Pirate: My Proficiency Revealed, I Became a Legend

"Me?"

"Old man, do you know what lies at the end of Swordsmanship?"

"Tch! I'm not a swordsman. How would I know?"

"Then do you know what lies at the end of physical techniques?"

At those words, Garp froze. He was a master of physical techniques, and at his peak, it wouldn't have been an exaggeration to call him the ceiling of this world.

But if they were talking about the end, he was still far from it!

"During my training, every small improvement filled me with joy. Slowly, I began wanting to see what kind of scenery awaited me at the end of this path!"

"My pursuit isn't to become the World's Strongest. To me, that has no practical meaning!"

"Take you, for example. When it comes to pure physical techniques, there's probably no one in this world better than you anymore. But if we're talking about the end, I'm afraid you haven't reached it yet!"

Hearing Dongze's words, Garp laughed heartily!

"This is the first time I've heard such praise from a junior! You're right. When it comes to pure physical techniques, I really haven't acknowledged anyone as my equal!"

"But your dream isn't simple! It's even more difficult than Roger's dream back then!"

"The Pirate King?"

"Yeah! But back then, I never expected that guy to actually conquer the sea in the end!"

"Haha~~"

Hearing Garp's words, Dongze narrowed his eyes and glanced at him. Seeing the old man's carefree, thick-skinned look, he couldn't help finding it amusing.

If Garp knew that his beloved grandson would one day embark on that path, who knew what kind of expression he would wear? Still, judging by his carefree nature, he probably wouldn't care.

"Actually, I've met Monkey Dragon before!"

At Dongze's words, Garp's previous expression changed completely, turning somewhat solemn.

"That man?"

"When did you meet him?"

"A long time ago. He's truly an extraordinary man!"

Hearing this, Garp felt secretly delighted. Monkey Dragon was his own son. "Hmph! He's just an ignorant bastard who doesn't know his place!"

"Kid, let me tell you this: the World Government isn't as simple as you imagine. Don't listen to that bastard and get yourself dragged onto a pirate ship!"

Hearing Garp's words, Dongze chuckled twice and shook his head helplessly.

Perhaps Garp had strongly opposed his son's choice at first. Monkey Dragon's face had even been tattooed by his old man with the sole of a shoe.

And judging from its appearance, it couldn't be wiped off.

If Garp hadn't really lost his temper, it never would have turned out that way.

As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey Dragon should have cared quite a bit about his image.

If the mark could have been erased, he certainly wouldn't have let it remain on his face.

So when Monkey Dragon left the Marines, Garp must have intervened—and he must have used a very heavy hand.

But as time passed and he came into contact with more and more of the World Government's darkness, Garp might have eventually come to accept his son's choice.

That was why, when introducing his son to Luffy later, he didn't seem ashamed of him. Instead, he looked as though he didn't care at all.

"By the way, that technique you used earlier was strange. What exactly was going on? Can you tell me about it?"

Garp knew the subject was sensitive, so he changed the topic.

Dongze's final Slashing infused with Sword Intent had made him intensely curious. He had seen plenty of Slashing before, but even Roger's Slashing hadn't given him this feeling.

Roger's Slashing was the ultimate technique of Conqueror's Haki infusion—"Divine Departure!"

It could strike the opponent's body directly without touching their weapon, making it the pinnacle of a swordsman's techniques.

But Dongze's attack hadn't contained Conqueror's Haki infusion, yet its power wasn't inferior to Garp's own ultimate technique. It even faintly carried the ability of that Shichibukai, the Sand-Sand Fruit of Sand Crocodile Crocodile.

Its power had been increased by dozens of times, and its range was astonishingly vast.

As for the secret technique Dongze had used earlier, the special state of Hidden Light, Sitting in Forgetfulness, Garp had never even heard of it.

Dongze fell silent for a moment before drawing Forgotten Dust from his waist and extending it toward Garp.

Garp was confused and froze slightly. "Kid, what are you doing?"

Dongze said softly, "Old man, take a look. How is this weapon of mine different from what you usually see?"

Hearing Dongze's words, Garp's gaze immediately fell on Forgotten Dust.

Slowly, his expression became puzzled.

"It is indeed different. Of all the weapons I've seen, whether they were Twelve Supreme Grade Blades, Twenty-One Great Grade Swords, or Fifty Skillful Grade Swords, they were all single-edged!"

"The edge attacks enemies, while the back defends. They're equally suited to offense and defense!"

"But your weapon has two edges! It only pursues offense and killing! It's even more dangerous than the cursed blades I've seen before!"

Hearing Garp's words, Dongze nodded silently.

"You're right, old man. But a weapon is ultimately just a weapon. What it becomes in the end depends on the person wielding it!"

"The technique I used earlier was something I comprehended myself. (I'm being a little shameless here. Without the Golden Finger's enhancement, comprehending Sword Intent after observing a single scene would really be absurd.) I call it Sword Intent!"

"Sword Intent?"

"To put it simply, it's a kind of will, like your Conqueror's Haki. Sword Intent is simply more closely suited to my weapon!"

Hearing Dongze's words, Garp fell silent.

Although Dongze made it sound simple, Garp could guess how difficult it actually was to execute.

Even the pinnacle application of Conqueror's Haki, Conqueror's Haki infusion, could be mastered by only a handful of people in this world. How much more difficult was it to master something else entirely?

After a long while, Garp sighed quietly. "A heaven-gifted genius. Perhaps you really can go and see what kind of scenery awaits at the end of Swordsmanship!"

You're Really Good at Lying Low

"Kid! Let me give you some advice. Stay away from that little girl!"

"Old man? Why are you saying that too..."

Garp rarely showed such a solemn expression. "Since you possess such talent, reaching the peak is only a matter of time. But as the last survivor of Ohara, she's attracted too much attention!"

"Not only the World Government—even people in the Marines are watching her!"

"Although your strength is decent now, it's still not enough to protect her!"

Dongze's gaze sharpened. "CP, or..."

Hearing this, Garp looked him over in surprise. "I didn't expect you to know even about that!"

"But the truly terrifying ones aren't those CP agents. The strongest among the CP agents possess the strength of an Admiral, but they've been stationed in the Holy Land for years and rarely leave. As for the others, they probably can't threaten you right now!"

"The truly terrifying figures in the World Government are those five old geezers. The outside world generally calls them the Five Elders! They're the World Government's public rulers at present."

"I've seen them more than once over the years. Even at the peak of my strength, I could feel the pressure those five old geezers put on me!"

"Their strength is unknown, but they possess at least enough power to surpass ordinary Marine Admirals! And we don't even know whether they have some special ability among them, or whether they've eaten some Devil Fruit with a special power!"

"You have to understand that the entire World Government stands behind them! It wouldn't be strange if they had collected some special fruits. If you face them, you could easily overturn in the gutter. If those five make a move, things will probably end badly!"

Hearing this, Dongze's brows knitted tightly.

As the World Government's trump card, the Five Elders had also been the subject of his speculation before now. There was no doubt that the five old men were powerful. They had probably eaten Devil Fruits, just as Garp had said—and likely the highest-grade fruits, ones connected to the laws of the world.

In the original story, the final target of King Luffy's crew might have been those five old bastards. And beyond them stood another hidden great figure—Imu, the Celestial Dragons' greatest backer.

But those five old bastards cherished their lives dearly. Even when the world had been thrown into chaos, they had never left the Holy Land. One man, together with a survivor of Ohara, shouldn't be enough to make them act.

Besides, there were still some people in this world who knew about the hundred years of history. Several members of the Roger Pirates had read the historical Poneglyph on Laugh Tale with Roger, and Rayleigh himself had personally admitted it.

"That can't be right! Even when Dragon caused that much trouble, they didn't act, did they? Besides, I'm alone. Even if I know about that forgotten history, how does it affect them?"

"You do see things clearly, kid, but that doesn't mean they won't act!"

"And there's another matter. It's already pressing!"

"Aokiji has come to the East Blue! At first, I thought his target was me, but now that I think about it, it should be her!"

"If you continue keeping her with you, then you'll have no choice but to face Aokiji next!"

"I know that he's been watching that little girl all these years!"

Dongze slowly clenched both fists. "Aokiji?"

"Old man, am I really still unable to fight him?"

Garp's face darkened. "I know that brat Aokiji fairly well. As an Ice-Ice Fruit user, he's developed his Devil Fruit ability to an extremely profound level. His ultimate technique, Ice Age, can even freeze the sea, and the ice can remain for an entire week!"

"His physical techniques are also extremely impressive. Unlike Kizaru, who is severely lacking in certain areas, he isn't seriously unbalanced. Among the Admirals, his strength is considered top-notch!"

"To be honest, the two of you haven't truly fought before, so it's genuinely difficult to say who would win!"

The conversation between the two hadn't been kept from Robin, who had been quietly listening from the side the entire time.

From the moment Dongze and Garp began discussing their dreams to the moment they started talking about her situation, Robin had remained silent as she watched Dongze sink into thought.

She quietly waited for fate to decide.

Although her face remained calm and unruffled, her heart was still in turmoil, and the small hand resting at her side was clenched tightly.

These days with Dongze had been, without a doubt, the most peaceful and beautiful days she had ever experienced.

Without the eyes of pirates, Pirate Hunters, and the Marines upon her, she could read the books she loved, admire the vastness of the sea, and experience a freedom she had never known before. Life seemed to have become beautiful.

On top of that, this new master of hers acted in a way that suited her quite well, and he even knew the whereabouts of the historical Poneglyph.

To be honest, for a brief moment, she had felt a little resentful. It was this old man before her who had shattered everything. If it weren't for him, none of this would have happened.

After finally finding someone who didn't despise her status as the Devil Child and was willing to accept her, everything had now been shattered by a sudden battle. It was an unprecedented blow to her. But that trace of displeasure quickly faded, because she knew the other party was completely right. Too much attention had gathered on her, and the slightest mistake could bring disaster upon those around her.

Yet her heart suddenly clenched painfully. If one had never possessed something, one would never feel the pain of losing it. But after embracing such beauty, how could she bear to give it up?

Watching the warship sail away, Robin looked at Dongze in confusion.

"Mr. Dongze, what Vice Admiral Garp said earlier was right. Perhaps I'll bring disaster and misfortune upon you!"

Dongze's gaze was deep as he looked at her. "Nico Robin, do you believe in me?"

Feeling Dongze's gaze, she answered softly without thinking, "Mm!"

"Then put your mind at ease! You don't need to worry about Aokiji. We'll deal with soldiers with generals and water with earth. Just be my housekeeper. Leave the rest to me!"

Not to mention that Robin's ability to decipher historical Poneglyphs was something he needed. Besides, once the meat was in his mouth, could he really throw it away?

"Mm!"

Looking at the mountain-steady resolve in Dongze's eyes, Robin hummed again. This time, however, her answer was clearly much firmer.

"Aokiji! I look forward to meeting you!!"

After returning to the warship, Bogard couldn't help asking Garp about the situation. "Vice Admiral Garp! What about that Pirate Hunter? Was he all reputation and unable to satisfy you?"

Garp laughed heartily. "That kid is no simple character. But his path doesn't lie with the Marines. I'm truly looking forward to it! What kind of changes will that little fellow bring to this world?"

"By the way, where's the Den Den Mushi? I have something to say to Aokiji..."

Remembering the arrogant look on that kid's face before he left, a wicked smile appeared on Garp's face. Daring to show off in front of me? I'll teach you a lesson and show you what it means to know when to quit.

"Hello! Vice Admiral Garp!"

"Aokiji, you've reached the East Blue, right?"

"Mm! I just arrived in Loguetown!"

"I'm over here on Jaya Island in the Grand Line. I ran into an interesting kid!"

"Oh? Who?"

"A Pirate Hunter named Dongze!"

"A Pirate Hunter? What's special about him?"

"There's nothing special about him, but I found someone special on his ship. Guess who it was?"