Why Join the Navy?

The boundless blue sea stretched to the horizon, a golden route extending straight ahead as the Dog-Head Battleship cleaved through the waves like a colossal sea beast beneath the sunlight.

Marine Headquarters was already close ahead—

On the return voyage, as the warship passed an unnamed deserted island, Garp suddenly sprang to his feet with a "smack."

The next second, his eyes lit up like a wolf spotting prey. "Hey!! Kid!! Get down there and fight me!!!"

Before his words had even faded, he had already grabbed Rock from his deck chair with one hand and slung him over his shoulder like a chicken.

Rock was still struggling. "Hey, hey, hey~ At least give me some time to prepare!!!"

"Prepare my ass!"

Garp burst into laughter, swinging his massive hand. "Get in there!!!"

Boom—!!!

Rock was thrown into the center of the deserted island, lightning erupting the instant he hit the ground.

Then—

Thunder roared! Iron fists bellowed!

Boom—!!!

Thud—!!!

Rumble, rumble, rumble—!!!

The entire island was instantly battered back and forth by two calamity-level forces.

A bolt of lightning pierced down from the sky through the forest, and the next moment, Garp's iron fist smashed a massive crater into the ground.

On the warship far offshore, the soldiers watched with pale faces. "Is that... really something humans can do?!"

"Lightning and thunder... the earth splitting and mountains collapsing... Is this a battle? This is a natural disaster!!!"

Bogard, the adjutant, furrowed his brow tightly, an incredulous expression appearing on his face for the first time.

"This kid actually made Vice Admiral Garp get serious..."

Half a day later, the island's terrain looked like a cake cut into eight pieces, while charred leaves drifted through the sky.

And the culprit behind all of it... was lying by the shore, laughing up at the sky.

After that battle, the way Garp looked at Rock changed completely.

From an "interesting brat" to a "strategic-level treasure."

He praised him whenever he got the chance, utterly ignoring the looks on the surrounding soldiers' faces. "This kid's strength... damn!! It's incredible!! It's absurd!!"

"Unless I'm fighting to the death and use Conqueror's Haki Coating, I can't hold him down at all!"

"What's even more ridiculous is that if he wants to run, I can't even catch him!!! Hahahaha!!!"

What shocked Garp even more was Rock's physical toughness. Propping up his chin, he stared at Rock with a sly grin.

"Kid, what exactly is in that head of yours?"

"Lightning Body Tempering? How the hell did you even come up with something like that?"

"I can already imagine how badly you're going to scare Zephyr!! Hahahaha!!!"

Rock could only laugh awkwardly. "Uh... Brother Garp, aren't your iron fists the kind that collapse one mountain after another...?"

"That's just my muscles!!!"

The blue sea surged beneath the sunlight, golden ripples spreading layer upon layer with the waves.

The Dog-Head Battleship plowed through the sea. As the distance closed, Marineford's enormous white walls—the symbol of absolute justice—slowly emerged in their immense outline like a colossal beast sleeping on the horizon.

On deck, Garp and Rock stood side by side at the bow, silently watching the sea ahead.

The wind lifted Garp's cape and stirred several strands of hair beside Rock's ears.

Only the sound of waves echoed between them.

Suddenly, Garp tossed away the half-eaten rice cracker in his mouth, the usual carefree grin vanishing from his face.

His voice was low and hoarse. "...Rock."

Rock turned his head toward him. "Hm?"

Garp gazed at the massive fortress in the distance, the symbol of "absolute justice," his eyes profound.

"Why... do you want to join the Navy?"

He drew in a breath of sea-scented wind, as though carefully choosing his words.

"The Navy isn't as simple as you think."

"Justice, sometimes... gets used."

"Sometimes, we can't protect the people we want to protect;

and sometimes, we can't catch the people we should catch."

At that moment, Garp seemed to reveal a piece of reality he had kept buried in his heart.

There was no shouting, no laughter—only a heavy, weary statement.

Rock fell silent for a moment. The sea wind howled past his ears, as though scattering countless thoughts.

Then he spoke quietly. "Why join the Navy?"

He raised his eyes toward the distance, brilliant daylight reflected in his pupils.

"If I said it was just because I felt like it, would you believe me?"

"Just because you felt like it...?"

Garp froze for a moment, then lightly bumped Rock's shoulder with his fist.

"You little brat... Who joins the Navy for such a boring reason?"

But Rock merely chuckled and did not keep teasing him.

His next words, however, made Garp's entire body tremble slightly.

"As for the things you mentioned, I actually already know them."

Garp's smile froze. Rock raised a hand and lightly flicked his fingertips.

Snap—

A thread of lightning burst forth, but rather than spreading outward, it spiraled in Rock's palm as though completely tamed by him.

He looked calmly at the lightning in his hand. "My innate Observation Haki has allowed me to hear and see... the thoughts of most people since I was young."

"Coupled with the enhancement of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—"

"As long as I want to, every movement across an entire island falls within my perception."

As his words fell, Garp's breathing visibly stalled, while Rock's tone remained unhurried.

"So, I can see not only the malice lurking in pirates' hearts."

"I can also see the shadows and corruption in the hearts of certain Navy members."

"I can see people in the underworld twisted by blood and money."

He paused briefly, his gaze suddenly turning sharp. "Even—"

"The so-called Celestial Dragons."

The sea wind still howled, but the atmosphere was utterly different from before—heavy and turbulent, yet carrying an indescribable sense of anticipation.

Garp's fingers silently curled at his side. He turned to stare at Rock, realizing for the first time what was truly terrifying about this young man.

He was not merely a monster-level genius. He was also a dangerous existence capable of seeing through the world's "essence."

People like him... could never be bound.

Yet Rock smiled, that smile mingling wildness, freedom, danger, and a maturity far beyond his years.

"You worry too much."

"But I'm different."

He turned around, lightning dancing around his body like a Thunder Beast charging at full speed.

The sun shone over the side of his face, painting half his profile gold.

"I won't be bound by the World Government."

"Nor will I be led around by the nose by some vague concept like 'justice.'"

"And I definitely won't let anyone control me."

"The Navy—"

Then, he raised his hand and pointed toward the immense white fortress gradually emerging in the distance.

"Can give me a stage to roam the world."

"It's big enough, and interesting enough."

"There are plenty of monsters to encounter."

"And plenty of things to change."

His gaze abruptly became sharp, as if piercing through the entire sea. "I will—"

"Change this world in my own way."

Garp was silent for a long time.

The sea wind brushed past their clothes, stirred the waves, and set the enormous Navy flag in the distance snapping loudly.

He muttered softly, "You little brat..."

The corners of his mouth rose despite himself. Unable to suppress it no matter what, he simply burst into loud laughter.

"You're always half-serious and half-full-of-shit. It's damn irritating to listen to! Hahahaha!!!"

"But—"

Garp grinned, revealing his signature gleaming white teeth. "I like monsters like you!!!"

"I'm really looking forward to the day you turn the Navy upside down!"

Rock tilted his head and smiled. "That might not be a good thing."

"It's a good thing to me!!!"

"Hahahahahaha—!!!"

Their laughter sent flocks of seabirds scattering into the sky.

Amid that resounding laughter—

Whoosh—!!!

The sea mist was cut apart by the ship's bow, and an incomparably magnificent fortress rose as though from the very end of heaven and earth.

The white walls stood towering, while gigantic Navy flags snapped in the wind like thunder.

The harbor was packed with warships, and the chants of training recruits thundered in their ears.

Bogard stood at the bow, his expression solemn as he lowered the brim of his hat and murmured gravely.

"Marine Headquarters—Marineford,"

"We've arrived."