'Purupurupuru...'
"It's me, Sean!"
Inside his office, Sean picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"Fleet Admiral Sean, this is Vivi. The Straw Hat crew has been completely captured, but..."
"But that old man Garp showed up, didn't he?"
"Uh, how did you know?"
"Protagonist's Fate..."
"Protagonist's Fate?"
What on earth was "Protagonist's Fate"? Vivi was completely stunned by the unfamiliar term.
"What I mean by Protagonist's Fate is that whenever a crisis occurs, a special character inevitably appears to save the day—just like the protagonists in those stories."
"Right. You don't need to worry about the rest; I'll handle this personally."
After hanging up, Sean let out a bitter smile. As expected, "Destined Protagonists" were nothing but trouble. He immediately summoned Blueno.
'''
Water 7.
The Marines from Alabasta were currently on edge. After all, the man before them was Garp, the Marine Hero. His strength was absolute; he could crush every single one of them without effort.
"Vice Admiral Garp, I have already contacted Fleet Admiral Sean. He will be here shortly!"
"That brat Sean, eh? Fine. I'll speak with him myself!"
Garp nodded. He didn't bother removing the Seastone shackles from Luffy; instead, he simply plopped himself down on the ground with blunt indifference.
This caused many of the soldiers to breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed a fight was unlikely to break out.
About a minute later, a door suddenly materialized in the air nearby and swung open. Sean and Blueno stepped out, one after the other.
"Yo, old man Garp! Long time no see!"
"You little brat, Sean! You didn't think to come visit me once!"
The opening exchange between the two instantly dissolved the tense atmosphere. They spoke with a casualness that suggested two old friends reuniting.
However, as soon as the greetings ended, Sean's expression shifted.
"Old man Garp, you still remember the agreement we made, right?"
"I know, I know. That's why I didn't just take him. I came here to discuss it with you. This time, I'll definitely—"
"Cut the crap. If I let you take Luffy, he'd probably find a way to mysteriously escape again before you even reached Headquarters, wouldn't he?"
"Uh, well..."
Exposed so bluntly in public, Garp looked awkward.
"Sean, he is my grandson. My own flesh and blood. Can't you just..."
"I can't. Because he is a pirate—and a stubborn one at that. Vivi, what are the casualties among the Alabasta Kingdom's Marines today?"
Sean shook his head and looked toward Vivi. Vivi then turned to the commander of the Alabasta Second Fleet.
"Princess, according to preliminary statistics, in the recent battle, we had 7 Marines killed, 27 seriously injured, and over 300 lightly injured. Of the 27 seriously injured, 5 have been permanently disabled."
"Old man Garp, did you hear that?" Sean asked, his voice stern.
"If I let you take Luffy, how am I supposed to account for the casualties of the Alabasta Marines?"
"And how do I account for the nearly ten thousand Marines who perished at Enies Lobby?"
"Is your grandson's life the only one that has value? Are the lives of everyone else worthless?"
Garp was completely silenced. He couldn't find a single word to say.
Sean was stating the cold, hard facts. It was painful for him, but... Luffy was his grandson.
"Old man, don't say I don't value our history. I can give Luffy a way to live, but he will have to pay a corresponding price."
"Sean, tell me! As long as Luffy's life is spared, I don't care what the price is!"
Hearing this, Garp's eyes, which had grown dim—to the point where he had considered resigning from the Marines if necessary to save Luffy—suddenly lit up. He asked urgently.
"I plan to establish a Marine Cemetery in the New World. Every Marine who died fighting pirates, whether from the New World or Headquarters, will be buried there."
"At the same time, I will erect a massive stone monument within the cemetery to engrave the names, biographies, and contributions of every fallen Marine buried there."
"However, I lack a caretaker. Luffy will be kept in Seastone handcuffs and, under my supervision, will become the cemetery's guardian for the rest of his life."
"He will spend his days atoning for the mistakes he committed."
"Furthermore, if he ever dares to escape, I won't notify you, old man. I will execute him immediately."
"This is my maximum concession. If you still insist on taking him, then our friendship ends here. If you can beat me, you can take him!"
Sean sighed softly. Garp was the first person he had met after arriving in this world. He was the one who helped him leave that island and provided him with significant support.
In the end... he had softened his heart again.
However, he absolutely would not allow Garp to take Luffy away this time. The man was far too unreliable, and Luffy would inevitably cause even greater disasters in the future.
Whether Garp accepted this final kindness depended on his own decision. If he still insisted on taking Luffy, Sean would show no mercy. He truly wasn't afraid of Garp.
"Sean, can I visit Luffy in the future?"
"Yes, you can visit whenever you like. But it's for visiting only—don't even think about trying to break him out!"
"I understand. Let's do it that way..."
Regardless, his grandson's life was saved.
Of course, Garp could have tried to force a rescue and leave the Marines, as he had previously considered. But he knew that was impossible. Sean's current strength was not inferior to his own; in fact, it might even be stronger.
And even if he managed to bypass Sean, Sean had a subordinate with spatial abilities. Where could he possibly run with Luffy? By then, Sean and several Admirals from the New World would arrive, and Luffy would still end up dead.
A gravekeeper...
That was fine. While saving his life, it would also allow Luffy to atone for his sins. After all, too many people had died because of him.
Having cleared his thoughts, Garp nodded in agreement.
"Very well. Blueno, escort the Straw Hat crew back to the New World Headquarters. Until the Marine Cemetery is completed, keep them imprisoned."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Blueno walked straight over to Luffy, hoisted him up, and stepped through a spatial portal he had just opened.
Despite being right there, Garp made no move to stop him.
"Sean, I'm leaving Luffy in your hands. I'm heading back to Headquarters."
In that instant, Garp seemed to age decades.
Sean let out a soft sigh. 'Luffy... that kid really is a menace.'
To Luffy, comrades always came first, and family second. He was, without a doubt, the most irritating protagonist Sean had ever encountered.
It wasn't just Luffy; Ace had been the same way. Fortunately, Sean had completely remodeled Ace, ensuring he wasn't as foolish or callous as Luffy.
"Old man," Sean suddenly spoke up, watching Garp's aging figure walk away. "Since your 'main account' turned out to be a flop, why not consider starting a 'smurf'?"
"After all, you powerhouses are different. Even in your sixties or seventies, you've still got the gear to produce an heir, right?"
"I think Tsuru would be a great match. Why not give it a shot? Two Marines coming together... who knows? You might actually produce a child with a true sense of justice this time."
Sean had always felt that Garp and Tsuru looked like they belonged together. 'They're only in their seventies. They're monsters in terms of strength; surely they can manage one more try?' he mused.
Upon hearing this, Garp stumbled violently, nearly crashing to the ground.
'Damn it... "main account ruined, start a smurf"?'
'But... if Tsuru were actually open to it... I wouldn't be against the idea...'
While Garp initially thought Sean's suggestion was utter nonsense, the more he dwelled on it, the more he realized it wasn't entirely impossible. The only question was: would Tsuru ever agree?
Meanwhile, far away at Marineford, Tsuru remained blissfully unaware that someone had begun eyeing her seventy-year-old self.