On Men's Enthusiasm for "Building"

"Ah?" Shanks asked in confusion. "Mr. Garp, didn't you tell Mr. Zephyr? The captain entrusted his child to you, didn't he?"

"Uh..."

Garp froze, shot Shanks a fierce glare, and immediately began to stammer, not daring to meet Zephyr's eyes.

"Roger entrusted his child to Garp?" Zephyr gave a mocking snort. "And how did you know that, Red-Haired brat?"

"Mr. Gaban told me in Elbaf. He said Mr. Garp told him himself."

Shanks did not hesitate in the slightest and instantly sold Garp out.

Garp lowered his head even more guiltily, trying to disguise himself as a mushroom.

Seeing this, Zephyr found it amusing and admired Garp's appearance for quite some time.

By the time Garp could no longer stand it and secretly looked up, he found Zephyr staring at him with a half-smile.

"Zephyr, you... you already knew?"

"I'm not so old that I can't hear anything."

"Oh, oh."

"Then... sorry?"

"Sorry for what?"

"I..."

Garp irritably scratched his head. It was not that he truly wanted to hide this from his old friend, but he really could not bring himself to say it.

Now that Zephyr knew, Garp had no idea what to do for a moment.

"The child is innocent."

Seeing Garp looking as though he had done something wrong, Zephyr ultimately said only that.

Garp froze, then smiled and shook his head. "Just like you, Zephyr."

After waiting for a long while and seeing the tension between the two old seniors ease, Shanks could not help speaking up.

"So... Mr. Garp, can I go see the captain's child? He's practically my little brother."

The moment he heard that, Garp's tone immediately turned unfriendly.

"You brat, you sure have a lot of demands. Fine, go see him. Whether Ace wants to see you is another matter!"

"Hehe." Shanks gave a foolish laugh, then slowly repeated, "Ace... His name is Ace, right?"

"Why wouldn't he want to see me? We could be family."

"I..." Garp hesitated. "I told Ace who his father was."

"What's wrong with that?"

Shanks asked in confusion, but immediately realized what was going on.

"Ace... does he hate Captain Roger?"

Just like Shanks himself, who had thought he was a free little pirate, only to discover that Celestial Dragon blood ran through his veins.

Ace might have believed he was the grandson of a Marine hero, only to learn that the blood of the Pirate King flowed through him.

At that thought, the smile on Shanks's face faded as well.

"Then I have even more reason to see him. Captain Roger really was a pirate."

Zephyr glanced at Garp and quietly nodded to him. In a sense, Ace had been trapped by Garp for his entire life because of his father's bloodline.

That had given Ace severe self-destructive tendencies under extreme circumstances.

Making a child bear such a burden of identity so early... Zephyr could only say that it was just like Garp.

"Just this once."

Garp closed his eyes and said in a low voice.

It would be good to let Roger's child meet Roger's other child. At the very least, Garp needed to make up for his mistake.

After telling Ace about his origins that day, Garp had rarely seen the smile of the obedient grandson he once knew.

"Thank you, Mr. Garp."

At Partys Bar, the three returned after their heart-to-heart.

Beckman was the first to notice that something had changed, though he did not know exactly what. He planned to ask later.

Shanks casually wrapped an arm around Uta and sat down, continuing to have fun as if nothing had happened. There was no sign at all that he had just joined the Neo Marines Zephyr had mentioned.

Garp likewise placed Luffy on his lap, but when he heard that Luffy had already lost to Uta more than fifty times, he flew into a rage and decided to personally step in and settle things with Shanks.

Shanks gladly accepted the challenge, his fighting spirit blazing.

Thus, Zephyr watched the two "idiots" stuff their faces with two plates of thick noodles and could not help shaking his head.

After casually asking about the handling of Higuma and the others, and confirming that everyone found guilty would enjoy a one-day trip to Enies Lobby followed by a reserved seat in Impel Down, Zephyr nodded in satisfaction.

No crime was too small. Since he had encountered Higuma, Zephyr naturally had to put him on the scales and weigh his sins.

Seeing noodles practically about to spray from Garp and Shanks's nostrils, Zephyr turned his head away with a sigh, feeling that it was too painful to watch.

[Zephyr: I reached Foosha Village and got to meet that Red-Haired brat. But there was a small accident—the Nika Fruit was eaten by Garp.]

[Flender: ?]

[Samuel Oak: ?]

[Dumbledore: ?]

[Zephyr: As absurd as it sounds, that's what happened. Little Luffy kindly shared some fruit, and Garp ate it without even looking. That was the result.]

[Flender: Nika Garp... That truly is a path I never imagined.]

[This makes him and Sengoku the twin pillars of the Marines after all, each with a Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Mythical Zoan.]

[Samuel Oak: So Straw Hat Boy has become Straw Hat Father?]

[Dumbledore: No, I don't think that's very likely.]

[Zephyr: Garp would never take Roger's hat unless he went mad.]

[Though I don't particularly want to say it, this is not necessarily a bad thing for me. Becoming an enemy of the World Government by accident has given Garp a reason.]

[At least two people have joined my Neo Marines now.]

[Flender: Two people, could it be...?]

[Zephyr: Yes. I persuaded that Red-Haired brat to join as well, and he agreed.]

[I used your words: unite every force that can be united.]

[Flender: Uh, I knew you had gained many insights, Zephyr, but I didn't expect you to be this clear-headed.]

[Zephyr: After all, that brat isn't bad at heart. Neither was Roger. People with principles are always admirable.]

[It's a pity it's a little late now. Otherwise, perhaps we could have saved Harald. He also longed for communication and equality.]

[Flender: That's true, though I never expected you to have already set your sights on the giant nation.]

[Samuel Oak: Thinking about possible future allies and building influence across the sea is perfectly normal. Alliances in our world are spread across every region.]

[Speaking of which, if you want to develop in secret, Skypiea would be an excellent choice. It is hidden, and it has plenty of gold to serve as funding.]

[Zephyr: Exactly. Yukinari and I think alike on that point. Even if going up and down is troublesome, there are many insects and birds in the sea capable of carrying people through the air.]

[Flender: In that case, Fish-Man Island would be good too. Ten thousand meters beneath the sea, its terrain is absolutely formidable, and it has the ancient weapon Poseidon.]

[Zephyr: Yes. I didn't know before, but now that I've learned so many secrets, I truly feel that the world is vast and there is nowhere I cannot go.]

[Dumbledore: Reality is like that. It's like reading a book—if you don't know what is inside, every page you turn feels unfamiliar.]

The discussion grew increasingly lively. Perhaps when it came to building things, even old men had a fanatical urge to contribute. And among the current four worlds, Zephyr's world was the one most in need of unification—and the easiest to unify.

[Zephyr: In any case, the matters concerning Garp and Red-Haired are mostly settled. But that Red-Haired brat gave me quite a surprise.]

[His daughter, Uta, is a Paramecia-type Uta Uta no Mi user and the future vessel of the Music Demon.]