...…
As soon as Big Mom finished her guess, the light curtain's scene abruptly switched.
What came into view was no longer the peaceful and serene Windmill Village from before, but the mountain range behind it—the foreboding Mt. Corvo that ordinary villagers dared not approach.
This mountain was densely covered in jungle, with towering ancient trees and ferocious beasts lurking everywhere. Survival of the fittest was the only law here.
Yet, right in the midst of this perilous forest, two figures were strolling casually as if taking a walk in their own backyard.
When their identities became clear, everyone's gazes in God Valley once again turned uniformly toward Garp—expressions varied, but all filled with complex emotions.
Because in the scene appeared an elderly Garp, dragging a black-haired boy wearing a straw hat by the cheek—Monkey D. Luffy!
From the familiar straw hat on Luffy's back, it was evident that by this time he had already met Red-Haired Shanks and inherited the hat symbolizing dreams and promises.
"Grandpa! Where are you taking me?! It hurts! I want to go to sea! I want to become the Pirate King!!"
Little Luffy's cheek was stretched out long by Garp's grip…
Thanks to the properties of the Rubber-Rubber Fruit, his body extended, but it did nothing to ease the pain. He protested through gritted teeth!
He couldn't understand why—even after becoming a "rubber man"—his grandpa's "Fist of Love" still hurt so much.
"Shut up, Luffy!"
Garp's face was dark, especially when he saw Roger's straw hat hanging behind Luffy. His anger flared even more.
"I will never allow you to become a pirate! Pirate King? Don't even dream about it! That's the wrong path!"
Garp had long resolved that he would absolutely not let Ace and Luffy go down the pirate road. They had to become the strongest Marines—that was the only "right" path in his heart.
"No way! I want to become a pirate! I want to become a man as strong and free as Shanks!"
Luffy clung desperately to a thick nearby tree, trying to resist.
But in the face of Garp's inhuman strength, his resistance was utterly futile.
Garp didn't even pause his steps; he just kept walking forward. The tremendous force actually snapped the tree trunk right off!
The broken trunk fell squarely onto Garp's own head with a dull "thud."
"You idiot!!" Garp clutched the massive lump that instantly swelled on his head, glaring furiously at the troublemaking Luffy.
Grandfather and grandson—one dragging, one resisting—bickered and tussled their way to a rather crude-looking wooden house deep in the forest.
"Hey! Inside! Open the door!"
While restraining the still-flailing Luffy, Garp bellowed toward the wooden cabin with his booming voice.
Not long after, the wooden door was slammed open with a "bang." The bandit Dadan—who had appeared earlier—stormed out cursing: "Which blind bastard is making all that racket out here?! Do you have a death wish?!"
"It's me…" Garp's low voice rang out.
"!!!!!!"
Dadan's unfinished tirade instantly caught in her throat. When she saw who was standing outside, it was as if she'd been doused with ice water. She snapped awake in an instant, trembling all over, teeth chattering in fear.
The bandit underlings behind her—who had been so aggressive moments ago—immediately wilted. They shrank back, not daring to breathe.
[Outside the light curtain in God Valley]
"Mam-ma-ma-ma~"
Big Mom Charlotte Linlin watched Dadan's terrified, soul-leaving-body expression and seemed genuinely amused, letting out booming laughter.
"Looks like this Dadan is exactly as I thought! The reason she dared lay hands on Garp back in Windmill Village was definitely because Ace's death completely overwhelmed her fear with emotion! Now it seems her bond with Roger's son really runs incredibly deep!"
Her sharp laughter and commentary drew a disgusted glance from Kaido nearby.
"Hey, Garp,"
Vice Admiral Tsuru gently elbowed him, a teasing smile on her face: "Who's this 'Ace'? By the way, your pirate grandson was pretty cute when he was little…"
Since Tsuru hadn't seen the earlier Summit War footage, she knew nothing about Ace's background or the conversations between Garp and Roger.
"He was pretty cute as a kid,"
The future Fleet Admiral Sengoku already demonstrated his exceptional logical thinking and sharpness. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he said: "But him becoming a pirate in the future… that's not so endearing.
Garp, you'll have to educate him properly later. But there's one more thing…"
Sengoku changed the subject, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Garp. "You actually have such a 'close' relationship with a bandit leader? That doesn't exactly follow regulations~"
"Oh come on, you guys—can you stop being so nosy?!"
Bombarded by questions from his friends, Garp—who had just been chuckling a bit at the pirates' side—saw his face instantly collapse into deep frustration. He rubbed his hair irritably: "Who doesn't have some little secrets they can't talk about? Seeing all this annoying crap from the future is depressing enough—don't rub salt in my wounds! Just focus on the light curtain!"
Knowing the full inside story, Garp truly didn't know how to explain these tangled relationships to his closest friends—especially Ace's origins, which left him at a complete loss for words.
On the other side, Zephyr looked at Dragon—wrapped head to toe in bandages and leaning against a rock—with eyes full of heartache.
He and Garp were comrades who had gone through life and death together. Naturally, Garp's son was like a nephew to him.
Seeing Dragon injured so badly, any elder would feel pain in their heart.
"Dragon, those wounds… what exactly happened? Who did this to you?"
Zephyr crouched down, asking in a low voice.
Dragon slowly lifted his head. His gaze swept over Zephyr's worried face before finally settling coldly in the direction of the Celestial Dragons led by Saint Saturn.
"Some things happened… that I couldn't accept, Uncle Zephyr."
Dragon didn't detail his experiences, but the resolute tone in his voice was unmistakable: "I've decided… to leave the Marines. I… I look down on the so-called 'justice' that Dad and the others follow!"
"Kid! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Zephyr was shocked by Dragon's sudden declaration. His expression turned grave as he lowered his voice: "You're really quitting the Marines? To become some… Revolutionary Army member?! What exactly did you encounter?"
Seeing the genuine concern in Zephyr's eyes, Dragon let out a deep sigh. He knew Uncle Zephyr truly cared for him.
So he told Zephyr everything he had witnessed firsthand in God Valley: how the Celestial Dragons treated racial massacres like games, how they executed slaves like disposing of trash, how Marine soldiers opened fire on innocent civilians…
All the inhumane atrocities, one by one.
Even Zephyr—who had weathered countless storms—felt his heart pound and his back turn cold as he listened to Dragon's account.
This was the ultimate desecration of life, the cruelest mockery of the word "justice"!
"But… Dragon, this path you're choosing is an incredibly difficult road of no return!"
Zephyr gently patted Dragon's shoulder, trying to calm him.
"The World Government… isn't as simple as you imagine! The power behind them…"
At this point, Zephyr suddenly seemed to realize something and abruptly cut himself off. A flash of wariness passed through his eyes.
As if afraid of touching some unspeakable taboo.
"I know this path is hard, Uncle Zephyr."
Dragon's gaze remained exceptionally firm, without the slightest wavering: "But I've already decided. I told Dad earlier too—I'm leaving the Marines. I despise his compromising ways!
He… didn't say much, but my mind is made up!
Though the scene is different, the lines are pretty much the same. In this story, before Dragon was carried away for treatment, he had already told Garp he was leaving the Marines!
At this point, Dragon's voice rose slightly with emotion: "Uncle Zephyr… this world is completely filthy now! It's rotten from the inside out! Why should those people sit high above, casually trampling on human lives?!
What do they think life is?! Ants they can crush whenever they feel like it?!"
...…