"Hey, old man Garp!"
Leon's voice jolted Garp awake. The old man had been snoring away in a rocking chair, wearing his dog-head hat.
"Leon, you finally dared to come back..."
Garp chuckled, raising his fist as he glared at Leon.
As far as he was concerned, there was no way Leon could have repaired in a week a wreck that even the Navy shipwrights couldn't fix...
This was the perfect chance to teach the arrogant kid a lesson...
"Everyone's ready. We're just waiting for you to give the order to set sail, Instructor Garp."
"Huh?"
Garp felt as if he'd punched a pillow. He swallowed his frustration and followed Leon out, still doubtful.
The Dog Head Warship out on the sea really did look exactly as it had before...
"Sigh... Let's go..."
As Garp boarded the ship with a gloomy expression, Leon turned to his adjutant, Bogard, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with Instructor Garp?"
Bogard, who rarely showed any emotion, slowly shook his head without saying a word...
Meanwhile, just as Leon and the others began their return voyage, Sengoku, who had already returned to Marine Headquarters, received a mysterious phone call.
"What?!"
"Have you confirmed that the information is accurate?"
"I understand."
"This concerns the Pirate King's child. Even if there's only the slightest chance, we have to stamp it out before it can grow!"
Sengoku hung up with a grim expression and issued an order. A fully armed warship set sail from Marineford.
Its destination was Baterilla Island in the South Blue.
After nearly a month away, Leon and the others were half a day's voyage from reaching Marine Headquarters.
Garp had been acting strangely. He'd shut himself in his room for the past few days, and Leon was happy to enjoy the peace and work out alone on deck.
"I've got a bite!"
After sitting in silence for half an hour, Leon finally had a big fish on the line!
He'd already seen how rich the One Piece world's fish population was. This time, he'd used a shark as bait, and he wondered what kind of monster he'd catch.
The float twitched. In an instant, the fishing rod jerked as if it were about to be yanked out of Leon's hands.
Leon reacted quickly and gripped the rod tightly, but the powerful force from beneath the water dragged him hard against the railing on deck.
"Now that's a big one!"
The huge fish dragged the entire warship along. Leon was thrilled rather than alarmed. He adjusted his stance and dug in his heels, his strength forcing the Dog Head Warship to sink lower in the water.
Man and fish began a tug-of-war. Just as Leon confidently prepared to have someone bring over the biggest landing net aboard...
The fishing rod he'd bought at a high price in Water Seven couldn't withstand the enormous strain after all.
With a crack...
Leon watched helplessly as the rod snapped into several pieces. Rage welled up in him, and he leapt onto the railing before diving straight into the water.
The commotion had drawn a crowd of Marines to the deck. They leaned over the railing, craning their necks to see what was happening below.
The water stirred despite the lack of wind, sending wave after wave across the surface.
A broad fish tail suddenly broke the surface. It thrashed a few times as if struggling for its life, then slammed down onto the water.
A goldfish-shaped Sea King floated up from below, its pale belly turned skyward.
Leon burst through the surface and climbed back onto the deck.
"Chief Petty Officer Leon!"
"That's our Chief Petty Officer Leon!"
"Long live Chief Petty Officer Leon!"
The crowd cheered and began discussing how they had to have grilled Sea King for lunch.
Leon, who had no air force, was about to measure the Sea King with great enthusiasm when he heard Garp call for him. The old man hadn't been seen for days.
"Leon, come here for a moment..."
Leon followed Garp to his room. The windows were closed, leaving the room dim. Garp stood with his back to Leon, so his expression was impossible to read.
"Leon, there's something I'd like to ask you to do."
Garp was rarely this serious. Leon didn't agree right away, instead asking slowly, "What is it, Instructor Garp?"
"I need you to go to Baterilla Island in the South Blue and find a woman named Portgas D. Rouge..."
Garp paused. Hearing the name, Leon was momentarily lost in thought.
It should still be a long time before Ace was born. At this point, the Navy had probably just learned that the Pirate King, Roger, had a child and begun searching for him...
"Portgas D. Rouge is pregnant. She may have already given birth..."
There was unmistakable hesitation and inner conflict in Garp's voice.
"I want you to protect her and her child and help them evade the Navy's search..."
Garp lowered his head.
Leon looked at Garp, torn up inside, and didn't know what to say...
He couldn't exactly tell Garp not to worry, because Rouge would get through the Navy's search on her own.
"Instructor Garp..."
Leon broke the silence. Garp sighed, then turned around to face him.
"Forget it... The truth of this matter won't stay hidden from you forever..."
"The father of that child, who may already have been born, is the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!"
Leon nodded, showing no particular surprise.
"With all due respect, Instructor Garp, I don't mind doing it, but for you, as the Hero of the Marines, to do something like this..."
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