Ryoma brushed a bit of dust off his shoulder and sighed helplessly, "Old man, this habit of yours of suddenly attacking to test someone isn't very good."
He looked up and calmly gazed at Garp's face, which was written all over with the word "interesting."
Ryoma said, "You have the Marines backing you, a vast enterprise, and don't care about this little bit of loss. But I'm just a destitute traveler. If things here get broken, I can't afford the compensation."
Garp grinned, revealing a bright smile filled with teasing. "Kyahahahaha! Can't afford it? I don't think you're poor at all, kid."
His sharp eyes swept over Ryoma, as if he could see through the value of everything on him, before finally falling back onto the 180 million bounty poster.
Sanji walked over timidly, carrying an exaggeratedly large tray. On the tray, a massive portion of seafood risotto was piled high, a whole grilled fish that was nearly half the size of Sanji, and three thick steaks sizzled nearby.
He slammed the tray onto the table, causing the entire thing to groan.
Garp didn't even look at Sanji. He reached out and grabbed the grilled fish, taking a huge bite as the aroma of charred meat and grease instantly filled the air.
"Mmm... Tastes good." He spoke indistinctly while chewing.
"Sengoku was so angry his beard curled up. 180 million... do you know what that number means in East Blue?"
Ryoma didn't answer, picking up a glass to pour himself some water. The moment the clear liquid hit the glass, it automatically condensed into countless fine shards of ice. He gently swirled the glass, watching the ice shards bob in the water with a crisp clinking sound.
He said, "It means I'll be disturbed even when I'm trying to have a quiet meal."
"Kyahahahaha!"
Garp laughed wildly again, nearly spitting out the fish in his mouth.
He finally managed to swallow, his expression becoming slightly more serious as his massive frame leaned forward, his shadow almost completely enveloping Ryoma.
"It means that whatever island you go to next, that island's Marine base will immediately enter Level 1 combat readiness."
"It means all those ambitious types who think they've got what it takes will pounce on you like sharks smelling blood. They'll either want to kill you to make a name for themselves, or they'll want to recruit you to bolster their own strength."
"Oh."
Ryoma merely took a sip of the ice water and let out a satisfied sigh.
"And so?"
His flat reaction actually caused Garp to stall for a moment.
"So?"
Garp's voice suddenly rose as he leaned even closer, his large face almost pressed against Ryoma's as he said, "Why not consider joining the Marines? I'll personally vouch for you and give you the rank of Captain right away. Besides that Marine scum Nezumi, you haven't really done anything bad anyway."
In the kitchen, Zeff, who had been silently watching everything, suddenly choked on a mouthful of thick smoke, leading to a series of violent coughs.
Sanji was so shocked he nearly dropped the empty tray in his hand.
Ryoma looked at Garp quietly for a full three seconds, confirming that the old man was being sincere and not joking.
He sighed helplessly. "Honestly, old man, you still haven't given up?"
Garp blanked, blinking his eyes which always seemed a bit lazy.
"...Huh?"
He set down the grilled fish, now reduced to a skeleton, and casually wiped the grease from his hands onto his Justice coat, his expression becoming serious.
"Then seriously, kid."
Garp's voice lowered slightly, no longer so boisterous.
"What exactly do you want to do in the Grand Line?"
Ryoma didn't intend to be evasive. He set down his water glass and responded seriously to Garp's question, "To see sights I've never seen."
"To get stronger."
"And while I'm at it, verify a few things."
"Verify?" Garp's brow quirked slightly.
Ryoma's gaze drifted past Garp's shoulder toward the endless blue sea outside the window, his thoughts seemingly drifting far away.
"For example, why the Red Line and the Grand Line form that peculiar cross that divides the world and also..."
He turned back, his clear eyes looking straight into Garp's. "Why the son of the Marine Hero would become the world's greatest criminal."
Vwoom!
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
The eerie silence inside Baratie was replaced by an even heavier, more oppressive atmosphere.
Every trace of a smile vanished from Garp's face. In those eyes that usually carried a sense of playfulness, a light sharp enough to pierce through one's heart flashed. A sleeping lion seemed to have opened its eyes.
But that light lasted only for a moment before dissipating, so fast it seemed like an illusion.
He returned to his usual boisterous self, even sticking out his pinky to pick his ear.
"Young people these days really think about a lot of things."
He stood up abruptly, his massive frame creating a gust of wind pressure.
He patted his round belly and let out a satisfied burp.
"I'm full! Thanks for the meal!"
Garp strode toward the restaurant door. Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly turned back and grinned, revealing a row of brilliant white teeth.
"Kid, let me see just how much you've improved during this time."
Ryoma was momentarily stunned, his hand still resting on the water glass.
"Huh?"
He asked with some confusion, "Weren't we just having a perfectly fine chat?"
"Kyahahahaha!"
Garp erupted into a bout of earth-shattering laughter.
"That's because I happened to be hungry. Now that I've run into you, it wouldn't be right if I didn't make a move."
He pointed a thumb at himself, then at the ship beneath their feet.
"Hurry up, otherwise if this beautiful restaurant ship gets damaged, you're the one who has to pay."
"You old bastard."
Ryoma couldn't help but curse under his breath, but his body stood up involuntarily. A long-lost fighting spirit rose from his heart, dispelling all his laziness.
A fight might be good. It would allow him to experience Armament Haki more deeply, which would be of irreplaceable benefit for his analysis and learning of such power.
Ryoma wasted no more words and walked straight out of the restaurant, stepping off Baratie's deck under the horrified gazes of all the chefs.
His toes lightly touched the sea's surface, and with that point as the center, a path of crystal-clear ice instantly stretched forward. He walked onto the ice path, step by step, toward the distant sea.
Seeing this, Garp laughed and also stepped onto the ice. Despite his heavy body stepping onto the thin ice, the path didn't budge an inch as he followed closely behind Ryoma.
The two of them walked for several thousand meters across the sea.
Only when Baratie had become a small dot in their vision did Ryoma stop.
He took a deep breath and lightly pressed his hand against the ice beneath his feet. In an instant, an invisible wave of extreme cold exploded outward from him in all directions.
Crack! Crack...
The sea for a thousand meters around was completely frozen in just a few seconds.
A vast, boundless plain of pure white ice replaced the originally surging waters.
Garp watched all this with interest, then lightly stomped his foot on the ice.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed, and the entire ice plain vibrated slightly.
"Kid, this ice of yours... can it take a beating?"
A vein throbbed on Ryoma's temple at those words, and he responded somewhat speechlessly, "It's at least dozens of meters thick. As long as you don't go too far, it should... barely be enough."