To be honest I almost gave up writing this story, busy schedule and so on but then I noticed a loyal patreon member who keep subscribing. It pushed me forward to at least update 1 chapter per 2 day.
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Ace slowly regained consciousness, his vision blurry and his head throbbing as if a cannonball had exploded beside his ears. He could hear voices echoed around him, it feel familiar with the tone and try to open his eyes but couldn't because of the pain on his head.
"Ouch… damn it, that hurts," Ace groaned, rubbing the forming lump on his head. "That old geezer hasn't changed at all… still hits like a king kong."
He forced his eyes open and blinked a few times, confused by the chaotic scene around him, dust in the air and he saw the blurry of someone who looked at him but the image was so blurry, after a few second the image turned sharper and sharper.
"Ace! You're awake!"
Ace froze. That voice… no, it couldn't be. He lifted his head, and rubbed his eyes until the image become clearer, his eyes widened after noticing who was infront of him.
"S... Sa… Sabo!?" Ace stammered. "Wait.... why are YOU here!? Hang on… does that mean.... did I die!?" He grabbed his own arms in panic. "Did Gramps actually beat me to death this time?! But I still feel alive.... I don't think I am dead!?"
After being hit by Garp, he momentarily forgot that Sabo are still alive.
Sabo couldn't help giving him a tired smile. "No, you're not dead, idiot."
Just as Ace opened his mouth to ask more, both of their Observation Haki flared at the same time, like two alarms ringing in perfect sync.
Their senses sharpened. Someone was approaching fast, with the subtlety of a meteor.
Garp, who had been suppressing his irritation at being called a geezer by Ace who have woken up, cracked his knuckles. "Brat… calling me geezer again, huh? Looks like you just woke up in time for round two!"
He marched forward with steam practically rising from his shoulders.
Before Ace could even crawl away.
KLANG!!
Sabo intercepted the punch with his metal pipe, Haki coating the weapon as sparks flew. The ground beneath Sabo's feet cracked from the force.
"Sabo!?" Ace shouted.
Garp brows twitched. "You block me… with a stick?"
Sabo gritted his teeth. "You're not hitting Ace again!"
"Oh? Then try blocking THIS!"
Garp other fist rose, coated not only with Armament Haki, but crackling with the unmistakable pressure of Conqueror's Haki.
Ace's eyes nearly bulged out. "Wait, Gramps..... NO!"
BOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion of force sent shockwaves across the surrounding. Sabo was blasted off his feet, flying dozens of meters before skidding through the dirt. Blood trickled down his face, his vision spinning.
He clenched his jaw. He wanted to transform into magma and counter attack vice admiral garp but he suddenly remember that Jack had warning him before.
"Don't reveal your Logia until Garp puts ten billion on Akainu."
"Tch… damn it…" Sabo muttered, forcing himself up despite the pain.
"GEEEZEEER!!" Ace roared, flames bursting around his fists. His anger boiled hotter than the fire gathering in his palms.
Garp stopped mid-step, a vein popping on his forehead. "What… did you call me?"
Ace swallowed his saliva so hard it made a sound. Memories of painful punches, brutal training, and 'tough love' from childhood flashed before his eyes like a horror movie.
"Uh… I mean...uh .... Gramps? Grandpa? Marine Hero Sir?" Ace whispered, sweating.
Too late.
Garp fist drew back like a loaded cannon.
But before he could launch it—
CLANG!
A golden shimmered shimmered into existence.
Jack stepped between them, he was very calm and even his body unshaken from him. His shimmering shield absorbing the full weight of Garp strike without even a scratch.
Ace gasped. Sabo stared in disbelief. Even Garp paused, eye twitching.
"Enough, Marine Hero Garp," Jack said, lowering his shield and locking eyes with the old legend. "I'll ask again. Do you want to negotiate… or do you want this to turn into a war?"
Garp folded his arms. "Fine. I'll stop hitting your brats for now."
Hearing Garp promise, Jack finally dispelled his golden shield. He let out a slow breath, then walked over to Sabo and gently helped him stand. Sabo winced from the impact earlier, but nodded gratefully as Jack supported him.
"Come on," Jack muttered. "Let's get you next to Ace before Gramps decides to throw another punch."
They reached Ace, who was still on one knee, shaking off dizziness. Jack lowered Sabo beside him. The moment their eyes met, both brothers froze—shock, confusion, and a flood of emotion swirling between them.
Then they hugged.
Hard.
"Ace… you're alive," Sabo whispered, voice trembling.
"You idiot," Ace said, gripping his brother's coat with shaking fingers. "I saw your picture in the newspaper... I thought you were gone for good…"
Sabo smiled weakly. "Yeah… I lost my memory. I didn't remember anything about you two."
Before Ace could reply, Jack cleared his throat. "Okay, okay.... family reunion later. We're in the middle of negotiating with Marines, remember?"
"Oh... right," Sabo said quickly, helping Ace stand. Then he whispered, "Shhh… Jack negotiating with the Marines."
"I know," Ace muttered. "I heard it already."
Ace glanced at Jack again. He had read reports and newspapers… but seeing Jack sharp eyes and calmness in person give another impression to him. He could see why people called him the "brain" of the Straw Hats.
Jack just shook his head and walked back toward Garp.
"Good, Marine Hero Garp," Jack said. "Then let's talk."
Garp clicked his tongue. "Tch. Negotiations, huh? Since when did pirates start negotiating with Marines?"
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Since the day Marines started acting like pirates... helping Celestial Dragons ruin innocent lives. So unless you don't want Akainu back, shut your mouth, you Celestial Dragon dog."
Garp face twisted in fury and Bogard immediately stepped closer.
"Vice Admiral… remember the orders," Bogard whispered.
"That damn Sengoku," Garp muttered under his breath. "Why do we have to negotiate with this brat…?" His gaze drifted around the island. Seeing Ace, Dragon, and even Sabo here only worsened his frustration.
Jack didn't back down. "If the Marines hadn't been corrupted by the Celestial Dragons, you wouldn't be in this mess."
Garp nearly choked.... Dragon smirked behind and cover his smirk with one hand.
But the legendary old man steadied himself, letting his seriousness settle back into place.
"We came for one thing," Garp said firmly. "My Marines. All the captured soldiers, Vice Admirals, everyone you took in that war. We want them back."
Jack nodded casually. "The original offer is two billion beri. Pay that, and you get them."
Garp coughed so hard he almost bent over. "T–Two… two billion!? That's robbery!"
Dragon leaned toward Sabo. "That's cheap. Honestly."
Garp shot them both a death glare.
Jack shrugged. "You want them or not? Two billion."
Garp grinded his teeth. "…Fine. Two billion."
Jack shook his head. "Actually… five billion."
"WHAT!? YOU SAID TWO A SECOND AGO!" Garp roared.
"Inflation," Jack said calmly. "It happened just now."
Dragon burst out laughing. Ace snorted and Sabo turned away, shoulders shaking as he tried to contain his grin.
A vein throbbed on Garp forehead. "You!… Fine. Five billion. That's final."
Jack raised one finger. "No."
Garp froze. "…No?"
"Ten billion."
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" Garp shouted so loudly that snow slid off the mountaintops behind them. "Why TEN!?"
Jack expression hardened not mocking anymore, but it become cold and sharp and Jack could feel the danger emitting from him.
"Because I want more than money," Jack said. "I want information."
Garp blinked. "Information?"
"The truth," Jack said. "About Rocks D. Xebec… and about his child. About what really happened on that island."
Silence crashed over the group like a falling boulder.
Dragon jaw tightened. He had told Jack part of the truth before, but he never expected Jack would force Garp to reveal his side.
Sabo inhaled sharply. He remembered overhearing bits of their conversation. He knew this wasn't something that should be spoken lightly, it contained the secret of 40 years ago.
Ace, however, looked completely lost. "Rocks… who?"
Garp stared at Jack, the lines on his face deepening. "Brat… that incident is classified above top-secret. Only a handful of people alive know what happened that day and how do you know Rocks has child."
"Yeah it was a secret and you're one of them who knows what happen there," Jack replied.
Garp flinched, around them, younger Marines looked confused. They had never even heard the name Rocks D. Xebec, the World Government erased every trace of him, even his bounty so this young Marine didn't know about them.
Garp slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked older and guilty.
"You're asking for something dangerous," he said quietly. "Tell me was it true that Rocks has child?"
Jack stepped forward. "Yeah he is still alive and I can tell you who was that child if you tell truth about that incident, the human hunting incident and also the erasure of Rocks Pirates."
Garp exhaled heavily. "Rocks name was erased from history."
"But you didn't erase it," Jack said. "You remember him. You fought him. So tell me the truth."
Dragon eyes didn't leave his father. He wanted answers too, it might be helping him.
Ace stayed quiet for once, sensing the tension.
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then Garp finally spoke.
"…So the price is five billion beri and that secret," Garp said.
Jack shook his head. "No. Ten billion beri. And the truth about what really happened on that island. If not, I keep Akainu… both Vice Admirals… and CP9 rots in prison."
"You…" Garp pointed at Jack, shaking with fury. Then he exhaled sharply. "…Fine."
He looked away, as though ashamed.
"Okay. I'll tell you everything. The truth of what happened on that island… the truth about the man named Rocks… and how he died."
Jack nodded. "Deal."
Garp let out a long, painful breath. His shoulders sagged.
"I never wanted to remember that day…" he said. "But I was never a Marine Hero. Not really."
Sabo and Helmeppo stiffened, bogard closed his eyes. Even Dragon froze.
Garp voice dropped to a whisper.
"…Because I collaborated with Gold Roger to defeat him."
The words hit like thunder.
Helmeppo gasped. Sabo felt his throat tighten even Bogard looked shaken.
Garp slowly shut his eyes.
Memories he buried for decades clawed their way back.
When he opened his eyes again… They were filled with something rare.... respect, nostalgia and sadness.
"Rocks D. Xebec," Garp said. "He was a pirate who didn't want treasure… or freedom."
Snow fell silently around them as he spoke the next words.
"He wanted to become King of the World."
"On that day," Garp began his voice low and heavy, "I was actually on vacation. I remember it clearly because I had barely sat down when Kong contacted me. He ordered me to come immediately and assist the Marines."
He paused, jaw tightening.
"But when I arrived… the first thing I saw wasn't pirates. It was corpses."
His fists clenched at his sides. Men… women… children… even babies. All shot. Executed."
Ace face stiffened. Even he, a pirate, felt sick.
Garp shook his head slowly. "I've fought countless pirates in my life. Some were brutal, sure. Some were scum. But even the worst of them don't kill babies. At most, they kidnap for ransom. But this..... this wasn't pirates' work."
He stopped, eyes darkening as old memories clawed upward.
He was about to continue when Jack raised his wrist.
A golden light shimmered.... FOOM.... and a holographic projection manifested in the air. It was the scene where the human hunting by celestial dragon happen.
The scene was horrifying enough and there is some marines who vomited looking at the scene.
People running, screaming and begging but celestial dragon kill them without mercy.
While celestial dragons, Garling and several others use different weapon some used sword and the other rifles in hand, laughing as they fired at fleeing civilians.
Marines were shown blocking escape routes, herding terrified people back toward slaughter.
Gasps filled the air. Even the Marines present froze in horror.
Dragon expression sharpened behind his mask.
Ace sucked in a breath. "Wh... What is this…?"
Jack voice was cold enough to freeze the snow beneath them.
"You were correct, Marine Hero Garp. This had nothing to do with pirates. This..." he gestured to the hologram "...is the Celestial Dragons' Human Hunting Game."
The images shifted where the parents beg Celestial Dragon to only save their baby, they can kill them but please save the baby.
A mother shielding her child, the baby are the first one being killed by that beast.
Then a Marine pushing them back into the kill zone. Celestial Dragons laughing as bodies fell.
"No…" a young Marine whispered. "This… this can't be…"
"It happened," Jack said. "The Celestial Dragons choose an island. They declare every human there 'prey'. And Marines.... your Marines.... were ordered to prevent civilians from escaping. Look."
The hologram zoomed in again, showing Marines dragging screaming families back toward the hunters. He replayed different scenes so Garp can clearly see the disgusting marines.
Faces around the island twisted into shock, rage, disgust.
Even Sabo and Ace were speechless.
Garp closed his eyes. His voice was barely audible. "What...."
But before the emotional weight could reach the climax, suddenly they are being interrupted
BAM!
BAM!!
BAM!!!
Jack could only sighed because two colossal figures walked towards them.
It is Dorry and Broggy.
Author Notes: There is 11 advanced chapter on my patreon.
-patreon.com/zerelix