it up, prompting it to snap to attention.

"Luffy, if you don't know the number, just dial #, and it'll connect you to Headquarters' communications room," a Marine guided him, showing him how to use the device.

Luffy, without the slightest hesitation, dialed.

"Brrrr… brrrr…"

The sluggish snail jerked awake as the line connected.

"This is Marine Headquarters, Communications Room. Please state your business," a deep, calm voice answered. The snail's face morphed to resemble the Marine on the other end—a square-jawed man in a Marine cap.

"This is Monkey D. Luffy. I need to speak with my grandpa, Garp," Luffy announced, leaning back in his chair as the Marines around him craned their necks to hear, hardly daring to breathe.

"Pardon…? Kid, could you say that again? Whose grandson did you say you are?"

"Garp. Monkey D. Garp. No one else in the Marines would have the nerve to pretend to be my grandpa," Luffy replied, sounding almost bored.

"What? You mean the Hero of the Marines has a grandson? Then… who's his son?"

"Are you kidding me, kid? You better not be playing games!" The Marine on the other end was practically spitting with astonishment.

"Hey, just put me through to my grandpa already. You don't need to ask all these unnecessary questions," Luffy said, rolling his eyes.

"I'll need to confirm your identity…" The Marine's voice shook slightly as he scrambled to verify Luffy's story through internal Marine channels. Ultimately, the call did reach Garp, but not without raising quite a stir.

"Garp, it's your grandson… calling into Marine Headquarters," Sengoku informed him with a raised eyebrow. They were both munching on snacks in the office.

"Huh…? How'd that brat get his hands on a Den Den Mushi?" Garp muttered, digging around and eventually pulling out his own device from under him.

"Wait—did you just say your grandson is on Shanks' ship? The same Shanks who's causing all that commotion in the East Blue?"

"Keep it down, Sengoku. It's nothing serious. My grandson just wanted to see what pirate life is like, so I let him tag along for a bit. I mean, who wouldn't be curious?" Garp answered, finally picking up the call. The Den Den Mushi's face took on his slightly dopey expression.

"Luffy! You brat, what are you doing calling from a Marine base?"

Garp's booming voice erupted from the Den Den Mushi, sending the gathered Marines into a frenzy of shock and awe. They couldn't believe it—this boy was truly the grandson of the legendary Marine hero!

"When did Garp ever have a family?!"

"Because I'm out of money," Luffy complained. "They aren't giving me any Beli, even though I've been using my Conqueror's Haki to help them catch fish."

Avoiding mention of Shanks by name, Luffy simply referred to "them." Garp would understand his meaning.

"That's ridiculous! They won't even give my grandson some pocket money? Stingy!"

"Anyway, I've been putting everything on the Marine base's tab, Grandpa. By the way, I'm calling because I want something from you. Being on this ship, I've realized just how

big the world really is. What they've taught me is way more than what you ever did!"

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