"That's enough for today!"
Dunn waved his hand and turned toward the pier.
Kuina and Zoro, who had gotten back to his feet, watched Dunn's retreating figure curiously.
That wasn't the direction of the Isshin Dojo.
Shimotsuki Village's pier.
The people on the pier stared in shock as the enormous warship approached, though it didn't come too close.
"It's a Marine warship!"
They had never seen one before, but only a Marine warship could be that big and have that distinctive design.
Of course, the most important clue was the Marine insignia on its enormous sail.
"Why are the Marines here? Are there pirates nearby?"
Someone asked in a frightened voice.
His words made many people look fearful.
Shimotsuki Village had never had any pirates visit before. The East Blue was vast, after all, and pirates were few.
But they had seen plenty in the newspapers about how brutal pirates could be.
Aboard the Dog-Head Warship.
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
Garp's adjutant, Marine Headquarters Colonel Bogard, stood at attention before him and called out.
Wearing his Marine uniform, Garp had been dozing in a beach chair. Bogard's shout startled him awake, bursting the bubble of snot at his nose.
Garp opened his eyes and yawned.
"Have we arrived?"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp. Shimotsuki Village, in the East Blue."
Bogard glanced at the island nearby and nodded.
"Good. Wait here."
Garp stood and stretched, then looked up at Shimotsuki Village. A moment later, he leaped over a hundred meters into the air and headed straight for the village.
Having served under Garp for more than twenty years, Bogard was familiar with his behavior and wasn't surprised in the least.
He efficiently directed the Marines aboard to drop anchor and wait on the ship.
Meanwhile, Garp landed directly on the pier.
His entrance clearly frightened the people there.
What kind of person jumped so high and so far? Before Garp could even speak, the villagers of Shimotsuki Village scattered in every direction.
Huh!
Garp scratched his head, feeling a little awkward.
I must have scared them.
Wait!
Garp was about to use Observation Haki to see if he could find anyone when he suddenly paused and looked toward the town—the same direction the people had fled.
A young man in a loose robe was slowly walking toward him.
For some reason, Garp suddenly felt that this was the person he had come to find.
Dunn calmly watched the tall figure standing on the pier as he approached at an unhurried pace.
Compared to the grotesquely huge monsters out on the sea, the man wasn't especially large. But beneath his solid frame lay terrifying strength.
Garp was sizing Dunn up as well.
He didn't look very old, maybe fifteen or sixteen, just as the reports had described.
His build was lean and balanced, and his steady steps gave him an air of strength.
He really was promising.
That was Garp's assessment.
With that in mind, Garp stayed where he was and watched Dunn walk up to him.
"Pirate Hunter Dunn?"
Garp grinned as he asked.
"Yes. Hero of the Marines Garp?"
Dunn nodded to confirm, then asked in return.
"Huh?" Garp was taken aback, then scratched his graying hair.
"Looks like I'm still pretty famous! Hahaha!"
He laughed heartily to himself.
"..."
Dunn watched Garp laugh on his own, at a loss for words.
People in this world really did seem to love laughing.
"Are you that happy?"
When Garp's laughter continued, Dunn asked, feeling rather helpless.
"Happy, of course. I'm still pretty famous, after all."
Garp stopped laughing and answered Dunn. He wasn't putting on any airs—or perhaps that was simply in character.
"Join the Marines, Dunn! You've got great talent. Don't waste it."
Garp went straight to the invitation.
"No!"
Dunn shook his head without hesitation.
"Why not? Wouldn't joining the Marines be better than being a pirate hunter?"
When Dunn refused, Garp lowered the hand he'd extended in invitation and asked curiously.
"I'm training right now, so I can't."
Dunn thought it over before giving him an answer.
"You can still train as a Marine. There are plenty of strong people in the Marines."
Garp chuckled when he heard that.
"But I've heard that Marines have to obey the Celestial Dragons." Dunn fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly.
Garp was taken aback. His smile faded, and he studied Dunn's face for a while before slowly nodding.
"I see. I understand."
After saying that, Garp turned around, leaped into the air, and headed back toward the warship.
Did that old man misunderstand something?
Garp's reaction left Dunn puzzled.
Another young person who distrusts the Marines because of the Celestial Dragons.
Garp sighed.
He knew all too well what the Celestial Dragons' reputation was like across the seas.
Even he had refused to become an admiral because he didn't want to deal with those obnoxious people.
If he didn't want to, he shouldn't force anyone else to.
After landing back on the warship, Garp sat right down in his beach chair.
"Set sail. We're returning to Headquarters."
Garp spoke with his eyes closed.
"Vice Admiral Garp, what about our target?"
Bogard glanced at Dunn on the pier, confused, and asked.
"He's not here. He probably came here and then went somewhere else."
Garp replied with his eyes still closed.
Huh!
Bogard froze for a moment, then glanced back at the pier before giving the order to set sail.
Whether Garp's story was true didn't matter. They could just act as though it was.
On the pier.
Dunn watched as the warship slowly set sail and turned away.
That old man Garp is pretty easygoing.
He shook his head slightly and turned back. In the distance, he spotted Koshiro standing with his hands tucked into his sleeves.
What a hassle.
Dunn sighed and walked over.
"Did the Marines come for you?"
When Dunn approached, Koshiro asked him.
"Yes. They invited me to join the Marines, but I turned them down."
Dunn nodded and told him why the Marines had come.
"You refused?"
Koshiro was taken aback.
"Yeah. I don't want to be a Marine. You know what I'm aiming for."
Dunn answered.
"And after you refused, they just left so easily?"
"Garp was the one who came."
Dunn looked at Koshiro as he answered.
Garp?
Koshiro's body stiffened.
He knew Dragon's identity, and naturally knew that Dragon's father was Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Garp.
Of course, he also knew a little about the Vice Admiral himself.
If it was him, then it wasn't surprising.
"My Two-Color Haki has awakened, though. I probably won't stay here much longer."
Dunn spoke up.
"I knew you wouldn't stay here long, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon."
Koshiro sighed with emotion at Dunn's words.
It hadn't even been two full months, yet Dunn had grown much stronger.
Koshiro could feel it clearly. Even Dunn's swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds.
"Are you going to the Grand Line?"
Koshiro knew Dunn was aware of a lot of things, so he asked directly.
"No. I'm not going to the Grand Line until I'm confident I can handle the powerful pirates there."
Before you continue