During the few days Garp was here, the brothers Ace and Luffy took quite a few beatings. However, this significantly accelerated the progress of their Armament Haki awakening and improved their physical constitutions. It could be considered a blessing in disguise.
Soon, the day of Garp's departure arrived. The difference this time was that he would be taking Hera with him as he left the small island.
For the two brothers, Luffy and Ace, the departure of a companion they had grown up with was much more heartbreaking than the partings with Shanks and Garp. Moreover, when Sabo left last time, both brothers were unconscious; this time, they were watching her leave.
Hera dodged a hug from a snotty and tearful Luffy, saying with disgust, "Don't wipe your tears and snot on my new clothes, Luffy."
As the older brother, Ace remained relatively composed, but his eyes were also rimmed with red.
"Sigh, this is exactly why I hate partings; they're not free and easy at all," Hera said. Despite her words, spending the past few years together had made her truly see these two as her brothers rather than just characters from a manga, and her own eyes couldn't help but turn red.
Garp said, "That's what being a child is all about. Crying when you want to cry and laughing when you want to laugh—that's a privilege only children have."
Hearing this, Hera finally couldn't hold it back anymore and began to cry as well. "You two idiots, why make it so sentimental? I wanted to leave in a cool way. If I'd known, I would've had Garp knock you both out."
She stopped caring about her clothes and let Luffy hug her.
Hera hugged them both as a final farewell and said, "I'm going to pursue my own justice. You should be wishing me well. Crying like this doesn't look like a future Pirate King at all."
"Crying so hard, anyone would think I'd already captured you two. You'd better train hard while I'm gone. If you get caught by your younger sister as soon as you set out to sea, you'll never become the Pirate King."
Luffy said, "That won't happen! Just make sure you don't cry when you can't catch me later."
Time slipped away amidst the goodbyes. Garp's ship wouldn't wait for the three youngsters' farewells forever. With a shout of urgency, Garp led Hera onto the warship, and they set sail for Shimotsuki Village.
Garp said, "Don't be so sad. It's not like you'll never see them again. Once you become a Marine and have your own ship, you can chase Ace and Luffy around and beat them up every day."
After saying that, Garp thought of his old rival, Roger, and laughed.
Hera asked, "Aren't Marines and pirates supposed to be enemies? Is it really okay like this?"
Garp said, "Marines and pirates are rivals, but it's a bit more complicated than that. In today's world, who can truly distinguish right from wrong? Besides, some Pirate Crews should actually be called adventure groups. Some people are forced out to sea. All I can do is ensure I never let those Pirate Crews who harass the common folk go free."
Garp thought of the Buster Calls the Marines had executed and that terrifying shadow in God Valley, then sighed. "I suppose I really am getting old." But then he remembered Roger's words and the four youngsters. He thought to himself, 'I hope Roger was right, and this generation of young people can end these 800 years of darkness.'
Hera guessed a bit of what Garp was thinking. However, knowing some of the plot, she already had plans for the future. She just needed to wait for Luffy to set sail and for the four of them to grow up. At that time, in the face of absolute strength, all problems would be solved. For now, though, her mind was only on practicing her swordsmanship and saving Kuina.
Under Garp's occasional guidance, time on the ship seemed to fly by. In the blink of an eye, the warship reached its destination, Shimotsuki Village. Garp followed Hera off the ship, wanting to meet the Genzo she had mentioned. If the man was only famous in name, he would take Hera back to headquarters to be trained by Momousagi; he couldn't let his precious granddaughter be deceived.
Seeing the name of the dojo, Garp thought, "Shimotsuki Dojo? The name Shimotsuki sounds a bit familiar. Where have I heard it before?"
Genzo had sensed the arrival of a powerhouse like Garp the moment he stepped off the ship. By the time Garp arrived with Hera, a disciple was already waiting in front of the dojo.
"Please follow me, you two. Master Genzo sensed your arrival and is already waiting for you in the dojo," the disciple said, leading them inside.
"He can sense my strength? That's not bad. It seems he has some skill," Garp thought to himself.
Upon seeing that the visitor was the famous hero of the marines, Garp, Genzo hurried forward to greet him. "I sensed the arrival of a powerful figure, but I didn't expect it to be the famous hero of the marines, Garp. What brings you to my small dojo?"
After shaking hands with Genzo, Garp suddenly released his Haki to pressure him. Sensing this Haki, Genzo didn't retreat. Instead, he blocked it with his own Sword Intent, withstanding the pressure without even the surrounding environment being damaged.
Garp was somewhat surprised. That his Haki would be blocked wasn't unexpected, but the fact that even the environment remained unaffected caught him off guard. The strength in his hand unconsciously increased.
Genzo said, "Mr. Garp, let's end the testing here. The children are gathering around."
Only then did Garp realize his Haki had begun to spread outward. He quickly restrained his aura and praised, "I didn't expect to find a hidden Master Swordsman here. My apologies for the rudeness."