Besides Shimotsuki Village, the only thing I'd done in the East Blue was send a batch of pirates to Base 16 and earn a little starting capital. The pirates must have been the ones who leaked the information.
I wasn't a pirate, and the person looking for me was Garp. I had no intention of joining the Marines, but even if he found me, he probably wouldn't force me.
If it had been someone else, I would have had to consider leaving before I attracted trouble.
Dunn was thinking, and Koshiro was thinking, too.
He watched Dunn walking silently ahead, then glanced at his daughter, Kuina.
He'd worried that Dunn's arrival might make Kuina even more competitive and stubborn.
But now, the results seemed to have turned out pretty well.
Still, he wanted his daughter to live peacefully in Shimotsuki Village. That would be the safest option.
After all, the seas were far too dangerous in this age of pirates.
Unfortunately, Dunn didn't look like he'd stay in Shimotsuki Village for long.
If he could wait a few years, perhaps he could take Kuina out to see the world.
With Dunn looking after her, Kuina would be much safer.
After they returned to the dojo, Koshiro told the three of them to find something to do on their own, then went back to his room.
"You want to use the power of a Devil Fruit to make up for the difference in your body—or rather, your physical constitution?"
Dunn watched Kuina staring intently at him as he headed outside.
Kuina was taken aback, then turned and followed him. Zoro came along, too.
"Yeah."
Kuina didn't deny it.
"Then don't you think relying on an outside power to grow stronger isn't pure swordsmanship?"
Dunn was curious.
He didn't care about that himself, but he knew that some people in this world had an unwavering faith in swordsmanship.
"Why would you think that? It would still be my own power."
Kuina didn't understand why Dunn would say that.
"Isn't a swordsman supposed to devote everything to the sword in his hand to reach greater heights?"
Dunn led the two of them into Shimotsuki Village. People greeted the three of them as they passed.
"So that's how you reach greater heights."
Zoro looked enlightened.
He hadn't given swordsmanship much thought yet. At most, he remembered something an old man had told him about swords not long ago.
"But it would still be my sword."
Kuina shook her head slightly.
Dunn wasn't wrong. Kuina did feel that relying on a Devil Fruit was a bit of a shortcut.
But Dunn's arrival had shown her the gap between herself and a true monster.
Even Zoro had surpassed her in strength now, or so she felt.
"If that's the case, then when I go out to sea, I'll keep an eye out for one for you."
Dunn looked at Kuina, then smiled.
"What about me, Dunn? What about me?"
Zoro bounced excitedly beside him.
"Not for you."
Dunn shook his head at once. Zoro instantly bristled and lunged at him, only for Dunn to grab him by the collar.
Zoro struggled with all his might, but couldn't escape Dunn's grip.
"Pfft!"
Kuina couldn't hold back her laughter at the sight.
"I'll treat you two to something to eat. Take whatever you want. Your senior brother's paying today."
Dunn waved a hand and tossed Zoro away.
"Then I won't hold back."
Zoro stopped approaching Dunn and turned his frustration into an appetite.
Shimotsuki Village had inherited some of Wano Country's customs, and of course, most of its cooking methods came from Wano Country as well.
Kuina and Zoro didn't hold back at all. Dunn, meanwhile, bought a newspaper.
The publisher of the World Economic Journal was bold enough to report on any news, no matter what it was.
The upside was that you could learn about the major events happening around the world by reading the paper.
As soon as Dunn got his hands on it, the front page caught his eye.
Three figures in Marine uniforms stood together.
[The Marines' Strongest Fighting Force]
Dunn narrowed his eyes at the headline.
Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji!
While paying for Kuina and Zoro's food, he read the article closely.
Fleet Admiral Kong was about to step down, Admiral Sengoku would become Fleet Admiral, and the three Admiral candidates would all be promoted to Admiral at the same time.
Looking at the newspaper, Dunn felt as if he were watching the history of this world unfold. He couldn't help smiling.
Yet his gaze, though smiling, looked down from above.
Perhaps it was because of the angle at which he looked at the newspaper, or perhaps it was something else.
"Dunn!"
Kuina's voice came from beside him as she held a skewer of dango to his mouth.
Dunn opened his mouth without thinking and bit one off. It tasted pretty good.
Foosha Village, East Blue.
Garp, dressed in civilian clothes, looked at Luffy, whose head was covered in bumps.
Clearly, Garp's Fist of Love had just landed on Luffy.
"Damn Shanks!"
Garp's tone was rather unfriendly.
"Don't you dare insult Shanks! I'm going to put out to sea one day. I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!"
Hearing his grandfather talk about Shanks, Luffy shouted angrily, looking defiant. Though perhaps he wasn't defiant so much as simply doing whatever came to mind.
Garp flew into a rage and clenched his fist, ready to teach his grandson a lesson.
Brrring! Brrring!
The Den Den Mushi rang.
Garp lowered his fist, took out the Den Den Mushi, and answered. It twisted and changed shape, becoming a man with a braided beard and a seagull perched on his head.
"Garp, how's that matter I left you with coming along?"
Sengoku's voice came through.
"What matter?"
Garp asked automatically, then suddenly remembered. "Ahem. I'm still looking."
"Garp!!!"
Sengoku's furious roar came through the Den Den Mushi, making Garp instinctively hold it farther away.
"You bastard, what did you go back to the East Blue for? You think you're on vacation?"
Sengoku roared again.
Garp felt a little awkward and scratched his face.
"No, no, I'm looking, aren't I? You know how big the East Blue is. It's hard to find one person in a place that big."
Garp made excuses for himself, but Sengoku knew his old comrade too well.
From his tone alone, Sengoku could tell Garp had spent the entire month slacking off and had even forgotten about the job.
A deep breath could clearly be heard from the other end. After a long pause, Sengoku spoke again.
"If that's the case, then your mission is over. You've probably seen the newspaper, too. You're expected to make an appearance this time."
"It's got nothing to do with me."
Hearing Sengoku's tone soften, Garp picked his nose with his left pinky and answered carelessly. Sure enough, Sengoku exploded.
The ear-splitting roar made the young Luffy cover his ears, his face full of fear.
What kind of monster was that?
He sounded even fiercer than Grandpa.
At the thought, Luffy quietly backed away, trying to sneak out of the room.
The moment he moved, a pain beyond endurance shot through the top of his head. He screamed and fell to the floor, clutching his head and rolling around. His Devil Fruit powers couldn't protect him from this pain at all.
Perhaps this was part of the reason Monkey D. Luffy wasn't very bright.
Before you continue