Chapter 54: Garp's Little Scheme

In the flash of an instant.

Siano had already vaguely sensed that the target of this fist was not his head, but the space above his shoulder.

However.

The muscular instinct forged through relentless tempering, coupled with his absolute trust in his own robust physique, left him without a moment's hesitation; in an instant, he met the attack head-on with his knuckles!

Boom!

Where the fist winds collided, the air instantly rippled in layers, emitting a piercing explosion, and both men were nearly simultaneously blasted backward by the shockwave.

It was just that Garp retreated only five or six steps before coming to a steady halt.

Meanwhile, Siano plowed two long furrows into the ground, sliding a full ten-plus meters before finally stabilizing his stance.

"Hmm?"

Garp looked up in surprise, pushed aside his dog-head cap, and couldn't help but size up the black-haired youth before him from head to toe.

"Good kid! So young, yet possessing such strength; hey! A fellow like you could make a name for himself even in the Grand Line, so why are you still stuck in the East Blue!"

That fist of his just now, admittedly, was merely a bluff and hadn't used much force.

But it was certainly not something an ordinary person could withstand.

Moreover, the opponent had not only taken it head-on but also knocked him back several steps.

"Because I'm a native of the East Blue!" Siano rolled his eyes. "I'm only fourteen; shouldn't I spend a few more years with my family? What's the rush to run off to the Grand Line so early?"

"Fourteen years old?!"

Beside them, Luffy gaped, his mouth hanging open; he had always thought Uncle Siano... no, Big Brother Siano, was at least thirty!

"Grandpa!"

The brat stood up dissatisfied. "What's the big deal! Big Brother Siano is my friend, not a criminal; how can you just attack him like that!"

"This old man is your grandfather?" Siano asked in surprise. "Then why did he try to stop me from saving you?"

"So noisy! Of course I was training this brat's survival skills!"

Snorting roughly through his nostrils, Garp casually punched Luffy into the dirt, then turned to stare at Siano. "I never expected that while simply following Fire-Mountain's ship back to my hometown for a vacation, I would encounter such a promising talent..."

"Hey, kid! My name is Garp; you must have heard of me, right? How about joining the Marines under me? With your strength at fourteen, a few years of proper training, and you might become a Marine Rear Admiral before you turn eighteen!"

"Garp?"

Siano froze, his face draining of color in shock. "The legendary Marine Hero Garp?! The Garp who saved an entire island of Celestial Dragons?!"

"Hahaha, indeed I am the ol—" Garp had just split his face in a wide grin when he registered the second half of that sentence.

His smile instantly froze on his face.

Back then, when Steel-Bone Kong had signaled him to support God Valley, thinking the Celestial Dragons were merely on a school trip and eager for the chance to catch Roger, he had rushed over enthusiastically.

Only after a bitter battle ended did he discover what those bubble-wearing fat pigs were actually up to!

Although the battle against the Rocks Pirates forged his reputation as the Marine Hero, it also became a shadow buried deep in his heart forever after.

It was from that moment on.

He spent his entire life refusing promotion to Admiral, ensuring he would never have to accept direct orders from the Celestial Dragons and become a slave unable to act freely.

Garp fell silent for a long time, staring at Siano's face, his eyes seeming to be veiled by a layer of shadow.

"You little brat..." the old man's tone was complex, "you seem to know quite a lot; could it be... that you are a survivor from that island?"

"No, and don't misunderstand; I have no intention of mocking you; I still hold Mr. Garp in high regard."

Siano shook his head slightly and said seriously, "It's just that with this knowledge, you probably understand the answer to my earlier question now, right? People like me can't stand being bound by rules and regulations; asking me to join the Marines? Just the thought of being unable to refuse the Celestial Dragons' orders makes my whole body itch unbearably."

"But..."

Garp instinctively wanted to argue, but scenes from over twenty years ago flashed through his mind; he sighed, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Exactly! Why join the Marines? It's boring to death!"

Luffy struggled to poke his head out of the dirt pit, his mud-smeared face scrunched up like a bitter melon. "Big Brother Siano, please help me convince my grandpa; he's been back only a few days, yet he nags every day about training me into the strongest marine soldier, even though I've already said I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!"

"Still going on about the Pirate King! Look at what that brat Red-Hair has done!"

Garp flew into a rage, slamming an iron fist hard onto Luffy's head. "If I can't control this brat, can't I control you? You are my own grandson! If you dare become a pirate, just watch me beat you to death!"

Thud!

"It hurts!!!"

Luffy clutched the three large bumps on his head and screamed, "I'm a Rubber Fruit user; why does your punch hurt me!"

Of course, it's because of Haki.

Siano, with sharp eyes, noticed that at the moment Garp threw his punch, his knuckles were wrapped in a faint layer of black air that vanished in an instant; the force was perfectly controlled, clearly indicating his mastery of Armament Haki had reached a peak level of perfection.

—He was truly envious.

"Want to learn?"

Garp seemed to notice his gaze and chuckled with a grin.

"If you truly join the Marines and become my disciple, I will definitely teach you hand-in-hand, but... sigh, forget it, let's not mention it."

Picking at his nose, the old man said indifferently, "Anyway, I've been back in the East Blue for this trip with itchy hands for a long time; this stinking brat Luffy can't take a beating, so how about sparring with me for a few rounds? If you can satisfy my craving for a fight, I won't hold it against you for killing Nezumi."

"How did you know... wait, so you've known about me all along?"

Siano suddenly realized something was off; damn it, this stinking old man, so it turns out he wasn't the only one acting from the start!

"Nonsense; on my way back for vacation, I lay on the deck reading newspapers every day; it would be hard not to see your face!"

Garp clicked his tongue.

"As for that scum Nezumi, I also went with Fire-Mountain to the 16th Branch; the marines there, from top to bottom, all insisted it was Buggy who did it, but I felt something was wrong, and since I had nothing better to do, I conducted a slight private investigation."

"Borrowing this face and reputation, I barely managed to get those marines to open up; they quietly told me that just two days before the incident, Nezumi took them to your hometown to threaten you and intended to embezzle the bounty on those fish-men."

"With intel like that, isn't it obvious! I'm not Bai Chi!"

Garp grunted, casually wiping the booger he'd picked onto the completely bewildered Luffy's hair. "Most likely, you took revenge on Nezumi, then diverted the blame onto Buggy."

"Did you share this intelligence with Vice Admiral Huo Shao Shan?" Siano, with no intention of denying it, grinned and asked.

"What is there to say? If he has the ability, let him gather his own intelligence. Let's see if those marines, bullied by rats for a year, will tell him the truth. Tsk, scum like that deserve to die; they disgrace the Navy. Actually, I was quite inclined to praise you."

Garp also grinned and laughed heartily. "Besides, you covered your tracks cleanly, and there is indeed no evidence. What reason would there be to arrest you? Furthermore, I am here for a vacation and leisure; I simply cannot be bothered with such matters!"

He suddenly bumped fists, excitement flashing in his eyes. "Alright, kid Siano, enough nonsense. Are you willing or not to spar a few rounds with this old man?"

Thanks to Bu Ru Dao and Yi Gu Guai for the 500-coin donation. The second update will likely be around 5 PM.

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(End of Chapter)