One Piece: Blue Scale Admiral

Even though he had been stabbed through the throat by Rayleigh's fingers on Amazon Lily, and had lost a lot of blood.

I should be dead.

But why, when he woke up, did he not see the underworld or the hell, nor Roger and Ace, but instead Marineford's hospital and his two disciples, who looked exhausted and were fast asleep?

Garp raised his right hand in a daze, wanting to touch his throat to confirm that the life-or-death battle with Rayleigh earlier was not a dream.

But his right hand felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead, and even lifting it was extremely difficult.

The arm with several IV tubes attached had just been raised halfway when it fell heavily back down, causing the IV drip and blood bags standing next to the hospital bed to tumble and crash to the ground.

The sudden noise startled Koby and Bellmare from their sleep.

When the two opened their tired eyes and saw that Garp had already woken up, tears of excitement instantly welled up in their eyes.

Coby, sobbing, rushed to Garp's side, excitedly grabbing his hand and shouting in a distorted voice, "Vice Admiral Garp! You're awake? That's wonderful! You're finally awake! Waaah, I almost thought, I thought it was you..."

Seeing Koby burst into tears of excitement, a guilty smile finally appeared on Garp's blank face.

He said weakly, "I'm sorry to have worried you, Koby."

"It's alright, it's alright, as long as you're alright. I, I'll contact Marshal Zhan Guo right away."

Koby shook his head vigorously, wiped away his snot and tears haphazardly, and pulled out a Den Den Mushi to make a call.

Soon, within minutes, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard in the corridor outside.

"Is Garp awake? Coby."

Before the Warring States people even arrived, an aged voice came from outside the door.

The ward door was quickly pushed open, and several people hurriedly walked in. The leader was Sengoku, and there was also Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Rorschach, Kizaru, Kuroba, and Momonga stood outside the door and did not come in.

Seeing Garp awake in the hospital bed, the group visibly breathed a sigh of relief, their tense expressions relaxing.

"Marshal Sengoku! Vice Admiral Tsuru!" Upon seeing Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru, Coby and Helmeppo immediately stood up and saluted.

Sengoku nodded to them and instructed, "Okay, Coby, go and prepare some food for Garp. Remember to keep it light and let Denor cook it himself."

"Yes!" Koby responded and led Bellmeberg outside.

When he saw the tall figures standing outside the door like door gods, he was instantly startled and hurriedly stammered as he raised his hand in salute.

"Lieutenant General Rorschach, Admiral Kizaru, Director Black Horse, Vice Admiral Momonga..."

"Alright, alright, go about your business, don't worry about us," Luo Xia waved his hand and said gently.

Because of his lack of strength, he was unable to participate in the Marineford War, and therefore did not receive the tainted Koby. However, due to his hard work, humility, and shyness, he still seemed quite likable at this point.

And what Garp said was indeed true; the disciple he took in probably really has the potential to become a great general.

Koby's potential and growth rate are beyond doubt, but perhaps due to Rorschach's interference, they have not yet been fully realized.

The atmosphere in the ward was somewhat tense.

Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru's gazes fell on Garp's face; they had been staring at him intently ever since they entered.

Neither of them spoke, just staring at Garp for over ten minutes, making Garp feel uneasy. He couldn't help but speak, and just as he was about to say something, Sengoku suddenly walked up to him, reached out a large hand, grabbed Garp by the collar, pulled him off the hospital bed, and angrily questioned him:

"Garp! You bastard, what were you thinking? You actually went out to sea on your own to chase Rayleigh. You didn't even bother to notify him. Did you want to die out there? A high-ranking admiral of the Marine Headquarters, without the permission of your allies, you openly trespassed into the territory of a Shichibukai and destroyed their country like that. Aren't you worried at all about the World Government coming after you?"

Sengoku unleashed a barrage of questions, like a machine gun, spraying spittle all over Garp's face.

But Garp didn't retort; he just remained silent with a sorrowful expression.

"...Is this still the same carefree Iron Fist Garp who struck fear into the hearts of countless pirates on the high seas? Where has your courage and will gone? You actually...you actually felt so guilty over those rumors that you tried to kill yourself! You...you bastard, don't let me look down on you!"

Sengoku roared with bloodshot eyes, like an angry Vajra, but the words he spoke were not as angry as his expression; instead, they were filled with worry.

He berated Garp for a long time until Vice Admiral Tsuru stepped forward and pulled his hand away from Garp's collar. Only then did he angrily walk away, leaving Garp on the hospital bed.

Vice Admiral Tsuru showed no sign of blaming Garp.

She simply bent down to pick up the IV drip and blood bag that Garp had tripped over, gently and skillfully re-attached the IV line, then pulled up the blanket covering Garp, covering his arms and his body wrapped in bandages.

"Don't overthink it. Since we've survived, let's live well. There's no hurdle in life that can't be overcome. We're all so old now, we should be more open-minded. If you feel too stifled here, let's retire together and travel the world. We've worked hard for most of our lives, it's time to rest."

Lieutenant General Tsuru spoke softly and gently.

Garp, who had been scolded by Sengoku for a long time with a sorrowful expression and remained silent, burst into tears the moment he heard Vice Admiral Tsuru's two sentences. His shoulders trembled, his voice choked, and he cried like a wronged child.

Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled gently, took out a well-worn blue handkerchief, and gently wiped away the tears streaming down Garp's face. As she spoke softly, with a sense of reminiscence, she said, "Do you remember this handkerchief? You gave it to me more than fifty years ago. If I didn't have the Wash-Wash Fruit ability, this handkerchief would probably have rotted long ago if I had used a normal washing method."

Garp gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the tears that kept flowing out, but he couldn't stop them at all.

As he turned away, Sengoku subtly raised his hand and pressed it against his face.

"You probably don't know yet, do you? Lieutenant General Jonathan is gone. Sengoku and I knew a long time ago, but we kept it from you. Because you were very close to him back then, we were afraid you'd be heartbroken. Hehe, this handkerchief and that love letter, you had Lieutenant General Jonathan deliver them to me. Garp, your handwriting is really terrible. What would you think if I told you I couldn't understand a word of what was written in that love letter?"

Lieutenant General Tsuru recounted events from decades ago, and Garp's choked voice gradually subsided as she spoke calmly.

The ward door closed silently and automatically.

In the corridor outside, four men stood in a row, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, listening quietly to Lieutenant General Tsuru recounting stories from the distant past.

The flying squirrel took a box of cigars out of its pocket and handed it to the group.

Do you smoke?

Kizaru and Kuroba took a cigar from the cigar box and put it in their mouths.

Luo Xia thought for a moment and then took one as well.

The flying squirrel took out a lighter and lit the cigars for each of the three men.

He sighed and said, "This was given to me by that guy from Fire Mountain before the war started. He said that smoking cigars could refresh the mind and prevent distractions on the battlefield. Ha, I think he was lying to me. What refreshing effect? ​​If it really had that effect, he wouldn't have died under Whitebeard's shockwave, and his body wouldn't even have been found intact."

The lit cigar glowed red and emitted white smoke, casting a hazy glow in the corridor outside the ward.

This was Rorschach's first time smoking a cigar.

The last time I asked him if he wanted a cigar was at Huoshaoshan, I think.

Yes, in the headquarters conference room before the G1 naval battle began, when Huoshaoshan was distributing cigars to everyone, he also asked him if he wanted to smoke one.

Rorschach recalled that he had told a very dirty joke, which made the flying squirrel and the others burst into laughter, easing the tense atmosphere in the conference room.

He was a veteran general who was considered quite good within the headquarters.

pity……

Rorschach took a deep drag on his cigar, inhaling the smoke into his lungs, savoring the spicy kick, and then slowly exhaled a long plume of smoke.

"Lieutenant General Huoshaoshan is right, this cigar can indeed refresh the mind."

Following Kizaru's example, Rorschach, with a cigar in his mouth and his hands in his pockets, leaned against the wall and remarked with a sigh.

“Yes, I feel wide awake now,” Kizaru replied.

“This is the best cigar I’ve ever smoked,” Black Horse laughed.

The flying squirrel clutched the half-empty box of cigars, and its eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

After quietly finishing their cigars by leaning against the corridor wall, the group left one after another.

Before leaving, the flying squirrel gave the remaining half box of cigars to Rorschach, saying it was to thank Rorschach for killing Whitebeard and avenging Fire Mountain and Gormley.

Rorschach originally wanted to leave with Kizaru, but was stopped by Sengoku, who had just left the ward.

"Rorschach, come in. Garp wants to talk to you."

He looked exhausted and reached out to pat Rorschach on the shoulder. "Thank you for saving this stubborn old man from the brink of death."

"It's what I should do."

Luo Xia took a deep breath and stepped into the ward.

Lieutenant General Tsuru smiled kindly at him, nodded, and left with Sengoku.

The door closed, leaving only Karp and Rorschach in the ward.

"Rorschach, come help me up." Garp gave Rorschach a wry smile. "I've been lying here for days, and I feel like my body is rusting. You can't deny getting old, you really are useless once you get older. I really envy you young people."

"What are you saying, old man? Didn't you say you're forever eighteen and your strength hasn't declined at all? What nonsense are you spouting about getting old? I remember you said last time that you and Lieutenant General Kaji fought for three days and three nights, cutting through an entire entertainment district..."

As Rorschach spoke, he walked over to Garp, reached out and took his arm, helping him sit up against the wall.

"Shh! What nonsense are you spouting, brat? When did I ever say anything like that? I'm a respectable man, when have I ever been to a place like Pleasure Street, a den of iniquity and debauchery?"

Upon hearing Rorschach's undisguised voice, Garp's expression instantly changed. He glanced at the half-open hospital room door with a guilty conscience, reaching out to cover Rorschach's mouth, but Rorschach nimbly dodged.

"You really haven't been there?" Rorschach squinted at Garp.

"Of course... I'm a naval hero, don't I care about my image? How could I possibly go to such a shady place?"

Karp retorted somewhat hesitantly.

Then, the two stared at each other, wide-eyed, into a long silence.

After a long pause, Luo Xia exclaimed, "Truly, you are worthy of this! You actually chased and killed the legendary Dark King Rayleigh across a thousand miles. Old man, you're going to become famous again. An old horse in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles, but this time you truly did a great chase across a thousand miles and took down a legend."

"What legend, what myth? You're exaggerating all that. No matter what you say, he's just an old guy like Whitebeard, over seventy years old and frail. Even if I don't go after him, how many more years can he live? I'd be happy to die in this exhilarating battle, even if it were me."

Garp shook his head, pressed his hand to his chest, frowned slightly, and looked at Rorschach with a strange expression.

Luo Xia seemed completely oblivious to his gaze, and simply replied with a smile, "Old man, you're right. A strong man should die on the battlefield, not die alone in old age. If that day ever comes, I would also be willing to die at the hands of an opponent stronger than myself."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent again.

Both of them could feel that a wall of separation had been erected between them.

Karp knew that his relationship with Rorschach would probably never return to the close, teasing, and playful way they used to be.

Rorschach remained silent for a moment, then said to Garp with deep regret, "Grandpa, about Ace... I'm so sorry, I..."

I don't blame you!

Before Rorschach could finish speaking, he heard Garp's resounding words.

He looked up in surprise and saw Garp's solemn, aged face.

Garp said in a deep voice, "Rorschach, I truly don't blame you at all for Ace's actions. You did the right thing. Ace committed a crime and deserved to be executed. Compared to me, who hesitated and was indecisive because it was a family member who made a mistake, you are the true naval hero. If it weren't for your tireless efforts and valiant fighting throughout this war, we don't know how many more brave soldiers our navy would have sacrificed. On behalf of those surviving marines, I thank you for your sacrifice!"

As he spoke, he actually raised his hand and gave Luo Xia a military salute.

Luo Xia pursed his lips and returned the salute.