Luffy, how can you become the Pirate King if you don't work hard!

Garp seemed completely oblivious to anything amiss, and plopped down on the empty ground next to Luffy, ignoring the dust on the ground.

His sudden seriousness made those around him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"You brat,"

Garp's smile faded as he looked at Luffy, his tone unusually serious, "Do you know how much trouble you've caused this time?"

Luffy followed suit, sitting cross-legged with a nonchalant expression: "So what if we declare war on the World Government? It's their fault for always targeting Robin!"

The scene before us was truly bizarre.

A pirate who had just declared war on the World Government and had a bounty of 660 million Berries was sitting and chatting with Garp, the Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, known as the Iron Fist, without any awkwardness.

If tea and snacks were placed on the side, an uninformed person might think this was a friendly tea party between the navy and pirates.

Can pirates and marines sit together, drink, and chat?

To be honest, some people within the Navy had previously suspected that Garp and Roger had done this.

However, the continuous stream of news made some newly transferred naval soldiers under Garp's command stare in disbelief, feeling as if their worldview was collapsing.

Vice Admiral Garp has a grandson who's a pirate?!

Or the pirate who recently made headlines within the Navy.

However, Bogart, a long-time subordinate of Garp, was not surprised by this.

Garp returns to Windmill Village in East Blue every year for a vacation, and many of them have seen Luffy as a child.

Luffy even waved to Bogart from afar, flashing a bright smile: "Uncle Bogart, you're here too!"

Bogart, who had been keeping his hat brim pulled low and expressionless, heard this and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly upwards as he nodded slightly to Luffy.

This left the surrounding naval soldiers speechless.

The usually cold and taciturn adjutant, Bogart, actually smiled?

Their connections are incredibly strong!

No wonder Rear Admiral Smoker, a tough guy who would kill every pirate he sees and send them all to Impel Down, is so well-behaved now.

Upon hearing Luffy's words, Garp subconsciously glanced at Robin, who was standing not far behind Luffy.

Was the disturbance at Judiciary Island all for a woman?

In this respect, they are nothing like the men of the Monkey family.

Paradoxically, Garp couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. While he and Dragon weren't particularly interested in matters of the heart, at least they knew to have children when they reached a certain age. But what about Luffy? He remembered how Luffy was completely oblivious to romantic feelings when he was young, and he had even worried that his family line would end.

But after only a few months, wow, three beautiful girls suddenly appeared in his life, and their relationships with each other were ambiguous.

The progress bar was so fast that even this old guy was caught off guard, and he almost thought that his seniority was about to be increased by another level.

But women are troublesome and scary!

Garp couldn't help but recall things from even further back, the Battle of God Valley, and how the once invincible Rocks, in a way, was ultimately swayed by a woman...

There was also the disintegration of the Rocks Pirates, and even the later Roger Pirates.

Sigh, never mind, these old stories give me a headache just thinking about them.

Garp shook his head, clearing his mind of those distractions, and looked at Luffy again, his tone becoming even more serious: "Declaring war on the World Government is nothing, I've done far more serious things back in the day! Enies Lobby and the Buster Call are nothing either, there are plenty of heinous criminals on the seas."

Luffy couldn't help but laugh, "Grandpa, are you going to take the blame for all of this?"

Garp was so angry he almost had a brain hemorrhage.

I've seen people who are a pain in the neck, but I've never seen anyone who's a pain in the neck.

Garp roared, "What a joke! I am your sworn enemy!"

Luffy looked like he'd heard it all before, "I know, I know, Grandpa, what's the rush?"

"The most serious thing right now is,"

Garp raised his fist and then lowered it. "The strength you've shown is enough to go toe-to-toe with Aokiji, even if it's just a brief exchange. This has already made the Navy Headquarters, no, the highest levels of the World Government, keep their eyes fixed on you!"

The Admirals are the highest-ranking military force in the Navy Headquarters, symbolizing the World Government's absolute military deterrence.

It's astonishing that Luffy, a greenhorn who hasn't been around for long and whose bounty has only been issued for a few months, already has the qualifications to compete with an admiral, or even just barely hold his own.

If we let him grow up unchecked, what will happen in a few years?

Is another monster, like the Four Emperors, about to reign supreme over the new world on this vast ocean?

This is undoubtedly a boulder thrown into a calm lake, which will inevitably cause huge waves to rise in the current fragile balance of the ocean.

Moreover, Aokiji personally verified that Luffy possesses the kingly aura of one in a million, which destined him to be extraordinary, not to mention the intricate network of relationships behind him.

Does the world of One Piece disregard human relationships?

What a joke! You just haven't reached the level where you're concerned with social niceties.

Smoker, who was listening nearby, interjected with a strange expression, "Hey, old man, is this kind of internal assessment and concern something you can say in front of the people involved?"

Does this old man have any sense of confidentiality at all?

Garp paused for a moment upon hearing this, then touched his spiky hair as if suddenly realizing something, revealing a simple and honest expression of understanding:

"Oh! So this is something that can't be said! Hahaha, then everyone just pretend you didn't hear it, forget about it! Forget about it!"

The surrounding sailors and shipwrights nearly fainted on the spot from his extremely irresponsible remarks.

Luffy dismissed Garp's internal concerns, grinning confidently, "I hate to admit it, but I'm still a ways off from that ice-faced old man."

He clenched his fist, his eyes burning, "But I'll close that gap soon!"

Garp gave Luffy a deep look and said, "No one doubts your potential, brat. That's precisely why even more troublesome things are coming your way."

Rumors are circulating within the Navy that you are being vaguely referred to as a candidate for the fifth Emperor of the Sea.

"Emperor of the Sea?"

Luffy blinked, puzzled by the unfamiliar word.

He glanced around, and everyone was so shocked by the news that they were speechless.

Garp explained with a serious expression:

"It seems you have no concept of the Emperor of the Sea."

To put it simply, it refers to pirates like Shanks, the one who corrupted you.

Shanks is one of the four pirates who stand shoulder to shoulder with Whitebeard Edward Newgate at the pinnacle of the seas. In the latter half of the Grand Line, known as the New World, they reign like emperors, and are known to the world as the Four Emperors!

He paused, then continued, "The only forces that can rival the power of these four emperors are our Navy Headquarters and the Seven Warlords of the Sea system."

These three forces check and balance each other, maintaining a delicate balance in the world. Once this balance is broken, it will unleash a tremendous force capable of upheaval that could turn the entire world upside down.

And now, you—Monkey D. Luffy—because of the potential you've shown and the enormous impact you've had, are seen by some as a force that could potentially break the balance and become the fifth Emperor of the Sea!

Luffy automatically ignored the earlier remarks about the balance threat; his attention was completely drawn to the words "just like Shanks."

"Oh? Not bad, those guys have good taste." Luffy laughed and said, "So, I've become a pirate like Shanks too?"

He had not forgotten the promise he made to Shanks when he was a child.

I will do it. One day I will lead a group of people who are no less capable than Shanks to meet him.

Seeing Luffy's smug expression, Garp was furious. He delivered another powerful punch to Luffy's head, instantly creating a large bump.

"What are you thinking, you brat! The title of Emperor of the Sea is far from being right for you!"

However, Luffy and Garp's conversation about the Four Emperors and the Fifth Emperor left everyone listening in a state of shock and stunned.

Besides the person in question, quite a few important figures are also involved!

Vivi instinctively covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Luffy actually has such a deep relationship with such a legendary figure.

So, does that mean Shanks was his mentor?

Nami quickly mentally analyzed the astonishing network of relationships behind Luffy, and couldn't help but swallow hard.

Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, is a guide for pirates.

His grandfather was Vice Admiral Garp, a hero of the Navy Headquarters.

That very polite Fire Fist Ace is the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors.

The background information is incredibly complex and hardcore.

Anyone who still says Luffy is just a rookie pirate from the East Blue is definitely out of their mind.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing."

Garp seemed to suddenly remember the real reason he came here. He slapped his forehead and asked Luffy, "I came here mainly to ask if you've met your bastard father yet? He contacted me before and said he saw you off in Loguetown."

Do I even have a father?

"Of course I do, you brat!"

Garp's forehead veins bulged out in a cross shape, and he slammed down another punch: "How did you come into being without a father? Did you spring out of a rock?!"

"That's quite possible." Nami covered her face.

This punch seemed to have unlocked something in Luffy's mind. He rubbed the fresh bump on his head and suddenly realized, "I remember now, back in Loguetown, I met an old man wearing a green cloak."

"Eh?"

Nami exclaimed in surprise, her beautiful eyes widening, "That scary-looking guy is Luffy's father?! He never said that!"

Has she and Luffy already met each other's parents?

Chapter 233 Luffy vs. Garp, Clash of Conqueror's Haki

"Puhaha,"

Garp grinned, revealing a slightly mischievous smile: "He didn't say? Maybe he was afraid of scaring you, little girls. After all, his name is quite intimidating in this sea."

Nami instinctively asked, "What's his name?"