Chapter 90: Garp's Kindness

Garen and Luffy’s duel took place on the beach not far from the tavern. The spectacle drew much attention; Garp, Nami, Buggy, and a crowd of Windmill Village residents gathered eagerly to watch.

Yet the duel ended swiftly and without much entertainment. This outcome was inevitable: at just fifteen or sixteen, Luffy was already far weaker than Garen, and his rubber fruit abilities were utterly suppressed by Garen’s silence effect, leaving him powerless to retaliate.

Garen’s “Deadly Strike” merely needed to brush against Luffy’s body to render him incapable of controlling the elasticity of his rubber form. The silence effect only restricted the activation of abilities, not the state of transformations already achieved. For example, Garen’s silence could not make the thorns Miss. Doublefinger had already produced disappear; it could only prevent her from generating more for the time being.

Applied to Luffy, the rubber man, this silence took on a peculiar twist. Silenced by Garen’s skill, Luffy could not even restore his transformed body. The arm he had stretched out remained elongated, forcing him to drag a limb more than ten meters long as he fought Garen.

After only two or three exchanges, Luffy was soundly defeated by Garen’s sword, and was forced to admit defeat by shouting the slogan “King of the Seas.” No sooner had he uttered those words than he clenched his fists and roared at Garen:

“Knight!

One day, I will defeat you and reclaim the title of Pirate King!”

“Hm?” Garen raised an eyebrow, amused. “You haven’t beaten me yet, so you can’t throw around those three words so casually.”

Luffy’s expression froze, and the frustration welled up inside him, almost making him physically swell—something easily accomplished with his rubber body.

Garen, satisfied, stepped out of the arena and joined the “audience,” feeling a touch of pride as he addressed Garp:

“Vice Admiral Garp, I’d say I’ve resolved part of your grandson’s problem.”

“Hahaha…” Garp burst out laughing, then said to Garen, “You’ve brought a real headache upon yourself! With my grandson’s personality, he won’t rest until he takes that title back from you!”

“Well, he’ll need to be strong enough to beat me first,” Garen replied, brimming with confidence.

“Speaking of which…” Garp glanced at Garen thoughtfully. “The Pirate King and the King of the Seas—are they different in your eyes?”

“Absolutely,” Garen answered earnestly. “I detest those pirates who commit evil, not adventurers like your grandson. In my eyes, he’s not a pirate.”

After speaking, Garen fell silent, suddenly understanding the underlying meaning in Garp’s words. Garp was probing his stance.

To ordinary people, there was a vast difference between adventurers like Luffy and true pirates: one was harmless and kind, the other violent and greedy. Yet in the eyes of the Navy and the World Government, both were “criminals” to be punished.

Furthermore, compared to common pirates who pillaged and burned, adventurers seeking the “Grand Treasure” were even more despised by the World Government. The real pirates threatened only the lower classes—a minor nuisance to the rulers. But those who might uncover the truth of history posed a grave risk to the legitimacy of the World Government.

One was a bandit, the other a rebel; the degree of threat was self-evident.

As for Garen, he would never see things from the World Government’s perspective. Understanding Garp’s intent, Garen countered:

“Vice Admiral Garp, how do you distinguish between pirates and adventurers?”

“Me?” Garp laughed heartily, answering with meaning: “I became a Navy man to fight against pirates.”

Garen had expected such an answer. After all, Garp had never regarded the world’s nobles highly, and was indifferent to his revolutionary son and aspiring Pirate King grandson. Though a Navy man, he despised the flaws of the World Government and often called the Celestial Dragons “trash” without reservation.

“Sigh…” Garp gave a gentle sigh and said to Garen, “You’re a young man of great potential. The East Blue hasn’t seen a new star like you in ages. In less than two months, you’ve grown remarkably. Even while I’m vacationing in Windmill Village, I read stories in the paper every day about the righteous knight upholding justice and combating evil.”

Though Garp’s words were full of praise, Garen sensed there was more to them. So he waited quietly for Garp’s next remarks.

Garp’s expression grew solemn: “But… every time a ‘new star’ appears in the East Blue, the world is profoundly affected. When I first met you, I worried you might stray from the path of justice. Now, I wonder if your sense of justice might go too far.”

From Garen’s recent actions, Garp had detected something unusual: unlike his revolutionary son, Garen’s methods were gentler and more concealed. Garen’s organization had cooperated with the East Blue Navy, targeting pirates and maintaining order, never showing any intention to challenge the World Government, almost resembling a loyalist.

Yet Garen still held an irreconcilable conflict with those lofty rulers: the right to define “justice.”

The World Government alone set the standard for justice; Garen’s interpretation would never align with theirs. Garp worried that this young man, if carried away, might cross the line and stand against the World Government.

“Go too far?” Garen countered frankly, “Vice Admiral Garp, do you think what I’m doing now is wrong?”

“No,” Garp replied candidly. In his view, Garen’s efforts to clean up the East Blue’s lawlessness were certainly justified. Thanks to the “Demacia Logistics”—the enthusiastic locals of East Blue—hundreds of petty pirates were apprehended in a short time, and law and order around the former territory of Krieg improved greatly.

“If the path isn’t wrong, how can it go too far?” Garen stated earnestly.

Garp pondered for a moment, then his grave expression melted into a hearty smile: “That’s true! However…” He warned, “You must be careful—at least, until you’re strong enough to evade my pursuit, don’t make bigger moves!”

Garen was quietly moved by Garp’s advice.

“I understand!” Even without Garp’s warning, Garen knew well the wisdom of “accumulate grain, claim the throne slowly.” Until he was strong enough, Garen would never raise the banner of the League of Legends.

Garp patted Garen’s shoulder with anticipation: “It’s been years since I saw someone patient enough to guide a child towards virtue. The world needs more young people like you! Become even stronger!”

In Garen, Garp saw a faint reflection of his own son from years past.

Then, Garp suddenly turned to Buggy, who had been idling nearby, and changed the subject entirely:

“Buggy? Come over here and let me check your training progress!”

“Uh?” Buggy shuddered. Scarred by Garp’s iron fist over these days, he trembled as he asked, “Didn’t we already spar today?”

“I’m not asking you to spar with me!” Garp laughed. “I just want you to demonstrate your progress on ‘Rokushiki: Soru.’”

“Oh…” Buggy’s face brightened considerably and, following Garp’s instructions, moved to an open space.

Garen was puzzled by Garp’s sudden shift in topic, but the prospect of seeing Buggy practice Rokushiki: Soru piqued his interest.

Buggy composed himself for a moment, then, in the most dramatic fashion, shouted the name of his unique skill:

“Split-Soru!”

The move astonished Garen. Buggy’s body split apart and floated, while his feet—left on the ground—executed the high-speed movement of Soru.

Garen realized the brilliance: the Buggy Fruit allowed Buggy, even when divided, to exert force like a normal person. Thus, his feet could use the full power of his body’s muscles while bearing only their own light weight.

With mastery of Rokushiki: Soru, Buggy’s feet moved at incredible speed, almost like lightning darting across the ground. As the linchpin of his ability, his feet—required to remain on the ground—gained an immense boost in self-preservation.

“Amazing!” Garen commented sincerely, and Buggy, eager to show off, grinned proudly.

But Garp’s purpose was not merely to display his teaching prowess. After Buggy’s demonstration, Garp called him over and said:

“Rokushiki is a Navy secret art; you must practice diligently!”

Without waiting for Buggy’s response, Garp continued:

“Buggy, let me explain the key points of Rokushiki: Soru again. First…”

Garen froze: Garp was teaching the Soru technique right beside him in a booming voice for all to hear.

Garen immediately understood Garp’s intention, and felt even more grateful to the elder.

After listening quietly to Garp’s lesson, Garen couldn’t help but say, moved:

“Buggy! Would you like to practice Moonwalk while you’re at it?”