Garp Panicked

"Quit hemming and hawing!"

Garp glared at him. "If you've got something to say, spit it out."

Rubick swallowed. "You told me to say it, so here goes. What Luffy ate wasn't actually the Gum-Gum Fruit!"

Garp and Bogard exchanged a look. Then Garp laughed. "Kid, Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit over ten years ago, and now you're telling me he didn't?"

"When I copied his Devil Fruit power just now, I knew for certain it wasn't the Gum-Gum Fruit."

Rubick lowered his voice. "Vice Admiral Garp, have you ever heard of a fruit called the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika?"

"What did you say?!"

Garp's face went pale. "Where did you hear that name?"

"From Luffy. I thought it was the Gum-Gum Fruit too, but the moment I copied it—would you look at that? It was a Zoan fruit."

"How could this be? How?"

Garp was beside himself, but even Bogard wished he weren't there. If only he'd left earlier. Instead, he'd stayed and heard something explosive.

Bogard knew nothing about the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. But seeing his Vice Admiral in such a panic, he knew the fruit must conceal some earth-shattering secret.

"So that's it. That's it!"

Garp got up and paced for a while before sitting back down on the bed.

"No wonder Red-Hair went to steal a Devil Fruit. No wonder he brought it back to the East Blue and deliberately left it near Luffy. And he kept the thing in an ordinary wooden box without so much as a lock."

Garp gritted his teeth. "So that's what Red-Hair was after!"

If I took this information to the Underground Casino, couldn't I get ten billion for it? Bogard thought. After all, one of the Four Emperors had lost his dominant arm in the East Blue. Everyone wanted the inside story.

Rubick figured Garp was reading far too much into things. But what did that have to do with him?

Garp looked at Bogard, who immediately saluted. "Vice Admiral, you know me. My lips are sealed!"

Garp nodded, then turned to Rubick. "So your country's Prophet sent you to find that fruit?"

"Not exactly."

Rubick chose his words carefully. "The Prophet only told me that the Gum-Gum Fruit was the key to ending the Great Pirate Era. Who ate it didn't matter; only the fruit itself did. But now the Gum-Gum Fruit turns out to be the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, so I'm a little lost too."

Garp's expression turned grave. "From now on, don't mention the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika again. Just treat it as the Gum-Gum Fruit. If word gets out, you're both dead."

Rubick ventured, "Could you at least satisfy my curiosity?"

"No. Don't even think about it."

How could Garp tell him? The secret of the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika was guarded even more closely than Ohara's research.

Garp sighed. "Is it really fate?"

The old man's face was lined with weariness. "I trained Ace and Luffy from the time they were little, hoping they'd become Marines. But Ace went straight into piracy when he set sail, and I doubt I can talk Luffy out of it either. My son's no better. Is this heaven's punishment for me?"

"Oh, forget it."

Garp rose, looking dejected. "Kid, get off the ship. I won't interfere with Luffy anymore. If you've pinned your hopes on that fruit, then go ahead and do what you have to do. I'll have my regrets, but if you can end the Great Pirate Era, that wouldn't be so bad."

Rubick said, "Vice Admiral Garp, could you train me for a while? With just us, I doubt we'd make it far on the Grand Line."

"Not a chance."

Garp said, "Just keep using the Gum-Gum Fruit's power. Its properties will make your physical training twice as effective. All right, Bogard. Toss him off."

Garp left that afternoon. This visit home had been shorter than any before. He couldn't get the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika off his mind.

On the shore, Luffy waved goodbye to Garp.

"Grandpa's finally gone! Come on, mister, let's train!"

"Not so fast."

Rubick motioned for Luffy to sit with him so they could talk.

"You want to be a Pirate?"

Luffy pointed at himself. "I don't just want to be a Pirate. I'm going to be the Pirate King!"

Only then did Rubick explain what he had in mind. "Then you'll need to find some crewmates, won't you?"

Luffy gave it a rare moment of serious thought, then said, "Mister, would you join my crew? I don't even have a ship yet, but I'm definitely going to be the Pirate King!"

"You're inviting me aboard just like that?"

Luffy grinned, showing a full set of white teeth. "Because I know you're a good guy, mister, and you're fun. Being able to copy other people's Devil Fruit powers is especially cool!"

Rubick smiled too. "Then, Luffy, Loguetown is the gateway to the Grand Line. If you set sail next year, I'll meet you before you reach it. If you still want me aboard then, I'll say yes."

"Really? Mister, you'd actually join my crew?"

Luffy knew he had nothing to offer right now. He hadn't expected Rubick to accept.

"I came to the East Blue looking for a captain who could take me into the Grand Line," Rubick said. "And now I think you have what it takes. You're ready to face whatever danger comes your way."

Rubick looked him in the eye. "Tell me, Luffy. Will you become the Pirate King?"

Luffy shouted back with equal conviction, "I, Luffy, will definitely become the Pirate King!"

"Good! That's the spirit. Now let's get training!"

"Then you have to teach me Gear Second."

"Your body isn't strong enough yet. If you force it, you'll pass out after a few minutes, just like I did."

"Fine. Let's do combat training, then."

Luffy eagerly took a fighting stance. "I used to train with my two sworn brothers, but they've both gone out to sea. Training alone only gets me so far. Having you here is great, mister!"

Rubick swung his arms, still not quite used to their rubbery elasticity. "Then come at me. Punches won't hurt either of us much, but wearing ourselves out is the best kind of training!"

Luffy stepped forward, extending his right fist. "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"

Rubick slipped aside and caught Luffy's arm.

"Luffy, if I had a blade in my hand, you'd have lost this arm."

"But you don't have a blade. That's why I attacked like that."

Luffy yanked his arm back, dragging Rubick along with it.

Rubick burst out laughing. "Then take a rubber bullet from me too!"