Chapter 8: The Legacy of My Parents (Part 1)
On the grassy slope of Green Cliff, after his hearty laughter faded, Uncle Witt fell into silence.
Something painful had surfaced in his memories—his brows furrowed tightly in sorrow.
"Luo Han, how much do you know about your parents?" Uncle Witt asked.
"I only know they passed away shortly after I was born," Luo Han replied plainly.
"Do you want to know their story?"
"I do," Luo Han answered without hesitation.
Looking at the sorrow etched across Uncle Witt's face, Luo Han realized his parents must have had a special connection with both Uncle Witt and Uncle Kate.
He thought to himself quietly.
"Your parents…" Uncle Witt began to recall events from twenty years ago.
Luo Han and Cole sat nearby, listening intently.
"It was about twenty years ago. Back then, we were all eighteen.
It started when we discovered a shipwrecked pirate vessel near the island. Your father—Vincent Carter—along with Kevin Kate (yes, your Uncle Kate) and I, explored the wreck.
We found some newspapers and a transponder snail that could read the news.
From those, we learned so much. It was like opening a door to a new world.
We realized how vast the world truly was.
There were four great seas, and our Ring Tree Island was located in the Grand Line.
We learned about the legend of the Pirate King—'Whoever conquers the Grand Line shall be crowned Pirate King.'
We also discovered how cruel the outside world could be.
The endless clashes between pirates and Marines, pirates and island natives...
After learning all of that, we were filled with awe and longing for the outside world—and also a deep fear about the unknown fate of Ring Tree Island.
We began training like crazy, and even secretly ate fish scale fruits before leaving.
As time passed, we grew stronger and stronger.
By the time we turned eighteen, we could no longer suppress the ambitions in our hearts.
On a moonless night, we reconstructed the wrecked pirate ship into a small vessel.
And then we set out to sea.
Our luck wasn't great. Not long after leaving, we were separated by one of the Grand Line's bizarre, violent storms.
Each of us ended up with a different fate.
I was swept ashore on a Marine-occupied island, and I ended up joining the Marines.
Thanks to the two fish scale fruits I had eaten, my body was quite strong.
Soon, I was invited to the Marine Headquarters Academy, where I stayed for six years.
Afterward, I reentered the sea as a Rear Admiral of the Marines.
For two more years, I fought against various pirate crews and was promoted to Vice Admiral.
It was during one such pirate suppression mission that I encountered your father, Vincent Carter.
That's when I found out what had happened—your father had been caught in the same storm and ended up joining a pirate crew.
Seeing his strength, the captain recruited him as a combatant aboard the ship.
Like me, he rose through the ranks quickly thanks to his powerful physique.
He eventually became the combat commander—the third most powerful figure in the crew.
Since I had spent so many years training at HQ, I hadn't known that your father had become a pirate.
And not just any pirate—a wanted man with a bounty of 300 million berries.
When we met again at sea, we were both overjoyed.
Even though our paths had diverged, we still remembered our original goal when we left Ring Tree Island.
We simply wanted to see the world—and to gain the strength needed to protect our home.
That battle between our forces ended in a stalemate.
Luckily, neither your father nor I were harmed.
After that, we kept in touch.
We started trying to locate your Uncle Kate. We refused to believe something bad had happened to him.
Then one day, something tied the three of us back together.
The World Government issued a mission to Marine Headquarters:
They ordered that a Vice Admiral be sent to a village in the land of giants to retrieve a Devil Fruit.
At the same time, your father's pirate captain also learned about this Devil Fruit.
By then, your father and I had both grown tired of years of fighting and bloodshed.
When we found out this fruit was important even to the World Government, we decided to seize this opportunity to take it for ourselves.
Both of us felt it was time to leave that cruel ocean behind and return home.
The number of pirates was increasing. The Marines were slowly losing their dominance.
We didn't know when Ring Tree Island might be discovered by pirates.
And that would be a disaster none of us wanted to face.
So I volunteered for the mission.
Because of my years fighting pirates, the World Government trusted me.
I set off for the giant village.
Meanwhile, your father's pirate crew also made their way toward the same destination.
We arrived almost at the same time at the drop point—on the east coast of the giant village's island.
Cliffs flanked both sides. Only a five-meter-wide path led to the village itself.
But when we arrived, the drop point was deserted. The government's agent—one of those brainwashed types—was nowhere to be seen.
Something had gone wrong.
Since the agent hadn't arrived, the Devil Fruit hadn't been delivered either.
With no reason to fight, both sides held back for the moment. Your father and I exchanged a glance—we both knew: wait for the right moment.
But the calm didn't last.
Soon, thunderous footsteps echoed. Two giants came charging from the distance.
Then we saw the government agent, holding a wooden box, using a combination of Moonwalk and Shave techniques—flying like an arrow toward the sea.
Just as he was about to reach open water—
"Hakoku !"
A thunderous roar erupted, followed by a powerful slash that cut through the air like a rushing river. It struck between the Marine ship and the pirate vessel.
The box containing the Devil Fruit was blown into the air.
The agent was obliterated by the slash—turned to dust.
A blur of movement shot from behind the giants, catching the falling box.
"Hahaha… The giant village isn't a place for you to run wild," laughed a five-meter-tall man, facing both ships.
Then he gave a subtle smile—to me and to your father.
Both of us, with our refined Observation Haki, recognized him instantly.
What followed was utter chaos—a three-way battle between Marines, pirates, and giants.
During the chaos, your father and I made contact with the man who had destroyed the government agent. It was your Uncle Kate.
We told him our plan.
He agreed—he wanted to return home too.
But he didn't want to hurt the giants. So we decided to leave quietly.
During the battle, we pretended to fight one another, allowing the giants to tie down the pirates.
Meanwhile, I secretly ordered the Marines to begin a gradual retreat.
(END CHAPTER)
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