"Alright, got it. Thanks, Makino!"
Garp hung up the Den Den Mushi and turned toward Dragon, his face dark.
Under Dragon's puzzled gaze, Garp opened his mouth and roared furiously,
"Just look at how you've raised your son! Do you even know that Luffy's become a pirate? Huh!?"
Dragon narrowed his eyes and endured the spit flying at his face. When Garp finally finished venting, Dragon spoke calmly,
"Father, you know Luffy barely saw me growing up. Compared to me, it seems he spent a lot more time with you, didn't he?"
Garp's mustache bristled as he glared at him.
"Nani?! You're saying this is my fault now, huh?!"
Dragon nodded seriously.
Garp clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, and was just about to deliver his "Fist of Love" when the door suddenly burst open.
Two lean figures rushed in—it was Sabo and Ace.
Ace shouted the moment he entered,
"So Luffy really went and became a pirate!? That idiot! Why does he have to go against Kaito-san like that!?"
Sabo was calmer, but his face didn't look good either. He spoke in a low tone,
"This isn't looking good. I have a feeling something's off about Luffy lately."
Over the past few years, Ace and Sabo had often visited Windmill Village, and they had both noticed the change in Luffy. The Luffy they knew would never wear such a distant, unfamiliar expression.
Dragon frowned. He wasn't as familiar with Luffy's childhood as these two were, so he asked,
"Sabo, what do you mean by that? What exactly happened to Luffy?"
"I can't explain it clearly," Sabo said. "But his personality feels… too different. Almost like he's become another person."
As he listened, Ace gradually calmed down. He said firmly,
"With Luffy's strength, he's bound to make a name for himself soon. Once that happens, it'll be too late!"
The room fell silent for a moment. Then Garp looked at Ace and asked,
"Ace… if one day Luffy stands completely against the Marines, what will you do?"
Ace took a deep breath, his expression resolute.
"Then I won't hold back. Going against the Marines means going against Kaito-san. Kaito-san is the king who saved the whole world—I won't allow Luffy to do something like that!"
After all, Ace had witnessed Kaito's rise from the very beginning. If there were a ranking for die-hard fans, he'd be near the top.
Sabo placed a hand on Ace's shoulder, about to say something, but Ace suddenly shouted,
"No! I have to stop him before he does something stupid!"
With that, he spun around and rushed out the door.
Sabo blinked, then quickly followed him.
Garp and Dragon exchanged glances.
"You think those three brothers are going to end up fighting each other?" Garp asked hesitantly.
Dragon shook his head, staring in the direction Ace and Sabo had gone, deep in thought.
He remembered an intel report he'd once stolen from the World Government—about Luffy's Devil Fruit.
According to the report, the World Government had shown extreme interest in the Rubber Fruit back then, but somehow, it had slipped through their hands and ended up being taken by that red-haired man.
"The Rubber Fruit… seems a bit special. Could Luffy's changes be related to it?"
...
After Ace and Sabo left, Dragon went to find Kaito.
Kaito looked at him, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
"So, you're saying Ace and Sabo went to capture Luffy?"
Dragon nodded solemnly.
"Yes."
Hearing that, Kaito's expression turned somewhat strange. So now Ace and Sabo were doing what Naruto once did—chasing after a brother who'd gone astray?
Dragon, misreading Kaito's reaction as anger, immediately said with determination,
"Don't worry. If Luffy dares to threaten the world's stability, I won't hesitate to act!"
"Uh… I see. No need to get so worked up," Kaito replied. "Let's talk again after Ace and Sabo return."
...
East Blue
Luffy drifted aimlessly across the sea on his small boat. These days, the East Blue was so peaceful it was almost boring. Even the so-called "ruler" of the East Blue, the Krieg Pirates, had been wiped out.
Of course, that so-called "ruler" was pathetically weak and terribly unlucky. He happened to run into Dragon on his way home for a visit—and got turned into sea dust by a single hurricane, without even knowing how he died.
Lying flat on his back on the tiny boat, Luffy stared up at the blazing sun and grumbled,
"So boring! There's not even a decent opponent around. The East Blue's way too weak!"
He drifted along lazily until, at last, an island appeared on the horizon.
The moment he saw it, his eyes lit up. He rubbed his rumbling stomach and shouted excitedly,
"Finally! An island! I'm starving!"
But as he got closer, he noticed several Marine warships docked near the shore—and at the center of the island stood a tall statue of Kaito.
Luffy froze, a chill running down his spine as memories of Kaito's overwhelming power flashed through his mind.
"Why is he everywhere..." he muttered under his breath.
Still grumbling, Luffy lowered his head and paddled toward the island.
The two Marines standing watch at the shore looked surprised to see someone rowing a tiny boat straight toward them.
"This is Konoha Village. Who are you, and what's your purpose here?" one of them asked.
Their tone was polite. Ever since Captain Nezumi had been purged, the Marines stationed here were all carefully selected and tested by headquarters.
There weren't many opportunities to earn glory in the East Blue, but for most Marines, this was the King's homeland—guarding it was a point of pride.
Luffy scratched his head and answered honestly,
"My name's Luffy. I'm hungry, so I came here to find something to eat."
He looked harmless enough, and neither Marine could imagine that anyone would be dumb enough to become a pirate these days. After a quick inspection to make sure he wasn't carrying weapons, they let him pass.
Once inside Konoha Village, Luffy was immediately dazzled by the bustling streets—wide, spotless roads, all kinds of shops, and crowds of people from every corner of the world. It hardly looked like a village at all.
Wearing his straw hat and a pair of worn flip-flops, Luffy looked every bit the country bumpkin in the big city. A few girls passing by couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
But Luffy didn't care. Pressing down his hat, he plunged into the crowd, searching the streets for somewhere to eat.