Finn stayed at the 19th Branch of the East Blue for another two weeks.
During that time, he encouraged the Marines who wanted to retire and held a mobilization meeting. Finn, Garp, Gion, and others took turns addressing the assembled personnel. As it turned out, the most popular speaker wasn't Admiral Finn or the Marine Hero Garp. Instead, it was Gion, an "ordinary" Vice Admiral, who stole the show. The moment she stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere surged to its climax.
Beautiful women were always welcome, no matter where they went.
It was precisely because of Gion's appearance that many Marines who had been on the fence about retirement made up their minds. They would strive to transfer to Marineford and serve at Headquarters. After completing the entire process, Finn had achieved his goal of stabilizing morale at the 19th Branch. Brannew, the base commander, was also ready to pack up and head to Marineford. His transfer order had arrived from Headquarters two days prior, and the man was thrilled.
Finn's warship, carrying everyone, slowly departed from the 19th Branch.
Originally, Finn had wanted to travel around the East Blue. He'd even considered visiting Shimotsuki Village to meet Koshiro and see if he could learn some swordsmanship from the man. After all, Finn had nothing outstanding in kenjutsu. He'd always relied on his Devil Fruit ability. But that bastard Garp was incredibly annoying. Once the official business was done, he was in a rush, insisting they head to Windmill Village as soon as possible so he could see his little grandson, Ace.
Gion, however, was curious about Garp's grandson and quite happy to go along. Between the two of them pushing the agenda, Finn's warship had no choice but to sail toward Windmill Village in the Goa Kingdom.
Since the end of the massive battle on Oykot Kingdom, nearly all the pirates in the East Blue had been wiped out. The pirate alliance they'd formed had been utterly destroyed. Now, the pirate situation in the East Blue was fragmented, reduced to a few scattered crews of little consequence. Along the way from the 19th Branch to Windmill Village, they didn't encounter a single pirate. Instead, the East Blue trade routes were bustling. On the regular shipping lanes, they passed merchant ships, fishing boats, whaling ships, and patrolling Marine fleets.
As Shiki and others had once said, the East Blue was indeed the weakest sea in the world. But as Garp had always claimed, the East Blue was also a symbol of peace. It was a signboard that the Marines and the World Government had spent decades building. Compared to the chaotic and cruel waters elsewhere in the world, ordinary people living in the East Blue were genuinely fortunate.
The massive warship slowly docked at the simple port of Windmill Village. Garp, who had been the most anxious earlier, was now completely relaxed. He lounged on the deck, leisurely packing his fishing gear.
But Finn disembarked first.
After staying at the 19th Branch for so long, it was now the end of the year 1504 on the Sea Circle Calendar. In just a few days, it would be 1505. Windmill Village was Garp's hometown and part of the Goa Kingdom. However, from the perspective of the entire kingdom, Windmill Village was nothing special. It was just a remote port village tucked into a corner of the realm.
This was Finn's second visit. The last time, he'd come with that bastard Garp. He wasn't unfamiliar with the village. Turning to glance at the port, he saw several fishing boats anchored and two merchant ships unloading cargo. Nothing remarkable. The weather today was pleasant, too. The sky was clear, and the sea breeze carried warm currents that felt refreshing against his skin.
"Is this Garp's hometown?" Gion asked, stepping up beside him. She had a golden brooch fastened to her waist, and she wore a light yellow sundress. The combination should have looked odd, but on her, it blended perfectly. It didn't seem out of place at all. Instead, it had a unique charm. "This is my first time here."
Behind Gion, the young Marine Hina cradled an orange-haired baby in her arms. It was Nami. Hina had taken a strong liking to the infant, and over the past two weeks, she'd become good friends with both Nojiko and Bell-mère. Beside Hina, Bell-mère held Nojiko, who was gazing around with wide, curious eyes.
"I've been here a few times," Bell-mère said with a smile, "but I was always on the warship. I never actually came ashore."
At that moment, Garp staggered down from the warship, lugging his fishing gear.
Finn glanced at him. "Are you seriously planning to learn how to fish?"
"What do you mean, learn? I already know how!" Garp glared at him.
"But your skill level is abysmal," Finn said bluntly.
Garp had an incredibly carefree personality. He couldn't sit still for more than a few minutes. Finn sometimes suspected the man had some kind of hyperactivity disorder. If Garp suddenly went quiet, it wasn't because he was deep in thought. It was because he'd fallen asleep. The man had an extraordinary ability to sleep. Even if the warship was firing cannons at a pirate vessel, Garp could doze off right next to the gun platform. It was absurd.
In his current state, there was no way he'd catch a single fish. But after watching Finn reel in one catch after another during the voyage, Garp had decided it looked interesting and insisted on trying it himself.
"That's because I haven't shown my true abilities yet," Garp said stubbornly. Then his expression shifted to one of surprise. "Why isn't Slap at the port? Could he be sick?"
"The village chief?" Finn teased with a grin. "Does he have to greet you at the port every time?"
"That's not it. Usually, when the warship is about to arrive, he gets a message from the dockworkers. We're old friends. He always comes down to the port to pick me up in person. He didn't come this time. Maybe he really is sick." Garp shook his head.
Before he could finish, the figure of Village Chief Slap appeared in the distance, just outside the port. He was walking toward them.
"Hahahaha, see? I was right, wasn't I?" Garp laughed.
But when Slap drew closer, Finn noticed something strange in the old man's expression.
"Village Chief Slap, long time no see," Finn greeted with a smile.
Slap returned the smile. "Admiral Finn, it's been quite a while. Good to see you again."
After the two exchanged pleasantries, Slap looked at Garp with an odd expression. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then shook his head and said nothing.
Finn's curiosity piqued, but Garp clearly hadn't noticed. He was too busy introducing his hometown to Gion and the others.
"Village Chief Slap, has Ace gotten into trouble?" Finn asked after a moment's thought.
That was probably the only thing that would make Slap hesitate like this, right? Though considering Ace's age, he was only three years old. How naughty could he possibly be? What kind of trouble could a toddler cause?
"Ace?" Slap looked startled, then smiled and shook his head. "Ace is fine. He's just a little kid. What kind of trouble could he get into with Dadan around?"
"Then why do you keep looking at Garp like you have something to say?" Finn pressed.
"Well..." Slap hesitated, then said, "Why don't you all head to the village tavern?"
"The tavern?" Finn touched his chin and nodded.
The tavern in Windmill Village was run by Makino's family and had been passed down through generations. Finn had met Makino on his last visit. Back then, she'd been only twelve years old, but already a capable waitress, helping out in the tavern despite her youth. By now, Makino should be around fourteen or fifteen, right?
Finn genuinely liked Makino. She was pretty, polite, and incredibly sensible for her age. He hadn't seen her in a while, and he found himself looking forward to it.
"It just so happens I'm here on vacation this time," Finn said with a smile. "Going to the tavern for a drink or two sounds perfect. Will you join us, Village Chief?"
Slap smiled. "If a Marine Admiral is inviting me to drink, of course I'm happy to accept."
"Hahahaha, so you've decided I'm treating?" Finn laughed.
Afterward, the group chatted and laughed as they made their way into Windmill Village. The village wasn't large. A single main road led straight toward the mountain at the far end, with houses, shops, a tavern, and a small vegetable market lining either side. There seemed to be only about one or two hundred people in the entire village.
Soon, Finn and the others arrived at the door of the village tavern.
Before Finn could push the door open, a small figure carefully squeezed out, holding a large wine barrel in her arms. Finn smiled when he saw her. He reached out to help push the door open a little wider.
"Hey, Makino," he said warmly. "Long time no see. You've grown up a lot."
That's right. The small figure holding the barrel was Makino. Hearing his voice, Makino looked up in surprise. A hint of delight flickered in her eyes. "Mr. Finn? Why are you here?"
"Hahahaha, I was forced to come here by that old bastard Garp," Finn said with a laugh. "I happened to be on vacation, so I thought I'd stop by your tavern for a few drinks."
Just then, a commotion erupted from inside the tavern. Finn was curious and wanted to see what was happening, but the angle and structure of the building blocked his view. Makino seemed to remember something. She quickly said, "Mr. Finn, please go in first. I need to replace this barrel."
"Need some help?" Finn offered with a smile.
"No, thank you. This barrel is empty, so it's not very heavy." Makino smiled gently and shook her head.
Finn said nothing more and stepped aside. Makino walked past him, carrying the empty barrel. Gion, standing nearby, smiled. "What a sensible and good child."
"Isn't she?" Finn agreed, then stepped inside.
The moment he entered, he saw a figure frantically climbing through the window, as if trying to escape. Makino's mother, the tavern's owner, stood frozen in place. She was a beautiful woman in her late twenties, still carrying the lingering charm of youth. She stared blankly at the man scrambling through the window, holding an infant in her arms.
The baby was... well, unique. There was no other way to put it. You could tell at a glance that the child had been born not long ago.
What the hell is this?
For a split second, Finn's mind conjured an entire scandalous scenario. But the next moment, he caught a better look at the fleeing figure's profile. Those crisscross red tattoos...
Oh my God. It's you, Dragon!
The one who reacted faster than Finn, however, was Garp.
Dragon was clearly panicking. He completely lacked the composure of a revolutionary leader. Finn found himself wondering why the man didn't just use his inexplicable wind ability to escape. Why was he climbing out the window like some common thief? Maybe he'd heard the noise and gotten flustered?
Before Finn could sort out his thoughts, Garp's fist was already in motion.
The punch landed squarely on Dragon's back. Dragon screamed in pain as the force sent him crashing through the window and the wall beyond it, flying out into the street.
"A loving father and a filial son!" Finn couldn't help but applaud. "A loving father and a filial son indeed!"