Chapter 15: Let me borrow your head!

A prominent pirate emerged in the East Blue Sea.

Having defeated Captain Smoker, the chief of LogueTown, destroyed the port, and successfully entered the grandline while being pursued and intercepted by ten naval warships, Ace quickly became the talk of the town. News of Smoker's defeat spread rapidly, turning Ace into a hot topic in the East Blue Sea.

The once calm East Blue Sea was now agitated, akin to a "little boy" making a splash. Discussions flourished, especially about the remarkable 80 million bounty on Ace. In this relatively weak sea, no pirate with a bounty exceeding 30 million had appeared for many years.

Ace's name echoed throughout the East Blue Sea, and a new method of children's education even surfaced. Parents warned their children that if they misbehaved, the fearsome pirate Dragon Rider Ace would catch and devour them.

In Windmill Town, upon learning of Ace's decision to become a pirate, Garp hastily returned and administered a disciplinary whip of love to his dear grandson.

Peng! ! !

"Luffy, if you dare to sneak out like Ace, let's see how I will educate you!!!"

Garp's fist of love struck Luffy's rubbery body forcefully, sending him flying several meters away.

"Grandpa! Just you wait! When I go to sea, I will be even more amazing than Ace!"

Luffy quickly stood up, adjusted his straw hat like a normal person, and retorted angrily.

"Because I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!!!"

"You ungrateful brat!!!"

Enraged, Garp continued to punch and kick his beloved grandson, and Windmill Town, silent since Ace's departure, returned to life.

In Makino's tavern, the proprietress served a cup of hot tea to Garp's adjutant, Bogart, who had accompanied Garp. 

Inside the tavern, navy soldiers enjoyed their lunch, seemingly oblivious to the commotion outside.

Bogart, aware of Garp's familial ties, calmly accepted the tea, acknowledging the peculiarities of Garp's family. Garp's return, ostensibly to discipline Luffy, was actually to safeguard Ace and eliminate other pirates in the East Blue Sea.

As an adjutant, Bogart comprehended Garp's intentions well. When Makino inquired about his stay, he predicted,

"How long... I suppose we'll set sail again after Vice Admiral Garp finishes educating Luffy."

By that time, Ace would have left for the Grand Line, and they would return to guard the navy headquarters.

Makino expressed regret, stating, "It's quite a short visit again."

Bogart sighed in agreement, silently lamenting his role in composing navigation reports about Garp's family visits without disclosing their pirate aspirations.

"Indeed, it's quite a task."

The two shared a moment of silent contemplation, finding entertainment in watching Garp's lively interactions with Luffy.

It was perhaps the only amusement in the East Blue Sea that lightened Bogart's spirits. Deep down, he wondered if Garp truly wished for his grandson to become a marine.

As Vice Admiral and a naval hero whose status was second only to Marshal Sengoku, he possessed numerous ways to prevent his grandson from becoming a pirate, yet he chose to let things unfold. The underlying answer to his decision was clear.

…

…

..

Simultaneously, in an ordinary small town in the East Blue Sea, Leo enjoyed a local breakfast at an ordinary restaurant. Little Eevee, returning from playing outside, ran excitedly to Leo with a newspaper in her mouth.

"Eevee!"

"Welcome back, Eevee."

Holding the little Eevee, who was rubbing his trouser legs, Leo smiled and spread out the newspaper. Thanks to Leo's careful training, little Eevee had reached level 32 strength under Rotom's evaluation, making her a formidable presence in the East Blue Sea.

Observing the bounty notice for Ace, Leo recognized the familiar photo and understood the strong bond between Ace and Charizard.

"It seems that he and Charizard have a pretty good relationship~" Leo sighed happily while looking at the photo of the reward order. He acknowledged that it was only a matter of time before Ace received a bounty, but believed that Ace's adventure had officially begun.

Without the Flame-Flame Fruit, Ace's early development might be slower, but Leo anticipated a new world where Ace would become more powerful than ever. Leo smiled softly, stroking Eevee during breakfast, and thought about the intriguing twists Ace's journey might take.

Meanwhile, the tranquility of the restaurant was disrupted when a group of bandits, led by Billy with an increased bounty, entered rudely, demanding the best wine and intimidating the owner. Leo, although irritated by the disturbance, refrained from taking action, adhering to his neutral stance and avoiding unnecessary involvement.

As he had told Ace before, he preferred to keep himself in a middle-man position. 

As long as things didn't escalate, he tried not to take the initiative. After all, bad people's money was still money. He was looking forward to making deals with several major villains in the pirate world. 

There was no need to establish a heroic image for himself. 

Moreover, the protagonist of today's incident was not him.

Not long after the bandit took his seat, a man with three long swords at his waist walked into the tavern.

"Hey! Are you Bandit Billy? With a bounty of 800 Baileys, that's you, right?"

Swish!

The long sword, glowing with a green light, was drawn. The man pointed his sword at the bandit named Billy, grinned, and said, "I have no money to drink these past two days. So let me borrow your head for a drink."