Chapter 142: A Grandfather and Grandson's Filial Chaos
"Idiot."
Sanji sat off to the side, quietly waiting for the woman behind the bar to bring the food.
To him, this loud, hyperactive brat was unbearably annoying. He only wanted to sit in peace, eat, and judge whether the taste was anywhere near his master's level.
"What did you say?!" Luffy snapped his head around and glared at the kid with the round eyebrows.
Sanji looked back with a teasing little smirk. "Idiot. Can you be quiet for one second?"
"But…" Luffy bit his lip, feeling wronged. He had invited them to dinner.
He came here for one reason, to hear this big brother talk about the world outside.
How was he supposed to be quiet?
Being scolded right after treating someone to a meal made Luffy feel even more wronged.
At this time, Luffy had not met Shanks, Ace, or Sabo yet. Without those people in his life, it was only natural that tears still came easily.
He was not as tough as he would be later.
Sanji froze when he saw the pitiful look on Luffy's face. "…Sigh. Sorry. I was too harsh."
He waved his hand in a hurry, flustered in his own way.
Maybe it was because he had earned his master's favor and found a place to belong, he had almost forgotten the ache of being unwanted.
Sanji looked away, awkward and apologetic, and stopped talking.
Luffy kept rambling, complaining about his grandpa nonstop.
Sanji, listening, slowly pieced together Luffy's situation.
Actually… they were the same kind of kid.
Neither of them had received real care from their relatives.
Maybe that loneliness was exactly why this little guy was so eager to welcome outsiders.
Sanji leaned against the bar, lost in thought.
The Straw Hat crew, aside from a few who joined much later, could almost be summed up in one sentence.
Left behind kids and orphans, sailing toward a grand adventure.
Accurate. Painfully vivid.
Creak.
Garp pushed the door open, walked in, and sat down on Luffy's other side.
Sanji glanced up at the old man, then climbed off the stool and fell silent immediately.
Luffy did not hold back at all.
"This damn grandpa is basically useless."
Anyway, he only showed up a few times a year.
As for his father, Luffy did not even know who that was until many years later when Garp finally told him.
"Hey, kid." Garp looked at Roy. "What's your relationship with Shanks?"
He could not quite remember, so he asked directly.
He vaguely recalled a time when he was chasing the Roger Pirates, and some pirates on the other ship had been talking about Shanks, Red Haired Shanks, and then saying, He looks just like him.
But time had passed, and the details had slipped out of his brain.
"Red Haired Shanks? Oh, him?" Roy laughed, remembering Rayleigh's old joke. "I'm his dad."
"?"
Garp stared at him, surprised.
Yes. That was the line.
That was exactly what those pirates had said.
"Hahahaha!" Garp slapped the table, laughing so hard his shoulders shook. "That's a good one! Shanks suddenly has a dad!"
Makino peeked out from the kitchen at once, eyes wide.
Garp stopped immediately. Even though he held back his strength, Makino still looked like she was wondering whether the old man was about to smash her bar.
"Kid, that's a good joke." Garp wiped at the corner of his eye and looked at Roy. "How about joining the Navy?"
He still could not place where he had seen Roy before, but he also did not think Roy was the pirate he remembered.
So he simply extended an invitation.
Anyone who could tame a giant serpent from the Calm Belt had to be extraordinary.
That was the kind of young talent the Navy loved.
"No." Roy smiled, lacing his fingers with Hancock's. "I prefer traveling freely with the people I love, and cherishing every day we get together."
Hancock's heart warmed, and her gaze softened for a fraction of a second.
In other words, the Navy would be a waste of his time.
Also, Roy was holding his laughter in the whole time.
He could not help wondering, when Sengoku beat up Garp that time, did Garp ever punch him back?
Heh. What a pair of troublemakers.
"That's a real shame." Garp shook his head with a smile. "I'm not the type to force people, whether it's my grandson or any other friend."
Yes. Garp respected other people's opinions.
Luffy was the best witness to that.
The last time Luffy said he did not want to be a Marine, Garp nodded respectfully, then…
He gave his grandson a few loving punches to the forehead and smiled like a saint.
I respect your opinion, but beating you up is not a problem, right?
Fortunately, Roy had nothing to do with him. Otherwise Garp probably would have thrown a fist already.
"Your food is here. Please enjoy."
Makino carried several plates out and set them down.
"Oh, then I won't be polite, hahaha!" Garp picked his nose and happily reached for a plate.
"I'll redo it, please wait a moment," Makino said, smiling at him.
Garp nodded helplessly, but his eyes did not stop following the other plates on the table.
"Thanks, let's eat!"
Roy and the others picked up their spoons and started eating Makino's fried rice.
And honestly, Shanks's future wife could cook. It was really good.
"Luffy," Garp called.
"Huh?" Luffy looked up with a mouth full of rice, confused, his hands subtly guarding his own plate.
Garp had been bullying his grandson nonstop since coming back.
"Food isn't easy to come by, Luffy," Garp said sternly. "Finish what's on your mouth."
"Oh!" Luffy hurriedly wiped his lips, then ate the grains of rice stuck there.
Then…
Garp, still casually picking his nose, reached over, grabbed Luffy's plate, pulled it in front of himself, took a spoon, and started shoveling it down like a hurricane.
Makino was so mad she actually laughed.
These two idiots…
"Y…my food…" Luffy froze, staring at the instantly clean plate, then at his grandfather's satisfied face.
He nearly burst into tears from sheer rage.
Remember this version of Luffy, the one who had not grown up yet.
Years later, he would become the endless wall of strength that people like Katakuri would hate with a passion.
But right now, he almost cried because someone stole his meal.
After Garp left and Shanks arrived, after Luffy went through a painful period of growth, he would not be this easy to push to tears.
Ace would definitely disagree, but still.
Sanji swallowed hard when he saw Garp's huge fist. He almost said shameless, but he decided he enjoyed living.
"Shameless," Roy said for him.
"Ahem." Garp coughed twice and rummaged through his pockets, trying to find change. "This meal's on me."
Roy gave him a look that said, Oh, I see.
So even Vice Admiral Garp, the legendary master of freeloading rice crackers, could actually treat people to a meal when it mattered.
Luffy glared at Garp, no longer even calling him Grandpa.
Luffy's anger always came from two places.
One, someone he cared about was getting pushed around.
Two, someone stole his food.
"Hold it in, big man." Garp pulled out a bag, grabbed a donut, and stuffed it straight into Luffy's mouth.
"Mmph… Don't think I'm forgiving you for this, you old geezer."
Luffy stared at Garp's bag of donuts with burning resentment, calling him an old geezer with maximum disrespect.
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