The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

One week later, Marineford, Naval Headquarters.

The atmosphere in the lieutenant general's office was, as always, relaxed.

Garp was picking his nose in a completely unseemly manner, while Kuzan, wrapped in a coat, was dozing off against the wall with his eye mask half-pulled down.

Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Marshal Sengoku walked in with a serious expression.

At the same time, he was incongruously carrying five or six packets of the latest flavor of senbei (rice crackers).

He walked straight to Garp's desk, silently placed the senbei on it, and then cleared his throat.

He said in a complex tone that mixed praise, emotion, and even a hint of apology, "Garp...you did a good job."

Garp abruptly stopped picking his nose, looked at Sengoku with a puzzled expression, then at the senbei on the table, his brows furrowing: "Sengoku, did you take the wrong medicine today?"

Or did the rice crackers expire and mess with your brain? What's going on here?

Sengoku completely ignored Garp's rudeness and Kuzan, who was equally bewildered and had just been awakened, lifting his eyepatch, and continued in that earnest tone...

"To be honest, I didn't expect... that you could still have such a burning passion for justice at your age!"

"Huh? Passion?" Garp was even more bewildered: "I've always been very passionate! Especially when I'm eating senbei!"

"Don't interrupt!" Sengoku waved his hand, then suddenly put on a concerned expression. "It's been a while since you went back to the East Sea to see your precious grandson, hasn't it?"

Garp did the math: "Didn't we just see Luffy about two weeks ago?"

"Half a month?! Isn't that long?!" Zhan Guo's voice suddenly rose. "As a grandfather, caring about my grandson's growth is the most important thing!"

You must go back right now, immediately! My leave has been approved!

Garp felt uneasy at Sengoku's sudden "consideration," instinctively putting down his nose-picking hand, sitting up straight, and looking wary.

"No... Sengoku, what exactly do you want? Can't you just say what you mean? You're scaring me..."

Looking at Garp's expression that seemed to say, "Are you possessed by something?"

Sengoku took a deep breath, leaned forward, lowered his voice, and looked at Garp with a knowing look in his eyes: "Ahem... Stop pretending, I know everything."

What did I pretend to be?

"I know everything. I heard... you broke Shanks' arm?"

Garp: "??? Huh?!"

Kuzan, who was standing to the side, was now fully awake. He pushed his blindfold up completely, revealing an incredulous look in his eyes.

“(⊙o⊙)…???”

Garp was completely stunned, his brain seemingly frozen for a few seconds before he suddenly realized, "No! Sengoku! I...you...I didn't..."

"Stop talking! Garp!" Sengoku abruptly interrupted him, suddenly reaching out and pressing heavily on Garp's shoulders.

His face showed an unprecedented expression of relief and "understanding," and his voice even carried a hint of excitement.

"I understand! I understand everything! You don't need to hide it anymore!"

For the sake of the Navy's justice, and to prevent the evil influence of pirates from poisoning the next generation, you secretly took action and severely injured the highly promising Shanks!

This profound awareness of keeping one's achievements hidden, this passion that burned until the very end...

"I'm sorry, Garp, I've misunderstood you all this time. I thought you really just wanted to laze around as a lieutenant general and coast through life!"

After saying that, Sengoku pulled a newspaper out of his pocket and slammed it on the table with a 'thud'.

The front-page headline was a blatant display of fury: "Red-haired, one-armed naval hero goes crazy for Son!!"

"Look, even Shanks' own side has leaked information! The evidence is conclusive."

He's already admitted it, so why are you doing it again? Besides, we're practically family! Why are you hiding it from me?

Don't worry, I won't promote you to general! Besides, even if you wanted to, there's no place for you now!

Garp looked at the nonsensical newspaper on the table, then at Sengoku, who was self-satisfied and even had slightly moist eyes.

His mouth gaped open, feeling a lump in his throat, and after a long while, he finally let out a roar of grief and indignation.

"Warring States period? That wasn't my doing at all!!!"

Sengoku, however, was completely immersed in the joy of "his old comrade rekindling the flame of justice," and patted Garp on the shoulder: "Alright, don't get excited, I'll remember your credit."

Go back and check on your grandson.

And... for this vacation, I don't ask for much, just a simple removal of Kaido's left leg will do!

"Wait, what do you mean by 'simply and easily dislocated Kaido's left leg'? Sengoku, come back here!!"

At the same time, Kuzan silently put down the newspaper, looking at Garp with a complicated expression, feeling a sense of 'betrayal'.

"Ara la la... Mr. Garp, when it comes to the veteran's passion, wow! You're quite something! You've been keeping that a secret for a long time!"

Chapter 369 I'm your grandfather's friend!

Several months later, in the East Sea, on the border of the Goa Kingdom, behind Windmill Village, deep in the dense jungle, on a clearing near a cliff.

Three young boys sat side by side on the edge of a high cliff, swinging their legs and gazing at the vast blue sea in the distance.

The three were Monkey D. Luffy, Portgas D. Ace, and Sabo, who later joined them. Sabo was of noble birth but longed for freedom.

At first, Ace was very disgusted with Luffy, who claimed to be his younger brother and had been forced upon him by Garp.

She felt that he was not only a crybaby, but also a troublesome person who had accidentally eaten the Gum-Gum Fruit and was now constantly clinging to her.

But from some point onward, perhaps it was because they were fighting together against the beasts in the forest, or perhaps it was because they were being chased and beaten together by the bandit Dadan.

Or perhaps it was just Luffy's indestructible, ever-present, idiotic smile that made Ace gradually get used to having this rubber-coated, silly little brother around.

Add to that Sabo, who also yearns to escape the cage of the nobility, and there are three boys with very different personalities but who share the same ideals.

After going through a life-or-death ordeal together, they drank the sworn brotherhood wine and officially became sworn brothers.

At this moment, they are facing the vast sea, loudly proclaiming their dreams for the future.

Sabo stood up, hands on his hips, facing the sea breeze, and shouted longingly, "I want to make lots and lots of money! Then I'll buy the best ship ever!"

Become a free and unrestrained pirate, sailing to every corner of the world!

Immediately afterward, Luffy and Ace leaped up from the ground almost simultaneously.

With both arms pointing towards the sea, they roared in unison, using all their strength.

"I'm going to become the Pirate King!!!"

The two voices overlapped and echoed among the cliffs.

Sabo, who was just immersed in his dream of being a "free pirate," was instantly stunned.

He turned his head abruptly, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at his two brothers beside him, who were glaring at each other like fighting cocks. His voice trembled as he said, "Wait, wait!"

"You two... both want to be the Pirate King?! Isn't there only one Pirate King?!"

"Of course I'll be the one!" Ace was the first to react, grabbing Luffy's bouncy cheek.

He pulled forcefully to both sides, his tone carrying the "authority" of an elder and "contempt" for his younger brother.

"And what right does this rubber idiot, who can't do anything but stretch and shrink, have to become the Pirate King?!"

"Ugh... I'll bite you!" Luffy's face was stretched out like a pancake, his mouth mumbling incoherently, but his eyes were unusually firm and unwavering.

He even tried to retaliate with his rubber arm, but Ace nimbly dodged it and instead grabbed his arm.

It was swung around in the air a few times like a rubber band, then fell to the ground with a "thud," bouncing a few times like a ball.

"See that? You can't even beat me, yet you want to be the Pirate King? Keep dreaming!" Ace crossed his arms and looked smugly at Luffy, who was rolling around on the ground.

"Damn it! Ace, you wait! I will definitely become stronger than you! And then become the Pirate King!" Luffy got up and shouted defiantly, throwing his rubber fists at Ace without any strategy, only to be easily toyed with by Ace again.

Sabo looked at the two brothers in front of him arguing fiercely and even fighting over the title of "Pirate King" and helplessly rubbed his forehead.

Just as I was about to step forward to stop the two brothers who were arguing heatedly and even starting to physically "exchange" words over the "Pirate King" throne...

A deep male voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, came unexpectedly from very close behind him.

"Is One Piece... really that captivating?"

"Huh?!" Sabo was startled by the voice right next to his ear!

He had no idea there was anyone behind him, and instinctively lunged forward, only to trip over a stone.

He fell forward with a "thud" and took a hard fall.

But Sabo's reaction was extremely fast; almost the instant he fell, he rolled and half-squatted up.

At the same time, the water pipe stick he always carried with him was suddenly gripped in his hand, the tip pointing directly at the person who had appeared behind him at some unknown time.

The man, still in a half-squatting position, exclaimed, "Who...who are you?! When did you get here?!"

The commotion immediately alerted Ace and Luffy, who were sparring.

The two stopped their playful fighting instantly, and Ace stepped forward to shield Sabo, who had fallen to the ground.

Luffy followed, his face still bearing the marks of his earlier beating, but he tensed up and stood in a row with Ace and Sabo.

The three teenagers stared intently at the uninvited guest as if facing a formidable enemy.

The person who came was wearing a simple black shirt with the collar casually open, and loose white trousers.

He remained in a half-squatting position, appearing very relaxed, with a strangely shaped black longsword wrapped in white bandages hanging at his waist.

He was handsome, with strong features and a half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Gern looked at the three brats in front of him, who had instantly switched into battle mode and were now wary.

His smile deepened, and he casually pointed to himself with his thumb, saying in a relaxed tone, "Me? I'm your grandpa's friend!"

"The old man's friend?" Ace frowned, not immediately letting his guard down.

"Garp's friend? Could he also be a Marine? I don't think so!"

So he subconsciously steered Lu Fei to the back to protect him.

Sabo gripped the hose tightly, clearly not quite believing it.

Luffy, however, tilted his head, leaned closer to examine Gern, and asked with a completely clueless look, "Eh? Are you Grandpa's friend? Can someone like Grandpa have friends?"

Gern laughed out loud at Luffy's words: "Hahaha! You're right, Garp really doesn't seem like he has any friends."

However…” His gaze swept over the three boys, lingering especially on Ace and Luffy for a moment.

"He and I are... kind of special 'friends'."

Chapter 370 Encountering a Boy in Windmill Village

Looking at this man who claimed to be "Garp's friend" but had a smirking face, he seemed rather unreliable no matter how you looked at him.

Ace, the most mature of the three brothers, his face darkened completely, and he gripped the water pipe stick tightly, refusing to be swayed by any of this.

"Hmph! Do you think we'll believe you just because you told us one side of the story?"

"Ace, isn't he Chicken Sauce's friend?" Luffy asked, tilting his head innocently.

In his mind, since the other party said so, then it must be true, right?

By the way, Luffy is the only character in the entire One Piece series who doesn't have any inner monologues or narration. In other words, this kid really doesn't have any inner thoughts; he just says whatever comes to mind.

Seeing Luffy like this, Sabo quickly pulled him aside and whispered, "Luffy! You can't believe everything people say! What if they're bad people?"

"No, you can't just say things like that." Upon hearing this, Gern immediately put on a wronged expression, spreading his hands.

“I’m an honest man, I never lie.”

Upon hearing this, Luffy immediately felt like he had found a supporter and shouted to Ace and Sabo, "Did you hear that? He said he wouldn't lie!"

"This idiot!" Ace couldn't help but sigh and mutter to himself, looking at Luffy's tendency to trust others so easily.

However, he knew that reasoning with Luffy was pointless, so instead of wasting time arguing, he decided to test him with actions!

In a flash of thought, Ace no longer hesitated. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he let out a low shout.

He swung the water pipe stick in his hand, and with a whooshing sound, he smashed it hard against the shoulder of Gern, who was leaning against the grass!

But faced with this sudden attack, Gern didn't even lift an eyelid, maintaining his lazy posture, but...

The next moment, something strange happened!