Ronan leaned against a ruined pillar nearby, the long spear resting in his arms as he silently watched the scene unfold.
His thoughts became somewhat complicated at that moment, carrying the insight of someone who had seen too much:
"Right now, Koby really is one of the most inspiring examples in this world—a normal person who changed his fate through sheer hard work. But…"
Ronan muttered inwardly,
"The whirlpool of power always twists people eventually. I just hope that purity of his doesn't lose its way beneath the banner of 'Absolute Justice' someday."
"After all, in this world, strength and willpower aren't the only equations. Position and allegiance are often the cruelest levers of all."
Just then, a completely disharmonious shout came from outside.
With one hand on his waist, Garp pointed at the utterly destroyed doorway and shattered wall he had blown apart with his "entrance punch" earlier, then roared righteously toward the disciplined line of Marines behind him:
"Men! Hurry up and fix this wall!"
The Marines collectively petrified for a second before exploding into a tidal wave of complaints.
"If you were going to repair it anyway, why did you destroy it in the first place?!"
"Please stop smashing doors just because you think 'it looks cooler that way,' Vice Admiral Garp!!"
"Fine, fine! I'll help too, alright?!"
Garp grumbled as he actually rolled up his sleeves, picked up wooden planks and nails, and started hammering away alongside the soldiers.
Sanji and Nami stood frozen at the doorway, staring blankly at the "Hero of the Marines," the man who had cornered the Pirate King countless times, now clumsily hammering boards into place.
"Luffy…"
Sanji lit a cigarette.
"Your grandpa… really is that 'great Marine hero'? Is this kind of personality seriously okay?"
Luffy tilted his head.
"I've never understood what his job actually is. He's always been super selfish."
Just as the repairs were nearing completion, Garp suddenly stopped hammering. He turned around and looked at Luffy casually, as if discussing today's weather.
"Oh right, Luffy! You met your old man before, didn't you?"
Silence.
Dead silence.
Luffy blinked in shock.
"Dad? What dad? I have a dad?"
Picking his nose, Garp looked at his idiot grandson with disgust.
"What? That guy never acknowledged you? He said he saw you off at Loguetown."
"Loguetown?"
Sanji and Nami exchanged glances instantly, their memories returning to that storm-filled night of violent rain and howling winds.
"My old man… who is he?" Luffy asked blankly.
"Your father's name is Monkey D. Dragon! That revolutionary guy!"
At that instant, the noisy shipyard plunged into deathly silence. Only the mechanical tapping of Garp's hammer against wood continued to echo.
"EEEEHHHHH?!!!"
The first to explode were the Marines outside.
Some dropped the wooden beams in their hands. Others nearly fell off the scaffolding in shock.
These battle-hardened soldiers from Marine Headquarters now had bulging eyes and cold sweat streaming down their faces.
"Revolutionary Dragon… actually has a son?!"
"Then that means… the 'World's Worst Criminal' is Vice Admiral Garp's actual son?!"
Koby and Helmeppo's expressions had gone beyond shock. They stared at the nose-picking Luffy, then at the calm Garp casually fixing the door, feeling their entire worldview collapsing like the shattered wall before them.
"Luffy-san… is Dragon's son?"
Koby muttered in disbelief.
"What kind of terrifying abyss is this family bloodline…?"
Yet the person at the center of the storm merely tilted his head and looked at his petrified crewmates with confusion.
"Oi, why's everyone so shocked? Who's Dragon? Is he famous?"
"YOU IDIOT!!"
Sanji roared so loudly that the cigarette fell from his mouth.
"Do you seriously lack even the most basic human common sense?! You seriously don't know who Dragon is?!"
Nami had completely lost her composure as well. Grabbing Luffy by the collar, she shook him wildly.
"He's the man who gives the World Government nightmares! Your dad is that level of monster?!"
Sitting atop a pile of scrap nearby with his spear resting across his lap, Ronan watched the grandfather and grandson duo and revealed a meaningful smile.
"Luffy's background really is absurdly powerful."
Meanwhile, Luffy looked at Robin in confusion, hoping the well-traveled archaeologist could explain things to him.
Robin's gaze toward Luffy carried a heavy seriousness now.
She slowly began speaking, her voice filled with the weight of destiny within the spacious shipyard.
"How should I explain this… Pirates may break the law, but they generally don't actively seek to overthrow governments."
"But in this world, there exists a massive armed force whose sole goal is the destruction of the World Government itself. That force is the Revolutionary Army."
"And the one leading them… is Dragon."
"His ideology spreads across nations like a plague. Rebellions erupt wherever his influence reaches, and several governments have already collapsed with just a wave of his hand."
"The Government considers him 'the world's greatest criminal' and hunts him at any cost."
"He's a man shrouded in mystery… but…"
Robin looked toward Garp, who was still focused on repairing the door, before hesitating mid-sentence.
Only then did Garp stop working, seemingly realizing just how earth-shattering the information he casually revealed truly was.
Scratching the back of his graying head, he showed an incredibly awkward yet carefree grin.
"Ah… hahaha, about that… maybe I wasn't supposed to say it out loud!"
Everyone froze.
The Marines, the Straw Hats—even Ronan himself—felt humiliated by the sheer stupidity radiating from the old man.
Waving his hand dismissively, Garp laughed heartily.
"Just pretend I never said anything! Forget it all! Hahahahaha!"
"WHO COULD POSSIBLY FORGET THAT?!!!"
Everyone's simultaneous roar nearly blew the roof off the building.
Garp's shameless confidence made the surrounding air itself feel heated.
Dusting the wood chips off his body, he once again resumed the dignified aura of an elder before looking at Luffy.
"You're my grandson, so I'm not planning to capture you on this island. I'll come up with a clever excuse for the higher-ups. Just stay here peacefully."
Standing behind Garp, his adjutant Bogard rested a hand on the hilt of his sword and coldly commented:
"Vice Admiral, that's not an excuse. That's outright favoritism. We should just tell Headquarters they escaped."
"Alright then! I only brought these two brats here to meet you anyway. We've talked enough, so I'm heading out now!"
Turning around, Garp strode toward the doorway, his Justice coat billowing fiercely in the wind.
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