You're Really Good at Laying Low

"Me?"

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

"Tch! I'm not a swordsman. How would I know about that sort of thing?"

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

Garp was stunned by the question. He was a master of physical combat, and at his peak, calling him the ceiling of this world would not have been an exaggeration.

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

"During my training, every small improvement filled me with joy. Little by little, 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 prowess, there's probably no one in this world who can surpass you. But if we're talking about the end of the road, I'm afraid you haven't reached it yet!"

Garp burst out laughing when he heard Dongze's words!

"This is the first time I've heard such praise from a junior! You're right. When it comes to pure physical prowess, I've never been impressed by anyone!"

"But your dream won't be easy! It's even more difficult than Roger's dream back then!"

"The Pirate King?"

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

"Haha~~"

Dongze narrowed his eyes when he heard Garp's words and glanced at him. Seeing the old man's carefree, thickheaded appearance, he couldn't help finding it amusing.

If he knew that his beloved grandson would one day set foot on that path, who knew what kind of expression he would have? But judging from his carefree nature, he probably wouldn't care.

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

When he heard Dongze's words, Garp's expression changed from how it had been before, becoming somewhat solemn.

"That man?"

"When did you meet him?"

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

Garp felt secretly delighted at those words. Monkey D. Dragon was his own son. "Hmph! He's just an ignorant bastard who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

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

Dongze laughed twice at Garp's words and helplessly shook his head.

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

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

If Garp hadn't truly lost his temper, there was no way it would have turned out like that.

As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon probably cared quite a lot about his image.

If that mark could have been removed, he absolutely wouldn't have allowed it to remain on his face.

So when Monkey D. Dragon left the Marines, Garp must have taken action—and he had definitely gone all out.

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

That was why, when introducing his old man to Luffy later on, he didn't feel ashamed of him. He looked as though he didn't care at all.

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

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

Dongze's final slashing attack infused with Sword Intent had made him extremely curious. He had seen plenty of slashing attacks, but even Roger's slashing attack back then hadn't given him this feeling.

Roger's slashing attack had been the ultimate Conqueror's Haki Coating technique, "Divine Departure!"

It could attack the target's body directly without touching their weapon, making it the greatest swordsman's technique of all.

But Dongze's attack had not contained Conqueror's Haki Coating, yet its power had not been inferior to his own ultimate technique in the slightest. It had even faintly carried the abilities of the Shichibukai, Sand Crocodile Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit.

Its power had been increased 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 was silent for a moment after hearing that. He drew Forgotten Dust from his waist and extended it toward Garp.

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

Dongze said softly, "Old man, take a look. What's different about this weapon compared to the ones you usually see?"

At Dongze's words, Garp's gaze immediately fell upon Forgotten Dust.

Slowly, his expression became somewhat puzzled.

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

"The edge can attack the enemy, while the back can defend. They're balanced between offense and defense!"

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

Dongze silently nodded at Garp's words.

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

"The move I used earlier was something I comprehended myself. (A little shameless, I know. Without the Golden Finger's enhancement, comprehending Sword Intent after observing the scenery once would truly 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 just more closely suited to my weapon!"

Garp fell silent after hearing Dongze's words.

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

Even Conqueror's Haki Coating, the pinnacle application of Conqueror's Haki, could be mastered by only a handful of people in this world. Not to mention another power entirely.

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

Chapter Forty-One: You're Really Good at Laying Low

"Kid! Let me give you a piece of advice. Stay away from that little girl!"

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

Garp rarely showed such a serious expression. "With talent like yours, reaching the peak is only a matter of time. But as the last survivor of Ohara, she has attracted too much attention!"

"Not just the World Government—even people within the Marines are watching her!"

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

Dongze's gaze sharpened. "Is it Cipher Pol, or..."

Garp looked at him in surprise. "I didn't expect you to know about that too!"

"But the truly terrifying ones aren't those Cipher Pol agents. The strongest members of Cipher Pol have Admiral-level strength, but they've been stationed in the Holy Land for years and rarely leave! As for the others, they probably can't threaten you now!"

"The truly terrifying ones in the World Government are those five old monsters. The outside world generally calls them the Five Elders! They're the World Government's public rulers right now."

"I've seen them more than once over the years. Even at my peak, I could feel the pressure those five old monsters brought me!"

"Their strength is unknown, but they're at least stronger than ordinary Marine Admirals! And who knows whether they possess some special abilities, or whether they've eaten Devil Fruits with special powers!"

"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 capsize in the gutter. If those five make a move, things will probably end badly!"

Dongze's brows knitted tightly when he heard this.

As the World Government's trump cards, the Five Elders had already been the subject of his speculation. There was no doubt that the five old men were powerful. They were probably just as Garp had said: they had most likely eaten Devil Fruits, and all of them were top-tier Fruits connected to the World Rules.

In the original story, the ultimate target of Luffy's group might be those five old fellows. And beyond them, there was still a hidden big shot—Imu, the greatest backer of the Celestial Dragons.

But those five old men valued their lives greatly. Even when the world had been thrown into chaos, they had never left the Holy Land. One man alone, carrying a survivor of Ohara, shouldn't be enough to make them act.

Besides, there were still quite a few people in this world who knew about the Void Century. Several members of the Roger Pirates had read the Poneglyphs of Laugh Tale together with Roger, and Rayleigh himself had personally acknowledged 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 history, what impact could it have on them?"

"You've seen through things clearly enough, kid, but that doesn't mean they won't act!"

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

"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 this little girl all these years!"

Dongze slowly clenched both fists. "Aokiji?"

"Old man, does that mean I still can't fight him?"

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

"His physical prowess is also very impressive. Unlike Kizaru, he isn't severely lacking in any area. Among the Admirals, he's one of the strongest!"

"To be honest, you two have never had a real fight, so it's truly difficult to say who would win!"

Their conversation did not avoid Robin, and she had been silently listening from the side the entire time.

From when Dongze and Garp had begun discussing their dreams to the present, when they were talking about her situation, Robin fell silent as she watched Dongze sink into thought.

She quietly waited for fate to make its choice.

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

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

There were no pirates, Pirate Hunters, or Marines watching her. She could read the books she loved, admire the majesty of the sea, and experience a freedom she had never known before. Life seemed to have become beautiful.

Moreover, her current master's way of doing things suited her quite well, and he also knew the location of the Poneglyphs.

To be honest, for a moment, she had felt some resentment. It was this old man in front of her who had shattered everything. If not for him, none of this would have happened.

It had taken so long for someone to accept her despite her identity as the Devil Child, only for a sudden battle to destroy it all. To her, this was undoubtedly an unprecedented blow. But that trace of displeasure soon faded, because she knew that what he had said was completely correct. Too many eyes were focused on her, and one wrong move could bring disaster to the people beside her.

Yet her heart suddenly clenched painfully. If she had never possessed something, she would never have felt heartache. But having embraced something beautiful, 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 was right. Perhaps I really will bring disaster and misfortune to you!"

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

Feeling Dongze's gaze, she unconsciously said softly, "Mm!"

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

Not to mention that he needed Robin's ability to decipher the Poneglyphs, how could he possibly throw away the meat that had already reached his mouth?

"Mm!"

Looking at Dongze's eyes, as firm as a mountain, Robin softly hummed again. But this time, her answer was clearly much more resolute.

"Aokiji! I'm looking 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 just living on a reputation and unable to satisfy you?"

Garp laughed heartily. "That kid is no simple character. But his path doesn't lie with the Marines. It's truly exciting! I wonder what kind of changes that little fellow will bring to this world!"

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

Thinking of that kid's arrogant face before they left, a sly smile appeared on Garp's face. You dare act tough in front of me? I'll have to teach you a lesson and show you what it means to leave well enough alone.

"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 is it?"

"A Pirate Hunter named Dongze!"

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

"There's nothing special about him. But I found a special person aboard his ship. Guess who it is?"