Chapter 35 – Rejecting the Navy’s Offer

Without hesitation, Garen raised his hand in surrender.

Thus, the friendly spar between Garp and Garen concluded on a satisfactory note, with the naval repair crew being the biggest losers of the day.

Climbing out of the rubble, Garen quickly retreated to a safe distance, far from Garp whose Iron Fist was still clenched tight.

"Interesting..."

Garp closely examined Garen's condition. Aside from being covered in dust and wood debris, the young man didn't seem to have sustained any injuries, and those two powerful punches clearly hadn't affected his bodily functions at all.

His evaluation of Garen's so-called "Knight Fruit" instantly rose several notches.

"Soru!"

Garp's figure vanished in a flash.

Suddenly, a large shadow appeared before Garen, followed by a gust of wind from the high-speed movement that swept across his face.

Garen instinctively tensed up, ready to use a skill to save his own skin.

He had been traumatized by those two affectionate Iron Fists.

"Hey, kid!"

Standing in front of him, Garp smiled warmly. "What do you think of that move just now?"

"Soru?"

Garen blinked, instinctively blurting out the name of that fearsome martial technique.

"Oh? So you know about the Navy's Six Styles?"

Garp's hearty laugh carried a hint of kind persuasion.

"Well then, would you like to learn them?"

"Of course!"

Garen nodded eagerly.

This felt just like one of those stories where a hidden master gifts the protagonist a peerless martial arts manual.

"Join the Navy!"

Garp didn't beat around the bush. "These techniques are strictly internal to the Navy. If you join, I can teach you."

Becoming an officer under a high-ranking Navy figure—what an enticing proposition.

Even Garen found himself pondering the offer deeply.

After a brief moment of silence, Garen shook his head with a serious expression.

"Sorry... I don't want to join the Navy."

"Why not?"

Garp wasn't angry at being rejected. Instead, he continued patiently.

"Isn't your 'Knight Fruit' supposed to be a force for justice?"

"So why not join the Navy?"

"…"

Garen hesitated for a moment before finally speaking his honest thoughts to the legendary Navy hero in front of him:

"The Navy's version of justice… doesn't suit me."

Garen knew very well what kind of organization the Navy was in this world.

Wearing the cloak of justice but bound in heavy chains—they were ultimately just a weapon in the hands of a privileged few.

In a world where grotesque ruling classes like the Celestial Dragons existed, the Navy—the world's strongest force—was no better than the corrupt fleet of the Far East from another era.

No matter how hard a few noble-hearted individuals worked, they couldn't save the rotting system from its roots. A sinking ship was doomed, no matter how many tried to bail it out.

"Why do you say that?"

Garp's expression grew solemn, though his tone remained calm.

As a hero respected even by his enemies, Garp had never been one to be blindly arrogant. He listened sincerely to the views of others.

"Vice Admiral Garp..."

Garen took a deep breath and said,

"Reaching your level within the Navy—one would consider that you have seen a lot, right?"

"More or less,"

Garp nodded frankly.

"And yet your hometown—the Goa Kingdom…"

Garen paused for a second, then continued firmly:

"Hasn't changed one bit, despite your status as a Navy hero."

"…"

Garp fell silent.

He knew exactly what kind of place the Goa Kingdom was.

But it was a member nation of the World Government, a model kingdom favored by the Celestial Dragons—and Garp, after all, was a Vice Admiral under the World Government.

He couldn't even change his own homeland, despite standing at the peak of the Navy.

Justice under such a system… did indeed seem powerless.

"You..."

Garp's gaze suddenly sharpened.

There was a subtle hint of danger in Garen's words that reminded him of his own son—who had become a revolutionary.

But soon, Garp's expression softened.

"Then tell me—what does your justice look like?"

"Uh…"

Garen hesitated.

He honestly hadn't thought about it that deeply.

His desire to be a righteous knight had started off simply—

He wasn't a sociopath. He couldn't just slaughter innocent people for experience points. So, logically, he would only hunt the bad guys.

Besides, wearing radiant armor, wielding a glowing sword, and shouting "Justice!" while slaying monsters… that was just plain cool.

But Garp's question finally made Garen reflect on the true meaning of justice.

And with the mindset of a modern man, Garen soon came to a conclusion:

"Liberty. Equality. Justice. Rule of law."

"...Huh?"

Garp was momentarily stunned by the string of refined ideals.

"That's what justice should look like in a time of peace."

Garen continued, shifting his tone:

"But in a world where none of those things exist..."

"Justice, I suppose… is my sword."

To help the helpless. To fight for those who cannot fight. To act where the law has no reach.

This concept, in the culture Garen came from, was called "Xia"—the code of a chivalrous warrior.

Of course, that wasn't a philosophy favored by those in power, especially not a corrupt government like the World Government.

Yet Garp didn't grow resentful of Garen's words. After all, his own son was a thousand times more rebellious.

"…Alright."

Garp accepted Garen's reasoning and didn't press further.

"If you don't want to be a Marine, then so be it."

"But…"

His voice suddenly turned heavy with a powerful aura.

"I hope you'll use your strength wisely—don't betray your sense of justice."

Though he said no more, Garen could hear both warning and expectation in his words.

"I will."

Garen nodded seriously. He was confident in that.

To grow stronger, he needed to gain experience by fighting—and his basic moral compass kept him from targeting innocents.

So, whether his motives leaned toward self-interest or altruism, Garen was already a righteous knight.

After their heartfelt talk, they didn't exchange many more words.

Garp, free-spirited as ever, wasn't disappointed by Garen's rejection. He simply remembered the young man's name.

As for Garen, he shouldered his greatsword and returned to Nami and Wallace.

"You… actually turned down the Navy?"

As soon as he approached, Nami asked incredulously.

"That was an invitation from the Navy Hero Garp himself!"

"My justice is in my heart. I don't need it written on my clothes,"

Garen replied coolly, once again slipping into his secret technique—Dramatic Exit.

"Hmph."

Nami rolled her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed.

Then, after a moment, her expression turned a bit gloomy.

"If you'd accepted… you could've…"

She didn't finish her sentence, but Garen understood what she meant.

Had he joined the Navy under Garp, a direct disciple of a hero, leveraging their power to eliminate Arlong and save Cocoyashi Village would've been easy.

"I get it—it's about Arlong and Cocoyashi Village, right?"

Garen gently brought up the subject on her mind.

"Leave it to me."

Nami was stunned, her expression flickering with emotion.

"How… how do you know about that?"

"I'll explain later."

With that, Garen turned and walked back toward Garp, leaving Nami staring after him, confused.

"What now?"

Seeing Garen return, Garp was a bit surprised.

"Changed your mind?"

"No."

Garen got straight to the point.

"I have a request."

"There's a group of pirates wreaking havoc in Cocoyashi Village in the East Blue. I'd like to ask for your help in wiping them out."

Requesting assistance from a Navy Vice Admiral to deal with some pirates in the weakest sea? That was like calling in a nuclear strike to take out a bandit camp.

Still, Garp patiently listened and asked,

"Pirates in the East Blue? Tell me more."

Garen could sense Garp's commitment to justice in his voice—but also a touch of casual indifference on his face.

And that was understandable. Garp was one of the strongest forces in the Navy. Naturally, he wouldn't take minor East Blue pirates seriously.

He didn't go out of his way to squash small fry—but when he happened to cross paths with them, a "Fist of Love Meteor" or two was his idea of charity.

To many, pirates who "reigned over a village" were little more than glorified local bullies.

As soon as Garen brought it up, the surrounding Navy soldiers all revealed scornful expressions.

Such an atmosphere cast a shadow over Garen's attempt to "speak for the people."

He needed to get them to take this seriously—ideally, even convince Garp to personally step in.

Let Arlong, who only bullied civilians, find out what it meant to be steamrolled by a max-level boss invading a newbie village.

That was Garen's plan.

His expression turned solemn, his tone heavy with foreboding.

"Vice Admiral Garp, this pirate crew is no ordinary gang!"

"The Arlong Pirates are all fish-men who infiltrated East Blue from the Grand Line!"

"Fish-men?"

Garp raised an eyebrow. That was rare in East Blue.

But that alone wasn't enough to cause a stir. Fish-men were commonplace on the Grand Line. Even the regular marines weren't scared by that title.

Garen, however, leaned into the dramatic energy of a horror storyteller.

"Don't underestimate them!"

"Their captain, Arlong…"

He paused, then suddenly raised his voice like a stage narrator:

"He was once the right hand of the Fish-Man Hero, Fisher Tiger—an inseparable friend of Warlord Jinbe!"

"He even fought Admiral Kizaru head-on… and survived!"

It sounded surreal, but it was indeed Arlong's resume—this glorified village tyrant.

The surrounding marines were stunned, their faces blank with disbelief. Even Smoker, who'd been quietly smoking, looked a bit serious now.

Garen solemnly concluded:

"I believe Arlong has at least the strength of a Vice Admiral!"

(End of Chapter)