Chapter 25: Garp’s Invitation Before the God Valley War

Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1484.

Rocks had always wanted to recruit Roger, but perhaps it was the will of the world whenever Rocks led the crew, they never once encountered the Roger Pirates. And when Rocks wasn't there, no one else in his crew was strong enough to take Roger down.

"Shocking news!!! Charlotte Linlin, an officer of the Rocks Pirates, declared on Hachinosu: 'If Roger, Jabba, or Ritter are willing, we could produce incredibly powerful children together.'"

"Hahahahahaha! Who would've thought Ritter's first love confession would be to Charlotte Linlin? Little Ritter next to her looks like a pea beside a watermelon! A giant and a bean sprout heh, now that's a sight," Jabba laughed so hard his stomach hurt.

Ritter didn't even argue back this time. When it came to the giants, Jabba really did know what he was talking about.

The days passed, one after another. As newspaper gulls delivered more and more bounty posters, Rocks went on a recruitment spree. Today he subdued Kaido; tomorrow he crushed a pirate dojo. All signs pointed to one thing the war at God Valley was drawing near.

Ritter didn't seem particularly concerned. Whether Rocks won or Garp did, it didn't matter much to him.

You could argue that if Rocks became King of the World, the world would plunge into chaos.

But if the target of resistance was no longer some untouchable "god," but just a pirate, then the ideology cultivated for 800 years that "gods" must not be defied would begin to crack. Why can you be king and I can't? At the very least, it would give the world a sliver of hope, a crack in the wall.

Sure, the Marines still upheld justice on the seas but the Marines were the Marines, and the Celestial Dragons were the Celestial Dragons. Ritter had never once credited the Marines' achievements to the Celestial Dragons. As far as he was concerned, the fewer Celestial Dragons left breathing, the better.

Just as Rocks was gathering his pirate legions, Garp showed up right on Roger's doorstep.

From the crow's nest, a crew member shouted, "Navy ship sighted ahead! It's Garp's dog-head battleship!"

Roger grinned, the light beneath his straw hat flickering with excitement. "Kuhahahaha! My old rival's here!"

Ritter narrowed his eyes at the approaching warship. Garp stood at the prow, his signature dog-head cap shading a face that, for once, wasn't smiling.

"Battle stations!" Jabba barked. The crew instantly snapped into readiness.

They weren't going to fight, but going through the motions was still necessary.

But then something unexpected happened the Navy ship stopped a hundred meters away. Even stranger, all its cannons were aimed down at the sea an unmistakable signal of non-aggression.

This was not normal. Whenever Garp met Roger, it was cannonballs first, questions later. Ritter had already activated his fog field.

"What the hell is going on?" he muttered. The blood mist began swirling around him without conscious effort.

He had a feeling he knew why Garp had come.

Garp suddenly leapt into the air, using Moonwalk to step across the sky and land cleanly on the deck of the Oro Jackson.

Everyone tensed. Ritter's fingers had already wrapped around the hilt of Black Tide.

If Garp dared say that name, Ritter wouldn't hesitate to draw. Asking them to protect those beasts what a joke.

"Relax, kid." Garp shot him a look, then walked straight toward Roger. "I came to talk."

Roger opened his arms with a booming laugh. "Kuhahaha! Garp, since when did you learn to be so polite?"

Garp ignored the jab. His voice dropped low, grave as never before. "Rocks is heading for God Valley."

Silence fell over the deck like a lead curtain. Rayleigh's glasses flashed coldly, Jabba's axe lowered without him noticing, and even the ever-jovial Roger lost his smile.

"So?" Ritter interjected. "Navy guy, what exactly are you here for?"

He didn't even bother addressing Garp by name.

Garp turned his piercing gaze on Ritter. It was the kind of look that saw straight through flesh and bone to something deeper. "Kid, do you know what God Valley really is?"

Ritter's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Still, he nodded.

Roger, Rayleigh, and Jabba subtly moved to stand at Ritter's side. They all knew he could see the future. For him to be showing this kind of reaction even if they didn't know the details they were ready to back him up no matter what.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Get off our ship." Ritter swung Black Tide.

Garp blocked the blade and stepped back, jumping out of its range.

"Don't play dumb. I trust my instincts." He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his coat and tossed it onto the deck. "See for yourself."

Ritter bent down to pick it up. It was a slave manifest.

Under the section labeled Special Exhibits, the line read: "Total slaves: approximately 100,000. Children: 16%."

His hands began to tremble. The paper crinkled under his tightening grip.

"Garp..." Roger's voice was low and hoarse. "What exactly are you saying?"

Garp took a deep breath. "Rocks is going after the Celestial Dragons' treasure and Devil Fruits. But those beasts..." He gestured in the direction of God Valley.

He didn't say more. It wasn't clear whether he meant the Celestial Dragons or Rocks.

Rayleigh broke the silence. "So you're here to rescue slaves? I thought you'd be lining up your Navy boys ten miles out, making sure none of them escape give your Celestial Daddy Dragons a little fun time."

"Bullshit!" Garp slammed his fist into the railing, splintering it. "I'm here to kill Rocks! But those kids..."

His voice wavered.

"They don't deserve to die."

The deck fell silent again. Distant cries carried over the sea on the wind, dull and haunting, like a rusty blade scraping over bone.

Ritter let out a cold chuckle. "Touching speech. How do we know this isn't a trap? You get us to do the dirty work while the Navy swoops in to reap the rewards? And those slaves they only exist because your side allowed it."

Garp didn't respond right away. He stepped in close, close enough for Ritter to smell the blood on him.

He lowered his voice so only Ritter could hear: "The third cave under the west cliff. The guards are already 'asleep.'"

Ritter's pupils contracted sharply.

"You..." His voice caught in his throat.

Garp stepped back, resuming his casual air. "So, Roger what do you say? Want to team up for something big?"

Roger stroked his chin, glancing between Garp and Ritter. Suddenly, he burst out laughing. "Kuhahaha! Now this sounds fun! What do you think, Rayleigh?"

Rayleigh adjusted his glasses. "Strategically speaking, temporary cooperation is our best bet. But..." He looked at Garp meaningfully. "We'll need some guarantees."

Garp grinned and pulled out a map littered with markings, tossing it to Rayleigh. "It's the Navy's deployment chart for God Valley locations of the Celestial Dragons, and where they might hide if things go south. Drew it myself when we were sweeping the place. That enough proof for you?"

Ritter stared at the map, the balance in his heart tipping back and forth.

He didn't want to protect those so-called Celestial Dragons but he couldn't ignore the cries of the children either. And what unsettled him most was that Garp seemed to be hinting at something deeper.

"Ritter." Roger placed a hand on his shoulder. "What do you think?"

Everyone turned to Ritter.

He slowly began to explain, "The Celestial Dragons turned God Valley into a 'hunting arena.' They capture slaves humans, fishmen, even giants then release them onto the island to be hunted down by armed guards and beasts. All for sport. Those who perform exceptionally well in the hunt are even rewarded by the Five Elders, to demonstrate the superiority of their so-called 'noble bloodline' and combat prowess."

When he finished, he closed his eyes.

Roger was silent for a long time.

"We'll help you fight Rocks," he finally said. "Garp, I trust you but I don't trust the Navy. We'll choose when and how to strike."

Garp burst into laughter. "That's enough, Roger."

He turned and walked to the edge of the ship. Just before leaping off, he looked back at Ritter.

"Remember when the fog's thick enough, even 'gods' can't see the truth."

"I don't give a damn how pirates clash or if the Celestial Dragons die but the kids shouldn't have to." His voice was low. "That place is going to get messy."

The words hit Ritter like a hammer to the chest.

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