This was a dim prison cell.
Apart from the oil lamps hanging in the corridor, there were no other sources of light.
Thus, apart from mealtimes, the prisoners confined here had no other way to gauge how many days had passed.
Currently, only one prisoner was held in this cell.
The commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, also the son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, [Fire Fist] Ace.
Tap, tap...
Heavy footsteps woke the slumbering Ace.
He drowsily lifted his head, peering toward the door by the light of the distant oil lamps… he had no choice, as aside from his head, every other part of his body was tightly bound by Seastone chains.
"Is it mealtime again... Ah, it's the old man..."
Upon clearly seeing the visitor, a smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Ace's mouth, as if he was completely unaware of how desperate his current situation was.
Opposite him, Garp stood in silence, the firelight casting a shadow over his face, making it impossible to discern the man's expression at this moment.
A wordless silence hung between them, eventually broken by Ace.
"How many... days left?"
Hearing this question, Garp's hand loosened slightly, as if some substance that had been supporting his entire being was being drawn out at this moment.
Thud.
Garp simply sat down cross-legged, the Marine cloak embroidered with the word [Justice] falling to the ground with the motion.
At this moment, Garp seemed to have shed that layer of identity as the [Hero of the Marine].
Sitting here was just an ordinary old man, wanting to have one last talk with his grandson.
"...Three... days left."
Almost spitting out the words one by one, after saying this, Garp raised his head painfully, staring directly at Ace, bound and shrouded in darkness deep within the cell.
"Ace, why... why didn't you live the way I told you to!"
By the last few words, the regret in Garp's tone was almost impossible to conceal.
In truth, he shouldn't have come to see Ace personally at this time.
Whether to avoid suspicion or due to his duties.
But he had still come, for one and only one reason.
That the person confined here was his family, his grandson.
Hearing Garp's pained voice, Ace's thoughts involuntarily drifted away.
That was back when he was a child. His grandfather had placed him and Luffy in the care of the bandit Dadan, visiting them periodically.
"Ace, you must become strong Marines."
By the bonfire, Garp, in his role as a grandfather, said words that didn't align with his position as the Marine Hero.
He didn't voice the second half of his sentence, but Ace now understood.
'That way, I can protect you.'
"Sorry, Grandpa, I've really caused you trouble."
Bound, a helpless smile appeared on Ace's face as he apologized to the man who had raised and saved him, his tone gentler than ever before.
And these words directly broke Garp's defenses. The fists propping up his body on either side pressed deeply into the stone bricks.
Once, in a similar setting, Roger had entrusted his son to him.
"We've fought countless times, we're old acquaintances, right?"
"You're as trustworthy as my own comrades."
"I leave him to you. My child... I entrust to you."
That man had said so, even though their positions were completely opposite, he could still trust him so.
"You're a pirate, I'm a Marine, and you want me to take care of your child… how preposterous!"
Though his words said otherwise, Garp decisively followed the clues Roger gave, found Portgas D. Rouge, who was full-term and forcibly holding off giving birth, determined to fulfill this promise.
It was also on that day he first met Naruto… that fearless brat.
Even now, Garp wondered if Ace turning out this way might be Naruto's fault.
Back then, Naruto, still just a little kid, faced with a Marine seemingly coming to arrest them, decisively used all the abilities he had mastered.
Clones, Transformation, Sexy Technique, and half-baked Haki and physical skills.
Of course, these were nowhere near enough before the Marine Hero, who was still in his prime.
After all, this was the man who, at God Valley, made three future [Emperors] choose to tactically retreat.
Later, Rouge gave birth to Ace, and she herself didn't last long before passing away.
Garp then naturally took that blonde-haired brat with him to Windmill Village.
There, Garp personally witnessed Ace grow from a babbling infant into a young man with his own ideas, determined to become a pirate.
During those times, he truly regarded Ace as his own grandson… perhaps Naruto benefited from this association as well.
Those days were carefree, yet also brief.
Later, Naruto set off alone on a journey, both to train and to understand the roles the Marine and pirates played in this world.
Afterwards, Ace grew up, became Luffy's older brother, and also resolved to set sail as a pirate.
No matter how Garp appealed to family ties or used physical persuasion, Ace remained unmoved.
-And precisely because of this, he ended up in his current predicament.
"Villains don't deserve sympathy, but family... is different."
Garp's voice trembled slightly. This resolute man, who had fought for most of his life, lived a life of constant battle, now also had rare moisture in his eyes.
He wanted to do something, but he could do nothing.
Seeing Garp's pained expression, it was Ace who showed an understanding smile.
During his time in captivity, he had pondered many things and also gained a deeper understanding of the words Naruto had said when they parted.
"Grandpa, do you remember when I asked you, 'Was it a good thing that I was born?'?"
Hearing Ace suddenly speak, Garp sharply raised his head.
"Back then, you answered me, 'You'll understand after you've lived'."
As he spoke, Ace revealed a bright smile.
"I... have been really happy, really fortunate, you know."
"Loved by all of you family, and those pirate comrades, friends... I was never unhappy."
"Having lived in this world, I have been truly happy."
"Thank you, Grandpa."
To be honest, if Garp hadn't retained the last shred of reason, perhaps when Ace uttered those final words of gratitude, he would have torn the cell apart and forcibly taken Ace away.
The conflict between his body's instincts and the principles he upheld made Garp extremely conflicted.
And Ace, sensing the other's emotions, offered words of comfort.
"Actually, Grandpa, you don't need to be so pessimistic..."
"I... might not necessarily die."
"I have this feeling, someone is definitely going to cause a huge commotion."
To be honest, Ace wouldn't feel joy over Whitebeard or Naruto arriving to rescue him.
On the contrary, he would feel guilty for dragging them into trouble.
But at the same time, after deeply contemplating Naruto's words, Ace also understood that neither Whitebeard nor Naruto could possibly stand idly by… regardless of Ace's own wishes.
After all, those two were just that kind of willful guys.
Hearing Ace say this, Garp seemed to remember something, discreetly flicking away the tears in his eyes, then forced a smile.
"Ha... You dare say that. You really don't take this old Marine seriously."
Seeing Garp's mood improve somewhat, Ace continued along the other's words.
"Haha, old man, you better watch out. Whether it's Oyaji or Uncle Naruto, they're no ordinary small-time pirates."
"Don't end up getting your old bones injured! At that time, you can just obediently retire back to East Blue!"
"Brat! Is that any way to talk to your grandpa!"
Provoked by Ace, Garp instinctively reverted to his usual grandpa persona, raising a fist as if to knock it on Ace's head.
But in the end, the fist didn't fall, merely transforming into a large palm gently resting atop Ace's head.
"..."
The two looked at each other in silence, and eventually, the enclosed prison once again fell into quietude.