After bidding farewell to Shanks, Wright watched the Red Force sail into the distance.
But... Shanks's ship no longer rang with the usual noise and horseplay of its crew. It was so quiet that it felt oddly unsettling—
In truth, aside from Shanks, whom Wright woke with a Purification Spell to give him some face, only the navigator and helmsman had been awakened so they would not lose their bearings at sea and get blocked by the Marines. Everyone else... could sleep until tomorrow night!
They actually dared laugh at a chuunibyou's dream. If I don't get revenge on you, I'll write the word "two" backward!
With the Red Hair Pirates gone, there was basically no one left in the East Blue for him to test his strength against. His next step would be the Grand Line. But getting there without a reliable navigator would be difficult. Though he had learned a little about navigation, he only knew the basics. Maybe he should negotiate with the Marines and see whether they could give him a lift?
"When will I have strength like Hawkeye's, where I can sail however I please in a little boat?"
After spending the night on the island, Wright rested up and prepared to continue toward a nearby Marine base to ask about the Grand Line's routes.
He had not encountered rain for half a month. The sunlight had grown increasingly vicious, leaving Wright drenched in sweat. He jumped into the sea for a bath and felt much better—but he could not use that trick often. After all, his public identity was that of a Devil Fruit user. A Devil Fruit user bathing in the sea? Was he tired of living? It would be very troublesome if outsiders noticed anything suspicious.
Lying in his small boat, Wright could not help envying the future World's Greatest Swordsman's carefree and unrestrained... strength.
"I'm so sleepy... Those bastards from Shanks's crew had plenty of good liquor. I'm still feeling it..."
Wright yawned, let the little boat drift across the sea, and fell into a deep sleep.
"Vice Admiral Garp! You've eaten all the rice crackers and donuts! There really won't be any more until we return to Headquarters!"
"Mm... Is that so? There's nothing left... How boring. Might as well sleep... Snore... snore..."
"Vice Admiral Garp? Vice Admiral...?"
A large dog sailed across the calm sea... No, it was an enormous Dog Head Warship. The dog's mouth held a massive bone, and it looked utterly silly.
Yet this silly-looking Dog Head Warship struck fear into countless pirates on the Grand Line. It was the flagship of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral "Hero" Monkey D. Garp!
Only five years had passed since the Pirate King's public execution by the Marines, and the Pirate King's incomparable power remained vividly etched in the hearts of people all over the world. During the pursuit and capture of Pirate King Roger, only one man had been able to contend with him head-on: Vice Admiral Garp!
There was no need to elaborate on how formidable Vice Admiral Garp was. He had merely refused to become an admiral for so long due to his love of freedom and... As for his strength, he was unquestionably at the peak of admiral level!
The East Blue was so vast. What were the odds that two ships would happen to meet at sea purely by coincidence? Infinitesimal. Yet the world was simply that marvelous.
"Report! Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Snore... snore..."
Old Garp, wearing a Dog Head Hat, sat imposingly in his chair with his fist propping up his head. A huge snot bubble floated from his nose as he appeared to be deep asleep.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Vice Admiral?!" The scout was already sweating profusely. The vice admiral was still asleep—should he wake him?!
He wouldn't get punched away, would he? He definitely would, right?!
"What is it?" Fortunately, the dependable adjutant Bogart came to his rescue. The scout let out a breath of relief and hurriedly saluted as he reported.
"Report! A small sailboat has been spotted ahead. There is only one person aboard!"
"Oh?" Bogart glanced at Garp, who was still snoring, and said helplessly, "Have you confirmed the person's identity?"
The scout said shamefully, "My apologies, sir. That person seems to be... sleeping. His face is covered by a hat, so we have not yet confirmed his identity!"
"..."
Did Bogart just clash with people who liked sleeping or something? One after another!
Bogart adjusted his gentleman's hat and walked to the bow. He observed the small boat drifting steadily toward them, then quickly noticed something unusual:
"That long blade with a golden gleam... There isn't a second one like it in the entire East Blue... no, even on the Grand Line."
"Pirate Hunter, the 'Dawn Divine Healer,' Wright!"
Did this guy usually drift around the sea like this? Wasn't he a Devil Fruit user? Was he not afraid of falling into the sea and drowning? The East Blue had no particularly harsh weather, but he should try that on the Grand Line!
Suppressing the urge to complain, Bogart walked over to Garp. "Vice Admiral Garp, we have spotted Wright, the 'Dawn Divine Healer,' who has recently risen to fame and is known as the East Blue Strongest Pirate Hunter."
Pop! The snot bubble burst. Garp seemed to have heard a keyword and immediately woke up. "Oh? That little monster? The East Blue Strongest Pirate Hunter who, at such a young age, possesses Devil Fruit powers, Two-Color Haki, and swordsman-level swordsmanship?"
Crack, crack...
Garp stretched and clenched his massive fists. "Ah, I truly appreciate capable young juniors. Another interesting youngster from my East Blue has finally appeared."
"He ought to receive my Fist of Love! Why become some Pirate Hunter instead of doing proper work?!"
Thud!
Just as Garp woke up, Wright's little boat collided with the warship. As it was about to capsize, Wright suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed his sword, and leaped. By the time Bogart signaled for the ship to stop, Wright was already standing on the deck.
"Huh? I was sleeping. What did I crash into?"
These people... Marines? He should have been quite far from any Marine base. Had his boat drifted onto some strange route again? Such a huge warship... Did the East Blue have Marines of this level?
Turning to look around, Wright saw the massive dog head at the bow and seemed to wake up a little more. He slowly turned back and saw a large dog... No, a burly man in a Dog Head Hat, wearing a vice admiral's Justice Coat and grinning at him while clenching fists as large as sandbags. Beside him stood a figure dressed in a suit, wearing a Justice Coat and gentleman's hat, with a long blade at his waist. The corners of his mouth were pulled so low that he looked as if the entire world owed him several hundred million Beli... All right, this was not a dream.
"Yo! Vice Admiral Garp? The weather's really nice today, huh?"
"You recognize me, kid?" Garp threw back his head and laughed. "I haven't been in the East Blue for a long time, yet my legends are still being passed around here! Hahaha..."
Wright, Bogart, and the Marine soldiers all broke into a cold sweat. What the hell did he mean, he had not been in the East Blue for a long time... Did the old man not have any idea why the East Blue was called the "Weakest Sea"...?
Still, this was a good opportunity to test his strength.
"Vice Admiral Garp, your reputation in the East Blue is simply thunderous, your deeds are simply—"
"Hahaha! Enough nonsense. A kid like you staying in the East Blue as a Pirate Hunter is a complete waste of your life! I heard you beat every highest-ranking officer in the East Blue branches and declared that if anyone could defeat you, you would join the Marines? I like young people with personality the most. Let's see whether I'm qualified to recruit you!"
Garp's booming laughter cut off Wright's dog... horse-flattery. He leaped into the air and charged at Wright. "Kid, experience this old man's Fist of Love!"
"I came back this time to see just how outstanding the Pirate Hunter whose reputation reached Headquarters was. You delivered yourself right to my door!"
Before you continue