Chapter 168: Garp: I'm the Father of the Revolutionary Army Leader!
"Of course it's me—unless you've joined Whitebeard's crew and started calling someone else your dad!"
Garp's eyes were slightly misty, but he quickly reined in that fleeting emotion from seeing his son again and straightened his posture.
Right now,
he was a Vice Admiral of the Navy, tasked with capturing a criminal wanted by the World Government. He and the man before him—leader of the Revolutionary Army—were sworn enemies.
"Still got that same bad temper, old man."
Dragon looked exasperated.
He was the leader of the Revolutionary Army. There was no way he'd join a pirate crew and become someone's lackey.
His father had always been like this—extremely tolerant and generous with outsiders, but when it came to family, he adopted a ruthless stance, never letting up. Surviving long enough to become the Revolutionary Army's leader was only possible thanks to Dragon's own stubborn endurance.
"Did I hear that right?"
"Did the leader of the Revolutionary Army just… call him Dad?"
Whether Marine, slave, or Revolutionary, the entire crowd burst into uproar, all staring in disbelief at the two men.
Even Sengoku, who had locked the visual Den Den Mushi onto Dragon's position, twitched uncontrollably at the corners of his mouth.
If he weren't so eager to see Dragon captured by the Marines, he would've smashed the Den Den Mushi himself to kill the live feed.
"Damn it, Garp—this is completely out of control!"
Sengoku clutched his head, his migraine flaring.
The son of Marine hero Vice Admiral Garp was the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Now that this had been exposed in front of the entire world, the damage to the Navy's reputation was unimaginable.
"Breaking news: the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, is actually the biological son of Marine hero Garp!"
News Seagulls flew into a frenzy.
Around their necks hung tiny projectors transmitting the live broadcast. This footage was already being rushed to the newspapers for tomorrow's front page headline.
In the world of pirates, not every region had access to Den Den Mushi.
Economically developed towns had giant Den Den Mushi for public broadcasts. Nobles had their private ones. But in poorer areas, newspapers were still the main source of information.
Garp, rarely this serious, spoke in a low voice: "You didn't grow into the kind of Marine I hoped you'd be—one who protects the people. But you made your own choices, and you have to live with the consequences!"
"Mistakes, huh?"
Dragon's tone didn't soften at all, even though it was his father. "And who decides what's right and wrong? The World Government? The Navy?"
He had once firmly believed in justice when he was still a Marine.
But after seeing countless bloody events firsthand, his faith in that justice shattered. He had wandered many lands and nations, but it was the Ohara Incident that made him resolve to build an army—one that would walk a path even the Four Emperors dared not tread.
He wanted to change a world where "right" and "wrong" were dictated solely by the World Government.
Garp nodded solemnly. "Without countless righteous Marines laying down their lives, the seas would've long been overrun by pirates and madmen. That's the justice I've always believed in."
From a young age, he had joined the Navy and fought on the frontlines, capturing vicious pirates and defending civilians. He maintained order across the seas.
To him, allowing common people to live peacefully was the true result that mattered.
Dragon raised his head, eyes burning with intensity as he stared at his father. "So, you just stood by and watched the Celestial Dragons abuse and slaughter civilians? That's your justice?"
"The Celestial Dragons are trash."
Garp said it without hesitation. "But imagine a world without the World Government—can you picture what the seas would become without any rules?"
Even now, with the Admirals' power and branch support, countless pirates still plunder and destroy. There were men like Crocodile with ambitions to steal entire nations. There were the Four Emperors of the New World.
If the day ever came when Marine Headquarters lost control over the seas, the unchained world that followed would be a hellish nightmare.
"That idiot! Has Garp gone completely mad?!"
Sengoku stomped in fury.
This was a live broadcast, and Garp had just called the Celestial Dragons "trash" in front of the entire world! Had eating too many donuts fried his brain?
It was too late to cut the feed. Garp had spoken too quickly—no buildup, no warning.
All Sengoku could do now was pray that Garp would at least capture Dragon. If he could redeem himself with a victory under the eyes of the global audience, perhaps the Five Elders would spare him punishment.
"How bold…"
Smoker, still weakened, hadn't expected Garp to speak so candidly.
Even he, known for his blunt and fearless nature, would never dare talk recklessly about the Celestial Dragons.
"A house whose foundations are rotten needs to be torn down and rebuilt—not patched up endlessly. If not, the people living in it will die like prisoners."
Dragon's gaze was steady as he looked at the man who had once cornered the Pirate King.
If it were anyone else, Dragon would've dismissed their talk of justice as empty and hypocritical.
Most people compromised out of fear—fear of the Five Elders, of the Navy, of losing power. They used "justice" as a cover for their cowardice.
But Dragon knew his father wasn't like that.
Garp had truly dedicated his life to protecting civilians and living by his own code of justice.
But how many Garp-like Marines existed in the world?
"Nonsense. As your father, I'm going to beat some sense into you!"
Garp's fists swung forward in rage.
He wasn't a fool. He knew his son's inflammatory words would only make things worse for the Revolutionary Army, placing them in even greater danger in the future.
His fury came from the pain of a father watching his child walk a dangerous road.
The two clashed.
To everyone's shock, neither used any game skills—just pure physical strength. They fought with fists and bodies alone, as if they wanted to overpower each other with sheer will.
"Old man, your fists are too soft. Has the Navy's corruption dulled your justice?"
"You brat! Your fists are still too weak!"
Everyone watching wore strange expressions. The scene was so bizarre that neither side dared intervene.
The fight only stopped when Dragon grabbed Garp by the neck, lifted him with one hand, and slammed him into a wall on the street.
"You've gotten old, old man."
It was clear now—Dragon had the upper hand in this battle.
The Revolutionary Army erupted into cheers.
Garp coughed as he climbed to his feet, casually brushing the dust from his coat. "My fists of love for my son and grandson aren't slow because I'm old. But since you refuse to wake up, let me show you the new skill I've mastered."
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