Today, G-5 was bustling with activity. At the port, Ortoren stood at the dockside with a cigarette between his teeth, watching as a dog-headed warship slowly pulled in.
Once the gangway was lowered, Garp and Bogard descended from the ship together.
The moment Bogard spotted Ortoren, he couldn't resist.
"Long time no see, Ortoren. How about a couple of rounds?"
"We'll talk about that later." Ortoren shot him a glare. "I keep hearing rumors you've been spreading—that I like gambling with you, and always lose?"
Bogard scratched his head awkwardly. "No way! I never said that... Oh, where's Issho? If you're not playing, I'll go find him."
"Issho hasn't come back yet. Wait a couple of days." Ortoren waved it off, then turned to Garp. "Garp-san, it's been a while. Seeing you still so lively puts my mind at ease."
"Been working these old bones again, ahahaha! And you know what? That Dracule Mihawk has real skill. Definitely a swordsman worth noting. Give him a few more years, and he might really become one of the top great swordsmen." Garp laughed heartily.
Compared to Mihawk's battered state, Garp looked full of energy, showing no sign of injury—at least not on the surface.
"I told you before, don't just hole up at Headquarters. You should get out more. If you're interested, how about we organize a hunt against the Whitebeard Pirates?" Ortoren teased with a grin.
Garp gave him a sharp look. "Even if you had the guts to organize it, Sengoku and the Fleet Admiral would never approve. You know the strategy Headquarters set for the Whitebeard Pirates: avoid provoking them whenever possible, while secretly stirring conflict among the great pirates to find the right moment..."
That much was true. Against superpowers like the Big Mom Pirates or the Whitebeard Pirates, Marine Headquarters generally avoided direct provocation. Not out of fear or inability to fight them, but because the cost simply wasn't worth it.
Dropping the subject, Garp threw an arm around Ortoren's shoulder. "The Mihawk business is settled. I'll stay here a couple of days to resupply, then I'm leaving the New World..."
"Back to Headquarters to keep giving Admiral Sengoku headaches?" Ortoren asked with a grin.
Garp waved him off. "No. I asked that fellow Sengoku for leave, and he refused. So don't blame me for being ruthless. This time I'm heading straight from the New World to Mary Geoise, then down to the East Blue..."
"What for? Going back to your hometown again?" Ortoren said with a smirk.
"Ahem..." Garp patted Ortoren's chest with mock seriousness. "You brat, did you forget what I told you before? About Dragon-san being in the East Blue?"
Ortoren froze, then suddenly realized. It was already March of the 1503rd year in the Sea Circle Calendar. If nothing unexpected happened, in just two months, the next Child of the Era—the heir to Roger's... cough, the Straw Hat's—Monkey D. Luffy would be born!
"Your grandson?" Ortoren raised an eyebrow.
Garp's face lit up, and he nodded proudly. "Bwahahaha, that's right! At the end of last year, during the World Government's Reverie, didn't they announce they'd be moving against the Revolutionary Army afterward? That ungrateful Dragon figured things were about to get dangerous, so he sent the kid to Foosha Village, to be raised by me."
"So you plan to lie in wait at Foosha Village, then strike down Dragon the moment he appears—slaying your own son for the greater good, eliminating the Revolutionary Army's threat for the World Government, is that it? I see now. As expected of you, Garp-san! Such resolve and willpower should be an example for all Marines. I'll report to Mary Geoise immediately, praising your great deeds..."
As Ortoren spoke, he deliberately looked at Garp with an expression of exaggerated admiration.
Garp froze at those words. After a long pause, he scratched his nose awkwardly and muttered, "Well... I think it might be too late for something like an ambush..."
"I'm fast, you know. I don't even need a ship—I could fly straight to the East Blue. If you're worried about time, I can help you out. I'll kill Dragon for you!" Ortoren teased again.
"You never quit, do you!?" Garp barked, cursing in frustration.
After a couple of curses, he, Ortoren, and Bogard behind them all burst into laughter once more.
Garp was not the type of man to sacrifice family for duty. Besides, the Revolutionary Army wasn't the Navy's primary concern. Matters like that were always handled by the CP agencies. Why would he waste his energy betraying his own blood?
Was he supposed to hope Dragon climbed the ranks? What would be the point? If Dragon wanted to be an Admiral, all it would take was a single report and the position would be his the next day.
Since the subject was already on the table, Ortoren asked, "And after that? Do you plan to raise Dragon's child in the East Blue? Or bring him back to Headquarters?"
At this, Garp hesitated. "I had thought about bringing the child back to Headquarters... but I'm worried it might cause problems."
"What kind of problems?" Ortoren raised an eyebrow.
"The whole business with Zephyr back then was already suspicious enough, and we still haven't uncovered the truth. Right now, Dragon is nothing but a spark, and the World Government doesn't take him seriously. But who can predict the future? If he grows powerful someday, and I've got his child in Headquarters, wouldn't that put me at his mercy? After all, I can't be at Headquarters every moment to keep watch," Garp admitted with some difficulty.
His reasoning wasn't without merit.
Ortoren thought it over. "So leaving the kid in Foosha Village is safer?"
"Not exactly safe," Garp sighed. "But if I bring him to Headquarters, the secret won't last. Right now, only a handful of you know about this. If he stays in Foosha Village, as long as neither you nor I say anything, the truth can be hidden for a very long time."
Ortoren had to agree. If Garp brought the child to Headquarters, everyone would know Dragon had a son.
For now, only Ortoren and a few others were aware of the situation, and they were people Garp trusted completely. They would never betray him. Everyone else knew nothing, which actually made it safer.
Still, it was obvious Garp hadn't made up his mind yet. Ortoren wasn't about to meddle in the messy affairs of the Monkey family, so he let the matter drop.
Soon, the two shifted the topic. Garp leaned close and asked quietly, "I heard Rouge showed up at G-5. What's the story?"
"I've got no idea. She came without even giving me a heads-up." Ortoren shook his head, then grinned shamelessly. "I guess I'm just too irresistible, Hahahaha..."
Garp frowned, studying him for a moment before asking, "Did she mention divorce or anything like that?"
"No," Ortoren replied with a shake of his head.
"Then what's your take on it?" Garp pressed, sensing something was off.
"Me?" Ortoren hesitated.
When it came to feelings, he didn't share any particularly deep bond with Rouge. Truthfully, he had more of a connection with Gion. But for now, driven by certain less-than-noble thoughts, the idea of bringing up divorce with Rouge didn't sit right with him.
After all, she was beautiful, with a great figure, and she was incredibly devoted. She took care of his daily life so perfectly that he couldn't help but savor it.
The truth was simple: there was no way Ortoren didn't have feelings for a woman like Rouge. He just hadn't acted on them.
Seeing his hesitation, Garp rolled his eyes. "Figures. You've hit that age, huh?"
A young man in his twenties, full of fire—how could he resist temptation? Garp could understand.
But deep down, Garp couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. A part of him felt guilty toward Roger. Still, if honoring Roger meant condemning Rouge to a lifetime of loneliness, would that really be fair to her?
Everyone deserved their own choices at every stage of life. Garp had done his part. Things turning out this way wasn't on him.
Scratching his head, Garp finally grit his teeth and said, "Forget it. I should've let go of this long ago. Roger's been dead for years. It's only natural that Rouge would want to start over. But let me warn you—don't do anything shameful. At the very least, act like a man. Got it?"
"If I were that low, I'd already have a second kid. Do you really need to say it?" Ortoren shot him a glare, muttering irritably.
...
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