"Bwahaha! That bastard! Even though he slashed me back then, did I ever go easy on him? I beat his head full of lumps right on the spot! Hahaha!"
At the mention of the Pirate King, the heavy worry on Garp's face vanished.
He threw back his head, took a massive gulp of booze and launched into a long, animated recount of their past battles.
"Oh, right! I still have that guy's wanted posters around here. Want to take a look?" Garp rummaged through his cabinets, pulling out several crumpled wanted posters bearing Roger's image.
They weren't just from when Roger became the Pirate King, a few showed him in his younger days.
Cain picked one up, and as his gaze landed on Roger's iconic mustache, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Wow. No matter how many times I look at it, this mustache still looks like giant nose hair."
"Bwahaha! Nose hair? That's a perfect fit! Maybe that thing actually grew right out of his nostrils!" Garp burst into laughter, wiping a tear of unrestrained mirth from his eye.
Cain picked up another poster, his fingertips brushing over the rough paper as his tone softened.
"Look at this one. He looks so much like Ace. Well, of course he does... I just hope Ace doesn't grow a mustache like this."
Ace's bloodline was no secret between them, as Garp had told Cain and Luffy the truth a long time ago.
The room was soundproof, and Cain's Observation Haki confirmed they were completely alone, allowing him to speak freely.
"Right! My grandson won't follow in Roger's footsteps. If Ace ever grows facial hair, it better not look like that mess!" Garp nodded.
Cain smiled at Garp's earnest expression, but as his laughter faded a heavy weight settled in his chest.
It was time to talk about the real issue.
Sengoku's undercover arrangement for him was completely different from how they handled Drake or the other SWORD members.
Drake was a former Rear Admiral—a fact clearly stated on his wanted poster.
When his mission ended, he could step right back into his old rank and enjoy the Marine's protection.
Other SWORD members still wore Marine uniforms and operated like Marines, they just existed outside the World Government's official jurisdiction.
But Cain wouldn't even be an unofficial Marine.
Besides Sengoku and a handful of others, no one in the Marine or SWORD would know a single thing about him.
Once he set sail, what difference would there be between him and a real pirate?
Sengoku's plan was built to protect him, allowing him to grow strong without a target on his back.
Garp knew that, which was exactly why he fought so tooth and nail against it.
Turning Cain into someone indistinguishable from a pirate completely contradicted Garp's lifelong dedication to training Marine soldiers.
"Yeah, Ace won't follow Roger's path." Cain's smile vanished, and he looked directly at Garp. "But Grandpa, have you ever considered that some secrets simply can't be kept hidden forever?"
Luffy had a notorious habit of blabbing.
In the original timeline, he shouted Ace's secret to a whole ship of prisoners.
Then there was the ambitious Blackbeard.
Ace had only confided his origins to Whitebeard, but who knew if anyone else was listening in the shadows?
Furthermore, with the Marine's intelligence network, if they ever decided to investigate Baterilla Island and Portgas D. Rouge, the truth would inevitably come to light.
The smile on Garp's face froze.
He stared at Cain with a heavy expression, completely caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation.
Cain saw the old man's pain, but he couldn't stop now, some things had to be said clearly.
He picked up an unopened bottle of booze, tilted his head back, and took several large gulps.
The cheap liquor burned his throat, suppressing the bitterness in his chest. Setting the bottle down, he looked at Garp and spoke with careful precision.
"Ace has already left, and Luffy will set sail one day. Neither of them knows how to stay out of trouble, meaning they will eventually attract the fury of the Marines and the World Government. When that time comes, Grandpa... as a Vice Admiral and the Hero of the Marines.. can you really bring yourself to stand against them?"
He paused, his eyes burning with stubborn resolve.
"You know in your heart they're not gonna be evil pirates who harm the innocent. But capturing pirates is your duty. When the order comes down, you won't be able to avoid the fight. But if I—"
"ENOUGH!" Garp cut him off, his booming voice carrying a heavy weariness.
"Cain, all these years, you've always been the sensible one. You are more reliable than Luffy and Ace. Let's just drop this."
This was Cain's first time drinking, and the alcohol was already hitting his system.
With his inhibitions lowered, years of bottled-up anxiety spilled over and he refused to back down.
"No, I need to say this! This is exactly why I came to see you! Even if I wear a pirate flag in the future, I will always remember that I am a Marine. I just... I don't want you to be forced into a corner when the time comes to choose."
Cain couldn't bear the thought of Garp watching his grandsons die on an execution platform, forced to stand by and do nothing for the sake of 'Justice'.
His voice choked up, and he clenched his fists as his eyes turned red.
"Marine or pirate... I don't care at all. As long as you still see me as a Marine, Grandpa, then I will always be a Marine. I just don't want..."
Tears spilled down his face.
He looked up, his voice trembling with raw emotion. "I don't want you to be the one who sends your own grandsons to the execution platform! Ace can't die, and Luffy can't either! They absolutely must not meet the same end as Roger!"
Cain slammed his forehead against the table, his voice hoarse but absolute.
"So let me take the heat for them, Grandpa. Let me shoulder this responsibility."
"Cain..." Garp stared at him in stunned silence.
For years, Luffy and Ace had clamored about becoming pirates.
He beat them for it, but he never truly tried to stop them.
He always hid behind his loud, cheerful personality to ignore the reality—the irreconcilable conflict between his duty as a Marine and his love for his family.
He never realized Cain had been carrying this burden the entire time, trying to protect him from that impossible choice.
"You foolish kid..." Garp's throat tightened and tears welled up in the old hero's eyes.
The very next second, his massive fist swung down, smashing right into Cain's skull with a heavy blunt force!
"You really grew up! Your making your Grandpa feel all warm and fuzzy inside!"
The punch was filled with unmistakable love, but it still shattered the table and drove Cain straight into the floor.
"Gah! Grandpa! That hurts! You used Armament Haki!" Cain clutched his head and wailed, though he smiled through the pain.
"Nonsense! That is just your Grandpa's deepest love!" Garp snorted with righteous confidence.
He reached down, grabbed Cain by the back of his collar, and started dragging him toward the door.
"Grandpa, it's the middle of the night! Where are we going?!" Cain yelled, his feet dangling off the floor.
"Hmph. If you think I'm just going to agree to let you be a pirate, you're dreaming," Garp said, not slowing his stride, though his tone had softened.
"But what you said made sense. Still, in this family, we don't settle things with words. We settle them with our fists."
"Wait! No! Grandpa, it's way too late for training! Have mercy!" Cain's panicked wails echoed down the hallway.
"Stop whining! You want to take on my burdens? Then let me see if your strength matches your big mouth!" Garp laughed heartily into the night, the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.