Chapter 4 — I'm a Good Person!
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was the sort of man who, for reasons even he could not explain, would suddenly be seized by a sense of duty.
He had been standing by the sea for a long time, letting the wind calm his thoughts. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a flash of white appeared upon the distant waves.
A moment later, a mast rose from the horizon and soon after, a flag embroidered with a seagull unfurled into view.
A massive, dark-blue warship with a dog-shaped figurehead was cutting swiftly across the waters toward the island where Yoriichi stood.
"MARINE."
"So, the Navy…"
"And that figurehead could it be… Garp's ship?"
Just like the heroes of every story who always arrive too late, the Navy had finally shown up only after the devastation was complete.
Before long, the warship drew close enough for Yoriichi to make out its form. He had been preparing to leave, but now he paused, watching.
"Yare yare…"
"They really went too far this time."
"The East Blue… and someone like that appears here?"
Out on the sea, Garp's ship was racing toward Dragon Roar Island. Even while the vessel was still several hundred meters away, Garp's sharp eyes caught sight of a red-haired youth standing atop the seaside cliff.
Extending his Kenbunshoku Haki, his observation swept across the island, locking onto Yoriichi's presence.
"I won't allow scum like you to shatter the peace of the East Blue!"
As he spoke, Garp loosened the tie around his neck, reached up, and tore the white cloak of Justice from his shoulders. His legs bent slightly and then he leapt.
Despite the distance of several hundred meters separating ship and shore, Garp soared straight toward Dragon Roar Island in a single bound.
"Vice Admiral Garp!" cried his adjutant, but the call was lost to the wind. In the blink of an eye, the man's commanding officer had become a tiny black speck hurtling through the sky toward the cliff.
"What's that coming this way?"
Sensing the disturbance, Yoriichi looked up.
High above, a small black shape was rapidly approaching. Within moments, he could make out the figure clearly and though his memory of faces in this world was still vague, he recognized the man at once.
"Garp!"
"So this is him in his younger years?"
The sight of Garp's full head of black hair surprised him. But the next instant, Garp pulled back his fist midair, his arm coiling with terrifying black lightning that crackled with thunderous force.
Yoriichi's expression hardened. In one fluid motion, he cast aside his scabbard, drew his blade, and said evenly,
"I'm a civilian—not a pirate."
Even though his voice wasn't loud, Garp clearly heard it. Yet the man's rugged face only split into a wide grin.
In the next instant, he was upon Yoriichi his fist wrapped in overwhelming Haki as it came crashing down.
Yoriichi reacted instantly. His breath steadied, flames flared to life along his blade, and he thrust forward.
Sun Breathing— Seventh Form: Flaming Sun Thrust!
Garp didn't dodge. His Haki-wreathed fist slammed directly into the sword's tip.
A shattering impact burst outward the force of it surged through Yoriichi's arm like a tidal wave.
A heartbeat later, his stance faltered. His blade tilted off-line, leaving his guard wide open.
His strength… was nowhere near enough to match Garp's.
The old hero's massive, iron-hard fist struck Yoriichi square in the chest.
His breath caught. Darkness filled his vision and Tsugikuni Yoriichi fell unconscious in an instant
"Boom!!"
The impact sent Yoriichi crashing into the ground, unconscious.
"Thud!!"
Yoriichi was sent crashing into the ground by Garp's punch and instantly lost consciousness. Garp looked down at the boy sprawled on the dirt and strolled closer, hands in his pockets.
"Hah… a kid, wearing animal hide… and barefoot, too?"
"That level of Conqueror's Haki must've only awakened it recently. It's scattered and unfocused… a complete novice."
"Still, that swordsmanship wasn't bad. Doesn't seem like someone native to Ryūgin Island."
He chuckled. "A civilian, huh? Puhaha! You draw your blade that fast, and you call yourself a civilian?"
Garp eyed the unconscious youth's rough attire, then remembered what Yoriichi had said before fainting and couldn't help but grin.
Though he strongly suspected this boy was responsible for the devastation around them, the words he'd heard just before had stayed his hand. At the last moment, Garp had pulled back much of his strength enough only to knock him out cold.
He stepped up to Yoriichi, grabbed a fistful of the animal pelt the boy wore, and hauled him up as if pulling a turnip from the ground. Slinging the youth over his shoulder, Garp stooped to pick up the fallen sword, then started walking toward the ruined town in the distance.
With Yoriichi slung over one shoulder, Garp moved slowly through the shattered streets. After a quick inspection of the area, he found his way back to the battlefield he'd seen earlier.
The scene was brutal enough to darken even Garp's expression.
He crouched and examined the fallen marines' fatal wounds in silence. A long moment later, his face eased slightly. He glanced up at the boy resting limp against his shoulder, then turned and headed back toward the sea cliff from which he'd come.
By the time Garp was surveying the battlefield, his warship had already arrived at Ryūgin Island. The marines aboard had gathered at the cliff, forming ranks. When his adjutant saw Garp approaching with what looked like a "wild child" draped in animal skin, he froze for a second before hurrying to meet him.
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Who is that? What happened to him?"
Garp didn't bother explaining. He simply tossed the boy into the adjutant's arms and, with the same motion, flung over the sword as well. Bogard barely managed to catch both, staring in confusion before looking back to his superior for answers.
"Take the kid and his sword aboard the ship," Garp ordered.
"The battlefield's over that way. Looks like the E-23 detachment was completely wiped out. Gather their bodies and send them home for burial."
"Search the town carefully, then sweep the whole island see if there are any survivors."
"Report to me the moment you find anything."
Bogard straightened at once, replying crisply, "Yes, sir!" He glanced down at the red-haired youth in his arms, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Vice Admiral Garp… who is this boy? Was he the source of that Conqueror's Haki just now?"
Garp didn't bother to hide anything. Picking at his nose with his little finger, he replied off-handedly, "Oh, him? You could say he's a survivor, more or less."
"You guessed right, that Haki just now probably came from this kid."
"Must've awakened it by accident."
He waved a hand lazily. "Alright, enough talking. Get back to work."
"Some pirates think they can stir up trouble in the East Blue… heh. Since I've run into them, I'll make sure they regret it!"
As he spoke, Garp cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing like breaking stone. Around him, the marines moved swiftly to carry out his orders.
Say what you will about Garp being Monkey D. Luffy's grandfather his men were nothing if not reliable. Before long, the marines had spread out across the island, combing through every inch in an orderly sweep.
In the year 1497 of the Sea Circle Calendar, an unprecedented atrocity struck the East Blue.
The E-23 Marine detachment hundreds of soldiers were wiped out on Ryūgin Island while subduing a pirate crew. The island's thousands of inhabitants were slaughtered, and every woman and child taken captive.
Returning from a family visit, Vice Admiral Garp of Marine Headquarters happened to "encounter" that same pirate crew on his voyage back to Marineford. He struck with overwhelming force.
That battle shrouded the sea in a storm of flames so vast it dyed half the sky crimson.
In the end, the women and children abducted from Ryūgin Island were all rescued.
When Vice Admiral Garp's warship finally returned to Marineford, his crew was larger by one addition, a red-haired boy.
(End of Chapter)