Chapter 145: Garp's Departure
"Oh?"
Garp was still laughing when his expression suddenly shifted. He looked at Roy with surprise.
Roy swayed as he walked closer, head wobbling like he was still dizzy. Then, in the next breath, his eyes cleared and he snapped forward with a punch.
Garp chuckled.
In an instant, his feet hammered the ground dozens of times at high speed, producing an explosive burst of force that launched his body away. He vanished from the spot like he had teleported.
Roy had recovered long ago. He had been watching Garp's movements the whole time.
Shave.
He had just seen one of the Six Powers, Shave.
Before Roy could even turn to defend, Garp appeared behind him. His fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, hovered above Roy's forehead.
"Hahaha, you lost!" Garp laughed, not actually throwing the punch.
"You're truly incredible, Vice Admiral," Roy said with a smile as he turned around.
DUANG!
With wicked humor, Garp punched Roy in the forehead the instant Roy faced him.
...
Crackle, crackle…
Not long after, in a clearing in the forest, a small fire crackled.
Roy roasted a massive wild boar over the flames, chewing a chunk of meat in one hand.
Nearby, Luffy and Sanji, freshly escaped from the snake pit, sat off to the side looking like they had crawled out of a disaster. Their clothes were a mess, their faces tense, their hair a tragedy.
"Vice Admiral, let's fight a few more times later," Roy said, looking up with a grin.
To be honest, he also wanted to see Garp demonstrate more of the Six Powers, like Moon Walk and Paper Art.
But Garp was already being kind by teaching him. Roy was not a Marine, so he could only learn by watching.
"Of course!" Garp was overjoyed at the request.
There were young people who actually asked to spar with him?
Wonderful.
The Iron Fist of Love was itching.
...
Over the next few days, Garp used the final stretch of his vacation to train Luffy and Sanji with brutal seriousness, while also sparring with Roy. And he frequently used the Six Powers in front of Roy, showing off just how terrifying they could be.
Truthfully, he did not need them at all. His Armament Haki and iron fists alone were more than enough to crush Roy.
But he also wanted to show the Six Powers to the younger generation, hoping it would spark interest and lure them into the Navy.
And to be clear, the Six Powers were not created by Garp. That was just a rumor. Long before Garp, CP and the Navy were already using them.
Even among pirates, a few extremely sharp ones managed to pick up a thing or two by surviving battles against CP and Marines.
A few days later, Garp's vacation ended. He arrived at the dock, ready to depart.
"Luffy, Sanji, and Roy too, won't you reconsider?" Garp smiled at them one last time. "Joining the Navy is great. Food and lodging included."
"Hey, no way!" Luffy turned his head and refused immediately. "The Navy's just as boring as Grandpa…"
"No." Sanji shook his head. "I don't want to leave my master."
"No," Roy said, glancing at Hancock. The two of them chuckled at the same time, their expressions somehow perfectly synchronized.
They were starting to look more and more like a real couple.
If it were the army from Roy's previous life, he would join without hesitation.
But in this world, forget it.
Nothing beat cherishing every day with your wife.
"Well, alright. I respect everyone's choice," Garp said, nodding as he turned away.
Then, without warning, the old man spun back at lightning speed, clenched his fists, and launched a sneak attack on the three of them.
DUANG! DUANG! DUANG!
Luffy, Sanji, and Roy all received a loving punch on the forehead.
Garp whistled cheerfully as he boarded the warship.
Goodbye.
With his back to them, he lifted a hand and waved.
Garp: I respect your choices, but I still want to beat you up too. Those things do not conflict, right?
"Damn it, that old geezer is the worst!" Luffy clutched the giant bump on his forehead, tears shining in his eyes.
"That disgusting old man who loves picking his nose!" Sanji glared at Garp's back while holding his head.
He also remembered how Garp loved using the same hand he picked his nose with to grab food.
"What did I do?" Roy covered his forehead. "I only stole a few moves from you."
Goodness, Garp had been serious this time.
This was the ruthless monster who chased Roger and traded punches with him. Even with Roy's steel like defense, Garp still broke through using Armament Haki.
Thankfully, the old bastard knew his limits. He left a bump, nothing more.
"Stealing?" Hancock asked, eyes wide with surprise. "You've been getting beaten up for days. What exactly did you steal?"
"Come on," Roy said with a smile, taking her hand and leading her back toward the ship. "I'll tell you what I learned."
"What special move?" Luffy instantly forgot to curse his grandpa and bounced up excitedly. "I want to learn too!"
"Go," Roy said, nudging him away. "You're not ready. Train at the Mountain until tonight."
Sanji grabbed Luffy's hand, and the two of them ran off toward Mountain, while Luffy looked back with a deeply offended, completely confused face.
"Alright," Hancock chuckled as she boarded the ship and opened the cabin door. "Let's hear what tricks you have up your sleeve."
...
Night.
Inside Makino's bar, dim lamplight warmed the room.
A yawning man sat at the counter, devouring dinner with the seriousness of a starving beast.
He was tired today. He was not cooking.
Besides, Makino's food was delicious.
Next to Roy, Hancock looked just as exhausted, poking at her meal with a bored expression.
Across from them sat Sanji and Luffy. Sanji, now successfully "straightened out," and Luffy, still painfully naive, could not understand why those two looked so drained.
Splash.
Outside the window came the flap of wings. A News Coo perched there, its wings occasionally tapping the glass.
"Oh, delivering papers this late?" Makino quickly walked over and unlatched the window.
The News Coo craned its neck inside and counted. Besides the young lady in front, there were four other customers.
It was about to flutter in and start hawking newspapers.
Makino stopped it, handed over some Berries, and smiled. "One copy is enough, thank you. Would you like some water?"
The News Coo peeked inside, then looked at the young woman again.
It accepted reality pitifully. Fine, one copy. If someone in the bar read the paper, they would probably talk about it later anyway, which might help it sell elsewhere.
Sigh. Those newspaper birds were pitiful working creatures too. Delivering papers until late at night had to be rough.
Makino exchanged money and goods, then placed snacks and water by the window.
She was thoughtful like that. She did not want feathers falling into anyone's food, but she still wanted the hardworking bird to get something to eat and drink.
"Today's paper," Makino said with a smile, handing it to Roy and the others.
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