"... I saved someone on the way, turns out she was from one of the villages in the Conomi Islands."
"I see. Well then..."
Garp's expression turned serious again. "Please, take good care of that kid for me."
Then he grinned again, picking his nose. "Anyway, it's no big deal for you. Whether it's one person less or one more, they will all end up on the gallows if caught!"
Ian: "..."
That may be true, but if they really got caught by the Marine Headquarters, he will report to the World Government that the Hero of the Marines was in league with him.
Ian's lips twitched at that, but he didn't answer directly.
Instead, his expression turned expressionless as he said, "I will respect your grandson's choice. After all, you know your own grandson's situation very well."
"Ace's choice, huh?"
Hearing Ian's answer, Garp scratched his head, looking troubled, then sighed helplessly: "That's fine too..."
Then his tone suddenly grew serious. "Please make sure to keep Ace's identity a secret and don't let anyone else know."
Ian: "..."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up and don't forget what you promised me."
"I got it, hahaha."
Garp smiled faintly. "When you come to the East Blue again, don't disappear in a rush like last time."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Den Den Mushi gave a few beeps, and the call was disconnected.
Garp looked down at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, sighed, and said, "What a cunning kid!"
Although his tone was full of emotion, his face still had a cheerful grin. "Good thing no one else knows about this. Otherwise..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Den Den Mushi started ringing again.
Garp frowned while looking at the Den Den Mushi, and answered it with a smile, but before he could say anything…
The Den Den Mushi, now taking on Zephyr's appearance, suddenly roared: "You actually raised the King of the Pirates' son as your grandson? No wonder when I asked you about it before, you answered me like that!"
Garp: "...?"
That damn bastard!
...
Meanwhile, after hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Ian looked at the two people standing in front of him.
One was Ace, who looked like he wanted to speak but hesitated, clearly eager to eavesdrop.
The other was Nami, uneasy yet full of expectation as she watched him.
"No need to look anymore."
Ian said, "Your grandfather told you to stay with me obediently these next few days and listen to my every word, son of the King of the Pirates!"
"My name is Portgas D. Ace, Mr. Ian. You can just call me Ace."
"I see you're quite concerned about being the son of the King of the Pirates, aren't you? I thought you would be happy to be called that!"
Ace: "..."
Ace looked at Ian with a dark expression, mouth open, and unsure what to say.
Ian wasn't wrong, Ace really did care a little about that identity. Yet, for some reason, Ian's words made him feel much more at ease.
"As for you..."
Ian turned to Nami, who still looked more like a young child than a pirate, and said: "Someone will handle the pirates around Cocoyasi Village for you, but you need to do something for me in return."
"Can that person really handle it?"
Hearing Ian's words, Nami didn't ask what Ian needed her to do. Her earlier shock from hearing the King of the Pirates's son had already faded.
Instead, she looked at Ian with excitement and anticipation, but soon lowered her head in disappointment. "The Arlong Pirates are very strong. Those monsters have ten times the strength of humans. Even the Marines aren't their match. If you were to intervene, perhaps..."
As she spoke, Nami turned to look hopefully at Ian, but soon fell silent.
After a moment, she added softly: "But if it's other people..."
"They're just pirates who escaped from the Grand Line. Don't overestimate their strength too much."
Ian said helplessly while looking at Nami's naive expression.
This was what it meant to be to someone who had never seen the world.
For example, back in West Blue, he smashed the ships, and the pirates treated him like a great swordsman.
In addition, the Arlong Pirates demonstrated their strength in the early stages, easily defeating even the Marines' fleet that came to subdue them.
After experiencing countless moments of anticipation and despair, they began to believe that the Fish-Men were invincible.
"Don't even mention me, even the son of the King of the Pirates right next to me can take care of them all by himself."
"Mr. Ian, can you please call me by my name?"
Hearing Ian's introduction called him like that again, Ace's face was filled with embarrassment, and he said, "I already said I don't like that title, I'm just Portgas D. Ace!"
Then he turned to Nami with a light smile. "Even if those Fish-Men are strong, as long as they're pirates, Gramps should be able to deal with them easily."
"Not should."
Ian corrected: "But definitely. When your grandfather shows up, those Fish-Men will feel honored to be defeated by him."
Ian waved his hand casually, cutting off Nami before she could object.
"Alright, it's settled then. Once you take care of my problem, if that old man doesn't finish the job, I can make another trip by myself."
Honestly, if Garp himself took action, what chance would the Arlong Pirates have? Just seeing Garp's shadow would probably scare them senseless.
Ian turned his gaze toward the bow of the ship and said, "Time's running out. Let's head for the Grand Line."
…
In the first half of the Grand Line stands the Kingdom of Alabasta, a vast desert nation home to more than ten million people.
Even with six hundred thousand soldiers, in this chaotic era, the Kingdom of Alabasta remained helpless before the flood of pirates.
To those ruthless pirates who used freedom as an excuse for violence, this so-called great kingdom was nothing more than a delicious, oversized prize.
Ever since the great pirate age began, countless pirate crews had set their sights on it, trying to tear off a piece of its wealth.
The country was left exhausted, thrown into endless chaos and suffering.
But after King Cobra made one crucial decision, everything began to change.