Garp's Education of Love

Several days later, in the East Blue.

A warship with a giant dog's head carved on its bow was bearing down on Foosha Village.

On deck, Garp stood with his hands on his hips and his Justice Coat draped over his shoulders, laughing loudly enough to be heard from far away.

Ron, meanwhile, was sprawled in a deck chair, too lazy even to lift his eyelids.

"Old man, you dragged me all the way from headquarters to the East Blue just to watch you educate your grandson?"

"That's right!"

"What's wrong with you?"

"You little brat!"

Garp glared at him. "Last time, you actually dared to question whether I knew how to raise a child! Today, I'll show you what a real education of love looks like!"

"Let's hear it."

"I've been throwing Luffy into the forest to toughen him up since he was little! He's fallen into valleys and been chased by wild beasts, and he can still find his own way home at night!"

Ron slowly sat up straight. "How old is he...?"

"Six!"

"And you call that education?"

"An education of love!"

Ron fell silent.

He was finally beginning to understand why Luffy had turned out the way he had.

But the name Monkey D. Luffy really did mean something different to him.

The protagonist of a story from his previous life, the man who would one day turn the whole sea upside down, was still just a six-year-old brat.

Ron really did want to meet him.

Especially since, last time, he had casually remarked that "the kid probably won't want to be a Marine when he grows up," and Garp had snapped three chairs in half on the spot.

This time, the old man had insisted on dragging him along as a witness, and they had even made a bet before setting sail.

"When Luffy sees me, he'll be shouting that he wants to be a Marine!"

Ron hadn't said anything at the time. He had simply bet on the opposite outcome, with a whole year's share of rice crackers at stake.

"Let's get one thing straight first."

He added, "If your grandson runs away the moment he sees you, don't blame me for laughing."

"He wouldn't dare?!"

Garp slammed a fist into the ship's rail, and a fine crack appeared in the thick wood on the spot.

Ron silently moved his deck chair a little farther away.

The warship entered the harbor.

When the villagers of Foosha Village recognized the dog's head emblem, they stopped what they were doing.

"Mr. Garp is back!"

"Oh no, where's Luffy?"

Mayor Woop Slap came to greet them, leaning on his cane, his expression complicated.

"Garp, you're back just in time. Luffy's been running off to see those pirates lately."

Garp's laughter stopped abruptly.

"What was that?"

"They haven't done anything bad, but they drink at the tavern every day. It's hardly appropriate for Luffy to be hanging around with them."

"Pirates?!"

Veins bulged on Garp's forehead. "Who?!"

The mayor pointed toward the end of the street. "A red-haired fellow."

Makino happened to be passing by with some juice she had bought. Hearing this, she looked a little troubled. "Mr. Garp, they've been good to the villagers. They often help carry cargo, too."

"Luffy just likes listening to their stories..."

"Stories?!"

Garp nearly blew his mustache up. "Haven't I told him enough stories about Marine heroes?!"

Ron couldn't resist cutting in. "Do you use your fists to tell stories too?"

Garp whipped around and glared at him, but Ron had already turned away, his shoulders shaking.

He had long since used Observation Haki to sense the lively scene in the tavern, and he had recognized that familiar presence too.

He had looked quite impressive the last time they met in the Holy Land. This time, he probably wouldn't look so impressive.

"Let's go!"

Garp strode toward the tavern, making the flagstones crack beneath his feet.

Ron hurried after him.

He would regret missing a spectacle this good for the rest of his life.

Inside Makino's tavern, the laughter was almost loud enough to lift the roof.

"Shanks! Take me with you next time you go out to sea!"

A little boy clung to the edge of the table, his eyes shining.

"I want to be a pirate too!"

The little girl beside him, her two-colored hair in braids, immediately shot back, "You, Luffy? You can't even beat me! A Sea King would eat you in one bite out there!"

"Uta! No, it wouldn't!"

Uta puffed out her chest proudly. "I'm going to sing in front of the whole world someday! You'd better learn how to stand up on a ship first!"

"I can stand up!"

Luffy planted one foot on a stool. The next second, he tipped sideways and nearly fell.

Uta clutched her stomach, laughing.

"You can't even stand on a stool, let alone swim!"

"I'll learn!"

Lucky Roux gnawed on a leg of meat, laughing and slapping the table. "Hahaha! Knowing how to swim isn't enough to make you a pirate!"

Yasopp joined in. "Besides, you can't even swim right now!"

Shanks raised his glass and deliberately put on a look of disdain. "No, no, you're too green, kid."

"Come talk to me about going out to sea when you're taller than the bar!"

The whole room burst into laughter.

"Who are you calling a kid?!"

Luffy suddenly grabbed a short knife from the table.

"I'm brave!"

He pointed the tip of the knife beneath his left eye.

"I'll prove it to you right now!"

"Hey! Luffy!!"

Shanks's expression changed, and he reached out to stop him.

Just then.

Creak.

The tavern door suddenly swung open.

Luffy looked up instinctively.

The next second, he froze on the spot.

"G... Grandpa?!"

Lucky Roux, whose back was to the door, still didn't know what had happened, the leg of meat hanging from his mouth.

"What's wrong? Weren't you just saying how brave you were?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

But Shanks and Benn Beckman were no longer laughing.

Neither of them had even turned around, but cold sweat was already breaking out on their foreheads.

That oppressive feeling is so familiar... It can't be, can it??

A burly figure stepped across the threshold.

Garp said nothing, merely sweeping a cold gaze over the tavern.

A terrifying pressure immediately bore down on the Red Hair Pirates.

Several of the weaker crew members near the door went pale. Their legs gave out, and they dropped to the floor with a series of thuds.

Benn Beckman slowly stubbed out the cigarette in his hand.

He wasn't about to be overwhelmed by that presence, but when he saw the Justice Coat in the doorway, only one thought remained in his mind.

Looks like we're done for...

Ron followed behind, poking half his head inside.

"Oh dear, this doesn't look good~"

Shanks stiffly turned his head.

When he saw Garp's face, he nearly dropped his glass.

Why is it this old man?!

What made it even worse was that Ron was standing beside him, laughing at his misfortune.

"Shanks, looks like you're in for some serious trouble today~"

"G-G-G-Garp—?!!"

Shanks's voice even changed pitch.

Why is Garp here—?!

Garp paid him no attention whatsoever.

The old man walked straight up to Luffy and grabbed his grandson with one big hand, lifting him off the ground. With the other, he gripped the short knife.

Crack.

The blade crumbled to powder.

"Luffy."

"Here!"

"What did you just say?"

Luffy trembled all over as he dangled in midair.

But with so many people watching in the tavern, the little fellow was still a little defiant.

"Grandpa... I want to... be a pirate."

"Say that again?"

"I want to be—"

Thump!!

A Fist of Love landed squarely on Luffy's head, and a huge bump immediately rose on top of it.

"Ow—!!"

"I've raised you all these years so you'd become a Marine!!"

Holding him up, Garp roared so loudly that the whole tavern shook.

"Who the hell taught you to become a pirate—?!"

Tears welled up in Luffy's eyes, and he pointed without hesitation.

"Shanks!"

The entire Red Hair Pirates crew was dumbfounded. "..."

"He said pirates are the freest of all! And he said there are loads of adventures out on the sea!!"

Shanks slowly closed his eyes.

It's over...

Garp slowly turned around, his fists creaking as he clenched them.

"Red-haired brat, even Roger wouldn't have dared say my grandson should become a pirate. Who gave you the guts?"

He casually tossed Luffy over to Ron.

"Brat! Watch him for me!"

Ron reached out and caught him.

"Wait, I came to watch the fun. How did I end up babysitting too?"

"Less talk!"

Garp was already walking toward Shanks.

Benn Beckman looked at the furious Garp, then at his own captain.

Finally, he silently took two steps to the side.

Uta, however, looked curiously at Shanks and then at Garp, her eyes wide.

"Shanks, didn't you say you weren't afraid of anyone?"

Shanks: "..."

Why is this kid piling on too?!

"Wait, Vice Admiral Garp!"

Shanks hurried to his feet and raised both hands. "I can explain!!"

"Explain?"

"I really didn't know he was your grandson!"

"Now I know!"

"Listen, sir, we never actually planned to take him—"

"My fist can explain things too!!"

Garp had already swung his fist!

"Hey! Not inside the tavern—"

Shanks' expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly raised both arms to block.

Boom!!

A tremendous force slammed into his arms, sending him flying straight out the tavern's open doorway!

The doorframe creaked and rattled as the blast shook it.

A distant boom rang out as a towering column of smoke erupted from the beach, like a giant mushroom cloud.

The Red Hair Pirates' expressions changed all at once.

"Captain!!"

Holding Luffy in his arms, Ron watched Garp charge after Shanks and suddenly remembered something.

A year's supply of rice crackers.

Heh.

The trip to the East Blue hadn't been for nothing.

He casually fetched a small stool and set Luffy on it.

"Here, sit tight."

Luffy clutched the big bump on his head, his face full of wariness.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!"

Ron stuffed a rice cracker into his mouth and pointed toward the coast with a smile.

"My name's Ron. You can call me big brother too."

"Today, I'll show you how your favorite Gramps teaches pirates a lesson."