Just as the tension stretched to its breaking point, Shakky was the first to react.
She instantly slipped back into her familiar "I'm basically your sister-in-law" mode, swaying her hips as she stepped forward with a charming smile, smoothly cutting off the silent standoff. At the same time, she casually slid a freshly poured drink toward Gern.
"Little Gern, I thought after you escorted our Toritoma back to Amazon Lily, you'd head straight back to G-10," she said, blowing out a smoke ring, half-complaining, half-teasing."Who knew you'd still have the leisure to detour back to my little bar?"
"Still," she added with a lazy grin, "my place can't handle you big shots causing trouble. If you want to fight, take it outside."
Gern, giving Shakky plenty of face, accepted the drink. The chill in his expression faded, replaced by that familiar, roguish smile as he played along.
"If Shanks can run all the way back from the New World to vacation in the Four Seas, why can't I, Gern Reginald Sigmar?" he chuckled.
He took a sip.
Mm… still that same cheap, harsh burn.
Then again, what had he expected? This was Shakky's Rip-Off Bar. Of course there was no good liquor here.
With that realization, Gern quietly set the glass aside. His gaze returned to Shanks's livid face as he deliberately dragged up old business again.
"Hey, Shanks, don't change the subject."
"You still haven't told me—just who exactly was the monster that broke your arm? My curiosity's about to overflow."
Shanks felt a headache coming on from Gern's relentless pestering. He cleared his throat, trying once again to roll out that lofty, poetic excuse, his expression deep and solemn.
"I wagered it on the 'fu—'"
"Stop. Right there."Gern didn't even let him finish. He raised a hand and cut him off flatly, his face screaming I'm not buying this crap.
"Don't feed me that 'future,' 'new era' nonsense. Talk facts."
As he spoke, Gern adopted an expression that clearly said I've already seen through you.
"I've heard some things, you know. Before you lost that arm, your final stretch of sailing took you to the East Blue."
"And wouldn't you know it—you were hanging around Windmill Village, right near Vice Admiral Garp's hometown."
He deliberately dragged out the last words, his eyes brimming with mischief.
"Don't tell me… you were trying to lure his precious grandson into becoming a pirate—"
"And got caught red-handed by old man Garp himself, who, in a fit of rage, punched your arm clean off?!"
Did Gern know the real reason Shanks lost his arm?
Of course he did.
But what was more fun than twisting the truth right in front of him, watching someone squirm—especially a pride-obsessed guy like Shanks?
Sure enough—
"Pff—cough, cough!!"
Rayleigh, who had just lifted his drink, sprayed wine everywhere at that "theory," erupting into violent coughing.
Shakky, who had been smoking leisurely, widened her beautiful eyes so much her cigarette nearly fell out.
Their gazes snapped back onto Shanks like searchlights, filled with shock—and a dawning realization that screamed:
"So THAT'S what happened! That explains everything!"
Garp?!
If it was Garp, enraged and acting for the sake of his own grandson—
Punching Shanks's arm off made perfect sense. Completely logical!
Rayleigh and Shakky had lived through the Rocks era themselves. They had personally witnessed just how terrifying Garp was at his peak.
Back then, anyone who hadn't tanked at least one of Garp's blows that slammed them into the seabed didn't even qualify to call themselves strong!
Now Garp's son had become the world's most wanted criminal—Dragon of the Revolutionary Army.
If his only remaining grandson was about to be dragged off by pirates too—
In a rage like that, breaking one arm would be merciful. They would've believed it even if Garp had beaten Shanks to death on the spot!
For a moment, the looks Rayleigh and Shakky gave Shanks were filled with sympathy, understanding—and even a faint hint of "you kind of deserved it."
Shanks stared at the situation spiraling out of control, especially at the way Rayleigh and Shakky had completely bought into it—
Their eyes practically writing the rest of the story for him.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, realizing there was no way to explain himself. His face flushed bright red, his breath catching in his chest.
"…Whatever," he thought bitterly."Compared to being bitten off by a Sea King, getting it broken by Garp at least sounds more dignified."
Meanwhile, Gern enjoyed Shanks's utter humiliation to the fullest, leisurely taking another sip of his drink.
"Mmm… this booze isn't bad—"
"—Peh! Cheap trash… Why did I drink it again?"
...
One week later — Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside a Vice Admiral's office, the atmosphere was—as always—remarkably relaxed.
Garp was digging at his nose without the slightest shame, while Kuzan was bundled up in his coat, leaning in a corner half-asleep, his eye mask pulled halfway down.
At that moment, the office door creaked open.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku entered with a stern expression.
In his hands, however—completely out of place—were five or six bags of the newest flavors of senbei.
He walked straight up to Garp's desk, set the senbei down silently, then cleared his throat.
In a tone mixed with praise, reflection, and even a trace of apology, he said:
"Garp… you did well."
Garp froze mid–nose-pick. He stared at Sengoku, then at the senbei on the desk, his brow knotting up.
"Sengoku, did you take the wrong medicine today?""Or did expired senbei rot your brain?""What kind of act is this?"
Sengoku completely ignored Garp's rudeness—and the now-awake, equally baffled Kuzan lifting his eye mask—and continued in that heavy, earnest tone:
"To be honest… I never expected that at your age, you'd still possess such burning passion for justice!"
"Huh? Passion?" Garp was even more confused. "I've always had passion! Especially when I'm eating senbei!"
"Don't interrupt me!" Sengoku waved him off, suddenly adopting a concerned look."You haven't gone back to the East Blue to see your precious grandson in a while, have you?"
Garp did some quick math. "Didn't I see that brat Luffy just half a month ago?"
"Half a month?!" Sengoku's voice shot up."And that's not a long time to you?! As a grandfather, caring about your grandson's growth is top priority!"
"You must go back again—right now, immediately! I'm approving your leave!"
Garp felt deeply uncomfortable at this sudden wave of "consideration." He reflexively dropped his hand from his nose, sat up straight, and eyed Sengoku warily.
"Hold on… Sengoku, what are you actually trying to do?""Just say it straight. You're scaring me."
Looking at Garp's are-you-possessed expression, Sengoku took a deep breath, leaned forward, lowered his voice, and looked at him with an I know, you know gaze.
"Ahem… stop pretending. I know everything."
"Know what?"
"I know," Sengoku said gravely, "that you broke Red-Haired Shanks's arm."
Garp: "???HUH—?!"
Kuzan snapped fully awake, yanking his eye mask up, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"(⊙o⊙)…???"
Garp's brain stalled completely for several seconds before rebooting.
"No—Sengoku! I—You—That wasn't—!"
"Enough, Garp!" Sengoku cut him off sharply, suddenly reaching out and gripping Garp's shoulders.
His face was filled with unprecedented relief and understanding, his voice trembling with emotion.
"I get it! I understand everything! There's no need to hide it anymore!"
"For the justice of the Marines! To keep pirate corruption from poisoning the next generation!"
"You acted in secret and heavily crippled that extremely promising Red-Haired Shanks!"
"That resolve—to bury your achievements without recognition! That passion burning to the very end…"
"I'm sorry, Garp. All this time, I misunderstood you. I really thought you were planning to coast along as a vice admiral until retirement!"
With that, Sengoku pulled a newspaper from his coat and slammed it onto the desk with a bang.
The front-page headline screamed:
"RED-HAIRED LOSES ARM — MARINE HERO GOES MAD FOR HIS GRANDSON!!"
"Look! Even word from Shanks's side has leaked out! The evidence is solid!"
"He's already admitted it—so why deny it? Besides, you and me, who are we kidding?"
"Don't worry. I won't promote you to Admiral! And even if you wanted to, there's no seat for you right now anyway!"
Garp stared at the utterly nonsensical newspaper, then at Sengoku—who was practically tearing up from his own emotional narrative.
His mouth fell open. A massive lump lodged itself in his chest before he finally let out a furious roar:
"SENGOKU, THAT WASN'T ME AT ALL!!!"
But Sengoku was completely immersed in his satisfaction over his "old comrade reigniting the flames of justice." He patted Garp's shoulder warmly.
"Alright, alright, calm down. I'll record the merit for you."
"Now hurry back and see your grandson."
"And also… this leave isn't a big request."
"Just simply take off Kaido's left leg, that'll do."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'SIMPLY TAKE OFF KAIDO'S LEFT LEG'?! SENGOKU, COME BACK HERE!!!"
At the same time, Kuzan quietly set the newspaper down, looking at Garp with a complicated expression—like he'd just been betrayed.
"Ara ara… Vice Admiral Garp," he muttered,"when it comes to old-soldier hot-bloodedness… heh. You're impressive. Hiding it that deep."