The massive, cavernous cafeteria inside the Galley-La Company headquarters was a sanctuary of chaotic noise and mouth-watering aromas. After the world-shaking revelation of the new bounty posters, the atmosphere had finally managed to settle back down into something resembling a normal pirate banquet.
Well, as normal as it could be when you had the Straw Hat Pirates, the Franky Family, a hundred master shipwrights, and four human-sized Giants all crammed into one room.
Sanji was in his element, orchestrating the massive Galley-La kitchen staff like a culinary general. Platters of roasted Sea King meat, mountains of buttery garlic noodles, and massive bowls of spicy seafood stew were being floated out to the long tables almost as fast as they were being consumed.
At the Straw Hats' main table, the mood was a mix of immense pride and lingering existential dread.
Usopp was currently standing on his chair, one foot resting on a plate of discarded bones, dramatically recounting a completely fabricated version of his skirmish with CP9.
"...And then, with a mere flick of my wrist, I summoned the power of the heavens!" Usopp proclaimed, adjusting his sunglasses so the light caught them just right. "The assassin begged for mercy, but God Usopp knows no mercy for those who threaten his crew! That is why they valued my head at 450 million!"
"Suuuuugeeee!" Chopper cheered from below, his hooves waving in the air. He had entirely forgotten about his own 80-berry bounty in the face of Usopp's manufactured glory.
Nami, sitting across from them, aggressively rubbed her temples while sipping a glass of high-end red wine. "I'm going to be assassinated," she muttered to Robin. "I'm surrounded by lunatics, and the World Government thinks I'm their treasurer. We're doomed."
"Look on the bright side," Robin smiled serenely, delicately slicing a piece of steak. "At least our wanted posters have very flattering photographs. Ben's camera work is impeccable."
"That's not the point!" Nami groaned.
At the center of the table, sitting side-by-side, were the two most destructive forces of nature in the room: Monkey D. Luffy and Portgas D. Ace.
The two brothers were engaged in a terrifying, high-speed eating contest that defied the laws of biology. They weren't just eating; they were inhaling. Whole roasted chickens disappeared into their mouths in single bites. Bones were spat out like machine-gun fire.
"More meat!" Luffy yelled, his rubber stomach expanding to the size of a beach ball.
"Don't think you can out-eat me, little brother!" Ace grinned, shoving a massive slab of ribs into his mouth, fire practically sparking from his eyes.
"Shishishi! I'm the Captain! I eat the most!"
They both reached for the exact same massive, glazed ham at the center of the table. Their hands collided. They glared at each other, sparks flying between them. They opened their mouths impossibly wide, lunging forward to devour the prize.
And then, precisely halfway to the ham... they stopped.
Thud.Thud.
Luffy and Ace face-planted directly into the table, their heads crashing into plates of mashed potatoes and gravy.
The cafeteria went silent for a brief second.
Zzzzzzzzz...
Zzzzzzzzz...
Twin snot bubbles expanded from their noses. They were fast asleep.
"THEY FELL ASLEEP MID-BITE?!" Paulie, the Galley-La foreman, screamed, dropping his cigar in sheer disbelief. "What kind of medical condition is that?!"
"It's a family trait," Ben chuckled from his seat at the edge of the table, swirling a glass of whiskey. He didn't even look up from his drink. "Don't mind them. Just let them nap."
Zambai and the Franky Family stared at the two sleeping pirates in awe. "So this is the composure of men worth hundreds of millions of berries... they truly fear nothing."
"No," Zoro grunted, taking a massive swig of ale. "They're just idiots."
The room slowly returned to its noisy chatter, the shipwrights and thugs accepting the bizarre narcolepsy of the D. brothers as just another quirk of the sea.
But the peace was not destined to last.
---
Outside the massive stone walls of the Galley-La headquarters, a heavy, rhythmic thudding echoed down the paved streets of Water 7.
Inside the cafeteria, Ben's eyes narrowed slightly. He set his glass down. He could feel it. A massive, overwhelming presence was approaching. It felt like a hurricane wrapped in a Marine uniform.
"Papa?" Mini Merry, sitting next to Ben, paused mid-bite of her ice cream. Her mechanical eyes flashed red behind her cute sunglasses. "Warning. High-density kinetic anomaly approaching the western wall. Speed: Fast. Intent: Aggressive."
"I know," Ben sighed, bracing himself. "Here it comes."
"Here what co—" Nami started to ask.
KRA-KOOOOOOM!
The western wall of the massive Galley-La cafeteria didn't just break; it exploded inward as if hit by a cannonball. A massive cloud of dust, pulverized stone, and shattered glass erupted into the room, sending shipwrights and pirates alike screaming and diving for cover.
"ENEMY ATTACK?!" Paulie roared, pulling out his ropes.
"Protect the Mayor!" Tilestone shouted, standing in front of Iceburg.
Through the billowing dust, a massive, broad-shouldered silhouette casually stepped over the rubble of the ruined wall. He wore a crisp, white Marine Vice-Admiral's coat draped over his shoulders, the kanji for "Justice" fluttering in the wind. A dog-head mask was pushed up onto his forehead, revealing a heavily scarred, grizzled face set in a terrifying scowl.
Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp.
The Marine Hero.
Garp didn't look at the screaming shipwrights. He didn't look at the terrified Franky Family. He didn't even look at Zoro, who had instantly drawn Wado Ichimonji.
Garp's eyes locked immediately onto the two idiots sleeping face-down in the mashed potatoes.
He cracked his knuckles. He marched forward, his heavy boots echoing like doom on the tiled floor.
He stopped right behind Luffy and Ace. He raised both fists high into the air.
"WAKE UP, YOU STUPID BRATS!" Garp roared.
He brought both fists down with the force of a falling meteor.
"FIST OF LOVE!"
BAM! BAM!
The impacts cracked the heavy oak table clean in half.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Luffy and Ace woke up simultaneously, screaming in pure, unadulterated agony. They shot out of their chairs, clutching their heads, tears spraying from their eyes like geysers.
"IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH!" Luffy wailed, rolling on the floor.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Ace shouted, rubbing a massive, smoking, comically large bump that had instantly sprouted on the top of his head.
The entire cafeteria stared in absolute, jaw-dropping shock.
He bypassed their Devil Fruits?! Paulie thought, his eyes bulging. The Fire Fist and the Rubber Man are crying from a simple punch?! Who is this old man?!
Luffy, tears streaming down his face, looked up at his attacker. His eyes widened in absolute terror.
"G-G-G-G-G-G..." Luffy stuttered, his jaw trembling.
Ace froze, the blood draining from his face, leaving him paler than a ghost.
"GRANDPA?!" Luffy and Ace screamed in unison.
The word echoed through the silent, dusty cafeteria.
The collective minds of every Galley-La shipwright, Franky Family thug, and innocent bystander shattered into a million pieces.
"G-G-G-GRANDPA?!" Zambai shrieked, his eyes popping out so far they nearly touched his nose.
"THE MARINE HERO GARP?!" Tilestone bellowed, dropping his hammer. "GARP THE FIST IS THE GRANDFATHER OF THE STRAW HAT AND FIRE FIST ACE?!"
"That explains the absolute lack of common sense," Iceburg muttered, rubbing his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
The Straw Hat crew, however, had a completely different reaction. They weren't shocked by the relationship but seeing the legendary Marine Hero casually beating up their supposedly invincible captain was a sight to behold.
"So that's the monster who raised them," Zoro noted, sitting back down and pouring another ale. "Makes sense."
"I'm just glad he's not hitting us," Usopp whispered, hiding behind Robin.
Garp stood tall, crossing his massive arms over his chest. He looked down at the two groaning pirates with a mixture of immense pride and deep, aggressive annoyance.
"Is that how you greet your beloved grandfather after not seeing him for so long?!" Garp barked.
Luffy rubbed his head, pouting. "But Grandpa, why are you here?!"
"I came because you idiots are turning the world upside down!" Garp yelled, raising his fist again.
BAM! BAM!
Two more punches landed squarely on the previous bumps, creating double-decker bumps on their heads.
"OWWWWW!" The brothers screamed again.
"I TRAINED YOU TO BE STRONG MARINES!" Garp roared, completely ignoring the terrified audience watching this bizarre family reunion. "I LEFT YOU IN THE CARE OF MOUNTAIN BANDITS TO TOUGHEN YOU UP! AND WHAT DO YOU DO?! YOU BECOME PIRATES! YOU BRING SHAME UPON MY NAME!"
"Your training was trying to kill us!" Ace shouted back, getting to his feet, finally finding his courage. "You call that tough love?! You tied me to a bunch of balloons and sent me flying into a thunderstorm when I was seven!"
"It builds character!" Garp argued, picking his nose.
"YOU THREW ME INTO A BOTTOMLESS RAVINE!" Luffy yelled, pointing an accusing, rubbery finger at his grandfather.
"I wanted you to learn how to climb!" Garp retorted.
"YOU STRAPPED ME TO A WILD BOAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!" Ace screamed.
"YOU LEFT ME IN A JUNGLE FULL OF TIGERS AND COVERED ME IN MEAT JUICE!" Luffy added, tears of traumatic memory in his eyes.
The shipwrights and thugs listening to the exchange turned pale blue.
"They... they survived that?" Paulie whispered, horrified.
"No wonder they're monsters," Zambai gulped. "They were raised by a demon."
"I now completely understand where Luffy gets his boundless, terrifying energy," Nami sighed, resting her head on the table. "His childhood was a survival horror game."
Garp paused his yelling for a moment. He crossed his arms and actually took a good, long look at his two grandsons. His sharp eyes scanned Luffy's broad, densely packed shoulders and Ace's towering, incredibly muscular physique.
"Hold on a minute," Garp frowned, stepping closer. "What the hell have you brats been eating? You're massive! Ace, you're built like a brick house, and Luffy, you've doubled in width since I saw you in the East Blue! Growing this much in a few months is physically impossible!"
Luffy stiffened. He was a notoriously terrible liar. He immediately turned his head to the side, squeezed his eyes shut, and puckered his lips, letting out a breathy, tuneless whistle.
"I just... grew up!" Luffy lied poorly, sweat dripping down his face. "Ate lots of meat!"
"Yeah," Ace coughed, looking equally suspicious but trying to play it cool. "Late puberty, old man. Island air is good for the bones."
Garp narrowed his eyes, staring at the two sweating, whistling idiots. He knew they were lying through their teeth. But he glanced around at the bizarre Straw Hat crew—a talking reindeer, a duck, human-sized giants, and a guy who casually performed miracles.
Hmph, Garp thought to himself, deciding not to press the issue. Must be some weird Devil Fruit user in his crew doing body modifications. The Grand Line is full of freaks. Growing that much naturally is unreal, but as long as they're healthy.
"Bah! Big muscles or not, you're both still soft!" Garp waved them off, returning to his original rant. "If you had just listened to me and joined the Navy, you'd be fine Commodores by now! But no! You had to listen to that red-haired idiot!"
Garp glared at Luffy. "It's all Shanks' fault! He poisoned your mind with romantic pirate nonsense!"
Luffy's expression hardened instantly. He grabbed the brim of his straw hat. The comical pain vanished, replaced by the fierce determination that had brought down Crocodile and Enies Lobby.
"Shanks is a great man!" Luffy declared, his voice carrying the weight of a king. "I don't care what you say, Grandpa! I promised him! I am going to gather a crew, find the One Piece, and become the Pirate King!"
Garp stared at his grandson. He saw the unyielding fire in the boy's eyes. He saw the reflection of the same stubbornness that cursed their entire bloodline.
Garp's face darkened. He raised his fists again.
BAM! BAM!
"GYAAAAH! STOP HITTING ME!" Luffy cried, clutching his triple-decker bump.
"WHY DID I GET HIT AGAIN?!" Ace roared, clutching his own triple-decker bump. "I DIDN'T EVEN SAY SHANKS' NAME!"
"Because," Garp said sagely, crossing his arms and nodding, "a grandfather's love should be distributed equally among his grandsons. Do you want some more equality?!"
"NO!" Both brothers violently shook their heads, backing away rapidly.
"Gebabababa!" Dory laughed from the back of the room. "The old Marine has a heavy hand! I like him!"
Garp glanced at the two human-sized figures. He recognized them instantly. "Oho? The Captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates. I heard you were sailing with my idiot grandson. Surprising company."
Garp turned back to Luffy, sighing heavily. "You speak of Shanks so highly, Luffy. Do you even know what kind of pirate he is now? He isn't just some guy on a small ship anymore."
Luffy blinked. "He's not?"
"No," Garp shook his head. "Red-Haired Shanks is one of the Yonko. The Four Emperors of the Sea."
The room went dead silent. Even Ace stiffened slightly at the mention of the title, his chest puffing out just a fraction of an inch—a subtle sign of his own affiliation with another Emperor, Whitebeard.
"Yonko?" Nami whispered, the color draining from her face. She looked at Robin.
"The four most powerful pirate captains in the New World," Robin explained quietly, her eyes serious. "They reign like kings over the second half of the Grand Line. Whitebeard. Big Mom. Kaido. And Red-Haired Shanks. Even the World Government fears them."
"Shanks is that strong?!" Luffy's eyes turned into massive, sparkling stars. "SUUUUGEEEEE! I knew it! He's amazing!"
"Idiot," Garp grunted. He picked up a rice cracker from a nearby, unbroken table and tossed it into his mouth. He chewed loudly.
Then, completely casually, as if discussing the weather, Garp dropped a nuclear bomb on the room.
"By the way, Luffy," Garp said through a mouthful of crackers. "I heard you bumped into your father back in Loguetown. Did you two catch up?"
Luffy stopped cheering. He tilted his head to the side, a blank, utterly confused expression on his face.
"My... father?" Luffy blinked. He stuck his finger in his ear. "I have a father?"
"OF COURSE YOU HAVE A FATHER, YOU MORON! HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WERE BORN?!" The entire cafeteria—Straw Hats, Galley-La, and Franky Family included—screamed in absolute unison, their teeth turning into shark fangs.
"I just thought I was raised by you and Dadan," Luffy shrugged innocently. "Who is he?"
Garp swallowed his cracker. He picked his nose.
"His name," Garp announced to the entire room, "is Monkey D. Dragon."
Tick.Tock.
The silence that followed was not just quiet. It was a complete absence of sound. It was the kind of silence that occurs right after the pin is pulled from a grenade, in the microsecond before the explosion.
Sanji's cigarette slipped from his lips and fell onto the floor.
Zoro choked violently on his ale, coughing and sputtering.
Chopper's jaw unhinged and hit the table.
Iceburg missed the chair he was trying to sit on and fell straight onto his backside.
Outside the broken wall, the squad of Marines who had accompanied Garp began sweating profusely, their eyes wide with sheer terror.
Luffy tilted his head, smoke coming out of his ears as he tried to process the word "Dragon".
Luffy suddenly punched his palm. "Oh! I get it! He's a literal Dragon! Like a giant scaly lizard! Does he breathe fire?! Does that mean I'm half-lizard? Can I breathe fire too?!"
Garp's face went completely blank. He immediately wound up another fist.
BAM!
"HE IS A HUMAN BEING, YOU RUBBER MORON! HE DOESN'T BREATHE FIRE!" Garp roared.
Nami slowly grabbed Luffy by the shoulders, shaking him violently.
"LUFFY! DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?!" Nami shrieked, her voice cracking. "HE IS THE MOST WANTED CRIMINAL IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! HE IS THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY!"
"Revolutionary Army?" Luffy blinked, rubbing his new bump. "What's that?"
"It's an organization actively trying to overthrow the World Government!" Robin supplied, her usual calm demeanor slightly fractured by the revelation.
"Oh," Luffy nodded. "Wait! Isn't that the group Sabo works for?"
Garp, who had been reaching for another cracker, froze. His hand stopped mid-air.
He slowly turned his head. His eyes locked onto Luffy. The comedic, annoyed grandfather vanished entirely. In his place was a man who had seen decades of war, pain, and loss.
"What did you just say?" Garp asked, his voice suddenly very, very quiet.
Ace stepped forward, realizing what had just happened.
"He said Sabo," Ace stated clearly, looking his grandfather in the eye.
Garp's breath hitched. His massive fists clenched so tightly the bones creaked. "Sabo is dead. He died twelve years ago. His ship was blown up by a Celestial Dragon."
"He didn't die, Grandpa," Ace said, a small, genuine smile touching his lips. "He survived the blast. He lost his memory for a long time, but Dragon saved him. He raised him."
Garp stared at Ace, his eyes wide, searching the young man's face for any sign of a lie.
"We met him," Ace continued, his voice thick with emotion. "In Alabasta. In Nanohana. Ben... . Ben brought him to us. When Sabo saw us, he got all his memories back."
Ace puffed out his chest proudly. "Our brother is alive, old man. He's the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. Second in command to Dragon himself."
The cafeteria held its collective breath. They watched the legendary Marine Hero process the information that the third adopted grandson he thought he had lost—the boy whose death had caused him immense, hidden grief—was not only alive, but was the second-in-command of his own son's anti-government army.
Garp stood completely still for a long moment. He looked down at the floor. The shadow of his dog mask covered his eyes.
Slowly, his shoulders began to shake.
He raised his fists.
BAM! BAM!
Two incredibly swift, incredibly hard punches landed on Luffy and Ace's heads.
But this time, neither brother screamed. They didn't complain. They didn't rub their heads. They just stood there, letting the old man vent. Because they could feel it in the punch. It wasn't just a fist of love and discipline.
It was relief. It was the overwhelming, crushing weight of a twelve-year-old guilt finally lifting from an old man's shoulders.
"You stupid brats," Garp's voice cracked slightly, though he tried to hide it with a gruff scoff. "Making an old man worry... keeping secrets..."
He sniffed loudly, wiping his nose with the back of his hand, turning away from them so they couldn't see his face.
He cleared his throat violently, instantly switching back to his loud, boisterous persona.
"ANYWAY!" Garp roared, pointing at everyone in the room. "FORGET I SAID ANYTHING! KEEP IT A SECRET THAT DRAGON IS LUFFY'S FATHER!"
"IT'S A BIT TOO LATE FOR THAT!" The entire Straw Hat crew and the Galley-La shipwrights screamed back at him simultaneously.
"Bwahahaha!" Garp laughed heartily, completely unbothered by his massive security breach. He turned toward the hole in the wall he had created.
"Oi! You lot!" Garp yelled to the Marines standing nervously outside. "Get in here and fix this wall! You can't just leave a draft in a nice cafeteria!"
A brave, exasperated Marine Lieutenant stepped forward. "Vice-Admiral Garp, sir! With all due respect... YOU ARE THE ONE WHO BROKE IT! You didn't even use the door! It was completely unnecessary!"
"Bah!" Garp waved him off. "If I used the door, it wouldn't have been a dramatic entrance! A hero needs a dramatic entrance! Now fix it before I dock your pay!"
"Fix it yourself!" the Lieutenant yelled back, tears of frustration streaming down his face. "We aren't masons!"
Ben sighed, setting his empty glass down. He stood up from his chair, brushing off his tailored suit.
"Allow me," Ben said calmly.
He walked toward the massive, gaping hole in the wall. The debris—broken bricks, shattered glass, and splintered wood—was scattered across the floor and the street outside.
Ben waved his hand.
The magic took hold instantly.
The shipwrights of Galley-La watched in sheer, unadulterated awe as the physical laws of destruction were reversed. The broken bricks lifted off the ground, flying backward through the air. They slotted perfectly into place. The splintered wood fused together without a seam. The shattered glass reassembled itself into pristine windows. The dust literally flew backward out of the room.
In less than five seconds, the wall was perfectly, flawlessly restored. There wasn't even a crack to indicate it had ever been broken.
The silence returned. The shipwrights stared at Ben as if he were a god of construction.
Garp slowly lowered his arm. He looked at the perfectly fixed wall. He turned his head and locked eyes with Ben. The playful grandfather demeanor vanished, replaced by the sharp, analytical gaze of a man who had fought alongside Sengoku and Roger.
"Oho," Garp said, his voice deep. "So you're the one they've been talking about. The one they call 'The Magician'. Edgar D. Benjamin."
Ben didn't flinch under the heavy gaze. He simply smiled, twirling the wand between his fingers before it vanished back up his sleeve.
"Guilty as charged, Vice-Admiral," Ben nodded politely.
Garp sized him up, his eyes trailing over Ben's relaxed posture, the lack of fear, and the quiet, dangerous confidence radiating from him.
"You're a tricky one," Garp noted.
"I'm just a man who likes to ensure his family travels comfortably," Ben replied smoothly.
"Is that so?" Garp grinned, a challenging, wide smile.
"It is," Ben said. He gestured toward the door (the actual door, this time). "Since you traveled all this way to check on your grandsons, Vice-Admiral, why don't we take this conversation somewhere more private? Our ship, the Going Merry, is docked at the Scrap Coast."
Ben offered a welcoming smile. "I can promise you won't find a better spread anywhere in the city. I have an unlimited supply of premium rice crackers... and if you enjoy a good drink, I have some top-shelf liquor."
Garp paused. He looked at Ben, then at Luffy and Ace, who were watching the exchange nervously.
Garp's grin widened. "Unlimited rice crackers, you say?"
"And tea, if you prefer," Ben added.
"Bwahahaha!" Garp threw his head back and laughed. "Why not?! I haven't inspected my idiot grandson's ship yet! Lead the way, Magician!"
"Luffy-san! Zoro-san!"
A new voice called out from the doorway before they could leave.
Everyone turned. Standing at the entrance of the cafeteria were two young Marine officers. One had striking pink hair, wearing a bandana and a tailored Marine coat. The other was tall, blonde, wearing strange visor glasses, and carrying two kukri blades on his back.
Luffy and Zoro squinted at them.
"Uh," Luffy tilted his head. "Do I know you?"
"Who are the brats?" Zoro grunted, resting a hand on his sword.
The pink-haired boy's face fell, but then he smiled, tears springing to his eyes. He snapped off a perfect, crisp Marine salute.
"It's me, Luffy-san! Zoro-san! It's Coby!"
Luffy's jaw dropped. Zoro's eyes widened.
"COBY?!" Luffy screamed, running forward and looking the young man up and down. "No way! You used to be a little wimp with glasses! You're huge now! And you look cool!"
"You've clearly been training," Zoro noted, genuinely impressed by the young man's physical growth and confident stance.
"Thank you!" Coby beamed, wiping a tear of joy. "Vice-Admiral Garp has been training us very hard!"
"Yeah, right," the blonde Marine scoffed, stepping forward and adjusting his visor. "And you don't recognize me either, do you? After what you did to me in Shells Town?"
Luffy and Zoro stared at the blonde man blankly.
"Nope," Luffy said.
"Not a clue," Zoro added.
The blonde Marine's face turned red with indignation. "Are you kidding me?! I'm the one you held hostage! I'm the one who ordered Zoro's execution! I'm Helmeppo! Axe-Hand Morgan's son!"
Luffy blinked. Then he punched his palm.
"Oh!" Luffy realized. "You're the spoiled brat with the weird chin!"
"I am not a spoiled brat anymore!" Helmeppo yelled, his face turning red with indignation.
He paused, looking at Zoro, who still looked completely blank. Helmeppo let out a frustrated groan. He desperately needed them to remember his 'glorious' villain origin.
Helmeppo dramatically slicked his blonde hair down flat to mimic his old, awful mushroom haircut. He crossed his arms, puffed out his chest, and put on a whiny, extremely nasal voice.
"Come on! Look at me!" Helmeppo whined loudly. "'Do you know who my Daddy is?! If you don't do what I say, I'll tell my Daddy to execute you!' Remember?! I was your first major antagonist! I held a gun to Coby's head!"
Zoro squinted. He looked at Luffy. He looked back at Helmeppo.
Zoro shrugged. "Nope. Still drawing a blank. You sure you have the right pirates?"
"WAAAAAAAH!" Helmeppo fell to his knees, punching the floor while crying anime tears. "I'm a changed man but my trauma is forgotten!"
Coby knelt down, awkwardly patting his friend's back. "There, there, Helmeppo-san. It's okay."
"Bwahahaha!" Garp laughed, slapping Helmeppo so hard on the back the young man actually face-planted into the tiles. "They grow up fast, but their egos are still fragile, eh, Luffy?! Come on! Let's go to your ship! I want those crackers!"