Dragon Breaks the Cage

Marine Headquarters · Underground Detention Center.

The dim passage stretched downward, its stone walls mottled and worn by time. The air was filled with a cold, oppressive atmosphere.

Garp stopped before the cell at the very end.

Behind the pitch-black iron bars, a Marine soldier was shackled.

His hands hung at his sides, his head lowered deeply, as though he were deliberately keeping his distance from the world—or avoiding something he could not bear to face.

Garp wore a Vice Admiral's uniform, his cloak of justice hanging quietly behind him.

He did not speak immediately. He merely stood outside the bars, his gaze complex and heavy.

After a long while.

The figure inside the cell finally broke the silence, his voice cold.

"Dad..."

"I'm leaving the Marines."

Garp did not open his eyes. He merely answered.

"...Yeah."

As though he had expected it all along, the cell fell silent for a brief moment.

Then, the soldier kept his head lowered, but his voice gradually became tinged with suppressed anger.

"Or rather..."

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a blade as it stabbed straight at Garp, openly revealing his disappointment and disgust.

"I despise you!"

Garp's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he still kept his eyes closed and acted unconcerned as he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"Yeah, yeah..."

Garp raised his hand and casually tossed two things through the iron bars.

Clatter.

The crisp sound was especially piercing in the empty cell.

A key, and—

A strange fruit.

Dragon's eyes fell on the key first. He showed no surprise, as though he had long known that this cell door had never truly been able to hold him.

But when his gaze shifted to the fruit, he could not help but freeze.

Its