Survive by Any Means Necessary

"Sure enough, although the Water Attribute Spirit was still suppressed by the sea because of the Devil Fruit, its..."

"Water Attribute body greatly reduced that suppression!!!"

Luo Sa, transformed into a Magikarp, greedily gulped in air as he thought to himself.

All he needed to do now was make it back out of the sea!

He struggled to move his tail, fighting off the weakness in his entire body as he slowly began swimming toward the surface.

Whenever he got tired, he stopped to rest for a while, then started swimming upward again.

After keeping at it for an hour, Luo Sa finally reached the surface through sheer perseverance.

"Water Splash!"

With a powerful flick of his body, the Magikarp burst out of the water.

In midair, a flash of white light enveloped the Magikarp. When the light faded, a Winged Gull beat his wings and shot into the sky.

"I finally made it out!"

Feeling the weakness fade away, Luo Sa let out a relieved breath, still shaken by what had happened.

Now that he was out of danger, he finally had time to think carefully about what had just happened.

What had caused his energy value to surge tenfold?

If he could figure out what had made the difference, then becoming a Divine Beast wouldn't be just a dream.

He thought about it for a long time, but couldn't work out the reason. In the end, all he could do was chalk it up to some kind of sudden enlightenment.

This time, he'd turned a misfortune into a blessing. At a moment of crisis, he'd pushed past his limits and completed another transformation.

He'd also confirmed what he'd suspected, giving himself at least a little ability to protect himself even if he fell into the sea. He wasn't nearly as afraid of it anymore!

"But there's something else important I need to do!"

Killing intent flickered in Luo Sa's eyes. He'd nearly died in the sea this time, and he didn't believe it had been an accident!

"If you want to kill me, then be ready to be killed in turn. You scum, are you ready?"

Luo Sa murmured under his breath, spread his wings, and soared into the clouds.

Looking down at the sea from above, Luo Sa immediately spotted the dinghy carrying Giant Axe Captain and his men.

"Huh, a seagull out here in the middle of the night? Looks like we've got a little something extra for dinner!"

One of the officers exclaimed excitedly, reaching for his gun to shoot the seagull.

"You want to kill me? Even the sea couldn't do it. What makes you think you can?"

Suddenly, the seagull spoke, startling everyone.

"It's that brat! He's still alive!"

Giant Axe Captain finally realized what was happening. His whole body began to tremble.

The others were shocked too. They hurriedly pulled out their flintlock pistols and fired at Luo Sa.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunshots rang out, but every shot missed. Not one bullet could hit Luo Sa as he darted around at Agility.

"You guessed right, so I'll reward you with death!"

Luo Sa's eyes turned cold. A flash of white light swept over him, and he transformed into a Winged Gull Half-Beastman. He leaped onto the dinghy, and the one-sided slaughter began.

The sea stretched endlessly beneath the setting sun. The waves danced like mischievous children, and the water glittered gold. A Winged Gull cut across the sky, its beating white wings gilded in the sunlight.

"According to the magnetic field on the Log Pose, I should be close to Gourmet Island. How come I've been flying for so long without seeing any sign of land?"

Luo Sa transformed into a Winged Gull Half-Beastman in midair. He held the Log Pose in one hand and frowned.

"Don't tell me I've still gotten lost while holding a Log Pose?"

Luo Sa rubbed his head. This sort of thing really needed a professional navigator.

Across the boundless sea, a massive dark-blue warship rode the waves, its many cannons and towering masts filling the sky. It cut through the water, leaving a snowy-white wake behind it.

The most eye-catching feature was the broad white sail.

A seagull-and-scales emblem was emblazoned on the sail. That flag represented the most powerful force on these seas: the Navy!

There was something rather unusual about this warship, though. A cute dog-head figure adorned the bow, wearing a collar and holding a bone in its mouth. It looked a little comical.

But Luo Sa couldn't bring himself to laugh. His eyes were filled with excitement.

Finally, finally...

He hadn't found Gourmet Island, but along the way he'd run straight into Garp's Dog Head Warship!

"Hoo... hoo..."

Luo Sa took several deep breaths and reviewed the plot he'd long since memorized, going over it in his mind.

Only after making sure there was no room for error did he fly quickly toward the Dog Head Warship.

When Garp sensed something approaching, he rose from his deck chair and narrowed his eyes at the distance.

With Observation Haki, he could sense a considerable energy source drawing near.

"Who are you?"

Garp asked in a low voice as he watched the seagull. He could tell that the creature before him was more than just a seagull.

At Garp's words, white light suddenly flared around Luo Sa. A moment later, his transformed body appeared before Garp.

"Ace! What are you doing here?"

Garp's expression changed the instant he saw Luo Sa's face.

"Ace?"

"I'm not Ace. My name is Luo Sa."

Luo Sa kept his expression calm. He was confident in his resemblance and knew Garp would take the bait.

Garp froze, his brows knitting together. What was that supposed to mean?

So this man wasn't Ace?

That was right. He looked exactly like Ace, as if they'd been carved from the same mold. Even the freckles on his face were identical.

But Ace had black hair, and this man's was blond!

Blond... blond...

"Come with me."

Luo Sa nodded and followed Garp into the cabin. He knew that Ace's parentage was tied to Pirate King Roger, and the Navy couldn't find out.

"Who are you, really?!"

Inside the room, Garp swept the area with Observation Haki. After making sure they were alone, he asked in a low voice.

"My name?"

"My name is Portgas D. Luo Sa—or, you could say, Gol D. Luo Sa!"

Luo Sa spoke each word slowly, his expression grave.

He knew exactly what those words meant.

If they got out, they would cause a huge uproar!

"What?"

Garp's eyes widened. Trembling, he began to back away, pointing at Luo Sa, unable to speak for a moment.

"That's right. I'm the son of Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge, and Ace's twin brother, born ten months before him!"

Luo Sa's words struck Garp like a thunderclap, leaving his head ringing.

"Roger and Rouge's other son, born ten months earlier. Could it be... could it..."

With Luo Sa guiding him, an answer slowly took shape in Garp's mind.

"That's right. He looks almost exactly like Ace."

"I'm certain that I'm the only person in this world who knows what Ace looks like and who he is!"

"And his blond hair came from his mother, Rouge!"

Garp shut his eyes in pain. Everything seemed to point to the same answer.

Luo Sa's identity was genuine!

After a long, long while, Luo Sa's superb acting finally convinced Garp of his identity.

"I'm sorry, Luo Sa."

"You've suffered a lot over the years, haven't you?"

Guilt flashed in Garp's eyes. He stepped forward and drew Luo Sa into his arms.

"Grandpa, you're too late."

"Grandpa?!"

Warmth filled Luo Sa's heart. The word brought his own grandfather to mind.

That rainy night, his grandfather had left him behind all alone.

He would never forget how his grandfather had gripped his hand tightly before leaving.

He knew his grandfather couldn't bear to leave him behind!

"Grandpa, I promised you that no matter what, I would survive—by any means necessary!!!"