Chapter 46: The Stinky Old Man and the Bastard Grandson

On the dog-headed warship, inside Vice Admiral Garp's office.

Garp lounged on a sofa, tea in one hand and a bag of senbei crackers in the other. Ace sat cross-legged on the floor across from him, while Law leaned against the doorframe, casually gripping his sword.

Garp's presence at the A3 base was actually unplanned. He had just returned from the North Blue and stopped by the base to resupply. There, by pure coincidence, he ran into Ace.

"Ace," Garp said between bites of senbei, "did you see Rayleigh in the Sabaody Archipelago?"

"Yeah, Master Rayleigh's been teaching me this past year." A respectful gleam flickered in Ace's eyes as he smiled.

"Rayleigh?" Law's expression twitched. "'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh? The Pirate King's right-hand man? Yet another insane name…" He struggled to keep his face composed as he glanced at his captain. So that man is Captain Ace's teacher… No wonder he's so strong.

"No wonder you vanished for a year. You went into training," Garp muttered, then narrowed his eyes. "Was that Rayleigh's idea?"

Ace shook his head. "No. It was my decision. After reaching the New World, I realized I wasn't strong enough. Then I happened to meet Master Rayleigh in Sabaody, and he agreed to train me."

Naturally, Ace didn't mention that he had deliberately sought out Rayleigh and asked to become his apprentice.

"It's good that you recognized your weaknesses. Still, I'm surprised that Rayleigh agreed to train you," Garp said seriously. "Does he know who you really are?"

Ace nodded. "He said he's known about me since I was born."

"I see…" Garp's expression turned solemn. After a pause, he asked, "So, what do you plan to do next?"

Ace went quiet for a few seconds, then looked straight into Garp's eyes and said seriously, "Grandpa… I want to surpass that man."

Garp froze mid-bite. Slowly, he placed the senbei down and set aside his teacup.

He knew exactly who Ace meant by that man.

Garp never wanted Ace to follow in his father's footsteps. He had always hoped Ace would become a proud Marine and serve justice alongside him. That way, he could protect him.

But Ace had already set foot on the path of piracy—and not just any pirate. He had grown notorious and had even offended the Celestial Dragons. Garp despised those nobles, but he understood the consequences of crossing them. From the moment Ace defied the Celestial Dragons, returning to the Marines became impossible.

And now, Ace clearly had his own path—his own ambition. Garp's hopes were just a fantasy.

Seeing the silence in his grandfather's eyes, Ace didn't say anything more. He simply sat there, quietly watching the old man.

In his past life, Ace had read many forum posts about Garp. Even at 76 years old, the hero of the Marines remained strong. But age catches up to everyone. At this stage in life, the only thing that could bind Garp wasn't his fists—it was the burden of justice he carried… and the love he bore for his family.

During the Summit War in the original timeline, this old man had watched his grandson die right in front of him. He had wanted to retaliate—but was held back by the uniform on his back. Who could understand that kind of pain?

Ace felt a deep sorrow settle in his chest.

As Ace and Garp sat in silence, Law felt like a thousand claws were scratching his heart. From their conversation, he could tell there was a huge secret behind Ace's identity—but these two had the nerve to go quiet mid-reveal!

My captain has a legendary Marine grandfather… a legendary pirate as his master… and clearly a mysterious father too. This is insane.

Law's thoughts were racing. Even if Doflamingo is a former Celestial Dragon, with this kind of background, what is there to be afraid of? We're going to be just fine!

---

An hour later, outside Garp's office.

Garp stepped out first, with Ace and Law following.

"Old man, you're really just letting us go like this?" Ace asked, his tone casual but his eyes serious.

"You're my grandson. I'm not arresting you," Garp said flatly. "That's my excuse, so go ahead and leave."

"That's… barely an excuse, Vice Admiral," his adjutant muttered. "You might as well just say you let them escape."

Garp ignored him completely.

Ace gave a helpless shrug and turned to Law. "Let's go."

"Oi! You ungrateful brat! You're just going to leave like that?" Garp suddenly roared, swinging his fist at Ace's head. "You haven't seen your beloved grandpa in so long, can't you at least say goodbye properly?!"

"What do you want, you stinky old man? You just want to hit me!" Ace shouted, clutching his head after the hit.

Bang! Another punch landed squarely on Ace's crown.

"I just want to be a respected elder for once, you heartless punk!"

"You're seriously unreasonable!" Ace yelled back, dragging Law behind him. "Let's go, Law!"

Law, who had grown accustomed to this bizarre familial violence, followed with a neutral expression. Moments later, the two leapt into the sky and vanished from view.

From the wind, Ace's voice echoed:

"Take care of yourself, you stinky old man!"

Garp stood rooted in place, tears welling up in his eyes.

What a bastard grandson, he thought. And yet… he smiled.

Sometimes, even the smallest show of concern was enough to fill the heart.

For the elderly, joy really could be that simple.

---

Back on the north shore of Essalin Island, aboard the Heart Pirates' ship.

Ace and Law landed softly on the deck.

"Captain Ace, here's the Log Pose pointing to the Sabaody Archipelago," Law said, handing over the pointer he had snatched from the Marine base.

Ace took the Log Pose with a smile. "I'll be waiting for you in the New World. Don't take too long—if you're late, I might deal with Doflamingo before you even arrive."

"Don't underestimate me, Captain Ace," Law replied confidently.

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