I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

"...We talked about too many things from the past just now, and I'm feeling a bit emotional, so I came out to calm down."

Sieg quickly adjusted his expression and said calmly.

Shanks, completely oblivious to the awkwardness that had just occurred, said with some annoyance:

"That Luffy guy actually ate the Gum-Gum Fruit we brought while we were all drinking... This is going to be difficult."

"A pirate king who can't swim...maybe we should just let him be a mountain bandit king instead."

Sieg paused slightly.

He didn't notice when Luffy stole the Gum-Gum Fruit.

Previously, he had been so focused on maintaining his strong character image that he hadn't paid much attention to Luffy.

"Aren't there enough people with special abilities on the high seas?"

Sieg thought for a moment and replied:

"Being unable to swim is a good opportunity for him to learn to rely on his companions. After all, one cannot become the Pirate King by relying solely on one's own strength, just like Roger did back then."

"That's true... but it's a bit of a pity. With the Gum-Gum Fruit gone, our original plan fell through, and our pirate crew will probably have to leave the East Blue ahead of schedule."

"We'll be setting off tomorrow, probably tomorrow."

"It's truly a pity I can't have a few more drinks with Mr. Sig..."

Shanks smiled with a hint of regret.

Are the Red-Haired Pirates planning to leave the East Blue ahead of schedule?

Upon hearing this news, Sieg almost lost his serious expression.

The Red-Haired Pirates are leaving? That's fantastic!

Being around these top experts is incredibly stressful; you're always afraid of giving yourself away.

Sieg tried his best to make a regretful expression on his face and echoed:

"Really? That's a real shame."

At this point, Sieg looked up at the night sky and said wistfully:

"After all, there aren't many people left in this world who can talk to me about the old days."

"No... Mr. Sig, you don't need to worry about that."

Shanks' words surprised Siegfried and gave him a bad feeling.

"what do you mean?"

Shanks smiled and took a small Den Den Mushi out of his coat pocket.

"Just now, our Red-Haired Pirates' informant along the Grand Line sent us a message..."

.............

The sea in the night.

A naval warship with a giant dog head decoration on its bow is swiftly cutting through the waves in the night.

"Too slow, too slow! Tell the warships to speed up!"

Inside the command room, a strong, resonant voice gave the order.

"Vice Admiral Garp, our warships are already at full speed..."

A naval officer wiped his sweat and asked:

"Besides, it seems we don't have any particularly urgent missions in the East China Sea this time, do we?"

The burly Lieutenant General Garp glared and shouted:

What do you mean by "no particularly urgent mission"?

"You are all so lazy that you didn't even notice this important event!"

Karp's words immediately made the officers in the command room take their words seriously.

Garp had always been on the same ship as them, so if headquarters gave any instructions, these officers would generally be aware of them.

unless.....

"Could it be that Fleet Admiral Sengoku directly notified Vice Admiral Garp?"

This thought crossed many people's minds, and they were suddenly jolted awake.

Ghostly, could something truly terrible have happened? In that weakest part of the East China Sea?

Why would we need to send the naval hero, Iron Fist Garp, to the East China Sea at top speed?

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Garp's next command.

"That bastard Shanks has shown up in Windmill Village in the East Blue..."

Before Karp could finish speaking, all the officers were startled.

The Four Emperors of the Sea!

"Is Vice Admiral Garp planning to hunt down Red-Haired Shanks?"

One of the sergeants asked excitedly.

"No...hunting Shanks is a minor matter."

Garp's words made the officers' hearts jump again.

Hunting down the Four Emperors? This is a minor matter?

So, what exactly is Vice Admiral Garp's mission?

Many people nervously swallowed.

"The important thing is that my grandson Luffy is in Windmill Village, and that bastard Shanks might corrupt him!"

"Moreover, Luffy is already seven years old this year!"

"Seven years old, do you know what that means?"

Garp clenched his fist and shouted excitedly.

The officers shook their heads blankly.

"This means Luffy has become a mature man! I will have Luffy start training and personally train him into the best soldier!"

Lieutenant General Garp's training.....

The officers broke out in a cold sweat at the mere mention of that word.

They were all soldiers trained by Garp, but even now that they are officers, they still feel lingering fear when they recall the hellish training they went through.

After a long silence, one of the officers finally mustered the courage to speak:

"But Vice Admiral Garp, your training program is too harsh, even for adult naval recruits. The attrition rate is as high as 90%!"

"What are you thinking? How could I possibly let Luffy participate in the Navy's recruit training?"

Garp asked incredulously.

Before the officers could even catch their breath, Karp's next words nearly choked them to death.

"Luffy is my grandson, and he will become the best Marine!"

"The training amount in the recruit program is not enough. It needs to be increased by at least ten times... No, this is such an important matter. I will create the best training program for Luffy!"

The officers looked at each other and silently mourned for Luffy, who was far away in Windmill Village.

Chapter 8: A World-Class Battle Is About to Begin?

Shanks had no intention of chatting idly outside. He walked back to the tavern with Sig before telling them the message from the Den Den Mushi.

"Karp is coming to Windmill Village?"

Sieg's pupils suddenly contracted, and he almost lost his serious expression.

"Yes... Mr. Sig, you shouldn't have to worry about not having any old-time drinking buddies anymore..."

Shanks said with a smile:

"After all, like you, Mr. Sig, he experienced the previous era, so you must have a lot to talk about, right?"

"But I'll pass... If Vice Admiral Garp really targets me, it will be quite troublesome."

Shanks didn't think much of it. Sig had mentioned Roger and Garp before, and he seemed to know them very well.

Sieg took a deep breath, trying to process the news.

"Is it almost time for Luffy to receive training from Garp?"

"No...that's not the point."

Sig's expression changed slightly.

He thought of what had happened in the tavern that afternoon.

He personally placed Shanks' straw hat on Luffy's straw hat and encouraged him to become a pirate.

"Won't Garp hold a grudge against me because of this?"

"No, no, no... impossible."

"To Luffy, I'm just a stranger he met today. How could my words carry so much weight?"

"Straw Hat Luffy's pirate mentor must be Red-Haired Shanks!"

"Me? Heh, impossible..."

"I'm just a nobody, completely insignificant!"

Sieg roared inwardly.

"Shanks... Shanks..."

At this moment, Luffy chimed in from the side:

"Take me with you when you set sail tomorrow. I really want to be a pirate."