A few days later, Branch 153.
"I understand. Please rest assured, sir... Yes!"
Inside the branch chief's office, Monka, wearing his savage iron jaw, stood at attention and saluted. Then he put down the Den Den Mushi and looked up.
"You've all received the notice, right? Vice Admiral Garp from headquarters has crossed the Calm Belt and arrived in the East Blue. He'll be passing by our branch tomorrow, so every unit must prepare to receive him!"
"Vice Admiral Garp? The Vice Admiral Garp who captured Pirate King Roger?!"
"Of course. Who else likes crossing the Calm Belt?"
"I never expected the famous Iron Fist Vice Admiral to visit a little place like ours."
The officers in the office immediately began discussing the news excitedly.
"Iron Fist" Garp was a household name in the East Blue and known throughout the world. As Marines born in the East Blue, their admiration for Garp had not developed overnight.
Monka did not stop them and let them continue discussing it.
That was "Iron Fist" Garp!
The idol of nearly every East Blue Marine!
If he had not only recently taken office and needed to maintain his authority, he would have been unable to resist joining in.
In the corner, Lowett, who had been listening with half-lidded eyes, pondered silently for a moment before saying, "Vice Admiral Garp is deliberately passing through. It's probably... because of Kuro."
Branch 153 had only a little over two hundred people in total, and nearly half of its fighting force had been wiped out in the battle against Kuro.
Given such heavy losses, it was understandable for Garp to come offer condolences on behalf of headquarters once he returned to the East Blue.
This was a pain none of them could forget.
The atmosphere instantly fell somewhat silent. A major seemed about to rebuke Lowett, but Monka's gaze forced him back down.
"No matter what, Vice Admiral Garp will be here soon... Cheer up, everyone! Let headquarters know that the bones of Branch 153 haven't broken!"
"Now, dismissed!"
After the meeting, Lowett walked along the path back to the barracks, thinking quietly.
He could sense that, as time passed, some officers were growing increasingly dissatisfied with him.
Perhaps the intentions of certain important figures above had been good—they had not blamed him and wanted to soothe the soldiers' hearts. But every order had an expiration date. Given enough time, the problem of commanders in the field disregarding orders from above was unavoidable.
"Perhaps Garp's arrival this time will be an opportunity."
In the summer of Sea Garden Era 1517, half a year had passed since January 1. In Lowett's eyes, Garp's return to the East Blue was not an accident, but inevitable.
Because...
January 1, Sea Garden Era 1517, was the seventeenth birthday of Portgas D. Ace, the Pirate King's posthumous son.
A man should set sail at seventeen!
Who knew who had started that custom.
Even some Marines enlisted at seventeen.
Half a year was enough time for Garp to hand over the daily affairs of the Grand Line's G3 Branch under his command, then rush back to the East Blue to visit his remaining grandson, Monkey D. Luffy.
"This world is about to fall into chaos!"
Looking through the curtains at Shells Town beyond the walls, Lowett murmured softly.
The future "Worst Generation," perhaps centered around the Straw Hat Pirates, would be the heart of the era's vortex, but they would not be its beginning.
The true beginning would stem from Blackbeard Teach's betrayal.
The peak of that generational vortex would come from Ace's defeat and the exposure of his identity.
Then, with the Summit War, the Great Pirate Era that had remained stable for more than a decade would completely run wild.
Ambition clashed with ambition, and dreams collided with dreams!
Courage, fame, friendship, wealth...
A thousand sails racing forward, countless ships competing in the current.
It would be the best of times, and the worst of times.
And the only thing that determined how one could view it was strength!
"There's no future in staying at Branch 153. Once the souls are eaten, I have no way to replenish them. In the end... I still need to go to sea."
Since he had already decided to leave, Lowett would not let any opportunity slip by.
As for the consequences...
Scarlet light gathered in his pupils. A rusty, bloody stench spread with the wind as his fingers dragged crimson streaks across his face. Through the gaps between his fingers, Lowett's eyes were filled with brutality, enough to send chills down one's spine.
"Anyone who blocks my path will die!"
The next day, the sky was cloudless for miles.
"Atten-tion...!"
Amid the drawn-out command, the sound of marching footsteps rang out in perfect unison.
The town's residents gathered curiously outside the harbor, standing on tiptoe to look toward its center. Beyond the small harbor was docked a uniquely shaped warship.
From the side, the warship looked completely ordinary: the familiar blue hull and familiar white flag. But at the bow, instead of the usual three cast-iron cannons, there was a... cute dog head.
It was even sticking out its tongue!
"Puhahaha! You all look lively enough!"
A hearty laugh came from the center of the crowd, loud and thunderous, though it also carried the traces of passing years.
Even more amusing than the Dog Head Warship was the fact that the famous "Iron Fist Vice Admiral" wore a dog-head hat as well. As he laughed, its two dog ears flopped and swayed, making him look unexpectedly...
"Yes, thank you for the praise, Vice Admiral Garp!"
Monka gave a standard military salute, resisting the urge to look toward the dog ears. Then he clasped his hands behind his back and stood perfectly still.
A closer look would reveal that his left hand was tightly gripping the web between his right thumb and forefinger, pressing down hard enough to turn the flesh pale.
"No, I should be thanking you!"
Garp suddenly said in a deep voice.
Looking at the gazes around him—some reverent, some resolute, some confused, and some... holding back laughter—Garp slowly raised his hand.
"The East Blue is my hometown, yet I have no time to protect it... It is your efforts that have preserved the East Blue's peace."
He assumed a salute. Amid countless astonished looks, Garp spoke solemnly.
"You are the true heroes!"
The officers, along with the ordinary soldiers, flushed red at his words. They excitedly stood at attention and responded.
"For justice!!"
With arms raised high, Lowett's one-armed stance stood out distinctly among the crowd. Garp glanced at him, then lowered his arm and continued.
"The Grand Line gathers pirates from all four seas. Some say the East Blue is the weakest sea, and that its Marines are nothing but soft-legged weaklings who spend their days bullying trash..."
The soldiers grew agitated, breathing heavily in anger.
"But I don't think so!"
Garp proclaimed loudly, his imposing gaze sweeping over every soldier.
"The East Blue is the weakest, but it is also a symbol of peace! Does the East Blue have no pirates?"
"Yes!"
"Then why?"
Lowett silently narrowed his eyes at that. Not simple at all.
This was his first time seeing Garp. His impression of him had been limited to what was written on paper.
But the Garp before him clearly did not match the image from the original story: someone unassuming, reckless in his actions, and more comical than serious.
As the saying went, an old fox was not old for nothing. To rise from a wild brat riding tigers through the forest into the Iron Fist Vice Admiral known throughout the world, Garp had clearly strengthened more than just his fists.
Sure enough, Garp's eyes widened as he roared.
"Because you are the East Blue Marines! It is because you fight so bravely that East Blue pirates never have a chance to rise!"
As the soldiers' emotions mounted, Garp's voice boomed.
"So there's something very wrong with that statement!"
"The East Blue is the weakest—that is the pirates' shame! The East Blue is the weakest—that is your pride!"
"On behalf of those useless fools on the Grand Line, I salute you!"
Where were pirates the most rampant?
Answer: the Grand Line.
Marines were stationed there as well, yet they could not keep the situation as stable as it was in the East Blue. The Revolutionary Army even stirred up trouble everywhere.
So judging by the actual results, every Marine stationed on the Grand Line deserved to be called "useless."
Including Marine Headquarters!
Of course, the Grand Line's complicated circumstances were clearly incomparable to the East Blue's. Garp had made that statement without distinguishing right from wrong, and he had even insulted Sengoku in the process.
Look at the adjutant half a step behind him... Yep, his face had gone completely black.
But it was effective, wasn't it?
A faint smile flashed across Lowett's lips before disappearing, and he gave a solemn salute.
Without even looking, he knew that the surrounding soldiers had been so stirred up by Garp's speech that their faces were red. They could not wait to find pirates and fight them immediately.
After suffering such a blow, morale was the most important thing for Branch 153, and morale was often something that could be easily controlled with words.
"So Vice Admiral Garp sees us that way? Really..."
"To be honest, when I first heard the bad news, I even regretted becoming a Marine. But now... how should I put it? I feel like I have endless strength!"
"Same here!"
"Since East Blue pirates are seen by outsiders as synonymous with weakness, then let them stay weak!"
"Exactly... Uh, Ensign Lowett!"
As they passed the corner of a corridor, several soldiers engaged in excited discussion noticed Lowett approaching and hurriedly stood straight to salute.
To soldiers who did not know the truth, Ensign Lowett was quite intimidating despite his mysterious origins, pale complexion, and cold eyes.
Especially that severed arm—who knew what dangerous battle he had gone through?
Lowett nodded in greeting and let the soldiers jog away. Then he stopped outside Monka's office and knocked on the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Come in!"
"Reporting... Colonel Monka, you wanted to see... me..."
As he pushed the door open, Lowett's pupils contracted.
Monka was not the only person in the office. Garp was there as well... He had still been considering how to find an excuse to leave, yet he had not expected Garp to seek him out first.
This was undoubtedly good news, but Lowett had no time to focus on that now.
Because...
Separated by only one wall, he had actually failed to notice Garp's presence!
With Garp's vigorous Life Aura, even ten Transcendent Knight Kings combined could not compare. This situation was as absurd as someone partying and blasting music upstairs in your home while you remained completely unaware.
"Was my Mental Power blocked? No! I unconsciously avoided this place."
A chill ran down Lowett's spine as he quickly understood the problem.
As a form of energy evolved from the soul, Mental Power was constantly being emitted. It was as natural as body hair growing from one's skin. Blocking it was a method only mages possessed, and no one in this world undoubtedly knew how to do it.
The other thing capable of producing the same effect was the sixth sense.
As mages, their sixth sense could be said to be exceptionally sharp. It could even transcend a mage's personal consciousness and help them unconsciously avoid danger.
Lowett had encountered the same situation more than once. When he was bestowed the title of "Black Count," the Holy Ten Venerables presiding over the ceremony had caused his Mental Power to unconsciously avoid them as well.
Only by looking with his eyes could he sense the vast aura around them—immense, brilliant, and dazzling like the stars.
That was soul strength capable of making an entire planet tremble and collapse!
The same thing had happened when he crossed the River Styx to enter the underworld and met Emperor Haisan, Lord of the Underworld. He had only realized there was a "person" before him when he was within a meter of him, and only because the other party had deliberately coughed.
Though the spread of Mental Power for perception was as uncontrollable as body hair, powerful mages could still restrain this behavior. After becoming an Official Mage, casually probing another person's condition was a more serious provocation than pointing at someone's nose and insulting them!
It was therefore extremely dangerous.
In other words...
"His life form has not surpassed the limits of my understanding, but his level of danger is no less than the Holy Ten Venerables and Emperor Haisan...?"
Lowett thought silently.
No, absolutely not.
The level of threat he posed to me was comparable!
It was not that he was comparable to the Holy Ten Venerables.
But there was currently no way to prove that conjecture.
Perhaps only after his soul recovered would Lowett be able to find the answer.
After all...
If Garp was truly that strong, then this world was a little too dangerous.
That would disrupt all of Lowett's plans.
I'm working hard to build up a backlog. Once the contract status changes, I'll immediately begin releasing two stable updates a day, so please bear with me, dear readers.
If you have any opinions or suggestions about this book, feel free to leave them in the chapter comments. The annoying thing is that the phone assistant I downloaded yesterday has some problem with my phone—it goes to a black screen as soon as I open it, then stops responding... Really frustrating.
Before you continue