Father and Son on Maple Island!

In the southeastern sea area of New World, there is a beautiful autumn island covered with fiery red maple trees. As autumn winds sweep across the island, streaks of crimson maple leaves dance in the air, and the ground is covered with a layer of bright red carpet.

[Tap, tap, tap]

The sound of footsteps on the 'red carpet' drew closer, sounding very dull and heavy.

"You brat, I've already found my way here, are you still going to hide?!"

Wearing a black suit and a Vice Admiral's coat draped over his shoulders, Garp calmly looked in one direction. However, the epaulets on his coat were not the usual red stripes and blue circles, but three black bars on a red background, representing the honor of being a naval hero.

"How did you find this place?" Dragon emerged from behind a maple tree, facing Garp's deep gaze. Having discarded his Commodore's coat earlier, he was only wearing a white suit.

To be honest, it's impossible not to be nervous!

But his unwavering conviction made him meet his tough father's gaze with unwavering resolve.

At this moment, father and son, black and white, confront each other in a red world. A gentle autumn breeze constantly sweeps past them, and bright red maple leaves fall in the wind, making the scene incredibly beautiful.

Unfortunately, neither Garp nor Dragon had eyes for each other at this moment, nor for the will in the other's eyes.

"If a father is truly searching, the entire ocean will guide him. Never underestimate a father's love!"

Garp grinned broadly, thinking he would never see Dragon again. But on his way back, he happened to pass by Autumn Island and, on a whim, took another look. Then, clinging to a sliver of hope, he walked up to it.

Who knew that his Observation Haki would actually detect the other party's aura when he swept over, so his words weren't entirely unfounded.

Perhaps there really was some kind of destiny that brought them together like this.

Hearing Garp's words, Dragon was silent for a moment, then said, "You shouldn't have come, because I will absolutely not go back with you!"

"I know."

Garp's smile vanished, but his eyes softened as he looked at the young man before him, inwardly marveling at how much the boy had grown up, how he had things he wanted to do, and how he was beginning to contemplate his own sense of justice.

"I'm not here to take you back, but to hunt you down. As Marine Vice Admiral, I'm here to arrest the former Commodore who defected from the Navy, Monkey D. Dragon!"

As soon as he said that, the autumn wind in the arena seemed to freeze, the maple leaves stopped fluttering, and alarm bells went off in Dragon's mind, his fists clenching together sharply.

"Be prepared, kid."

Garp raised his enormous 'Fist of Love' and laughed loudly.

[Whoosh!]

But Dragon had no intention of continuing the argument. Without a word, he vanished from the spot and sped off towards the edge of the island.

He knew very well how terrifying his father's strength was; winning was impossible. Anyone who dared to think that way was already being Impel Down.

So, run!

"You don't even have the courage to face me head-on? How disappointing!"

As Dragon moved at high speed, he saw Garp suddenly appear in front of him, his pupils contracted, and he quickly stopped and dodged to the right, barely avoiding the Iron Fist that was swinging towards him.

"Is this all the true justice you seek, Dragon!"

[Bang--]

A powerful whip kick slammed into his son's side, sending him flying like a cannonball, crashing through five maple trees in a row before finally coming to a stop on the sixth tree trunk.

"Ugh."

With a pained expression, Dragon clutched his back, gritted his teeth, and used one hand to support himself on the tree trunk to stand up. Fortunately, he had used his Haki to defend himself, otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to move forward.

But he didn't give up, ignoring Garp's sarcastic remarks, and continued to run away with his head down.

"I have so much to do, I can't stay here!"

"The sea!"

"As long as we reach the seaside, there is hope!"

But before he could run very far, Garp, his face full of rage, caught up with him at an incredibly fast speed.

"Fight me!"

"You coward who doesn't even have the courage to fight, how dare you talk about justice?"

Another jet-black Iron Fist came crashing down, but this time, no matter how much Dragon's Observation Haki predicted it, he still managed to catch it steadily with his face.

[Bang!]

A burst of air exploded at the point of impact between the fist and the face. His head was twisted by the fist, and then he was sent flying backward in a spinning motion, shaking up the layers of maple leaves on the ground with a loud bang.

[Splashing sound]

But a strange thing happened: when the figure landed, Dragon was nowhere to be seen. At the same time, the maple leaves that had been shaken into the air and were flying everywhere surged towards the outside of the island like a swarm of red bees returning to their nest.

"Um?"

This scene also surprised Garp.

"When did this brat eat Devil Fruit? And judging from the effect of this ability, could it be a Logia?"

But he wasn't about to give up so easily; he had to teach this kid a lesson.

[Whoosh!]

For a powerhouse at his level, there's no need to emphasize techniques like "Shaving" or "Geppo." Their speed, achieved simply by moving at will, far surpasses the standard speed of the Six Powers.

Above the forest, Dragon transformed into the wind, carrying large swaths of maple leaves as it drew closer to the shore, consciously scattering these troublesome, damned maple leaves in all directions.

"Think you can escape from me just because you have Logia abilities? How naive, brat!!"

Suddenly, a dark shadow enveloped the strong wind, and Garp's dark hand grabbed out. In the critical moment, Dragon quickly retreated, creating a violent tornado in front of him.

[Boom--]

But this tornado, powerful enough to destroy several houses, was torn apart by the black claw, which then transformed into a fist and slammed down on Dragon once more!

Elementalization?

It's no use!

[Bang!!]

"Puff"

Dragon, who smashed a crater into the ground, avoided the impact of landing by using his elemental powers, but the force of the punch still caused him to vomit blood.

"Damn it, it was so close, so very close!"

The young man watched the terrifying figure slowly descend, then looked at the azure ocean behind it, his face filled with resentment.

He couldn't really explain why there was hope once he reached the open sea.

Although he possesses the Logia Storm-Storm Fruit ability, which allows him to fly for extended periods, it's naive to think he can escape Garp based solely on that.

But that's how the ocean is; in the hearts of people around the world, it will always represent a place of hope, even if eight layers of it are submerged in the deep sea.

"Have you given up?"

Garp approached step by step, expressionless. "Since that's the case, then abandon your naive ideas and come back with me to become a Marine. Don't worry about anything else; I'll take care of everything!"

But his words only fueled Dragon's anger and impulse. His face covered in blood, he gritted his teeth and stood up. Waves of pale green wind surged from his body, making the surrounding forest rustle and the endless red maple leaves surge and undulate like waves.

At the same time, an aura mixed with green Inazuma erupted, and dark clouds gradually appeared overhead.

"I want to create a harmonious, free, and equal dream world where slaves and Celestial Dragons do not exist."

You can't stop me!

Dragon roared, and with a deafening boom, he transformed into a terrifying storm of Inazuma that rushed towards Garp.

"Dragon Claw Fist!!"

"Has it finally arrived?"

Garp completely ignored the black fists and claws slamming into his face, instead staring intently at his son's face.

"That's right. No matter what you face, you have to have the courage to take action, you brat."

[Boom!!]

The next moment, to Dragon's incredulous gaze, Garp was sent flying backward, coughing up blood, before crashing heavily into the vast ocean outside the island and disappearing from sight.

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(300 chapters already!!)

(Storm Fruit: ふうふうの, also known as Typhoon Fruit, Wind and Wind Fruit)