In the southern waters of the Goa Kingdom, a 153rd Branch warship sped across the sea.
Warship Training Room.
Dressed in an ordinary sailor's uniform, Zoro swung the Barbell Sword through a rain of sweat.
He was currently part of the warship's logistics staff, specifically responsible for cleaning the Training Room. He did not count as an official Marine.
To remain aboard the warship long-term, he needed a legitimate identity. Otherwise, the other Marines would inevitably have their complaints.
Luo Ya was training as well.
Before long, a communications soldier arrived outside the Training Room and called out, "Lieutenant Commander Luo Ya, we're about to reach Foosha Village!"
"Alright."
Luo Ya wiped away his sweat and headed for the shower room.
"Zoro, clean yourself up. You're coming ashore with me later."
"Got it."
Zoro set down the Barbell.
He had to admit that life aboard the warship was far more fulfilling than before.
His schedule was regular, his meals were guaranteed, and he did not need to think about anything. He only had to focus on training and find time each day to clean the Training Room.
In terms of hardship alone, it was at least ten times tougher than his days as a bounty hunter. But that hardship brought rewards, and the feeling of steadily growing stronger filled him with incomparable excitement.
He craved strength!
The 153rd Branch warship docked beside the Dog-headed Warship.
Seeing the Marines arrive, the villagers of Foosha Village were quite curious. The village chief took the initiative to greet them. When he saw the number 153 painted on the warship, he roughly guessed their purpose.
They had come looking for Garp.
"I am the chief of Foosha Village."
"Hello, Mr. Chief. We are Marines from the 153rd Branch."
Luo Ya politely explained why they had come. "We heard that Vice Admiral Garp had returned home on leave, so Colonel Rhode sent us to pay him a visit. May I ask where Vice Admiral Garp's home is?"
"Come with me."
The village chief led the way.
The East Blue symbolized peace, and the relationship between the Marines and ordinary people was quite close.
Though the Marines had their share of bad apples, they were only a minority. Overall, the Marines cared for the people, and the people trusted the Marines.
Luo Ya led several adjutants behind the village chief and soon arrived at Garp's home, an utterly ordinary residence.
As expected, Garp was not home.
The village chief's head began to ache.
If Garp was not home, he had most likely gone into the mountains to mingle with those bandits. That was a stain on the Marines' reputation and could not be told to outsiders.
"Sir officer."
"My name is Luo Ya, lieutenant commander of the 153rd Branch."
Luo Ya introduced himself with a smile.
It seemed his name had not yet reached this quiet little village.
"Lieutenant Commander Luo Ya."
The village chief looked apologetic. "Vice Admiral Garp is not home at the moment. Why don't you rest at the tavern? Once Vice Admiral Garp returns, I'll inform him."
"Then thank you."
Luo Ya was not surprised in the slightest.
If Garp had quietly stayed at home, that would have truly surprised him.
Makino's Tavern.
"Welcome!"
The proprietress, Makino, was exceptionally warm and welcoming.
Foosha Village was poor, and the villagers had limited spending power. Only when entertaining outside visitors could the tavern make a substantial profit.
"Hello. Please prepare some food and drinks for me."
Luo Ya sat at the bar, his thoughts swirling.
That Red Hair fellow had sat in this very spot back then, then taken a huge slap from the Mountain Bandit King, hadn't he?
Heh, how generous of him.
Fullbody sat beside Luo Ya with a wineglass in hand, looking somewhat puzzled. "Lieutenant Commander, why do you look so calm?"
"Calm?"
Luo Ya did not understand what Fullbody meant.
"Too calm!"
Jango leaned over as well, his face full of excitement and exhilaration. "Even when I was a pirate, I greatly admired Hero Garp. Just thinking about meeting Garp himself makes my body tremble with excitement."
"Me too!"
Fullbody eagerly agreed, waving his fist. "Vice Admiral Garp has been my idol since childhood. To be honest, I wear the Iron Fist Gauntlets because I'm imitating Vice Admiral Garp."
Hero Garp, the man with the highest prestige in the Marines.
There was no second.
There were far too many legends about Garp. Most Marines had grown up listening to his exploits, and a great many had joined the Marines precisely because they admired him.
Garp was the spiritual pillar of the Marines!
Zoro interrupted at an inappropriate moment. "Is that guy really that impressive?"
"You bastard, what kind of attitude is that!"
Fullbody and Jango flew into a rage. One forcefully pinned down Zoro's body while the other fiercely squeezed his neck.
"Apologize! Apologize to Mr. Garp!"
"Loosen your grip! I can't breathe!"
The three of them became a tangled mess.
Luo Ya smiled, picked up his glass, and took a small sip.
Calm, huh.
He truly was calm at this moment.
When he had first learned that he would meet Garp, he had been genuinely excited. He had hoped to learn some skills from Garp, especially the Six Styles.
But that excitement did not last long.
During training, he suddenly realized that he and Garp were not the same kind of people. He could not devote himself as selflessly as Garp did.
He was not that selfless.
He had joined the Marines to rise through the ranks, for fame and fortune, and to stand at the pinnacle of the world.
In his view, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, and Admiral Aokiji's faction were far too moderate. Morality and responsibility bound them tightly.
Akainu's radical ideals, on the other hand, appealed to him greatly.
Of course, he did not approve of killing innocent civilians to achieve one's goals, much less turning guns on one's own subordinates.
He had his own bottom line.
What he liked was radicalism!
Whether it was pirates, the World Government and Marines, or the kingdoms ruled by nobles, this entire world was filled with evil from top to bottom.
Especially the Celestial Dragons who ruled the world.
Only "evil" could defeat "evil"!
Luo Ya sincerely believed that following the old paths of Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku had no future. In the end, one would still become a puppet on strings, or play by oneself like Garp, or worse, leave in disillusionment like Aokiji.
The higher one climbed, the harder it became to turn back.
Only by becoming the "most evil" person, someone who broke the rules and made the rules, could one stand at the world's highest peak.
"Justice that Reigns Over the World."
That was the justice Fleet Admiral Sengoku believed in.
Perhaps that domineering "justice" should be entrusted to him to realize!
Luo Ya's lips curved upward as he drained the wine in his hand.
"Lieutenant Commander."
"Hmm?"
Luo Ya turned his head and discovered that Fullbody and the other two were staring at him.
"What is it?"
"N-Nothing!"
The three shook their heads at the same time.
For some reason, they had felt an astonishing chill from the lieutenant commander just now, as though they had been watched by a terrifying beast.
It made their hair stand on end!
"Clang!"
A sudden noise came from behind the bar.
The three hurriedly looked over and were stunned to find that the proprietress had somehow fainted. Her glass rolled beside her, and wine had spilled all over the floor.
"Miss Makino!"
The three scrambled to help Makino into a chair. After fussing over her for quite some time, Makino finally woke up in a daze.
"Miss Makino, are you alright?"
"Mmm... I'm fine."
Makino held her head, still feeling dizzy. In her hazy memories, it felt as if her head had been struck by something heavy.
My head is spinning!