Chapter 61: An Old Man's Love
Marine Headquarters - Marineford Port
The last of the night's shadows faded as the first golden light of morning hit the decks of the warships.
As Roy's ship slowly pulled in, the soldiers who had already heard the news were crowded on the docks, their eyes shining with excitement.
"Did you hear? Those two brats annihilated the Arlong Pirates!"
"That's Arlong the Fish-Man! The 20 million Beri pirate! He was the highest bounty in the entire East Blue!"
"What did you expect? They're Vice Admiral Garp's grandsons and Head Instructor Zephyr's personal students! Of course they're strong!"
"And Rear Admiral Roy was with them! With a lineup like that, those East Blue pirates must have pissed themselves!"
As the discussions swelled to a roar—
Clang! The ship's bridge door opened, and three figures emerged.
Roy stood at the front, his cap pulled low, his "Justice" coat snapping in the morning wind.
Ace was beside him, a pack over his shoulder, a proud grin on his face.
Luffy brought up the rear, a bag of his grandma's meat jerky slung over his shoulder, still chewing on the last of a biscuit.
"WAAAAAH!!!"
Like a string of firecrackers, the entire port exploded in a deafening, tsunami-like roar of cheers.
"WELCOME BACK!!"
"YOU DID IT!!!"
"ACE! LUFFY! YOU'RE THE PRIDE OF THE MARINES!!!"
Soldiers pumped their fists. Some of the younger cadets were so moved they were actually crying. The scene was more intense than a report from the New World.
Luffy froze, stunned, but then immediately put his hands on his hips and cackled. "Shishishi! That's right! I'm super strong! I beat up a real tough Fish-Man, and an octopus guy, too!"
Ace just scratched his head, trying to look modest, but the unstoppable grin spreading across his face gave away his pride.
Suddenly—
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
A laugh that seemed to shake the heavens boomed from the back of the crowd.
"BWAHAHAHA! MY GRANDSONS ARE ALREADY WIPING OUT PIRATE CREWS! I'M SO HAPPY!"
BOOM!
Garp shot out of the crowd like a cannonball, a literal sonic boom, his body moving like a rocket toward the three.
"LUUUUFFYYYY—!!"
"Grandpa?! Wait!"
Before Luffy could even react, Garp had snatched him up.
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
Garp's "Fist of Love" rained down on Luffy's head, each punch landing with a heavy thud, instantly raising three massive lumps.
"OW-OW-OW! Grandpa! Why are you hitting me?! I beat the bad guys!" Luffy wailed, tears streaming.
Garp just laughed, ruffling his hair. "Because I'm so happy! Bwahahaha!"
Ace was doubled over, howling with laughter. "Hahaha, Luffy, that's rough!"
"Oh, you think that's funny, do you, brat?"
A sudden chill ran down Ace's spine. A massive shadow fell over him.
"...Oh, crap."
Ace stiffly turned his head. Zephyr was standing right behind him, a small, terrifying smile on his face.
"Brat," Zephyr's voice was deceptively calm. "How many days of training have you skipped?"
Ace's face went pale. "Instructor Zephyr! I... We just got back from a mission! I... I haven't had time..."
Zephyr's hand shot out. Ace tried to instinctively go Logia, but Zephyr's Haki-coated hand clamped down on his shoulder, snuffing his flames out instantly.
"And now you're trying to run?"
"W-wait! Instructor! I'm sorry!!"
Ace struggled, but Zephyr lifted him up by his collar like a scruffy cat.
"Let's go. To the training grounds. I'll personally catch you up on what you missed~"
"HEEEELP! BIG BRO ROY! SAAAAVE MEEEE!!!"
Ace's screams echoed across the port as he was dragged away, much to the amusement of the other soldiers.
"Your Big Bro Roy won't dare save you..."
Roy, still standing on the gangplank, watched one boy get a "welcome home" beating from Garp and the other get hauled off like a piece of luggage by Zephyr. He just sighed and put his face in his hand.
"Is this... really how Marine legends show affection?"
Marineford - Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Office
Sunlight streamed through the massive windows, illuminating the mountains of paperwork on the desk.
Sengoku sat in his chair, his brow furrowed, a top-secret report from the New World in his hand.
"Knock-knock-knock."
"Enter," he said, not looking up.
The door opened and Roy walked in, his white "Justice" coat pristine. He placed a report on the desk.
"Satzl Kingdom. Investigation complete," Roy said. "No anomalies found."
Sengoku finally looked up, his eyes sharp. "Red-Haired Shanks... he was just passing through?"
"On the surface, yes," Roy replied calmly. "They followed all local regulations, bought supplies, repaired their ship, and left after three days. No conflicts, no incidents."
"Tch."
Sengoku frowned. "A New World Emperor, a man worth billions... loses his arm in the East Blue, and just... quietly resupplies and leaves? He's too damn calm."
He pulled out another file. "What's your take on it? The truth about that arm?"
Roy shrugged. "Not enough intel to make a call."
Sengoku tapped his fingers on the desk, staring at Roy for a long moment. Finally, he sighed and leaned back, his expression weary. "You're right. We don't have the resources to chase down every mystery right now."
He pushed the files aside, revealing a large map of the New World. Three massive territories were circled in red: Kaido's crew, the Big Mom Pirates, and the Whitebeard Pirates.
"The situation in the New World is spinning out of control," Sengoku said, his voice low. "The major crews are in a constant war for territory, and Shiki is still hiding out there somewhere. Our forces... our lines are stretched thin."
Roy looked at the map, his eyes hardening. "Fleet Admiral... are you sending me to the New World?"
Sengoku nodded. "Your mobility, your power... you're one of our top assets. We need you on the front line as a fast-response unit. Even just as a deterrent, your value there is immense."
Roy smiled, a familiar, dangerous glint in his eyes.
"A chance to mix it up with the strongest monsters in the world? I was just thinking... it's time to see how I really measure up."
Sengoku's eye twitched. "You brat, this is a support mission, not an invitation to go pick a fight with an Emperor!"
"I'll be discreet," Roy smiled.
Sengoku suddenly remembered something. "One more thing. Doflamingo... he's been officially recognized by the World Government. He's one of the new Seven Warlords."
Roy's smile faded, his eyes turning cold.
"He's reminding me... of our history."
He looked at Sengoku, his voice flat. "If he does something... something that endangers an entire kingdom... will his Warlord status protect him?"
Sengoku was surprised by the question, but he didn't hesitate. "If you have concrete proof... I authorize you to eliminate him."
Roy smiled, a cold, sharp smile. "Good to know."
Just as they were speaking, a powerful wave of Haki suddenly rolled across the base, rattling the entire building!
"BOOM!"
The windows of the office rattled, and several books toppled off the shelf.
Sengoku frowned. "What the hell is Zephyr doing?! Is he tearing down the training ground?!"
Roy closed his eyes for a second, his Observation Haki spreading. He opened them a moment later, a small smile on his face. "It's Ace... Looks like he's trying out that new move."
"It's just Ace. I'll go check on him."
Sengoku nodded. "Go. I'll have the New World transfer orders drawn up."
"FWOOSH!"
Roy turned, his form blurring, and vanished from the office.
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