Chapter 14: Setting Sail: The Flunky Aboard the Doghead Battleship!

One had to admit Garp really was a maverick within the Navy.

Thanks to his unparalleled accomplishments and his fearsome "Fist of Love," this Vice Admiral was practically untouchable at Navy Headquarters, enjoying privileges that no other Vice Admiral possessed.

Just a few days ago, at Zephyr's place over a meal, he'd suddenly declared he was taking Yorichi Tsugikuni out to sea. And now, not even a week later, that day had truly arrived.

Early in the morning, Yorichi Tsugikuni was quietly reading at home when Garp suddenly barged into Zephyr's house.

As though it were his own home, Garp strode in without a shred of hesitation, marched right up to Yorichi, and barked:

"Hey! Kid! I'm heading out to sea. You're coming with me so get moving!"

Sitting behind a mountain of books, Yorichi lifted his gaze at the commotion. Seeing Garp's hurried expression, the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" he asked.

"Zephyr-sensei isn't even home. At the very least, I should let him know where I'm going."

Despite his caution, Yorichi was indeed tempted by the idea of going to sea.

He'd been at Navy Headquarters for nearly a month. Though he'd felt the genuine warmth of Zephyr's care as comforting as that of family his strength had barely advanced at all.

Yorichi suspected strongly that Zephyr's refusal to train him in combat was due to direct orders from higher up. He'd already gotten that impression when he'd seen the stack of books Zephyr had provided for him to read.

And Garp's recent return had only solidified that suspicion.

He knew perfectly well that his physical abilities were not the reason he couldn't begin learning Haki and the other combat techniques unique to the world of One Piece. Yorichi might appear to be a clueless new recruit, but he already understood quite a bit about the power systems of this world.

Zephyr might say that Yorichi's 5,000 Doriki was still weak but Yorichi knew very well that such a level was already more than sufficient to begin learning Rokushiki and Haki.

After all, even someone hailed as a "genius" like Rob Lucci only had a Doriki of around 4,000.

Although he was eager to set sail, Yorichi didn't want to seem "uncontrollable." Zephyr and Garp were trustworthy enough, but Yorichi understood that the true restrictions on him came from forces far beyond those two men.

"I've already spoken to Zephyr," Garp replied bluntly. "He doesn't mind!"

"And besides what's the point of asking for anyone's permission?"

"Kid, do you really want to stay here reading books all day? Are you telling me you don't want to go to sea?!"

"Let me tell you there are things you want in this world that you'll never achieve just by reading books!"

Though Garp hadn't known Yorichi for long, his years of battlefield experience made him an astute judge of character.

"…"

"I do want to go to sea, but…"

Yorichi fell silent for a while, finally nodding. He'd just opened his mouth to carefully phrase a response when Garp cut him off with a dismissive wave.

Catching sight of the black katana resting beside Yorichi, Garp grinned. He strode over, seized Yorichi by the waist with one hand, and snatched up the sword with the other, then simply lifted the boy and strode out the door.

"Uh…"

"Vice Admiral Garp, I think I can walk on my own."

Garp carried Yorichi like a sack of potatoes, marching briskly toward the naval port. Along the way, Marines who greeted Garp couldn't help but shoot curious glances at the dangling Yorichi.

The sensation of so many people staring at him with odd expressions was deeply uncomfortable. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Yorichi protested:

"Ha ha ha!"

"What's the big deal?!"

"If you want to go to sea, then let's go."

"Freedom, kid that's what being a Marine is all about! Ha ha ha!"

Garp roared with laughter, utterly indifferent to the stares of everyone around them.

Freedom, huh… Yours seems to be the only freedom around here…

Yorichi sighed inwardly. Since he clearly couldn't resist, he decided to go with the flow, mentally bracing himself for whatever lay ahead.

Soon, Garp's personal vessel the Doghead Battleship appeared in Yorichi's line of sight. Garp seemed fully prepared for departure. Marines were already assembled on deck, simply waiting for their commanding officer to arrive.

However, just as Garp was about to lead Yorichi up the gangplank, a group of Marines blocked their path.

At the front of the group stood none other than the Fleet Admiral of the Navy Kong!

Flanking Kong were Zephyr and Sengoku, both standing sternly at his sides. Behind them was a contingent of Marines, and as soon as Garp arrived, Kong thundered:

"Hey! Garp! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Seeing Kong appear in person, Garp's face betrayed a flicker of genuine surprise. Who would have thought that simply trying to take Yorichi Tsugikuni out to sea would be enough to alarm the Fleet Admiral himself?

Is Kong seriously so idle that he's meddling in trivial matters like this?!

The surprise vanished as quickly as it came. Garp casually set Yorichi down, tossed him back his katana, and, entirely unfazed, dug a pinky into his nose while replying:

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I've just received word about Roger's whereabouts. I'm getting ready to head out."

Kong seemed immune to Garp's rude manners at this point and ignored him completely. Instead, his gaze shifted to Yorichi beside him, and he said:

"You want to chase Roger? Fine. Go."

"But you can't take this kid."

"He's Zephyr's student and one of the Navy's key talents. We can't afford to let him go out to sea so casually."

Garp didn't reply immediately. Instead, he stepped closer to Yorichi, laid a firm hand on his back, and said with a grin:

"I know. That's exactly why he needs to go to sea."

"You don't become a real Marine unless you're forged out there on the ocean."

"I'm living proof of that I know what I'm talking about."

Garp's tone was unwavering, not the slightest hint of hesitation even while facing the highest-ranking officer in the Navy. A Vice Admiral, standing his ground against the Fleet Admiral, still carried himself like a man who answered only to himself.

"…"

"Must you really insist on this, Garp?"

Kong studied Garp for a long moment, and unexpectedly, his tone softened a change so startling that even the Marines behind him stared wide-eyed. Kong, the famously iron-blooded Fleet Admiral, was a man whose sheer force of will had carried him to the top of the Navy. No one in the entire headquarters could normally make him back down.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"I'll bring him back safely. Now move aside."

Garp burst into laughter, gripped Yorichi's shoulder, and started up the gangplank. This time, Kong didn't stop him. As Garp passed by, Kong leaned in and muttered under his breath:

"Garp… you'd better be prepared to answer for this. Don't disappoint me."

Garp simply turned his head and flashed Kong a broad grin, saying nothing more as he led Yorichi onto the battleship.

"Set sail!"

A booming shout echoed across the deck. Moments later, the anchor began to rise, and the Doghead Battleship slowly pulled away from the naval port, vanishing into the horizon as Kong and the others watched it go.

Zephyr stood staring after the departing ship, a faint smile playing at his lips. But the moment Kong turned around, that smile vanished without a trace.

Seeing Kong's dark expression, Sengoku quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Fleet Admiral, it's Garp we're talking about. You know how he is don't let it bother you."

"Besides, it's just one kid. So he went out to sea big deal, right? Ha ha ha. No big deal!"

Sengoku's words utterly failed to calm Kong's fury.

Instead, they triggered the eruption of the anger he'd been holding back all along.

"You idiot!"

"That kid has awakened Conqueror's Haki! Sengoku, do you understand what that means?!"

"He's one in a million. If we nurture him properly, he's certain to become a pillar of the Navy's future."

"No matter how many officers we train, someone like him someone like that can single-handedly bring peace to entire regions!"

"Do you have any idea how important that is?!"

"Garp… it's precisely because he's in Garp's hands that I'm worried!"

"That fool thinks he knows how to train Marines? He doesn't know squat!"

"'Learning by experience,' my ass. If every Marine did things Garp's way, I'd have died from stress years ago!"

"Humph!"

Anyone could see that Kong was genuinely furious. Yet underneath his rage, there was a deeper layer of frustration and helplessness. Even as the Fleet Admiral, there was simply no controlling a man like Garp.

Out on the vast, endless sea, the navy battleship sailed across shimmering blue waves, leaving a white wake behind it.

Standing on deck, Yorichi gripped the railings with both hands.

The cool sea breeze was invigorating, tossing his crimson hair back and revealing the red markings on his forehead. Staring out over the limitless ocean, Yorichi felt a rush of exhilaration.

"It's no wonder so many people feel drawn to the sea."

"No matter how many times I experience it, this feeling of freedom never loses its power."

Yorichi narrowed his eyes slightly, savoring the wind.

"You too… you love the ocean, don't you?"

Footsteps approached from behind. A tall figure came to stand beside Yorichi, gazing out over the water with a warm smile as they spoke.