Garp: Exposed? But It Doesn't Matter

"Are these all true?"

Dunn held up the bounty poster, pointing at the record on it as he questioned Old Komodo.

"Of course they're true. These were all recounted by the survivors. A village of over a hundred people, and in the end, only a few remained."

Hearing the doubt in Dunn's voice, Old Komodo seemed to raise his volume, as if to prove the authenticity of his records.

"So, a pirate who killed hundreds of people only has a bounty this small?"

"Don't ask me about that; this is the bounty issued by the Marine Headquarters."

Old Komodo shook his head flatly.

For these pirates, murder, arson, and plundering merchant ships were all part of their daily routine. Some merchant ships would lose their entire crew when they encountered pirates; such things were far too common.

"I can explain that!"

Outside the tavern door, Colonel Nezumi walked in, followed by a group of Marines.

The tavern fell silent instantly, everyone staring at the Marines who had just entered.

"Because he is weak."

"So, bounties are determined by strength?"

Dunn was not surprised by Colonel Nezumi's arrival; his Observation Haki had already sensed them coming.

"That is part of the reason!"

After saying this, Colonel Nezumi took a money bag from the hands of the Marine behind him.

"Four million Belly. This is your bounty reward."

Dunn glanced at the money bag and nodded. "If I capture other pirates, can I also bring them here to exchange for a bounty?"

Upon hearing this, Colonel Nezumi looked at the stack of bounty posters in front of Dunn and nodded.

"Of course. If you capture these pirates, you can certainly exchange them for a bounty. However, I have another matter to discuss right now."

As he spoke, Colonel Nezumi signaled for the Marines behind him to wait outside, then sat down at the counter and ordered a beer.

"The Marines would like to invite you to join us. If you agree, you can head directly to the Marine Headquarters."

Colonel Nezumi said.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the tavern widened their eyes.

Marine Headquarters?

To these people, that was a legendary place. It was said to be located on the Grand Line, where all the big shots of the Marines resided, including Vice Admiral Garp.

"I refuse!"

Dunn shook his head.

"Why? Since you want to hunt pirates, wouldn't it be better to join the Marines? That way, you wouldn't have to search for them yourself, and you would even be provided with a warship."

Colonel Nezumi felt a sense of reluctance upon hearing Dunn's refusal.

"Garp invited me last time, and I refused him as well. As for the reason..."

Dunn thought for a moment and shook his head.

"I hate the Celestial Dragons."

Once these words were uttered, the tavern became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Everyone looked at Dunn in terror.

What immense audacity, to actually mention the Celestial Dragons in such a way.

Colonel Nezumi also widened his eyes abruptly, his mind racing as he looked at Dunn.

His gaze fell upon the sword in front of Dunn, and he recalled the suspicion that Dunn might be a Devil Fruit user.

He probably couldn't win if he tried to fight.

So, what should he do?

Pretend he didn't hear it.

"Haha... Hahaha!" Colonel Nezumi let out a few dry laughs. "So Vice Admiral Garp has already invited you. In that case, consider as if I never said anything."

Having said that, Colonel Nezumi stood up and left, not staying for even a second longer.

Watching the back of Colonel Nezumi as he departed, Dunn withdrew his gaze.

However, the tavern remained deathly quiet, with everyone looking at Dunn in shock.

To speak so bluntly about hating the Celestial Dragons in front of a Marine—if the Celestial Dragons were to find out...

Thinking of this, the people in the tavern scrambled to their feet and hurried out.

Old Komodo looked at Dunn with a bitter expression on his face.

If word got out, every single one of them here would be in deep trouble.

Dunn certainly understood the consequences of saying such things, but hate was hate.

If he were to ever encounter a Celestial Dragon, he might just end up cutting them down.

After all, he only had one stereotype about this world: that all Celestial Dragons were damned bastards.

"Let's go!"

Dunn tossed the payment for his drinks and the bounty posters onto the counter, grabbed his two bags, and left.

Captain Nezumi returned to the naval base.

He reported his encounter with Dunn directly, though he naturally omitted the part where Dunn expressed his hatred for the Celestial Dragons.

After all, Dunn was right there; if he had reported that, the headquarters would certainly have ordered him to make an arrest, and he would be the one forced to face this Pirate Hunter who was suspected of being a Devil Fruit user.

Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's office.

The office door was kicked open from the outside, and Garp strode in with a swagger that defied all reason.

"Can't you knock, you bastard?"

Sengoku, who had been looking for trouble with Garp to begin with, saw this and his face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Just as well, my senbei ran out."

Garp didn't care about Sengoku's rage in the slightest. He walked to the desk with practiced ease, pulled open a drawer, and found the senbei Sengoku had hidden away.

He grabbed two bags and walked over to a seat on the side, tearing one open and crunching away.

This sight made Sengoku's eyelids twitch violently, and the veins on his forehead bulged; he looked as if he were about to explode.

"You bastard, didn't you say you couldn't find that kid in the East Blue?"

Sengoku glared at Garp, taking several deep breaths before speaking, his tone dripping with accusation.

"What kid in the East Blue?"

Garp, busy eating his senbei, paused and spoke indistinctly, spraying crumbs as he talked.

"That Pirate Hunter, the kid suspected of being a Devil Fruit user."

Sengoku let out a cold snort.

Ordinarily, this matter wouldn't have reached him; in the grand scheme of the Navy's complex affairs, it wasn't a major issue.

But because it involved Garp, it had been sent up to him.

He had seen that Garp had found Dunn and been rejected, yet Garp's report claimed he hadn't found the person.

Someone was lying, and it wasn't hard to guess who.

"Ahahaha, Sengoku, you mean that kid."

Garp, however, acted as if it were nothing and laughed heartily.

"Didn't you say you didn't find him?"

Watching the laughing Garp, Sengoku asked with a gloomy face.

"It's all the same, the kid refused anyway."

Garp waved his hand dismissively.

"You can ask again if he refuses, you bastard!"

Sengoku was at his wit's end.

"I can tell, that kid has no interest in the Navy."

Garp thought back to the young man who had spoken about the Celestial Dragons and waved his hand again, looking indifferent.

"Then how is that kid's strength?"

Sengoku took a few deep breaths, suppressing his volatile temper before asking.

"Hard to tell, but he should be quite strong."

Garp thought for a moment and shook his head.

They hadn't fought, but the moment he arrived, the boy had arrived too; he must have sensed him in advance, likely through Observation Haki.

In a place like the East Blue, anyone who could master Haki was no weakling, let alone a kid of such a young age.

"Forget it. Go back to the East Blue. The kid is at the 16th Branch now; go and bring him back."

Sengoku issued a direct order.

"He doesn't want to join the Navy."

"We cannot let a Devil Fruit user run wild on the seas, especially one so young. If he becomes a pirate in the future, he'll be another headache."

"There are plenty of Devil Fruit users on the sea."

Garp stiffened his neck and stared back at Sengoku.

"The Navy's ideals will change him."

Sengoku's tone softened slightly.

Garp was taken aback by these words, his expression turning speechless.

That brat hated the Celestial Dragons, much like he did himself.

Join the Navy?

That brat would certainly never agree to it.

Although they had only met once, Garp could sense it clearly.

"I've got it!"

Garp thought for a moment and stood up.

"If you can't find him, don't bother coming back."

Seeing Garp rise, Sengoku spoke instinctively.

"Really?"

Garp's departing footsteps faltered, and he spun around, his face full of joy.

Sengoku slapped his own forehead.

"Fake. Get out there and bring him back immediately."

Garp looked disappointed, waved his hand, and left.

Sengoku wore a look of helplessness.

That guy!

"Charge, boys!"

A pirate ship surged down from Reverse Mountain at breakneck speed.

Arlong the Fish-Man stood at the bow, his face full of arrogance.

On his ship, every Fish-Man wore an expression of excitement.

Arlong had painted a grand vision for these Fish-Men of conquering the East Blue before returning to the Grand Line, leaving them incredibly pumped.

Reverse Mountain was the only way for ordinary people to reach the Grand Line; for pirates, it was either traverse the terrifying Calm Belt or take Reverse Mountain.

There were not many ways to return to the Four Blues from the Grand Line.

But the method pirates could use was to wait for the rare reversal of the ocean currents, at which point the direction of the flow would flip.

Only then could they sail their ships from the Grand Line back to the Four Blues.